It was interesting to learn that Marseille is a great Pizza town and has Pizza trucks complete with North African Pizza styles, but that didn't make me feel like I was there. The recipes all seem very complex and seem to come from the kitchens of fancy restaurants. I did manage to create a halfway decent vegetarian Spinach bouillabaise as inspired by one of the recipes.

Incidentally, I was moving when I wrote this review, and so I goofed. Of course there is an index! I don't know why I thought there wasn't one. So I apologize to the author and review readers for that considerable error.

The first 50 pages of this "cookbook" is a wonderfully romantic but not romanticized portrait of Marseille and that historic Mediterranean port of call's long history, native customs, literary inspirations, immigrant influences, notorious mischiefs, and recent cultural revival. Recalling the movie "The French Connection," it's hard to think of Marseille as being trendy, yet Daniel Young makes a convincing case, especially through his side-by-side presentation of the local Provence-based cooking and emigre flavors that gives the food its contemporary appeal.

The recipes I have attempted so far have been delicious and very doable (so far I've preferred to try the straightforward, home-style dishes from home cooks (many from grandmothers, others from fishermen) rather than the more elaborate ones from Marseille's restaurant chefs). I can see myself making the Parmesan and black olive biscuits all the time. The Provencal-style eggs in cocotte are terrific and also simple to prepare. My friends loved the basil potato chips and the Moroccan crepes. The soupe au chocolat -- that's right, chocolate soup -- is to die for!

Incidentally, I'm not sure what "Cloudia," my fellow customer reviewer, is talking about when she complains of no index. My copy of the book has a very detailed index where you would expect to find it, in the back (pages 259-272).

Daniel Young's recent book, Made in Marseille belongs in every serious cook's library, this is a wonderful book. His recipes are a good mix , some Eastern Mediterranean rather than the usual type of French Cookbook which we're more familar with. Mr. Young's bouillabaisse,his excellent appetizers especially his Tapenade are a very good reason to have his very special book, additionally the photographs by Sebastien Boffredo really capture the area.

I want to take a moment here to thank Georgeanne Brennan. With her "Mediterranean Herb Cookbook" she has done us all a favor.

Being a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to cookbooks (at least the ones the library allows me to get my hands on), I must start by saying how spotty most cookbooks are. Rarely do you come across a book that can handle putting two good recipes on opposing pages, much less giving you consistent ones throughout.

Yet Mrs. Brennan has done just that--her Mediterranean Herb Cookbook is filled with consistently great recipes. Not only that, there are a whole lot of recipes to choose from. From entrees, breads, and salads to drinks, marinades and spice mixtures--this book has it all.

If this is not enough, Mrs. Brennan provides information about the herbs themselves--their characteristics, how to grow them, how to dry and store them. This book is packed with great stuff!

In a book so filled with treasures, it is hard to pick a favorite recipe. Yet I believe that the Rosemary-Walnut Flatbread, if it has not become a favorite, will at least become a staple in my repertoire. It is an excellent variant on traditional flatbread (I used black walnuts and it was amazing).

I give "The Mediterranean Herb Cookbook" my full recommendation.

Georgeanne Brennan lives a charmed life with homes in both the US and Provence, France. She teaches regional cooking in France, emphasizing what is in season. This cookbook celebrates all our favorite herbs: Lavender, Rosemary, Mint, Oregano, Thyme and more. Luscious recipes for every course and helpful instructions for making simple dishes elegant are indicative of Ms. Brennan's expertise.
Whether you want to serve a stylish main course like Halibut Kabobs with Winter Savory and Lemon or a fun sweet like Apple Crumble with Lavender, the four recipe sections--Small Dishes, Salads and Soups, Main Courses, Breads and Sweets, and Basic Herbal Recipes--will provide ample selections. In Basic Herbal Recipes, Herb Blends like herbs de Provence, Herb Butters, Sauces, Marinades, Beverages, Oils and Vinegars are included (over 50 recipes in this section alone).

