The New Book of Middle Eastern Food: The Classic Cookbook, Expanded and Updated, with New Recipes and Contemporary Variations on Old Themes

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 From Publishers Weekly When Roden published The Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1972, the cuisines of Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and their neighbors were mysteries in this country. Today, their fresh flavors are better known, and much loved, and Roden has expanded and updated her classic to meet modern needs. The new version includes more than 800 recipes, as well as folk tales, tips, anecdotes and just about all the information anyone needs to reproduce foods from that part of the world. Miraculously, Roden manages to be this thorough while never sacrificing her personal toneDthis is a book that is both encyclopedic and intimate. Much of Middle Eastern food is light tasting and vegetable-based, and the recipes reflect these qualities without neglecting more complex and unusual preparations. A chapter on appetizers and salads includes a Moroccan Lettuce and Orange Salad, Tabbouleh, Lemony Chicken Jelly and even a Brain Salad. While Roden is no stickler for starting from scratch, she always provides plenty of options for those who wish to do so. In a section on yogurtDa key ingredient in many recipes, such as Tagliatelle with Yogurt and Fried Onions, and Chickpeas with Yogurt and Soaked BreadDshe gives both guidelines for buying yogurt and instructions for making your own. A sub-section on Persian sauces for rice is outstanding, as is another on stuffed eggplants. Desserts include Egyptian "Bread-and-Butter" Pudding and Arab Pancakes with various filings. Roden won a James Beard award for The Book of Jewish Food in 1997. She will certainly be in the running once more with this impressive work. 24 pages of color photos. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. 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. 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. Claudia Roden's Seminal Book On Middle Eastern Cooking, Which James Beard Called A Landmark In The Field Of Cookery When It Was First Published In 1972, Is Made New-with Additional Recipes, Extensive Variations, & New Techniques, The Fruit Of 30 Years Of Travel & Research. There Are Now More Than 800 Recipes (including Variations) From Morocco & Tunisia, Turkey & Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Persia, & Other Middle Eastern Countries.^ They Represent The Best Of The Middle East, & They Stress Simple Dishes, Healthful Ingredients, & Time-saving Methods, With No Sacrifice Of Extraordinary Variety Or Delectable Flavor. Richly Infused With Roden's Own Memories Of Growing Up In Egypt & With Stories Of Her Travels, The Book Is An Excursion Not Merely Into The Cuisine Of The Region But Into Its Culture As Well. It Is A Book That Both Preserves The Past & Is Alive With The Present: A Masterpiece Made Even More Masterly-the Quintessential Middle Eastern Cookbook.^ 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. Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Flavorings, Aromatics, Condiments, And Oils -- On Using The Book -- Appetizers, Salads, And Cold Vegetables -- Yogurt -- Savory Pies -- Soups -- Egg Dishes -- Fish And Seafood -- Poultry -- Meat Dishes -- Vegetables -- Rice -- Bulgar, Couscous, And Pasta -- Breads -- Desserts, Pastries, And Sweetmeats -- Pickles And Preserves -- Jams And Fruit Preserves -- Drinks And Sherbets -- Appendix About Early Culinary Manuals -- Bibliography -- Index. Claudia Roden. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 493-494) And Index. 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 taginesFrom 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.From the Hardcover edition. 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. The definitive volume on Middle Eastern cooking, a modern classic from the award-winning, bestselling author of The Book of Jewish Food and Claudia Roden's MediterraneanOriginally published in 1972 and hailed by James Beard as'a landmark in the field of cookery,'this new version represents the accumulation of the author's years of extensive travel throughout the ever-changing landscape of the Middle East, gathering recipes and stories. Now featuring 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. Claudia Roden 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—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 Middle Eastern cooking.