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Sit on the patio when reading ‘Hot and Spicy’

By Kim Davaz

I don’t often want to rush the changing seasons. I actually like our cold, wet winters as much as the gorgeous springs, warm summers and glorious falls. While reading “Mediterranean Hot and Spicy: Healthy, Fast and Zesty Recipes From Southern Italy, Greece, Spain, the Middle East and North Africa” by Aglaia Kremezi during a particularly wet spell, I was tempted to eat outside, and started to wish for warmer evenings.

You can, of course, eat the foods from “Mediterranean Hot and Spicy” indoors, but they are made to be eaten outside, preferably surrounded by family and friends, with the scent of sun-warmed rosemary and mint, listening to the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses.

Just look at the many color photos of finished dishes, seen against a backdrop of mature rosemary bushes or a sprig of fig leaves. Even in the photos where the background is out of focus, you can tell the table is outdoors on a sunny day.

This is the fourth cookbook about the region by Kremezi. That’s a lot of land to cover in a smallish book, but Kremezi gives a good sampling, identifying each dish by country, which can send you looking in the right place if you find a particular cuisine you love.

The recipes in “Mediterranean Hot and Spicy” are divided into four sections: Do-Ahead Spice Blends, Sauces and Condiments; Mezedes, Appetizers and Salads; Main Courses; and Breads and Desserts.

After an introduction to the elements of Mediterranean cuisine, which includes how to stock a Mediterranean pantry, Kremezi goes right into the flavoring agents - the sauces, spice blends and condiments that are so distinctive of that area.

Finding the spices and fresh herbs needed in “Mediterranean Hot and Spicy” shouldn’t be hard. Most can be found in grocery stores, but you may need to find a store that specializes in ethnic foods or bulk spices. The book includes three pages of mail-order sources with Web sites, including - for grains, flours and legumes - Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods in Milwaukie.

Skillet Shrimp With Chermoula is from the chapter “Mezedes, Appetizers and Salads.” It’s part of a recipe titled “Skillet Shrimp Two Ways.” This recipe coats the shrimp with a classic Moroccan blend of herbs and spices. Chermoula is also good with chicken and vegetables. Serve this shrimp with crusty bread to dip in the delicious sauce.

Skillet Shrimp With Chermoula

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course.

Chermoula:

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 to 5 tablespoons harissa or chili paste
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Shrimp:

• 1½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled if you like, but tails left on, and deveined
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges for serving

Place the garlic, harissa, cilantro, parsley, cumin, paprika, vinegars and ¼ cup of the olive oil in a food processor and process to make a paste. Toss the shrimp with the paste in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the shrimp. Cook, tossing often, until firm and pink, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.

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