The latest cookbooks on Mediterranean, pastry, more

Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts by Aglaia Kremezi (2014, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $35)

With 100 illustrations and 150 simple, plant-based recipes, Aglaia Kremezi’s Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts celebrates the seasonality and flavors of one of the world’s great cuisines. Her jams, sauces and mixtures of spices, herbs and nuts draw on Eastern Mediterranean and North African culinary traditions. Kremezi’s bright and bold recipe ideas appeal to meat-eaters as well as vegetarians. As she writes in the introduction, “I strongly believe that the practice of ‘nose-to-tail eating’ should not be restricted to meat, but should include all vegetables, greens, herbs and fruit.” Examples of these ingredients range from the bottom stems and pink roots of spinach to the fragrant green portions of scallions. Among the chapter topics are Seasonal Menu Suggestions, The Flavor Arsenal, Meze & Salads and Breads & Biscotti. Recipes include Orange, Olive and Baby Leek Salad; Crispy Cheese Pie (Lazy Woman’s Pie) and Quince Stuffed with Wheat Berries, Nuts and Raisins.

The Cook’s Essential Kitchen Dictionary, Second Edition: A Complete Culinary Resource by Jacques L. Rolland (2014, Robert Rose, $19.95)
 
Written by the author of The Food Encyclopedia, this expanded dictionary includes more than 5,000 culinary definitions and cooking terms, and includes reference guides such as cuts of pork and lentil varieties. Thumb through it for enjoyment and to absorb some food history snapshots, or use it as a staff training tool.

Patisserie by William and Suzue Curley (2014, Jackqui Small LLP, $60)

Award-winning chocolatier William Curley’s sweet experience includes serving as Chef Patissier at The Savoy Hotel in London, where he met his wife, Suzue. Her Japanese heritage is reflected in many of the recipes included in Patisserie.  Examples include the Green Tea and Azuki Bean Dome, and Apricot and Wasabi Entremet. In addition to recipes ranging from basics like sponges and syrups to modern adaptations of classics such as Baba au Rhum, the book includes step-by-step photography demonstrating the techniques for creating pastries and sweets.