Ben Tish honed the complex technical skills of formal French cooking in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants in and around London. But it wasn’t until he helped open a new Italian restaurant, Al Duca, in 2000 that he understood and appreciated the simple beauty of seasonality and provenance.
“Spiky, fresh young artichokes glistening with dew flown in from Sardinia that morning and only available for six weeks a year were like nothing I’d seen before,” he recalls. “I could even smell the tomatoes before they had arrived in the kitchen.” Inspired, he traveled the Mediterranean region to study the culinary styles of the countries within.
He went on to open restaurants and write cookbooks influenced by his travels. For his fifth and latest book, “Mediterra: Recipes From the Islands and Shores of the Mediterranean” (Bloomsbury, $35), he showcases dishes representing 17 countries, each designed for easy execution in home kitchens, in chapters organized by region.
A colorful anecdote about tuna fishing in Sardinia accompanies Roasted Tuna with Baked Tomatoes and Basil. Potato Salad with Harissa and Caraway Seeds — delicious on its own, he writes, or as a side for grilled meat — typifies the highly flavored dishes of North Africa. Chilled Watermelon and Cucumber Soup riffs on Spanish gazpacho, made even more refreshing served with an ice cube, dollop of yogurt and fresh mint. All three were hits at my house — perfect for slaying the summer doldrums.
For cooler evenings, I’ve set my sights on Algerian-style Spiced Fried Chicken with Sultanas and Pine Nuts, perhaps followed by Flourless Bitter Chocolate Torte flavored with coffee, orange and cardamom inspired by an Istanbul bakery.
With seductive writing and careful curation, Tish invites us to taste the differences of each Mediterranean country, and experience the pride of place and relaxed way of life that links them together.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.
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