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Selection of Cookbooks from the Islamic World
 Memories of a Lost Egypt: Reminiscences and Recipes
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"Matthew's
presence transports me back to the Cairo kitchen, where I
am tasting the ful that Ahmet, the cook, prepared
and helping Grandmaman Marguerite mix dough while she
sings songs to me in Arabic. Her family pride was
profoundly linked to the kitchen, so when I attempted to
make sambousek once for my friends and did not follow her recipe for this cheese-filled golden dough faithfully, she was outraged. "This recipe is at least hundreds of years old. You do not change it!" she shouted. I see her standing at the stove, a diminutive woman usually dressed in black. Her thick, curly, henna-dyed hair was pulled upward in a large chignon; there was always a lock of hair escaping that she would try, again and again and without success, to push back into her chignon. My daughter Marianne, who looks like her, has the same gesture of trying to push a lock of curly dark hair behind her ear. I smile as I watch the curl fall down in front of her eyes." From Memories of a Lost Egypt |
 Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen
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Healthful
variations have been developed by Batmanglij for nearly
100 traditional Persian dishes, providing low-fat
substitutions for such ingredients as butter. The book is
a feast for the eyes and an inspiring invitation to
sample Persian cuisine, with full-page color photographs
illustrating the recipes and a French flair enlivening
their presentation. Among beguiling combinations of
spices and herbs, saffron is often the dominant flavor--in
a dessert pudding as well as in many specialties, such as
eggplant kuku, baked lamb, and sweet and sour stuffed
quail with rose petals (an exotic-sounding ingredient
that is easy to obtain these days in many markets). Easy-to-follow
instructions make this a fine introduction to Persian
cooking. |
 Afghan Food and Cookery
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Any who think Afghan cookery is probably dull should take a look at Afghan Food & Cookery which is packed with some real winners; from a meat Rhubarb Stew to a sweet Rice with Orange dish. This second edition provides new recipes tailored for American cooks; dishes which promise simplicity and flavor. |
 Cooking at the Kasbah: Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen
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Moroccan food features the delicious flavors and health benefits of other Mediterranean cuisines, but tantalizes the senses with its own unique combinations of spices and simple ingredients. Grilled meats, vegetable or fruit tagines (stews), delicately spiced salads, couscous, and sweet or savory pastries are its hallmarks. Kitty Morse, who grew up in Casablanca, brings to this new book fascinating details about life and food in Morocco. Her approach to this exotic culinary tradition is surprisingly accessible yet authentic. With Morse's easy, step-by-step recipes and time-saving tips, any cook can create exquisite Moroccan flavors. On-location photos taken by the author's husband together with Laurie Smith's luscious stills create a beautiful insider's look at an intriguing cuisine and culture. |
 Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan
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A
leisurely feel prevails throughout this evocative book,
which puts the cuisine in the context of the culture, and
at the same time gives...simple and straightforward...recipes
demonstrating the variety and richness of the ingredients...Handsomely
produced and well illustrated...lyrical...practical...covers
every aspect of the cuisine. |
 From the Lands of Figs and Olives: Over 300 Delicious and Unusual Recipes from the Middle East and North Africa
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For anyone who enjoys Middle Eastern food and wants to understand more about this cuisine, From the Lands of Figs and Olives is a resource of both familiar and traditional recipes. The authors tell which region each recipe comesfrom, and often provide brief descriptions of the dish's role in its particular culture, providing a context which the American patron of Middle Eastern restaurants might not have previously appreciated. . . . There is much variety among the recipes, as well as some interesting variations on the more common dishes. . . . Healthy grains, such as bulgur wheat and couscous, beans, and vegetables are strongly represented here. |
