A thoroughly comprehensive guide to vegetables from Mediterranean countries, Wright's latest is part cookbook, part academic reference. Originally an appendix to Wright's Mediterranean Feast, this book's alphabetically ordered vegetables run the gamut from acanthus-leaved thistle to zucchini. Wright admits that "practically speaking, only about eighty or ninety of the over two hundred vegetables listed will be even remotely available to a typical American cook." The book lists vegetables' English and Mediterranean names, characteristics, varieties, plant origins and history, and explains how to buy, store and prepare them for cooking. No nutritional information is given; the author wants to guide the reader away from what he views as "the gastronomically destructive 'food as fuel' concept." While information on grape hyacinth, paper pumpkinseed and sea holly might seem esoteric to the average cook, some of Wright's recipes are treasures indeed. Shawandar bi'l-Laban
(Beets with Yogurt) is stunningly colorful, and the fresh mint along with garlic is new and unexpected. Makbuba
(A Potato and Bell Pepper Frittata in the Style of the Tunisian Jews) is made with ingredients most American cooks have, and caraway and coriander seeds enhance its simple ingredients in new ways. While Wright's recipes focus on vegetables, they are not exclusively vegetarian; it is common in Mediterranean cuisine for meat and dairy products to be used as condiments for vegetables. Impeccably researched, this book will appeal to botanists, food scholars and vegetable aficionados. Agent, Doe Coover.
(Sept.)
