While I usually might not adopt cuisine books for my students; I do have some who would enjoy read a recipe book; I just think for my area of students they would not enjoy this one.
I thought the food definitely looks amazing… However the access to certain ingredients are not accessible in this area. -That’s not a knock towards the book though.
I enjoyed the imagery and recipes shown.
I think this would a be good book for someone looking to follow this diet and try new things.

An insightful and informative guide to all recipes Mediterranean- a perfect starter guide to beginner cooks of Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine.
I found the recipes to be well compiled with detailed step by step methods and good photography of some of the finished recipes.
However, the book could have really benefited from a more personal touch by the author.
Thankyou to Net galley and Cider Mill Press for an arc copy of this book.

With a snappy one page of introduction this is right in amongst the recipes, crossing the whole of the Mediterranean from Spain round to Israel and back to Morocco, and probably touching on many of the relevant islands in between. That "probably" is because none of the recipes are given a specific source area, and neither is there anything saying how the recipe was so special to the author, and why we should anticipate this, that or the other from planning to cook it. (There isn't even a specific author credited.) The recipes dump the 'seven or fewer main ingredients' at the top of the page, and the store cupboard staples for cooking and garnish at the bottom, and that approach allows for the calamari fritti to be the squid and the flour, and that's it. Oh for other books to have that concise, waffle-free level.

Still, we seem to gain negatives through this approach. Only one dish in three or four is photographed; the recipes can be in white ink on coloured paper, or a gaudy reverse; and this publisher does like to split recipes – dumping the chermoula sauce for us to make in an entirely different section to the ONE dish that uses it here. Make it easy for us – match them up; it's friendlier. Oh yes, the sauce needs a lot more than seven ingredients – but this is a bit of a farce of a concept anyway – the spicy chickpeas have six things in, until you include the necessary other three to flavour, and the division between the store staple and the thing brought in just for that dish is very dubious.

One thing that has to be noted is that the introduction declares this to be a way to do without the recipe in the first place – that you will notice, in cooking with a pared down format what changes are made by doing this, that and the other, and you will develop the ability to cook purely by feeling. I don't know how authentic that feeling will ever be, if mansaf, for example, is just the barest minimum ingredients – it's generally a lot richer than the version given here.

So what we seem to be getting is a bit of a cheat's Mediterranean – trimming the shopping list yes, but not really nailing all the relevant flavours, and cutting some of the time-honoured corners. That's fine, and this does aim to simplify as well as provide vibrant cooking – the clue is in the subtitle. I think that, if you are aware of that, you would certainly welcome this. If you dislike the idea of all these national dishes not being mentioned alongside their nation, and a fair lack of subtlety in both presentation on the page and in the actual finished dishes, then perhaps look for something at a higher level. This provides for a varied selection of well-loved dishes, authenticity be hanged. I think that with my caveats it could still deserve four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

My family and I love Mediterranean food, but the recipes can sometimes feel daunting with long ingredient lists and lots of prep time (if you’ve ever soaked and skinned chickpeas, you know exactly what I mean). That’s why this cookbook caught my attention: it promised 7-ingredient recipes that would be simple to prepare.

“7-Ingredient Mediterranean” offers a good variety of recipes, and I marked a dozen or so that sounded delicious. However, it lacks the personal touch and storytelling I enjoy in a cookbook. It’s essentially just a compilation of recipes. I usually appreciate headnotes or anecdotes that give some background or personality to the dishes, so this style didn’t really appeal to me.

I deducted two stars for a couple of reasons. First, and most importantly, several recipes are missing photos. Without a photo of the finished dish, I’m often not motivated to try it. Second, the cookbook feels hastily assembled. When it comes to cookbooks, I tend to prefer quality over quantity. Another reviewer speculated that it might be AI-generated and, honestly, I agree. The writing feels a bit wordy and cold, which further detracted from the experience.

Overall, I’d recommend this to a home cook looking for a quick source of Mediterranean-inspired recipes. But for those who value storytelling, thoughtful presentation, or a more curated selection, there are definitely better options out there. Personally, I’ll be passing on this one.

Simple but stunning recipes. Big flavors without being overly complicated. Uses the ingredients to their fullest potential without having to add in a lot of different ingredients or have a lot of steps to make show stopping meals. Love the simplicity of the 7 ingredients.