Although this book is identified as a cookbook it contains much more than basic recipes. This book is targeted to the cook who not only wanders the supermarket aisles hoping to find fresh herbs but also the cook who grows his/her own herbs. Drawing the reader in with beautiful photographs this cookbook includes a section with a description of herbs divided into the categories of green herbs and woody herbs. I found the hints for what flavors the herb complements and how to prepare the herbs especially helpful. In addition to basic recipes for appetizers, main courses, and desserts, this cookbook also included a section for sauces, herb marinades, herb-flavored oil and vinegars, and beverages. The last part of the book is devoted to tips on growing herbs. This section provides a range of information - from ease of starting from seed to preferred growing conditions. This contains just the right amount of information for a cook to get started on an herb garden without overloading the reader with detailed gardening instructions.

Like his preserving book, Oded Schwartz's Sauces and Salsas is a wealth of information. Learning to cook when you are face to face during the transformation of the food is obviously the best way to understand how to execute a specific recipe. Since in books that is only possible in the world of J.K Rowlings, Schwartz does the next best thing by including not only photographs of the finished product, but also of the step by step changes during the process. When he says, "...until thick and glossy," you are able to see how thick and glossy it should be in the pictures.

Another great aspect of this book is the section on basic techniques. This section teaches one how to master all of the recipes in this book, as well as how to invent your own sauces and salsas. One thing buyers need to be cautious of is that many of the recipes are somewhat fancy and could be too intricate to perform quickly and easily in everyday cooking. This is also a very creative book, but just in case you aren't sure what to serve with tomato butter, exotic fruit relish, smoky chili oil or pomegranate & Herb salsa, orange mustard mayonnaise, or exotic hollandaise, Schwartz has also included a chart that matches sauces with food, so you know what goes well on which kinds of meat, pasta, or ice cream.

In this sumptuously illustrated sauce-making-heaven cookbook, Oded Schwartz shows how simple dishes can be transformed with a simple sauce. The sauce-making techniques are captured in step-by-step color photographs. Imagine frothy sabayon, velvety veloute, smooth crème anglaise, bright tomato salsa, aromatic curry. He presents everything from the ordinary to the sublime.

Oded Schwartz was born and brought up in Israel, where his interest in a variety of cuisines blossomed. He is also the author of "In Search of Plenty" and "Fast and Fresh Mediterranean."

Although he claims there is no sorcery involved in making a good sauce, you will think this book is filled with magic spells for your taste buds! Here he presents an eclectic collection of his favorite recipes. In a way, this is a culinary trip around the world.

You will be quite hungry by page 10! Imagine green goddess dressing dripping off a juicy steak or swordfish steaks swimming in a Mediterranean marinade made with fresh dill and lemon peel.

The format in this book is rather unique. What occurs is a serious of pages with descriptions on categorized sauces and page numbers by each item. Then you turn to individual pages for the recipe.

Herb Sauces: Dill Pesto, Green Goddess Dressing
Sauces using Spices & Aromatics: Sosatie Marinade, Tamarind Dipping Sauce, Lemongrass Butter Sauce.
Chili Sauces: Harissa, Pomegranate Salsa
Tomato Sauces: Relish, Raita, Gravy and Coulis
Dairy Sauces: Chocolate Custard, Yogurt & Honey Sauce, Mornay Sauce, Tandoori Marinade
Fruit Sauces: Banana Caramel Sauce, Cherry Sauce, Raspberry Vinegrette
Alcoholic Sauces: Zabagline, Rum & Ginger Butter, Juniper Demi-glaze

Techniques are described and you will more than likely have everything you need to whip up these sauces. Might I suggest looking into a zester and the all important strainers for a few recipes.

Other Recipes to compliment the Sauce Recipes: Chicken Stock, Brown Stock, Fish Stock and Vegetable Stock

Fun Recipes: Flavored Oils, Flavored Butters, Salsas, Dips, Marinades & Spice Pastes.

