Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking by Paula Wolfert

[Richard Kilgore]

My copy of eGullet Society board member Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking arrived a few days ago. I know many members have been waiting for it as long as I have, especially those who helped Paula with her recipe testing. And it looks like it's more than worth the wait.

A helpful clay pot primer on types of clay pots and how to season them starts off the book. Chapters follow on

First Courses

Soups

Fish and Shellfish

Chicken, Duck and Other Poultry

Meats

Pasta and Grains

Vegetables and Beans

Savory Pies and Breads

Egg and Dairy dishes

Desserts

Has anyone else seen the book yet? What do you think?

[mbhank]

My copy arrived the other day also. I've already tagged a simple mushroom dish cooked in a sandy pot to try. I enjoy all of her books so this one came as no surprise.

[slschnur]

I just got the book & have only had time to leaf through it, but it looks wonderful, like all her other ones. Now I just need more clay pots.

[Special K]

Just ordered it! This is the cookbook I've been waiting for! Now I'm off to scour Goodwill, etc., for more clay pots.

[Special K]

Well. Got the book. I'm sure I'll love cooking from it, but I do have one quibble. I was . . . well, dismayed is the word . . . to find almost no pictures! There are a few beautiful photographs of the finished dishes, and in one or two we can actually see the clay pots they're cooked in, but there are not even any drawings in the introductory section. Even after reading the description, I still didn't know exactly what a cazuela was supposed to look like until I googled its image. Maybe it's just me -- I guess I just need pictures in my cookbooks.

Oh, and I know this sounds mean, but the first recipe I looked up in the index (the no-knead bread in a Romertopf), showed a typo - her mention of it (she doesn't give the recipe) is on page 266, not 366. (I can't help it; I'm a librarian, and one of the first things I check in a new book is the accuracy of the index.)

Edited October 12, 2009 by Special K (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Well. Got the book. I'm sure I'll love cooking from it, but I do have one quibble. I was . . . well, dismayed is the word . . . to find almost no pictures! There are a few beautiful photographs of the finished dishes, and in one or two we can actually see the clay pots they're cooked in, but there are not even any drawings in the introductory section. Even after reading the description, I still didn't know exactly what a cazuela was supposed to look like until I googled its image. Maybe it's just me -- I guess I just need pictures in my cookbooks.

Oh, and I know this sounds mean, but the first recipe I looked up in the index (the no-knead bread in a Romertopf), showed a typo - her mention of it (she doesn't give the recipe) is on page 266, not 366. (I can't help it; I'm a librarian, and one of the first things I check in a new book is the accuracy of the index.)

While I agree that a labeled drawing or photo of each type of clay pot in the introduction would be helpful, it is inaccurate to say there are "almost no pictures". I count 26 photos. All of them show clay pots or clay pots with the finished dishes in them. And on page 321 is a listing of "Pots Featured in This Book", with a description and a source where you can buy them.

[Anna N]

I hope all of you will post your impressions of the recipes when you get around to trying them.

[Special K]

Richard, you are right, of course. I didn't count the photos; I didn't have much time to leaf through the book, so that was just my first impression. I guess 26 photos of finished dishes just isn't enough for me - but that's just me. I know that a lot of people would rather have fewer pictures in their cookbooks - more room for more recipes!

Anna, I will certainly post my impressions of the recipes when I get the time to try them.

[Anna N]

Richard, you are right, of course. I didn't count the photos; I didn't have much time to leaf through the book, so that was just my first impression. I guess 26 photos of finished dishes just isn't enough for me - but that's just me. I know that a lot of people would rather have fewer pictures in their cookbooks - more room for more recipes!

Anna, I will certainly post my impressions of the recipes when I get the time to try them.

Thank you. There is a rather lengthy excerpt available from the publisher here.

[Richard Kilgore]

I hope all of you will post your impressions of the recipes when you get around to trying them.

I have started a new topic on "Cooking with Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking" in the Cooking forum here. Get your pots ready and let's get cooking!