Review: `Variety is the key to delicious food!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2014
Ruby Cooper once again has gone out of her way to deliver a definitive book on THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET. In her Introduction she reiterates what many of us have heard, but not as clearly as Ruby states it: `You can never get bored of this kind of diet because it doesn't restrict any food. It only restricts large amounts of fat, sugars and unhealthy eating habits. You are free to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, lean meat, nuts, dried fruits, seafood and even dairy products if they come in small quantities.....The Mediterranean diet is based on recipes and foods found mostly on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Italy, Greece, Spain, Morocco, Egypt and Turkey have always had an interesting cuisine and many studies conducted in the last few years have shown that the people living in those countries face fewer heart problems, less obesity and they don't struggle with bad cholesterol or diabetes as much as people with other diets do.'From there she proceeds to jump into the best ingredients and follows that with some of the beautifully photographed and described recipes for Mediterranean cuisine. For ease of use our chef divides her recipes into groups that span the days meals. To give you an idea the following are examples of what you will find: Breakfast Recipes - Feta and Tomato Eggs,  Lentil Quick Stew, Fasolada - Mediterranean Beans, Artichoke Omelet, Spinach and Feta Cheese Omelet: Lunch and Dinner Recipes - Marinated Fish, Lentil "Meatballs", Zucchini Fritters, Rice and Cabbage Stew, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Beet and Swiss Chard Stew, Spinach Rice Sausage Stew, Dill Pea Stew, Moussaka, Octopus Pasta: Soups - Revithia - Chickpea Soup, Mediterranean Vegetarian Soup, Greek Lentil Soup with Feta Cheese, Polisporo Soup - Seed Soup, Mediterranean Egg Drop Soup, Cold Yogurt Soup: Salad Recipes - Tomato Salad on Whole Wheat Bread, Mediterranean Tofu Salad, Cabbage and Carrot Salad, Herbed Lettuce Salad, Greek Roasted Pepper Salad: Snack Recipes - Feta Cream Cheese, Potato Dip, Tzatziki - Greek Sauce, Eggplant Dip, Bread and Caviar Dip, Spanakopita - Spinach Pie: Dessert Recipes - Honey Fritters, Baklava, Creamy Custard Cake, Fried Pastry Dough with Honey, Whipped Cream Kataifi, Honey Baked Figs with Yogurt, Tahinopita - Tahini Paste Cake. Each of these recipes (and there are many, many more) is accompanied by easy to follow preparation guides and instructions and a color photograph of each completed dish.As Ruby Cooper states, `Cooking Mediterranean is not hard at all if you keep in mind a few rules: fresh ingredients, good quality olive oil, aromatic herbs and lean meat, plus plenty of seafood. This is all you need for a healthy diet and an improved general health.`  The always dependable and imaginative Ruby Cooper has done it again - a recipe book of tasty dishes that are completely healthy for a fun and safe lifestyle. Grady Harp, April 14