An absolute delight! This is an essential Mediterranean cookbook. The author obviously loves Italy and Italian food and it shows in this lovely book. I read it on an ipad but even on that, the design is beautiful and the photographs are mouth-wateringly good!
Sheela gives us some brief background on her Italian love affair, outlines the Mediterranean diet and takes us through what should be in a good Mediterranean pantry, including in your fridge and freezer. Happily I have most of her recommendations!

Sheela gives some basic useful recipes such as roasted garlic, a basic vinaigrette, any herb pesto and so on. There are chapters on Salads and Soups, Beans and Grains, Pasta, Gathering dishes and Desserts and Cakes. The instructions are very clear and again, beautifully illustrated.
Of course, being a reviewer, it’s my duty to try some of these recipes! I decided firstly to make the Any Herb Pesto and also used the Roasted Garlic. I have made pesto before, but this was undoubtedly the best I’ve ever done. The roasted garlic (I roasted 2 heads of garlic as it keeps for about a week) gives a much more mellow, less raw taste and the whole thing took less time to make than the pasta took to cook. I used walnuts rather than pine nuts but kept the rest of it traditional with parmesan and basil. I also added some freshly picked green beans to the pasta for the last 2 minutes of cooking. It went down a storm and has already been requested again for next week! Next time I might try using mint and add some courgettes to the pasta.
I also made the Braised Harissa Eggplant (Aubergines) and Greens. I didn’t have any kale so left that out - spinach would work just as well. This is a warming flavourful easy vegetarian dish, again, well-written and easy to follow. I will be buying this one.

Note: the author is American and measurements are in cups, but measurements are also given in grams.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
This is a beautiful book, lovely photos, really appetizing recipes, and some I am excited to try. I only wish there were more of it! Nicely done.

Mediterranean Every Day is a well curated cookbook full of Mediterranean comfort food by Sheela Prakash. Due out 1st Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Harvard Common Press imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats

The book follows a logical and accessible format. The first chapters covers the background of Mediterranean cuisine and explains the different styles of cooking, and how to streamline meal planning and prep (including a pantry staples lists of pestos, breadcrumbs, salsa, vinaigrette, honeys, oil, and other dish-enhancers) as well as a very general beginner-accessible discussion of the time-saving and streamlining techniques to be adapted to simplified, casual food prep and dining. The recipe chapters are arranged thematically: 3-ingredient snacks & cocktails, salads & soups, beans grains & a few bready things, colorful pastas, special occasion dishes, and desserts. Nutritional information is not included.

The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard with metric/SI units in parentheses (yay!). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. The book also includes a short author bio, bibliography/resource list, and a cross-referenced index.

The included recipe and prep/serving photos are clear and attractive, but they represent a minority of recipes in the book. These are appealing "everyday" recipes which are tasty and family-friendly (no kale smoothies). I especially loved the traditional and modern twists on pestos, dressings, and pasta enhancers. We tried them and found them well developed and delicious (and easy to prepare and use).

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Sheela Prakash’s Mediterranean Every Day is a well done cookbook with intriguing recipes, pretty pictures, and a reasonable pantry list. I don’t know if it’s a classic yet, but I would recommend it for the moderately adept home cook. I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am predisposed to like this cookbook, because I am comfortable with Mediterranean cuisine. I was able to cook three dishes without going to the store because I had the ingredients on hand already. I appreciate that in a cookbook, but I also recognize that my pantry is not universal.

The Mediterranean basin is large and encompasses many cultures and styles of cooking. Prakash includes recipes from all over, but doesn’t delve deeply into any region or culture. She keeps the focus on the flexibility and casualness of the cuisine. I particularly appreciated that she encourages readers to think of pesto as an equation rather than a recipe and then she provides the equation with some suggested variations. She also offers some foods that are “blank canvases” with season variations. She really encourages readers to experiment and adapt.

I made the smokey white bean hummus, the bucatini aglio e olio with wilted arugula, and the chocolate olive oil cake. There are more exciting recipes in the book, but these are the recipes I could make with what I had on hand. Also, it’s hovering around the 100 degree mark every day and I’m not up to standing over a hot stove for a long period or turning the oven up to a high heat. This is not a vegetarian cookbook, though there are many vegetarian recipes. At this point in the summer I am less inclined to eat meat.

The white bean hummus worked just fine (halved) in my mini processor. I had a tasty dip in my refrigerator which was great on toast and on cucumber slices. I would make it again.

Bucatini is my favorite long pasta – thick, chewy, and bouncy. This recipe calls for 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced. It really helped that I have a mandolin and I’m not afraid to use it. The resulting dish was great for a summer night and made an excellent next day cold breakfast. I like arugula, but if you need a milder green, spinach will work as well.

The chocolate olive oil cake was a hit. I was surprised at how quickly it came together. I started making it at 6:30 and it was out of the oven by 7:30. The cake was light and chocolaty with bright notes from the fruity olive oil.

