Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France, and Spain

The latest collaboration from Ligurian chef Galletto and food journalist Dale (Soffritto: A Delicious Ligurian Memoir) serves up a sumptuous culinary tour through three Mediterranean cooking cultures in what the authors call the Domain of Oil: Liguria, Provence, and Catalunya (also known as Catalonia). Northwest Italy, southern France, and northeast Spain, connected by a contiguous coastline, share foodstuffs and foodways brought by Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, such as olives, saffron, figs, chickpeas, and anchovies as well as eggplant, rice, and pasta. The authors skillfully present the culinary links, observing that Liguria’s pesto alla genovese is Catalunya’s salsa verde and Provencal’s pistou. Fish-based fare abounds with stews such as Marseille-style bouillabaisse and baccala (dried salt cod) recipes across the cuisines. Quail and figs with farro is a mash-up of Provençal and Ligurian classics. Regional salads, soups, breads, rice and pasta, and dessert recipes are plentiful, using ingredients accessible to American home cooks. Photographs showcase kindred plates and sun-drenched Mediterranean landscapes. This cookbook-cum-travelogue also highlights favorite taverns and restaurants along the culinary corridor and the spectacular markets of Barcelona and Nice. Galletto and Dale’s culinary tour and definitive recipe collection is at once personal, enlightening, and mouthwatering. (Dec.)