Published to accompany Rick Steins ten-part television series for BBC2, this new book starts where French Odyssey left off at the mouth of the Rhone in the port of Marseilles. Reluctantly abandoning his idyllic canal boat, the Anjodi, Rick takes to the public ferry system which plies between the islands and coastlines of the Mediterranean.
The thing about filming, says Rick is its always an adventure. I think the main reason Chalky likes going with us is its like one big walk. Its the same for us really pure escapism.
At the end of French Odyssey, David Pritchard, Ricks longtime friend and producer, said to camera I know where were going next, I see it all now, its like Ive shot it already. Its the Med with all its wonderful islands all the influences (from other cuisines) like Italian, but also Greek, Arab, Spanish and Turkish. Lots of seafood, great spices lashings of history well a bit of history.
Rick and David have now made this culinary journey and sampled the cuisines of Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Corfu, Mallorca, the Catalan coast, Turkey and Morocco. Rick was fascinated to discover how varied the recipes were despite using common ingredients such as olive oil, tomatoes, capers, fresh fruit, fish, local wines and so on.
The book contains over 100 recipes divided by types of ingredient or types of dish from mezze and tapas to calamari and couscous. Although Mediterranean food is always considered to be very healthy, by virtue of its ingredients, Rick will not shy from luxurious ice creams and sticky pastries and the book will also include basic recipes, accompaniments and sauces. He introduces the book with a diary of his gastronomic journey, recounting the many interesting characters and interesting dishes he discovered en route.
The book is stylishly designed and illustrated throughout with specially commissioned food and location photography.

An amazing new cookbook from Britain's favourite TV chef, exploring the many and varied cuisines of the Med...

Rick Stein, Mediterranean escapes, Cookery