Product Description
93 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
Includes unusual and exotic dishes for every occasion, from soups, and appetizers to meat, fish, rice and vegetable specialties, along with a fabulous collection of desserts, salads and sweet pastries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent cookbook on Middle Eastern foods
Great recipes, great photos and fun to read. To sum it up, one of my favorites. ... Read more

Product Description
From the back:Introduces one of the world's great cuisines - Lebanese ingredients and specialties described - Mouth watering recipes, both simple and more complex - Beautifully illustrated in full color throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good but expensive!!
I have been to Lebanon and love their food. I borrowed this book from my library and it all looks relatively simple and authentic. There are beautiful pictures that bring back memories of lavish eating in Beirut. However, I am appalled that this book is $150+ new on Amazon!! It's only got 128 pages. That's crazy! The used ones are $48+ too..... what a shame!! I wonder if this is wrong?? ... Read more

Product Description
In this updated and greatly enlarged edition of her Book of Middle Eastern Food, Claudia Roden re-creates a classic. The book was originally published here in 1972 and was hailed by James Beard as "a landmark in the field of cookery"; this new version represents the accumulation of the author's thirty years of further extensive travel throughout the ever-changing landscape of the Middle East, gathering recipes and stories.

Now Ms. Roden gives us more than 800 recipes, including the aromatic variations that accent a dish and define the country of origin: fried garlic and cumin and coriander from Egypt, cinnamon and allspice from Turkey, sumac and tamarind from Syria and Lebanon, pomegranate syrup from Iran, preserved lemon and harissa from North Africa. She has worked out simpler approaches to traditional dishes, using healthier ingredients and time-saving methods without ever sacrificing any of the extraordinary flavor, freshness, and texture that distinguish the cooking of this part of the world.

Throughout these pages she draws on all four of the region's major cooking styles:
        -        The refined haute cuisine of Iran, based on rice exquisitely prepared and embellished with a range of meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts
        -        Arab cooking from Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan--at its finest today, and a good source for vegetable and bulgur wheat dishes
        -        The legendary Turkish cuisine, with its kebabs, wheat and rice dishes, yogurt salads, savory pies, and syrupy pastries
        -        North African cooking, particularly the splendid fare of Morocco, with its heady mix of hot and sweet, orchestrated to perfection in its couscous dishes and tagines

From the tantalizing mezze--those succulent bites of filled fillo crescents and cigars, chopped salads, and stuffed morsels, as well as tahina, chickpeas, and eggplant in their many guises--to the skewered meats and savory stews and hearty grain and vegetable dishes, here is a rich array of the cooking that Americans embrace today. No longer considered exotic--all the essential ingredients are now available in supermarkets, and the more rare can be obtained through mail order sources (readily available on the Internet)--the foods of the Middle East are a boon to the home cook looking for healthy, inexpensive, flavorful, and wonderfully satisfying dishes, both for everyday eating and for special occasions.Amazon.com Review
Claudia Roden has updated and expanded her popular 1968 cookbook for a more savvy and knowledgeable audience. While still filled with old favorites, the third edition acknowledges food processors and other handy kitchen tools, as well as this generation's preference for lower-fat recipes. Not that every recipe is changed; many are not, but Roden does attempt not to rely too much on butter and oils.

Begin your meal with mezze, derived from the Arabic t'mazza, meaning "to savor in little bites." Try Cevisli Biber (Roasted Pepper and Walnut Paste) spread on warm pita bread. Serve with Salata Horiatiki (Greek Country Salad) and then move on to a main dish of Roast Fish with Lemon and Honeyed Onions or Lamb Tagine with Artichokes and Fava Beans. The cookbook wouldn't be complete without sections on rice, couscous, and bulgur--try Addis Polow (Rice with Lentils and Dates) or Kesksou Bidaoui bel Khodra (Beber Couscous with Seven Vegetables). Finish with a traditional dessert like Orass bi Loz (Almond Balls).

