Lebanese / Audiobook and Book Reviews by Audiothing

The Jewelled Kitchen: Bethany Kehdy

Saturday, 20 August 2016

Author: Bethany Kehdy
Publisher: Nourish
Pub. Date: 23rd August 2016
ISBN 9781848992894
Source: NetGalley/Nourish

5 Stars

Publishers Summary

A Stunning Collection of Lebanese, Moroccan, and Persian Recipes

Kehdy's cookbook is an inspired collection of classics and innovative dishes from a part of the world which, at the moment, is enjoying its overdue place in the sun. Her contribution and original, thoughtful and delicious. Go get it! --Yottam Ottolenghi Bethany Kehdy is renowned for the contemporary Middle Eastern and North African recipes that she publishes on her blog (dirtykitchensecrets.com). A Lebanese-American born in Houston, Texas and brought up in Lebanon, she spent countless hours learning to cook with her perfectionist teta (grandmother), her vivacious dad and her spirited aunts. Her recipes are a harmonious balance of classic and contemporary, as she draws upon her childhood roots while adding her own personal twist to these iconic recipes

The cuisines from the Middle East and North Africa share many diverse influences and gorgeous key ingredients and spices, such as pomegranates, figs, pine nuts, saffron and sumac. Passionate about food and her heritage, this former Miss Lebanon showcases the sheer brilliance of the dishes of the Levant. Try a fragrant Fish Tagine with Preserved Lemons from the Moroccan chapter; fiery Lamb Shanks with Butterbeans and Tomatoes from the Lebanese; or delicately spiced Chicken, Walnuts and Pomegranate Stew from the Persian. All the cuisines of the regions are covered, including Egyptian, Palestinian, Syrian, Turkish, Iraqi and Jordanian, and all the recipes are easy to make. You'll find yourself drawn into a whole new world and a whole new way of cooking.

Review

A lovely book that brought back memories of a Lebanese friend I met when were both working in Wales in the 1980s. He would phone home to his mother and his first question was to ask her what she was cooking for dinner, he missed the food and her cooking so much, particularly dolmas. He would tell me all about the food and now, here they all are!Nicely laid out with chapters according to food type. Some of the ingredients sound so very exotic, yet I am familiar with some but mostly because of food programmes on the television.

I was pleased to see a lovely recipe authentic recipe for tabhouli which calls for masses of parsley and just a small amount of bulgur wheat, so different to our Australian version.

There' is a very useful Pantry section with a very good description of all the ingredients. The author has gone to much trouble to make these recipes as easy as possible for Western cooks to follow, as she explains, she never was taught precise measurements, that cooking for her is more of a sensory experience.

I loved reading her bio, what an interesting life she has so far lived. In fact the only thing I didn't like was the font used for the headers

Copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Nourish in return for an unbiased review

A Taste of Beirut. Kindle Edition

Sunday, 1 May 2016

Author: Joumana Accad

Edition: NetGalley ARC

5 STARS

About the author:

Joumana Accad, creator of the blog TasteOfBeirutdotcom is a native Lebanese, a trained pastry chef, and professional caterer. In her debut cookbook, the The Taste of Beirut, she shares her heritage through exquisite food and anecdotes, teaching anyone from newbies to foodies how to master traditional Lebanese cuisine. With over 150 recipes inspired by her Teta (grandmother) in their family's kitchen, Accad captures the fabulous flavors of the Middle East and makes them completely accessible to home cooks. Each recipe features step-by-step instructions, Accad's warm teaching style, and breathtaking color photographs that will make mouths water

My Thoughts:

Like many, I do love browsing through a cookbook but I need more than just recipes. Apart from having food I might like to cook and eat, I want logically sequenced chapters, regional information, little anecdotes, clear instructions and beautiful photographs. Not much to ask for is it?
This little gem has it all, and, as the author is native Lebanese I have faith in its authenticity. I was first introduced to Lebanese food years ago by a friend, he too came from Beirut. He missed his mothers cooking, and after he'd 'phoned home he would, almost tearfully, describe what his mother was preparing for dinner! He couldn't cook, so my introduction was more by way of detailed descriptions of the family dinners he was missing.
No excuses for me now, Joumana Accad makes things easy, this is what she has to say about cooking:

My philosophy about cooking exemplifies what I believe is a common thread for Lebanese culinary artists: striving to reach the highest flavor quotient with the smallest number of basic ingredients. Lebanese cuisine is not for the sophisticate; it is for the person who values conviviality above all else.

My favourite parts of the book are "the dos and donts of Lebanese cooking" which includes a nifty way of always having the essential onions always at the ready. Chapter 5 entitled: Mezzes: Dips, Finger Foods, Salads, and Sides is probably my favourite. Best of all, there's a glossary, this, for me is an essential element of any cookbook, especially one that uses ingredients with unfamiliar names.
Highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley and HCI books who provided this review copy in return for an honest review