As soon as I saw the word Mediterranean, I knew I had to pick this book up. Born and raised in Spain, I was curious to see how accurate 7-Ingredient Mediterranean was.
And what did I find? Not only have I discovered new recipes, but I have also found new twists and ways of preparing dishes I have been eating since I was a child.
If I had to say something to improve, that would be the position of the pictures, as I think it is more useful to have them next to the recipes. This may have happened because I have the digital version, but I'm sure that digital readers (like me) would have thanked having them also in the online version.

Thank you to Cider Mill Press and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Welcome to the Mediterranean, simplified. From the coastal regions of Italy to the spice markets of Morocco, these meals harness the power of a few select ingredients to create dishes that are rich in flavors and textures."

I like a book with clear instructions and a pared-down list of ingredients. Even if I'm familiar with a cuisine, I'm not necessarily going to have 20 different ingredients, spices, and the specialty equipment required to make delicious food. This is a nice introduction to the general idea of "Mediterranean" food, with lots of room to experiment and add to the recipes.

Nice pictures and easy to follow recipes are a great asset to this book!

I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I love trying new recipes and cuisines. Mediterranean is a go-to for me so when I saw this book touting simple seven ingredient or less recipes, I had to give it a peruse. I found it well organized with a good variety of simple recipes. The photos were beautiful.

I think a cook that is just beginning to explore Mediterranean cuisine or looking for simple recipes on a busy day will appreciate the tailored ingredient list. I was planning a luncheon for twelve when I picked this up and used a couple of the recipes; however, I admit that I did edit them with additional ingredients.

Recommended to new cooks looking to explore Mediterranean cuisine or busy cooks looking for time-saving dishes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Cider Mill Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was a great cookbook. Very easy-to-follow recipes. I can't wait to try these recipes. I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This cookbook was a pleasant surprise. The title, “7-Ingredient Mediterranean”, suggests that it’s filled with the kind of heavily Americanized, diet- or convenience-friendly recipes that fill many food blogs, however the reality is much better than the title suggests. The cookbook is filled with a huge variety of traditional Mediterranean recipes, and doesn’t shy from ingredients that may not be as commonly available in typical American grocery stores. A few minor criticisms - some recipes do flout the 7-ingredient rule by referencing sauces or spice blends listed later in the book, and I wish there were headnotes and more photos, but overall seems like it would be a great cookbook for a cookbook club, or for anyone interested in the Mediterranean region!

Everywhere you read about how healthy a Mediterranean diet is so a cookbook that simplifies the recipes is ideal. No “more” than 7 ingredients…IF you do sufficient prep work ahead of time for your mise en place. For example, creating your own shawarma seasoning is its own 7-ingredient endeavour, while vegetable stock comes in at 11 ingredients. Photos for each recipe would be beneficial, and a more professional vocabulary would be appreciated (“blitzing” ingredients?).
What this book does very well is present its many recipes in an easily digestible manner- prep and cooking times outlined, an average of 5 steps per recipe instructions and a thorough index with conversions. It’s a handy addition to anyone who would like to expand their cooking repertoire and improve their health while doing so.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC. Opinions stated here are wholly my own.

Since the Mediterranean diet has been touted to be the most healthy, busy readers who want to cook dishes from that genre will want to pick up 7-Ingredient Mediterranean: 100+ Simple, Vibrant Recipes. This cookbook includes dozens of good recipes that take advantage of the healthy ingredients in the Mediterranean diet. However, the book is simply a compilation of recipes. It is very impersonal, having no notes, tips, or comments at the beginning of any of the recipes and nothing to entice readers to go to their kitchen and prepare a dish. Given that, the book has no personality. It has nothing to connect the reader to the recipes.

While it is very tempting to find recipes with only 7 ingredients because of the time savings gathering ingredients and preparing the recipe, the limited ingredients are only one aspect that readers look for when wanting to re-create a recipe for friends and family. The recipes need to be appealing, and many of these are not. While there are some photographs included which would generally help, some of them look like the dishes have already been eaten and sent back. Many of the recipes aren’t photographed at all, and readers will find themselves wondering if the recipes are even worth making.

All told, this book does have some appealing recipes, but lacks an author and an author’s take on the recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and listed in the traditional manner, but without a real person presenting them, readers won’t want to make them. There are certainly better books out there.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
7-Ingredient Mediterranean by Cider Mill Press
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 224
Genre: Non-Fiction
Release Date: June 17, 2025

I’m a pretty lazy cook, so what I liked about this cookbook is the minimal amount of ingredients and steps in each recipe. They’re all based on Mediterranean dishes, which I Iove, and which tend to be on the healthy side. Simple, easy, healthy cooking? Yes, please! I wish there were photos of all the completed dishes for all the recipes, but other than that, this is my ideal cookbook. Highly recommended.

