The Spanish Mediterranean Islands Cookbook

This attractive survey of the Balearic Islands (Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, and Menorca) presents more than 150 recipes which emphasize everyday fare built on an abundance of seafood and humble ingredients.

Jeff Koehler, who has written extensively about Spain, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, wants us to understand the differences between each of the islands, going to far as to offer stuffed eggplant recipes from both Mallorca and Menorca (the first contains meat, the second does not), as well as introductions to local cheeses, mushrooms, sauces, and pastries.

Recipes include many dishes not commonly found on the mainland, including:

• Baked sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon

• Mallorcan “dry soup,” in which slices of bread absorb all the liquid

• Black rice with cuttlefish and artichokes

• Prawns cooked on a bed of salt

• Roast pork loin with onions and pomegranate syrup

• Bread with wine and sugar

Very informative with well-written headnotes.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.