Sauce Recipes Include: White Sauces, Bechamel, Hollandaise, Mushroom Sauce, Exotic Bechamel, Lemongrass & Coconut Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Orange & Saffron Sabayon, Red Wine Sauce, Lemon Sauce, Traditional Pan Gravy, Aioli, Mole and so much more!

A chart on pg. 138 gives the details on how to match partner sauces with Poultry, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Fish & Shellfish, Vegetables, Salads, Pasta, Rice and noodles.

All your favorite cordon blue classics, chutneys, curries, marinades, dips, pasta sauces, relishes, sambals, custards and syrups are in this book.

I'll say it is Quite Impressive!!!

One of the things I like so much about this book is the colorful photography. Some books come with nothing while this book includes a photograph for absolutely everything. It also includes photos of the recipe in progress. While this book does have a very large range of recipes, and some may be over the top for every day, I like having the very guided book that can assist me in making something out of the ordinary. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I have.

I have tasted the recipes I useded in the book.They came out fine without having to be extreamly fussy with details. That I think is important. Because some recipes can be real hard to duplicate. And you never know what your going to get or expect. It could be a flop. Substitution of ingreadients for less coslier and heathful ones is good to be included. Since no one person has same taste or wants when it comes to food and preperation. I cannot give it top ranking even if it deserved it. So this is truly a great mark without plain old inflation. Buy the book see for yourself. Its intertaining.

My husband is a really picky eater. Everything that I have made from this cookbook, he has raved about. The recipes are easy and really fast. I have not been able to get all of the ingredients from my local grocery store, but the cookbook includes substitutions for the harder to get items. Definitely a good buy if you want to make fast & easy Mediterranean-style food. Be aware though that not all recipes are 100% authentic -- many of them are healthier interpretations by the author.

I checked this book out of the library and now I'm ordering it for myself because every recipe I tried was easy, nutricious and different. The ingredients required weren't hard to find and the dishes were quick to make. The book is very well designed and easy to follow with interesting ancedotes for each recipe. It s inspired me to cook more often!

The recipies in the book are easy to follow and I like all the photos. Not every dish is photographed, but I like to know how the food is supposed to look before I prepare it. I am new to Mediterranean Cooking and this book is a great place to start. The dishes are very flavorful and use everyday common ingredients.

I have read so many cookbooks, and never been so impressed. Great little encyclopedia of a facinating medley of Lebanese, Italien, and French works of art. A book to cherish for generations. Every kitchen lover should have a copy.

The Author of this book made an outstanding job of combining the flavorful dishes of artistic Spain with a smart selection of impressive dishes from the old culture hub of Lebanon, in addition to a variety of delightful cuisine from all the landscape in between ...

This book is great! Every recipe that I have made from this cookbook and met with rave reviews from my family and friends. I especially like the quick recipies. As a working mom with two hungry kids,having recipes that I can put together quickly is a big plus.

If for no other reason, buy this book for the Pimiento Olive Pesto recipe-- it was like a trip to Spain, esp. accompanied by a glass of dry sherry! I have 2 other books by this same team, "Vegan Gourmet" and their Mexican volume, and enjoy them all. I have well over 100 cookbooks, and revisit these frequently.

Too short on practical details, won't help you to plan your own trip. I successfully planned my own trips in a few countries of the world with guide books and Internet, reserved my own hotels, pinpointed goals. This book does not help at all. It's more than a reading book (rather interesting one) than a travel guide. It does not tell you different ways to get places, how long a trip from usual gateways (Istanbul) can take, does not list your options (ferry, hydrofoil, bus, train). If I was writing such book I'd even provide sample timetables so the reader would know how often approximately the ferries or buses go. But this book is totally bent on history like history is all that is in Turkey. No beaches, no sports. So I have to hire a tour operator anyway and then what's the use of the history coverage then?