Dishes featured are:
🌱Mint & Sage Butternut Squash
🍆Turkish Eggplant Salad

Thank you, @CiderMillPress for my free @NetGalley copy.

As a Spanish living in the UK for 10 years, I cannot tell how much I miss Mediterranean food.
I was immediately interested in this book, as the idea of simpler 7-ingredient recipes (which makes it more accessible for a couple or single person), draw me in.

The book is well laid out and although it has not too many pictures, the ones showecased are beautiful.

Most recipes where simple enough, but some recipes were split into two recipes which was a bit misleading. I was also hoping to find more Spanish recipes given the size and number of recipes of the book. Regardless I tried a few new recipes that were tasty but probably not the first book that would come to mind if I had to recommend to someone in Mediterranean cuisine.

I grew up eating Mediterranean style food. Even with that upbringing, there were a lot of recipes that were new to me in the book. I love the simplicity of the recipes but simple is no where near the flavors you get. I do wish there were more photos and that all the photos had descriptions. Ex. The entree recipe is served on something not in the recipe. It would be nice to know what all was pictured.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.75/5 stars)
As someone who adores the Mediterranean way of eating and already has a solid collection of cookbooks on the subject, I was instantly intrigued by the concept of the 7-Ingredient Mediterranean. The idea of flavorful, nourishing recipes that are both inspired by one of the world's healthiest diets and only require seven ingredients? Count me in.

The book is beautifully laid out, making it easy to navigate, and the photography is simply stunning; each image felt like an invitation to step into a sun-drenched kitchen somewhere along the coast. The visuals alone had my stomach rumbling and my kitchen calling.

While I enjoyed the overall aesthetic and simplicity, some recipes were combinations of two dishes rather than standalone meals. While this isn't a dealbreaker for me, it did feel slightly misleading, given the book's title and premise. That said, the majority of the recipes do stay true to the promise of seven ingredients or fewer, and there are certainly several I'm eager to try out.

Ultimately, I gave this book a 3.75-star rating. It's a solid and accessible addition for anyone looking for quick, fresh meal ideas using easily accessible ingredients. I'd recommend it, especially to those new to Mediterranean cooking or anyone who wants a handy, no-fuss reference for everyday meals.
Thank you to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for gifting me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a lover of anything Mediterranean, especially the food I enjoyed not only reading this book but trying the recipes as well. Filled with plenty of easy to make recipes for some tasty meals and great photos, this book had me licking my lips and heading for the kitchen to whet my appetite.

The recipes are fairly basic and easy to follow, the ingredients are fresh and easy to access and the meals produces will be enjoyed by all the family. A great cookbook and one I will enjoy using until I have tried all the recipes.

Thank you NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great basic mediterranean cookbook. I made some of the easier pasta recipes as being in the midwest with limited grocery stores it was hard to source some of the fish/ seafood used in a lot of the recipes. What I did make was very good. The photos were beautiful and appetizing, but over half of the recipes did not include photos. I would have liked a photo for every recipe. The recipes also did not include any nutritional information which would have been nice to have.

This cookbook has very good simple recipes for the Mediterranean diet! The recipes are easy to follow, delicious, and easy to follow. My husband and I have been following the Mediterranean diet and we look for effortless dinner recipes as during the summer we enjoy being outside. The recipes are flavorful, and the ingredients are easy to find.

This is a cookbook of simple, Mediterranean-style dishes that are easy to make. The photography is excellent and very colorful. The dishes include basics you’ve heard of like baba ghanouj, shawarma, and tzatziki and others that are either regional recipes or the author’s own creations. As this is a Mediterranean cookbook with less ingredients, I hoped the recipes would be more veggie-forward and healthy. Nearly all of the main dishes involved meat, including several soups and appetizers. Others were heavy on dairy or carbs, when most Mediterranean cultures eat these in moderation, while eating more fruit and veggies. A lot of the veggie sides were very basic, just roasting them with some oil and seasoning. I would have liked to see something more creative than that, but it is fine for beginners.

On the whole, this book is fine for Americans looking to expand into Mediterranean style foods. I would not classify this as a book for those on the “Mediterranean diet,” but it might be a transition book. I may copy a couple of recipes(like the spice mixes) form the book, but the cookbook as a whole would not have a permanent place on my bookshelf.