Mixed in with the recipes are Roden's personal experiences as a cook and recipe archivist, and Middle Eastern tales that illustrate the history of a particular recipe or food group. "It was once believed olive oil could cure any illness except the one by which a person was fated to die," Roden writes. "People still believe in its beneficial qualities and sometimes drink it neat when they feel anemic of tired." She also includes a detailed introduction to the terrain, history, politics, and society of the Middle East so her readers can more fully understand why the cuisine has evolved the way it has. "Cooking in the Middle East is deeply traditional and nonintellectual," she says, "an inherited art." It's our good fortune to inherit such a rich tradition. --Dana Van Nest ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

Great Recipes
We love this cookbook.Since ordering it my husband has been surprising us with numerous easy to prepare, delicious dishes from within.It takes a something as simple as rice and turns it into something you long for and crave (ie: Our favorite simple dish- pg. 339 Rice with Chickpeas).Likewise, our 2 and 4 year old American daughters love the recipes from this book.This is a great alternative to pasta and chicken nuggets.Our kids get a healthy meal-- that we can actually get them to eat- and mom and dad really enjoy their wonderfully flavorful meal as well.

Likewise, there are even little stories included about where the dish came form and its history.

EXCELLENT COOKBOOK, a must have....
I absolutely love this cookbook...I rented it at the local library and have just purchased it...The instructions are concise and easy to understand.I found it to be one of THE BEST cookbooks I have read in that it is so user friendly...

Excellent selection of Middle Eastern recipes
I've owned the book for several years and now purchased it as a gift for a friend. The book has an outstanding selection of Middle Eastern recipes, with suggested variations for many foods. The recipes are easy to follow and true to the regional flavors. The book contains a vast selection of recipes suitable for vegetarians. Mini tales enhance the enjoyment of the book beyond the cooking.
It should not be confused with Mediterranean cookbooks, which usually contain mostly French and Italian recipes. This is a true Middle Eastern cookbook.
If you intend to own just one Middle Eastern cook book - this is your book.

Middle Eastern food at its best!!
I was very pleased with this book the recipes are great My wife has made two or three of the veggie recipes and they are very good. My wife said that this is one of the best cookbooks related to Middle Eastern food that she has tried. Loves it and in turn so do I because of the great food and variety of foods in its pages. We have a bookshelf in our kitchen and we have a section for Claudia Rodens books. The unique recipes make this cookbook and all of her cookbooks a must have.

Truly authentic cooking
Most Middle East cook books aren't authenitc meals, this book is.So far the recipes I have tried remind me of my mothers home cooking.Great book, every real cook should have this book. ... Read more

Product Description
A fabulous selection of recipes from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

Middle Eastern food draws on the exotic tastes of various styles of cooking and combines them in a blend of unusual yet simple tastes for mouthwatering dishes. It is easy to prepare, wonderful to look at and offers an amazing variety of healthy dishes, making it the ideal cooking style for the health-conscious.

In The Middle Eastern Cookbook, you will discover the rich, aromatic flavors of countries where food is an intrinsic part of the culture and the sharing of meals with family and guests is a feature of daily life. From Tabbouleh and Dolmas to Chicken Salona and Baklava, Middle Eastern cooking is a delicious collection of wonderful tastes, colors, and rich textures.

Renowned food authority Maria KhalifŽ has gathered together a collection of the best of Middle Eastern cooking. The recipes are easy to follow, use ingredients that are readily available and are accompanied by colorful and succulent photographs.

-Over 120 traditional Middle Eastern dishes to suit all tastes

-Detailed, easy-to-follow recipes with useful tips and variations

-Healthy, wholesome, and tasty food your friends and family will really love ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

middle eastern cookbook
This was a birthday gift for my sister who's been trying to cook
middle eastern dishes for her palestinian husband and turns out
it was a great gift for BOTH of them. The instructions were easy
to understand; big colorful photos and she was able to follow
many of the recipes easily and learned new twists on some
dishes she's already used to preparing.

A Middle East Cook Book must have.
A must have cook book for all cooks.The book includes foods of the Middle East including the flag and countries these recipes that country is best known for.

The Author, Maria Khalife did a superb job bringing foods of the Middle we all know and love to our table, recipies I grew up with and and more. It is a culunary journey of foods of the Middle Eastern world all in one book.Page after page the book was well thought out, easy to understand and filled with mouth watering photos.Included is a glossary with descriptions of ingredients used in the Middle East.I am planning to purchase more copies of this book for each of my three daughters, I am keeping this one.

Norma

good quality
I have used this cookbook a lot.I am please with the purchase.Good photos.