We returned in Feb 2003 after 3 months of independent travel in Turkey. We were there mostly to visit archeological sites and ruins, and we traveled with several other books. Nothing, however approached the exhaustive, invaluable and often overwhelming information that the Blue Guide provided us with.

There are many guidebooks that provide basic information on accomodations/restaurants/etc in TK for the casual tourist who will primarily be visiting Ephesus and the other major sites on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. There any book will do, and if you are traveling with a TK licensed guide this is one of the books that they will have had to master in the grueling University program that allows them to become licensed tour guides.

But if your interest in Asia Minor takes you even slightly off the well-trodden path, the Blue Guide is indispensible. I can't imagine understanding places like Boðazkale,Seleucia, Letoön, Xanthos,Iassos,Miletus, Stranoniceia without either this book or a licensed guide.

There is often little in the way of informational signage at the important yet lesser visited sites, and compared to other countries ,there is little published information available in book form at the sites other than glossy tourist-photo books.

I can not recommend the Blue Guide too highly to the specialist visitor to Turkeys rich archeological past.

The first thing to understand about Blue Guides is: they're not for everyone. In particular, they aren't for people who only want to have to take along a single guidebook when they travel. Although in recent years the series has begun to include some fairly sketchy data about hotels and restaurants, information about where to stay, eat or shop has never been the raison d'etre of this series. Rather, the purpose of the Blue Guides has always been to provide accurate and astonishingly comprehensive information about the history, architecture, art history, and literary associations of the countries or regions each guide covers. For those purposes, the Blue Guide has no peer. (The series has also always been distinguished by the abundance and excellence of its maps, city plans, and museum floor plans.) If you want to travel, miss nothing of any interest or significance, and come back with your mind much enriched and primed for further reading and exploration, then you're one of the people Blue Guides are written for.

Traditionally, Blue Guides were known for being authoritative and reliable, but the writing was typically understated and restrained. That began to change a few years ago, and now -- just as with the New York Times -- Blue Guide authors no longer shy away from writing marked by local color, word pictures, and individuality. At the same time, the series retains its old virtues of exhaustive research, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Bernard McDonagh, the author of the Blue Guide: Turkey, is the Michelangelo of the new model Blue Guides. He began by authoring a volume for the series on Turkey's Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, which was widely acclaimed, and then expanded it to cover (almost) the entire country a few years later. I say "almost" because this volume covers Istanbul only in summary fashion, since there is another Blue Guide volume (by the estimable John Freely) that covers that great metropolis in microscopic detail.

The Blue Guide: Turkey's comprehensiveness immediately distinguishes it from the competition. The coverage of the best-known sites like Troy, Ephesus, or Aphrodisias, of course, is superb: Ephesus merits 22 pages, along with one full-page and another two-page plan of the site and its environs, and Aphrodisias gets 10 pages. But lesser-known sites like Assos, Priene, and many others that might receive a paragraph in most guidebooks are also covered in detail, usually with an excellent plan. Indeed, the book includes no less than 45 site plans of archaeological sites, including such relatively obscure ones as Nysa, Labraynda, Limyra, Sillyum, Sura, and Uzuncaburc.

For years, the secret behind the Blue Guide's comprehensiveness was its authors' willingness to mine obscure archaeological excavation reports and 18th and 19th century traveler's accounts for nuggets of information that would have escaped the less diligent. McDonagh lifts the veil on this technique, often quoting at length from the impressions of visitors from centuries past. And these are anything but tedious: for example, we have Lord Byron's observation that "The Troad is a fine field for conjecture and snipe-shooting, and a good sportsman and an ingenious scholar may exercise their feet and their faculties upon the spot . . . .", or Pliny's report that the tombs in the necropolis at Assos were made from stone containing "a caustic substance which consumed the flesh of bodies placed in them within 40 days," or the 18th century antiquarian Richard Chandler's recollections of sharing quarters with a Greek family in a sepulcher located amidst the ruins of Iasus.

