For this month’s cookbook club, Carolyn chose none other than Heidi Krahling’s gorgeous Insalata’s Mediterranean Table. Not a lot of people, even in the Bay Area, know about Insalata’s restaurant in Marin, but for 13 years Heidi and her crew have been serving what they call “luscious Mediterranean food” using local ingredients that are seasonal and fresh. This book has particular significance because Insalata’s is where Bibby, Founder of Parties That Cook, got her start cooking on the line. A few other Parties That Cook chefs have also spent time in the Insalata’s kitchen and after hearing so many raves, we couldn’t wait to put this book to the test.

There are months when everyone trickles into the office on cookbook club morning, precariously balancing their dishes, with a look of partial defeat. Then come the tales of missing recipe ingredients, inaccurate cooking times and counterintuitive procedures that make for a good laugh over lunch. Yesterday morning, however, the mood was quite different. Finally, a book we unanimously felt confident in! Aside from a few overzealous salt quantities, these recipes were easy to follow and the finished dishes were every bit as delicious as we expected.

Tirosalata: Maureen started us off with a delicious cheese spread served with Crispy Lemon Pita Chips. She confesses to have purchased the pita chips (they were deliciously deep fried!), and though she worried about the dip being too salty, we all thought it tasted great. The goat yogurt offered a tangy counterpoint to the salty feta. The texture was a little chunky which may have been due to the crumbled feta she used, but it didn’t stop us from gobbling it up!

Fattoush Bread Salad: An absolute classic at Insalata’s restaurant, Carolyn took on this colorful salad of crisp romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, black olives, cherry tomatoes and crispy pita chips. The pita chips soften ever so slightly when tossed with the lemon vinaigrette and add the perfect amount of crunch to the salad. We loved the technique of warming the olive oil with some garlic to infuse the flavor and then straining it out before making the dressing.

Fettucine with Chanterelles and Corn: This delicious fettucine was definitely one of the crowd favorites. Rosie was unable to find chanterelle mushrooms, but her substitution of thinly sliced shiitakes worked exceptionally well. The fresh corn kernels and mushrooms were sautéed in advance and then tossed with thyme and a rich blend of butter and goat yogurt before being tossed with the pasta. Topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, we couldn’t get enough of this dish.

Cataplana – Portuguese Clam, Chorizo and Tomato Saute: Though there were a lot of different components to this recipe, Crissy found it easy to prepare and the flavors melded into a smoky and tangy tomato-based sauce perfect for sopping up with toasted bread. The manila clams were quickly sautéed with a simple homemade marinara sauce, garlic and white wine, and then topped with a rouille and prosciutto gremolata. The rouille, similar to an aioli pureed with roasted red pepper, saffron, paprika, lemon juice and softened bread, was delicious on its own. It would also be great drizzled over grilled vegetables or fish.

Roasted Beets with Tahini Dressing: Though the recipe called for red beets, Beth made this delicious salad even more beautiful by using 3 colors of beets – red, yellow and the candy pink chioggas. They were roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, peeled and then tossed in lemon and orange juice to make the colors pop and complement their sweetness. Like many other dishes in this book, goat yogurt made the ingredient list. Mixed with tahini, this fresh drizzle provided a striking contrast on top of the beets, finished with sesame seeds.

Agrodulce Chicken Served with Soft Polenta: Bibby was initially surprised to see this traditional “sweet and sour” dish prepared without tomatoes, but once we tasted a bit of tender braised chicken smothered with sauce, no one missed them. The chicken was browned first for flavor, then braised with onions, garlic, celery, white wine, sherry vinegar, honey, golden raisins, and spices. Bibby whipped up a simple soft polenta made with water, a bit of cream and parmesan cheese to soak up the mouthwatering sauce. Perfect for a Sunday night supper, I cannot wait to reproduce this one at home.

Vanilla-Scented Yogurt with Poached Apricots: Erin absolutely mastered these poached fresh apricots and we loved the poaching syrup as much as the fruit itself. The goat yogurt was mixed with milk that had been steeped with vanilla beans and then thickened with gelatin and chilled in ramekins. There were a couple of unclear steps in this recipe – when to strain out the vanilla beans and exactly how much gelatin to include (the teaspoon and packet measurements given did not come out to the same amount) – but it was the perfect light dessert to follow this incredible Mediterranean feast.

This was definitely a book we would cook from again. And in the meantime, we can’t wait to dine at Insalata’s restaurant in Marin to see how well we actually did!