LEBANESE FOOD !!!
My family is Lebanese, and I love cooking Lebanese food . I found this book very intersting and will be making some recipes next week !!!!Photographs are very nice !!!

good pictures
This book has wonderful illustrations. You will be longing to make the yummy recipes in no time! ... Read more

Product Description
The cuisine of the Middle East has always had its devotees, and eating at Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish or Greek restaurants has delighted many people in recent years. But relatively few have tackled these dishes in their own kitchens. Now, with The Complete Middle East Cookbook, anyone can produce delectable meals from the exotic worlds of Homer, Omar Khayyam and the Arabian Nights. Author Tess Mallos provides carefully tested recipes set out in easy-to-follow steps, with many of the dishes illustrated in eighty superb color photographs.
Including regional dishes from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Cyprus and Kuwait, to name a few, this is the definitive book for anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking.
Praise for the hardcover edition:
"Astonishing in its scope." — Craig Claiborne, The New York Times
"A tasteful tour of the Middle East. Each country is introduced with a short history, and
descriptions are given of typical cooking methods and ingredients. The food is beautifully
photographed, and recipes are easy to follow." — School Library Journal ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

My go-to cookbook
This is not the first Mid-Eastern cookbook I've purchased, but it should be the last because it's so complete.It has more photos than similar volumes, and the recipes work great, even with my western-kitchen shortcuts.If you're serious about cooking Middle Eastern cuisine, I recommend starting with this book.I stilltend to cross reference this a lot with "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food" by Claudia Roden, my second favorite cookbook :)

Best go-to Mid-East Cookbook
I've had the original hardcover edition of this book for maybe 20 years and although I own several other middle eastern cookbooks, I always go back to this one for the clear and complete recipes.My raved-about spinach pie that I've brought to many a pot luck over the years is from this book.

I do have one comment about the fact that there is no Israeli section in this edition.I find that extremely odd as it was included in the original edition.I can only surmise that the author and publisher were pressured by political forces to remove it.That is indeed sad, almost infuriating.Israel represents a melting pot of both mid-east and European influences and is clearly located in the middle east.I would seriously question the politics behind this ommission.

Good but not first choice
This was my first Arabic cookbook I bought while dating a Lebanese man.I found it very helpful and a great introduction into Arabic food.I have since married the Lebanese man and have now lived in the Middle East for 8 years and I still have my favorite recipes in this book.However, I have found From the Land of Figs and Olives (Habeeb Salloum & James P)eters) to have many more recipes I love to cook and serve proudly to our Lebanese friends.Another book that was great to understand the history of Lebanon/Syria and find some truely unique old-fashion foods is Recipes and Remembrances by Sonia Uvezian.

I don't regret buying this book but I think it is my second choice as I reach for The Land of Figs & Olives much more for not only Lebanese recipes but for Moroccan and Iraqi receipes.

Great book !
This is a fantastic cookbook with great recipes and beautiful pictures.I would recommend to all.

Incomplete cookbook?
My wife has used this cookbook to bake the best baklava I've ever tasted.I'm not a big reader of cookbooks, but I was leafing through this particular one this evening and noticed that there were no recipes from Israel.In fact, Israel isn't even mentioned in the table of contents.It seems that Israel should be represented in a book that claims to be the "Complete Middle East Cookbook."I'm confused and a little suspicious about how Israel was omitted from this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book brings together the authentic cooking styles and classic foodstuffs of two vast and diverse regions, Africa and the Middle East, to create a colourful and enticing collection of recipes which share origins, ingredients and influences. ... Read more

Product Description
This remarkable and beautifully illustrated book describes more than 75 ingredients used in Middle Eastern cooking. The cuisines included in The Middle Eastern Kitchen are those of Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These countries' common culinary tradition has been influenced by the Persian, Islamic, and Ottoman Empires, with a sprinkling of the Byzantine and Roman empires. The insightful texts take the readers into the history and diversity of these ancient cultures, while the 150 recipes allow them to put their knowledge of these ingredients to practical use. Among the offerings are classics like Tabbouleh and Baklava, along with Carrot Rolls with Apricots and Pine Nuts and Persimmon Pickles. Ranging from the exotic and colorful saffron and tamarind to the more unusual tastes of orchid root and mastic, the flavors of the Middle East are brought to life in the kitchen. Each ingredient is broken down into sections on appearance and taste, historical background, and cultivation or manufacture methods. Each is illustrated with specially commissioned location, ingredient and recipe photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful Recipes!
There are some many excellent recipes in this very good cookbook, I particularly like the daikon salad with nigella seeds which I make often for lunch.