The great delight and ornament of this volume, are McDonagh's reflections and word pictures, which grace the text the way similes grace the Iliad. A sampling follows.

"In summer the view from the temple [of Athena at Assos] is one of the most beautiful in W Turkey. Across the calm waters of the Bay of Edremit, Lesbos, homeland of the first settlers ion Assos, is clothed in purple haze. Far below lies the little harbour, from which St. Paul sailed on his missionary journeys, while on terraces cut into the steep slope of the hill the ruins of the ancient city protrude like sun-dried bones through the maquis."

"Miletus is not one of the most attractive sites in SW Turkey. During late autumn, winter, and early spring much of the area is an unpleasant morass. In summer this becomes a drab brown wilderness covered with thorny scrub. A sense of profound melancholy broods over the ancient city, a feeling of abandonment and decay that is accentuated by a monotonous landscape little relieved by the occasional tall clump of reeds or the jagged stump of a ruined building."

"The dervishes no longer dance in the semahane. The sema is now held in a high school gymnasium in another part of Konya. Presented as an exhibition of folklore, for some it is nothing more. However, others find it a moving religious experience. The dervishes who take part in the sema today live in the world. They are bus mechanics, teachers, schoolboys. They are no longer obliged to submit to the extended novitiate and strict discipline of the past. Yet, when they dance, the air becomes charged with a feeling of great spirituality and the spectators forget the bleak setting in which the sema is being held, are no longer conscious of the icy temperature and discomfort of the unheated arena." "The attraction of Ulucinar lies more in its delightful situation and relaxed atmosphere than its historical associations. To stand on the bridge over the small river and watch the fishermen land their catch, to swim from the clean beach of the Arsuz Hotel, to enjoy an excellent meal on the terrace within a few metres of the sea, these must be sufficient reward for even the most demanding traveller."

Whether you're a first-time visitor to Turkey or a veteran -- or even an armchair traveller -- you could hope for no better companion and guide than Bernard McDonagh.

As a average American in taste and fondness of "familiar" ingredients, I was taken back by this book. Many (and I mean many) of the recipes include lamb brains and and other unique items highly sought after in some Mediterranean cooking. I guess I should have expected this, but it came as a surprize.

Is there a better cookbook in the world?
If there is I haven't found it yet, and I have sampled hundreds!
I would give this book 6 stars if I could.

There is a tremendous variety here. Thanks to this book, I have broadened my horizons enormously. Foods from many disparate lands vie with one another for space on my table

Yes it uses exotic ingredients. That is if find ingredients like chicken, dates, almonds, preserved lemons, olives, garlic and octopus exotic.

If you are xenophobic enough to think so, and find the thought of eating them nauseating, then buy Ronald's Whoppa Book of Burgers instead, or better still stick to one of his many fine restaurants, and convert the kitchen into another bedroom.

Still with me?
Why do I consider this book to be the best?
1. I consider most recipe books a success if I get half a dozen or so reasonable meals from it. So far with Tess, I have cooked about a third of the recipes, and have only one dud so far (It was probably something I did wrong - I'll have to revisit it sometime). Most have become regulars.
2. She has encouraged me to try some things I would not otherwise consider,
3. The instructions are very clear and methodical. Read them through first, then follow them in the order given, and you will successfully cook the recipe with a minimum of fuss.
4. She does occasionally use difficult to obtain ingredients, but always gives an alternate, or says why the ingredient is essential. Sometimes she tells you how to make it (eg preserved lemons)
5. The recipes have often been simplified. If this is the case, then an indication is usually given of how to go about the "genuine article"
6. There is a bibliography. This is great for expanding my horizons even further.
7. The index is cross referenced. Not the best job I have seen, but definitely up there. I particularly like the country of origin references, So I can quickly put together a Spanish meal, or a Turkish one.
8. There is a lovely mix of simple and more complex recipes

