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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
Book 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.
Customer Reviews:
Cooking and culture.......2007-09-01
I have used this remarkable cookbook regularly for the past 25 years, and because of it my children have grown up appreciating Middle Eastern food. Ms. Roden not only provides a large selection of traditional recipes, but she infuses the book with interesting tidbits of information about how the food was prepared and served in Old World Muslim, Jewish, and Christian traditions and its significance in those cultures. This book is a true scholarly work and a timeless reference. In fact, my daughter recently asked for her own copy as she begins her own household - a request I'm only too happy to accommodate.
Wonderful cookbook.......2007-08-13
This book is filled with many delicious recipes, updated to fit into today's busy lifestyle. If you love middle eastern food then this is a must read for home cooking.
Complete source for Middle Eastern cuisine!.......2007-05-16
This book is great. I read the entire thing, cover to cover, when it arrived. I've flagged so many recipes that I want to try, and those that I've tried already have been great. The recipes are surprisingly easy and uncomplicated -- not too many specialty ingredients required. Rosen has great style and a wonderful voice for leading the cook through these recipes.
Absolute Joy.......2007-05-15
I have many cookbooks by Claudia Roden and respect her greatly. The recipes are easy to follow and the history is impecable.
WONDERFUL book!.......2007-01-03
And while I can only speak about the Greek recipes with any authority, I suspect what I feel about those (that they're very, very authentic) extends to the other recipes in the book.
I'm also struck -- positively so -- by her willingness to include very simple, straightforward recipes with pride. Too many cooks and cookbooks these days feel a need to jazz recipes up, to necessarily make them 'different' and 'new' instead of just presenting the food as it has always been made, trusting that its inherent goodness will be enough for anyone new to the recipe, just as it's been enough for those who've made it for years and years.
Lovely photographs, very nice 'tone' to the text. Have already given a second copy as a gift.
Book Description
More than 500 recipes from the subtle, spicy, varied cuisines of the Middle East, ranging from inexpensive but tasty peasant fare to elaborate banquet dishes.
Customer Reviews:
Best book on the subject.......2001-01-11
Frankly, there isn't a better book on Middle Eastern cooking. If you want healthy, mediterranean style cooking and are tired of Italian food, this is a great book to use.
A little dated but still a classic.......2000-12-22
This book is now some 26 years old. Modern cook books have adopted a format which consists of a series of illustrated steps which make it easy to produce food. This book is basically text based although it has some line drawings. This puts it at a bit of a disadvantage when following the recipes and trying to work out how the final result should look.
Despite that it has qualities which have become rare in modern cook books. That is it exudes a passion for a cuisine which in the 70's was little known in the west. Each chapter has a narrative which are based on the author's affectionate memories of her time living in the middle east. She relates folk tales and old myths and contemporary stories. Her book had the sort of quality that Elizabeth David's books had. That is she portrayed a cuisine and a style of life that seemed exotic but attractive and which people explored.
With the preparation of food when a cook has some experience one tends to alter recipes slightly depending on taste and to achieve the sort of texture and thickness one desired. Thus unlike previous reviewers I have not had many recipes not work although this is to say it might not have happened.
This book arrived in Australia about the same time that we started to have significant numbers of migrants from the middle east. It started to sell at the time when Lebanese and Turkish restaurants started to become popular. It enabled people to make hommos, felafels and flat bread at home.
To some extent the work of the book has been done as now most of the food products are available in supermarkets.
The acceptance of Middle Eastern Cuisine has enriched Australia. In a time in which all of us are becoming health conscious it allows one to incorporate a range of low fat items into our diet which are rich in vitamins and proteins.
This book may be a little dated but it will always remain a classic.
Let the buyer beware!.......2000-08-02
The more I have studied Middle Eastern food, the less enthusiastic I have become about this book. Rather than repeat the criticisms found in the June 13 customer review (which are quite legitimate), I feel I must voice my own reservations.
To begin with, the author doesn't provide essential information on ingredients. Many important ones are not even mentioned. Nor is there any discussion of arak (raki) or of the region's wines. There is nothing on traditional utensils and no menus. Little is said about the culinary specialties of various places. For example, Roden doesn't tell us that karabij (page 404) is an Aleppan specialty; in fact the full Arabic name of this popular pastry is karabij halab (Aleppo karabij). Nor does she mention that both Damascus and Tripoli have long been renowned for their sweets, including ice cream. Her remarks about amardine (page 382) don't include Damascus, a city celebrated for this confection, which it has exported to many parts of the world for centuries.
