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Rating: 
Summary: oh this book is bad!!!
Review: ...it is very poorly researched. The map on the cover is wrong for starters. This is Mediterranean food according to Joanne Weir (not a person who grew up with Med food) who obviously has a very shallow understanding of the food of the region. This book proves that breezing through these countries as a tourist can not turn you into a serious cookbook author, or even a half-way decent one. ...
Rating:
Summary: oh this book is bad!!!
Review: ...it is very poorly researched. The map on the cover is wrong for starters. This is Mediterranean food according to Joanne Weir (not a person who grew up with Med food) who obviously has a very shallow understanding of the food of the region. This book proves that breezing through these countries as a tourist can not turn you into a serious cookbook author, or even a half-way decent one. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Nice meals, but time consuming ...
Review: Don't get me wrong, From Tapas to Meze is a great cookbook. There's tons of ideas and dishes that deserve to find their way onto more and more plates. However, I wish Weir could have thought to include a few guidelines for substitutions. Not everyone has time to make their own pasta (although some of the dishes definitely benefit from the suggested fresh pasta) or to prepare dried garbanzos. I know the book isn't pitched as a "quick meals for the harried worker," but a lot of these recipes could be made more quickly and simply without compromising flavor; in fact, that's one challenge I'm taking from the book ... and I expect the work to be worth the effort.
Rating: 
Summary: There should be more mediterranean cookbooks like this one!
Review: Even though this book has been out for a few years it continues to be one the cookbooks that i reley on most often. Not only do the recipes work, they also satisfy my palate with flavors of garlic, olive oil, tomatos and herbs. don't miss the tzaztiki, the goat cheese galette, the italian arugula salad with blood oranges, raisins and pine nuts, the tunisian sweet and hot pepper tomato relish and undoubtedly my all time favorite, the last recipe in the book, the tuna skewers with moroccan spices.i would recommend this book to anyone who loves food from the mediterranean and loves to cook.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite cookbook
Review: I cook using many of Joanne's books. This is my favorite. The Italian, Spanish, and French dishes are spot on. The Greek, Middle East and Turkish fantastic. I love to mix the salads from Eastern Mediterranean with main dishes from the Western Mediterranean. Joanne gives precise instructions and I have gotten a lot of mileage out of the techniques I've learned from this book. If you get a chance catch her show on PBS (www.weircooking.com) or a class with her at 'Sur La Table' (www.surlatable.com.) She's a joy to learn from.
Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: I was introduced to this book at a friends house for dinner -- but instead of cooking these delicious, incredibly flavorful recipes as appetizers, she served them as the main course. It's a great book for the innovative dishes plus it's nearly 80% vegetarian so it's got something for everyone. No mediterranean or Calfornia cooking lover is complete without this cookbook! And to the author -- please write lots more cookbooks!
Rating:
Summary: This Book is a Classic
Review: Joanne Weir, a la Chez Panisse, is a wonderful chef and this award winning book is fantastic. In this book Joanne shares her favorite hand-picked recipes from her travels around the Mediterranean. I love combining hearty courses from France and Italy with salads and small plates of Greece, Turkey and North Africa. This book is by far the most exciting and spicy of her books. Her cooking directions are excellent. The anecdotes and back-stories that serve as introductions to the recipes are fun.
Rating:
Summary: SENSATIONAL!
Review: Tapas to Meze is not only a wonderful collection of first courses, but captures the spirit of the Mediterranian region. It's a pleasure, albeit too rare when you find a regional cookbook that's thoroughly researched, well organized and decidedly kitchen-friendly, one from which you cook one dish, then can't wait to try another and another. The recipe that my family is hooked on is the Turkish White Bean Salad with Peppers and Herbs. Joanne's book continues to breathe new life into standbys like Nicoise salad or fried polenta sticks.
Rating:
Summary: Great tastes from my favorite cultures
Review: This is honestly one of my favorite books. I had gone to a party where most of the dishes were made from this book, and was surprised at how good they all were. When I got a copy From Tapas to Meze, I immediately tried the recipes and they came out exactly as promised (the leek tart & cucumber feta salad, which I've made countless times and everyone loves it.) Buy this book just for that recipe... The previous review made numerous mentions of the historical/cultural missteps of the book, and I have traveled through most of these countries, and I think that Joanne Weir has done a admirable job of trying to assimilate many different cultures and foods into a book that's easy to cook from. I am also half-Syrian and while I don't pretend to be an expert on middle-eastern cooking, therecipes, flavors and the dishes that I have made from this book are truly inspiring...and taste great.I personally read cookbooks for the recipes and the primary reason for buying them is to be able to make tasty food. For this reason, I heartily recommend this book!
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