From Tapas to Meze: Small Plates from the Mediterranean Cookbook (Paperback)

Weir divides the book by country/area into six sections: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the Levant (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt), and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia). Each section features its own table of contents and provides a brief introduction to that region's epicurean ancestry, dining habits, essential ingredients and techniques, and interregional cuisines. Similarly, Weir prefaces each recipe by discussing a key ingredient or possible recipe variations, or by sharing a story about her own encounters with the dish. Weir titles each recipe both in English and in the originating region's language. A Mediterranean Basics section at the end of the book consolidates recipes of staples like chicken stock, aioli, creme fraiche, and pizza dough. An index enables quick recipe or ingredient searches. The 264-page book measures 11-1/3 by 7-1/2 by 4/5 inches and weighs 3 pounds upon shipping. --Jessica Reuling