When the weather gets cooler and roasting is more appealing, I want to try the lemony chicken thighs with blistered olives and the shredded brussels sprout and faro bake.

Wonderful book I really taste of the Mediterranean. Well written recipes with a great classical feel. Great info on how to source ingredients

Mediterranean Every Day makes healthful cooking affordable and accessible for weeknight meals. I love that the author shies away from calling this book a blueprint for a “diet;” it seems the book is meant to encourage a long-term trend of eating high protein meals with healthy fats, whole grains and lots of vegetables. I also noticed quite a few recipes relying on chickpea flour instead of traditional flour – great news for my gluten-sensitive family.

I’ve made three dishes from the book and enjoyed each. I made a smoked salmon Greek salad for lunch. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand, and I thought that was an interesting take on an old favorite. I made the chocolate olive oil cake for dessert, which was yummy even though I overcooked it a bit (my fault, not the book). It was a very forgiving recipe! My favorite dish so far has been the Garlic Parmesan Soup with Greens and Beans. Again, I happened to have all of those ingredients on hand. This will be a repeat meal for my family for sure.

I plan to try many more recipes from this cookbook! I love the Mediterranean way of eating, but its often prohibitively expensive. Sheela Prakash’s recipes are tasty and easy to make with foods you likely have on hand.

This cookbook has a good array of recipes and beautiful photos. I liked that there were some recipes with variations depending on the seasons, and I also liked that many were twists on classics.

A beautiful book with vivid photos. A short and powerful explanation of the Mediterranean diet. Spices, sauces, pasta, desserts, and even cocktails and drinks. I love how each photo is displayed on the page with the recipe, and the photos are amazing. Scrumptious recipes. It even offers recipes with 3 ingredients or less. Organized well. Even recipes that were organized by season. The author has an explanation or short personal story before many recipes that made things fun and interesting. A cookbook to turn to again and again. Definitely a keeper.

I just reviewed Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash. #MediterraneanEveryDay

This beautiful and easy to follow recipe book is for everyone!! The recipes use seasonal ingredients and is health conscience !!
There is a beautiful blend of different flavors to make daily/easy,and larger gathering meals.
Mediterranean Every Day offers options for ,three ingredient or less ,snacks and cocktails,
Soups and salads ,main daily entrees,, pasta (oh wow!!!), gathering special entrees and desserts!!
The recipes are easy to follow and help you to build a pantry just right for your Mediterranean cuisine.
Enjoy the 75 delicious opportunities to evoke a bit of the Mediterranean into your life.
Learn, eat and enjoy!!!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC from NetGalley ,Quarto Publishing Group – Harvard Common Press, and Author Sheela Prakash

Accompanied by gorgeous colorful photos, the recipes in Mediterranean Every Day are approachable and delicious. The book is divided into meal type and include sections on snacks and cocktails and meals for a gathering, in addition to standard soups, salads, pastas, and entrees. All of the ingredients needed are are available in a well stocked grocery store and most recipes are healthy and fresh. I’m most excited by the caramelized mushroom pasta with crispy prosciutto and the risottos for each season using fresh seasonal ingredients.

Advanced copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Know what’s really soothing at the end of a long day? Reading a cookbook. I would recommend waiting until after you’ve eaten, though, or it might make you leave your wanting to rummage around the fridge at bedtime.

I read through this one after a particularly long, draining day, and it was delightful. I am always looking for easy ways to incorporate my heritage into my food, because it’s delicious, and bonus, it’s healthy. Many people have jumped on the Mediterranean diet train for good reason. The women in my family don’t live to be in their 100s just because.

Lebanese people will feed you until you’re stuffed and then insist you have some dessert. It’s what we do. Prakash has combined and adapted some wonderful Mediterranean recipes from across several countries and made them accessible for easier meal prep. I can’t wait to try out some of these in my weekly meal prep routine.

It’s organized like most cookbooks and has several sections depending on what you’re in the mood for. I loved the starter chapter with dressings, dips and the like. I have tried to cut out as much sodium as possible and rarely cook with it, so I appreciate being able to make simple dressings and dips that allow me to control the sodium content. There’s plenty of options for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike. I love that Mediterranean food is so accessible to so many types of eaters.

This one is out on September 1st, so if you want some tasty recipes that you can actually prepare in a timely manner without spending a fortune, check this one out.

I have a lot of Mediterranean cookbooks on my shelves. A lot. And yet I cannot resist buying more. The first thing I look for is combinations of ingredients I wouldn't normally put together. I've lived in Spain, I've enjoyed the wonderful fresh food from the markets, I'm looking for inspiration to cook my favourite type of food ever - a Mediterranean diet, in a new and tasty way.

