Mediterranean Hot: Spicy Recipes from Southern Italy, Greece, Turkey & North Africa

Kremenzi (The Foods of Greece) successfully blends culinary trends in this chirpy collection of spicy recipes, some old and some freshly designed, from lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. There are all-purpose condiments like fiery Zhug (a Yemenite hot sauce common in Israel), salads like the Armenian Yogurt, Spinach & Parsley Salad with Pine Nuts and hearty meals like the Lamb Tagine with Dried Figs & Sesame Seeds from Morocco. Some of these dishes demonstrate Kremenzi's intimate knowledge of the Mediterranean: the Hot & Sweet Cheese Pitas are served as a dessert in a village in southwestern Crete. Even the recipes from less-than-undiscovered countries are fresh: from Spain comes an unusual Cold Almond & Garlic Soup that is served in a milder form, from Italy a Spicy Rice Pasticcio with Gorgonzola, a little-of-everything casserole here given some heat with green chilies. Included are mouth-coolers like Cypriot Yogurt, Cucumber & Mint Sauce to soothe the blistered tongue. Likewise, the chapter on desserts contains some that are tingly, e.g., Spicy Mastic (a fragrant resin) Ice Cream and some that are not, like Caramelized Stuffed Figs in Almond Liqueur. (June)