The Middle Eastern Kitchen
I read anythying by Ghillie Bassan.She is good reading and knows what she is talking about.Ghillie won't steer you wrong and no, I have never had any contact with her.I had never heard of her before I got into Mid-East cooking.

My Favorite Cookbook Writer Does It Again
I am the happy owner of three cookbooks written by Ghillie Basan: Modern Moroccan (which I have owned for quite a while now), Classic Turkish Cooking (which I bought more recently) and, since January, this gem: The Middle Eastern Kitchen. Imagine my joy when I found out last December that Ghillie has more cookbooks coming out!

The outline for this book is rather unusual for a cookbook: each ingredient has its own chapter. Each chapter is packed with information on the particular ingredient (how it grows, appearance and taste, buying and storing, manufacturing, medicinal uses, culinary uses --- if relevant for the ingredient). And then there are 2 or 3 great recipes using the ingredient.

The ingredients covered in the book are signature ingredients for the Middle Eastern cuisine, from the more common (yogurt, cheese, chicken, fig, date, cherry, chickpeas, rice, almonds, cinnamon, coriander, bay leaf, thyme, onion, garlic, spinach, just to name a few) to the more obscure (for instance sheep's tail fat, quince, carob, nigella, mastic, sumac, melokhia).

The recipes Ghillie has to offer are amazingly good (as usual). The bold flavors of the Middle Eastern cuisine are really done justice. If you like flavorful food, I can highly recommend this book --- the recipes are straightforward, but the results are amazing.

Goes way beyond most generic Middle Eastern cookbooks
The Middle Eastern Kitchen isn't your usual Middle Eastern cookbook: it offers a narrowed focus on more than 75 ingredients used in the cuisines of Iran, Turkey, Oman, Saudi Arabia and others, discusses shared culinary traditions, and packs in over a hundred recipes based on knowledge and use of these key unique ingredients. Add special photos by Jonathan Basan and you have a presentation piece which goes way beyond most generic Middle Eastern cookbooks. ... Read more

Product Description
As a young girl, Madelain Farah spent hours watching her mother cook. Capturing her mother's "a pinch of this" technique, she has re-created recipes for everything from Arabic Bread, Lentil Soup, and Eggplant Salad, to Baked Fish with Tahini Sauce, Supreme Lamb Stew with Kibbi, and the classic Cucumber Yogurt Salad. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Lebanese Cuisine More than200 Simple
This book is my favorite of the Three books I ordered Has more of the traditional recipes. Thanks Again
PS: I use all three books and like them all what I can't find in one I can find in the other.

Tasty and simple
Tasty and very simple recipes!!A great starter for those wanting to learn the basics of middle eastern cooking. It is the Betty Crocker cookbook for Middle Eastern cooking!

Just like Situ used to make.
Sundays we always gathered at Situ's (grandmother's) with all nine of my mother's brothers and sisters; their husbands and wives and all of our cousins. How we all fit I can not remember. The aromas, the food, the family. Such wonderful memories. Recipies were not written down. It was a handful of this, soak in this...maybe because my grandmother could not read or write in English. Now we have the closest thing I have ever found and I bought enough to share with my family. What a wonderful surprise. My mother is 82 and does not cook as often but enjoys reading the recipes for thejoy of the memories. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Lots of recipes but no pictures!!!
I bought this book as a present. I am middle eastern and my friend loves to cook our food. There were lots of great recipes in there but no pictures! When you click on the "Look inside", it makes it seem that there are pictures in the book that go along with the recipes but that is not the case. There are a few unrelated pictures but unfortunetly none that go along with the recipes. That would be fine for me because I know what the food is supposed to look like. However, if you are someone who'd rather see what the food is supposed to look like or wants to cook a food you've tried in a restaurant and need to identify it by picture before making it, this book is not for you.

disappointed
this is my second lebanese cookbook purchase. I purchased this one on the basis that included a variety of recipes. But what left me disappointed was that the recipes/directions were not complete or as detailed as needed to be. Quick written, unreviewed. ... Read more