Sheela Prakash is a food and wine writer as well as recipe developer. She received a master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, and she is inspired by the Italian nonne - 'Graziella'. When Sheela met Graziella she discovered what TRUE Mediterranean food was. Consequently this book has an Italian slant to its' taste of the Med. She then returned to The States, hence some 'American' words for vegetables and herbs.

Are there new recipes for me? We're in the middle of a heatwave at the moment, so the first thing that jumped out at me was 'Cucumber Tahini Gazpacho with crispy Chickpeas'. A definite one to try, and not something I've ever seen before, I'm always on the look out for a new risotto combination, and 'Lemony Asparagus' ticks the boxes for me. I've learnt to make sourdough in lockdown, so 'Tomato Bread with Burrata and Salse Verde' will be the next thing I make. I've got a massive packet of Orzo and no inspiration, but now I have 'Orzo Skillet with Shrimp and Feta' to try. I've not tried baking spinach before, or combining it with Artichoke. There are some interesting meat recipes, 'Skillet Lemon Chicken with Blistered Olives' for one. Plus some desserts and entertaining ideas.

The things that work for me in this book, are its' simplicity, fantastic photography for nearly ever recipe (an absolute must for me), and ingredients that you are likely to have in your cupboards and fridge. A Mediterranean diet is rich in fibre which digests slowly, and prevents huge swings in blood sugar.

I might have a lot of Mediterranean books on my shelves, but I need this one too.

Mediterranean Every Day was a cookbook with plenty of beautiful photos and it had sections which made it easy to find whatever recipe you're looking for. One of the recipes I'd love to try is the balsamic brown butter tortellini.

This pic is filled with gorgeous pictures of the food. I am a person who likes pictures of the whole cooking process but they are hard to find. My second favorite is when they at least have a picture for each recipe which this book does beautifully. I loved the information offered at the beginning of the stapes and basic pantry for mediterranean cooking and it even tells you how to store it! I am not familiar with some of the dishes that the book contains but they seem pretty straight forward on how to make them and do not seem to be to difficult. Great sections as well.

Thank you so much for my copy of this. This is such a gorgeous recipe book and one of those rare instances were I want to eat pretty much everything in it too! Definitely recommend it for anyone who loves cooking and feeding their loved ones.

Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash is a cookbook full of delicious and wonderful recipes. They are easy to follow and the book has lots of helpful hints too. The pictures compliment the recipes very well.

I loved the look of this cookbook - the photos were gorgeous. A lot of the recipes weren't things I would make unfortunately: I don't eat much meat and while there were a number of vegetarian recipes, none really jumped out as being something I HAD to make. The one recipe I can't wait to try is the pesto roasted chicken, which sounds like it should be delicious.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a variety of Mediterranean recipes from drinks to desserts.

There's a lot of recipes that focus on chicken but there's also things like soups and salads. There's pictures of most of the recipes which is nice! The organization of the recipes are a bit confusing, but overall it's a good variety.

This book was a wonderful exploration into the Mediterranean Diet. I really appreciate Prakash's philosophy on diet and food, and I found it really refreshing coming from a nutritionist! Her descriptions of spending time in Italy and working on a farm were beautiful as well.

And the recipes...... yall. I made the balsamic brown butter tortellini and it is perfection. There were many, many other recipes that I would love to make too. The recipes are easy to follow, there are plenty that would be perfect to make on a weeknight (for me, that means it takes less than an hour from start to finish), and the ingredients are easy to find! For the less-accessible ingredients there are plenty of substitution options! And the photos in the book are truly beautiful. I received a digital advanced copy, so the layout and design typically aren't 100% correct, but from what I could tell its one of the most attractive cookbooks I've seen!

I will definitely be getting a copy of this book for myself, my sister, my mom, my neighbor--it is THAT good. I'm so excited to try more of the recipes!!! I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely cookbook with tasty sounding recipes and lots of gorgeous photos. The author is a nutritionist who spent time in Italy and elsewhere in the Mediterranean, and the focus is on simple but delicious, healthy foods. Chapters feature staples, three ingredient or less snacks and cocktails, salads and soups, bean and grain dishes, pastas, "gathering dishes" and desserts.

Sample recipes melon and prosciutto caprese, black lentil fritters with lemon-herb yogurt, fresh corn and tomato risotto, quick sausage ragu over polenta, rose soaked peaches, London fog affogato (hot earl gray tea steeped with lavender, poured over vanilla ice cream).

Most of the recipes are naturally gluten free or fairly easy to adapt for those who don't eat gluten, with a few exceptions. Dairy is used fairly heavily. Animal products are used pretty heavily, though some recipes are vegetarian.

Photos are provided for most of the recipes. I was disappointed to see that even though the book was written by a nutritionist, no nutritional information is provided. Considering how many people seek out Mediterranean recipes because of their health benefits and how many people have to monitor their sodium, fat, protein, carbs/sugars, fiber, etc. this seems like a frustrating omission. That said, the recipes seem generally healthy and whole-foods based, and most can be prepared fairly quickly and easily.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.