Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean: Simple Recipes for the Home Cook (Daen Lia)

Mediterranean cooking is having its biggest moment ever thanks to a desire for food that is at once healthy, delicious, and at its very best when simply prepared—and now Daen Lia of @DaensKitchen shares the recipes that have made her a global home cook sensation.

Daen Lia learned to cook from her Spanish and Italian mother and grandmother. With the smell of garlic and roasted tomatoes wafting through the kitchen, Daen discovered the alchemy of a few simple ingredients: garlic, olive oil, and whatever is fresh, whether a vegetable or protein—or both. In Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean, Daen brings together modern Mediterranean recipes that any home cook, regardless of skill level can make, any day of the week.

With high-quality extra virgin olive oil, a little bit of butter, fresh herbs, and no-fuss techniques, such as pan-roasting, Daen shares the building blocks that enable you to make delicious meals, most of which can be ready in way less than an hour. Use a batch of silky Garlic Confit (just garlic melted into olive oil) to turn a basic meat sauce into the standout Confit Ragu Bolognese; or just add the delectable garlic onto Daen’s classic Focaccia. Here, too, you will find Peach, Tomato, and Burrata Salad drizzled with Basil Olive Oil; One-Pan Roasted Fish Puttanesca with burst cherry tomatoes, and a Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nut Quiche with a crispy puff pastry crust.

Other recipes include:

• Cheesy Roasted Garlic Bread (of course!)
• Popcorn Eggplant (an ode to KFC popcorn chicken)
• Crispy Breaded Chicken
• Tomato & Garlic Confit Soup with Grilled Cheese
• Pan-Fried Steak with Aglio e Olio Sauce
• Baked Pasta with Crispy Eggplant and Ricotta
• Pan-Fried Salmon with Cherry Tomato Confit

With versatile recipes that you can make once and use all throughout the week and stunning four-color photography, Daen Lia is just the ambassador of Mediterranean food we all need right now.