What would I like changed?
A seasonal guide would be nice. eg "This makes a great winter warmer" or "Perfect for a hot summer afternoon". Its there sometimes, but not always.
Likewise guidelines for changing quantities would be nice. Most recipes are for six, but I generally cook for two or three, and sometimes halving the ingredients hasn't worked.
I'd really really like stainproof pages. My copy is looking distinctly the worse for wear these days.
Difficulty indicators would be nice

In short, If you are ever involved in an Antipodean version of "Friends for Dinner", Tess then I'm your man.
Bravo.

As the child of Greek and Cypriot migrants to Australia and having been raised in the food traditions of both those cultures, I always felt the need to caprture the essence of my mother's table and document family recipes. Now there is no need - Mallos has done it all in one comprehensive and faultless tome. The recipes couldn't be more authentic than if my mother had penned the herself. If you want a taste of the Middle East buy this book - you might even like the brains!

Well, this is a beautiful book but the reason I purchased it was in hopes that it would give me some do-able Mediterranean-style decorating ideas. As I said, it contains amazing pictures but primarily of very authentic - old - mediterranean homes and mostly not something that I was looking to have in my home. I am not claiming that I was misled in anyway, I just wanted to provide this comment for future buyers who might have been thinking the same things I was...

This book is exellent for those that are looking to give their live style the mediterranean touch, from room decoration to architectural desing, from colors of the sea to earth tones. If you are looking for a book that gives you the feeling of being somewhere else, or that inspires you to change or update your current surrondings, this is the book.

This is a great book for daydreamers as well as a great sourcebook of ideas if you want to add a touch of Med-Style to your home. It has great pictures (really great photography!!) with nice descriptive and often inspiring text by the author about the 22 homes of famous people like Pierre Cardin, Miguel Servera and Armani. If you look at the names you can also feel that this is not about the little cottages of the region, but some luxurious villas and mansions of these millionaires. But the book still gives you a great feel of the style and it does have really tasty interiors and gardens from all around the coast. I recommend it!!

This was a disappointing book. It's only 64 pages, and each page has a single quotation on it - nothing in-depth, no context, nothing. It might be cute as a gift book to someone, but doesn't have much value on its own.

If you are looking for an extensive, scholarly discusion on the teachings of the pagan philosophers, then you might be dissappointed by this little book. However, if you are looking for a small, beautifully illustrated and designed, art book, that also happens to be packed with truly profound spiritual wisdom, then you couldn't do better. Infact, if I wanted to cheer a friend up, I would send this little book to them as a gift, instead of wasting their time with some beautiful, but meaningless, greeting card. What this little book lacks in size it more than makes up in weight of meaning.
This is a collection of wisdom teachings organised under The One, Lovers of Wisdom, Know Thyself, Ethics, and Death and Reincarnation. There are sayings from Pythagoras, Plato, Epictetus, Aurelius, Plotinus, Hermes Trismegistus, etc., etc., etc.
Perhaps most importantly, Freke and Gandy clearly get across the reality that the great philosophers were not "dry as dust" scholastics. These men were powerful spiritual teachers; true lovers of the goddess Sophia.

Freke and Gandy have edited a thought-provoking little art-book compendium of the best and most concise axiums of the Deists. It is not really a kid's book, but a mini-book, well worth the think necessary to read and reflect on its quotations and marvel at the art work. My only real objection is the use of the use of the word pagan in the title. Pagan is Latin for "country" and it has the connotation of "hick" or supertitious. It meant not of the imperial City(Rome), and thus, after Constantine's official adoption of Christianity as the state religion, not directly derived from the Judeo-Christian tradition. But Lucian and Marcus Aurelius would have been shocked to have heard themselves described as "pagan". Recommended for adults and mature children. Dietz H. Ziechmann (No, I am not under 13, but where else could I post a review?)