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The best Mediterranean cookbooks to inspire your summer cooking

by Malou Herkes

published on 2 January 2024

As the summer approaches, our thoughts drift to sun-soaked beaches and long, relaxed lunches; grilled fish, fresh salads and crisp, cold wine are the order of the day. Feed your inspiration with our favourite Mediterranean cookbooks, each celebrating the fresh produce, flavours and spirit of Europe’s sunny southern coast.

Med

by Claudia Roden

Thirty years on from the publication of her first Mediterranean-themed cookbook, Claudia Roden is back with Med: A Cookbook. Promising authentic recipes and culinary anecdotes gathered over years of travel and research, Med will transport you to shady olive groves and sparkling coastlines.

Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook

Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook sees Ainsley criss-crossing the Mediterranean, from Spain to Morocco, Jordan to Sardinia, exploring the flavours and ingredients that define the region. Expect plenty of fresh, vibrant recipes, all designed to be as easy and accessible as possible.

Rick Stein's Long Weekends

Rick Stein’s Long Weekends

Rick Stein’s Long Weekends celebrates the best recipes from Rick’s travels around Europe. From Palermo to Cadiz to Thessaloniki, Rick shares flavours, ingredients and recipes, as well as expert tips to inspire your travels.

5 Ingredients Mediterranean

This cookbook is the perfect go-to for easy midweek meal ideas. Taking inspiration from the food of Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Portugal, Jamie Oliver has developed over 125 flavour-packed recipes that use just five ingredients each.

Taverna

by Georgina Hayden

Taverna is a journey back to Georgina Hayden’s Greek-Cypriot roots via a collection of exciting, vibrant, sun-soaked recipes that will make you rethink Mediterranean food. Expect cinnamon-infused stews, colourful salads and orange-blossom scented pastries.

Moro: The Cookbook

Moro: The Cookbook

A loving homage to the food of Spain, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, Moro: The Cookbook is a tried-and-tested, award-winning classic from the duo behind popular London restaurant, Moro. It’s full of warm spices and fiery sauces, slow-cooked, earthy stews and lively flavours.

Plenty

Plenty

For vegetarian Mediterranean food, Ottolenghi’s Plenty should be your go-to. Inspired by Ottolenghi’s own background, this a wonderful celebration of Mediterranean flavours, minus the meat. Our favourite dish? Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie.

Venice

by Russell Norman

Returning to his beloved Venice, Russell Norman’s Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking explores the simplicity and wonder of Venetian home-cooking across the seasons. Recipes span springtime Baby Artichoke Risotto, perfect-for-summer Swordfish Puttanesca and a wintery Wild Boar Ravioli. For anyone looking to visit The Floating City, he includes his favourite markets, suppliers and sites to see.

Meliz’s Kitchen

by Meliz Berg

Delight in these tasty and accessible Turkish-Cypriot inspired recipes from self-taught cook and recipe developer Meliz Berg. Expect sumptuous comfort foods, quick and speedy family-friendly meals, and dinner party centrepieces packed with the warmth and vibrancy of a rich culinary tradition.

The Food of Spain

The Food of Spain

by Claudia Roden

From the doyenne of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, Claudia Roden’s The Food of Spain is a comprehensive guide to Spanish cuisine. Chapters are divided between the diverse Spanish regions, combining history with recipes to help deepen your understanding of this unique cuisine. Expect rustic tapas and delicately flavoured soups, elaborate celebratory dishes and fragrant desserts.

Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume: Cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean

Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume

by Silvena Rowe

Silvena Rowe shows us that there is more to the Mediterranean than just Italy and France in her stunning Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume. This cookbook follows the footsteps of the ancient Ottoman Empire that spanned Turkey, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, combining storytelling and history with Med-inspired flavours, ingredients and recipes.

Jamie Cooks Italy

Jamie reconnects with a long-established love of Italian food in Jamie Cooks Italy. Packed with recipes inspired by the wonderful nonnas he encountered while travelling the length and breadth of the country, this book is a true celebration of Italian cuisine.

Moro Easy

Celebrating the melting pot of influences that make up Spanish and North African flavours is Moro Easy, released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of London-based restaurant, Moro. Broaden your repertoire of simple lunches and speedy, flavourful suppers and find dinner party inspiration.

The Sicily Cookbook

Be inspired by authentic recipes from food photographer, cook and native Sicilian Cettina Vicenzino. Expect spices, citrus fruits, cheeses and seafood, plus a rich array of meats and vegetarian dishes. Some firm favourites include Ricotta Dumplings in an Orange and Tomato Sauce, and Sicilian Orange Cake.

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