There are glaring mistakes in this book. For instance, the oldest Arab culinary manual that has been found dates not from the twelfth century but from the tenth (page 7). On page 8 Roden implies that Assyrians and Babylonians are something other than Mesopotamians, which, of course, they are not! On page 12 she refers to burghul as "the Turkish burghul (cracked wheat)." She is wrong on three counts: (1) there is no proof that burghul is Turkish in origin; it may well have been eaten in this area centuries before the Turks arrived; (2) the Turks call this product bulgur, not burghul, which is its Arabic name; and (3) burghul, unlike cracked wheat, is precooked. On page 135 Roden erroneously states that omelets do not appear in early Arab culinary literature. The Kitab al Wusla il al Habib, to which she refers on page 177, was written in the thirteenth (not the twelfth) century and contains 74 (not 500) recipes for chicken. The word for broad brown beans in Arabic is "ful," not "ful medames," which is the name of a dish using these beans (page 268). The usual conclusion to a Middle Eastern meal is fruit, not sweets (page 373). On page 404 Roden incorrectly identifies soapwort (erh halawa) as bois de Panama. Yet this author has been praised for her high standards of scholarship!
This volume is riddled with shortcomings. Though there is as yet no definitive cookbook that covers the entire region, readers may want to look at "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos, which at least includes more countries and contains recipes that are much better written.
Let the buyer beware!.......2000-06-28
The more I have studied Middle Eastern food, the less enthusiastic I have become about this book. After reading the June 13 customer review, I feel I must voice my own reservations. Rather than repeat that reader's criticisms, I wish to point out some additional deficiencies that cast doubt on the credibility of those in the food profession who have praised this book so highly.
To begin with, the author doesn't provide essential information on ingredients. Many important ones are not even mentioned. Nor is there any discussion of arak (raki) or of the region's wines. There is nothing on traditional utensils and no menus. Little is said about the culinary specialties of various places. For example, Roden doesn't tell us that karabij (page 404) is an Aleppan specialty; in fact the full Arabic name of this popular pastry is karabij halab (Aleppo karabij). Nor does she mention that both Damascus and Tripoli have long been renowned for their sweets, including ice cream. Her remarks about amardine (page 382) don't include Damascus, a city celebrated for this confection, which it has exported to many parts of the world for centuries.
There are glaring mistakes in this book. For instance, the oldest Arab culinary manual that has been found dates not from the twelfth century but from the tenth (page 7). On page 8 Roden implies that Assyrians and Babylonians are something other than Mesopotamians, which, of course, they are not! On page 12 she refers to burghul as "the Turkish burghul (cracked wheat)." She is wrong on three counts: (1) there is no proof that burghul is Turkish in origin; it may well have been eaten in this area centuries before the Turks arrived; (2) the Turks call this product bulgur, not burghul, which is its Arabic name; and (3) burghul, unlike cracked wheat, is precooked. On page 135 Roden erroneously states that omelets do not appear in early Arab culinary literature. The Kitab al Wusla il al Habib, to which she refers on page 177, was written in the thirteenth (not the twelfth) century and contains 74 (not 500) recipes for chicken. The word for broad brown beans in Arabic is "ful,"not "ful medames," which is the name of a dish using these beans (page 268). The usual conclusion to a Middle Eastern meal is fruit, not sweets (page 373). On page 404 Roden incorrectly identifies soapwort (erh halawa) as bois de Panama. So much for her high standards of scholarship.
That this volume should have been considered the standard work on Middle Eastern cooking for over a quarter century by many so-called food authorities says a great deal about those who are passing judgment. It is riddled with shortcomings! Though there is as yet no definitive cookbook that covers the entire region, readers may want to look at "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos, which at least includes more countries and contains recipes that are much better written.
Highly overrated.......2000-06-14
I was quite disappointed with this book. Many of the recipes yield very mediocre results, and some don't work at all. For example, the recipe for tabbouleh produces a salad that has little but a name in common with the genuine article. To begin with, it calls for 1/2 pound (2 cups) fine burghul, which doesn't make sense since 1/2 pound yields only about 1 1/4 cups. The quantities for other ingredients are also incorrect. For each cup of burghul one should use at the very least three times as much parsley as specified and about twice as much onion, mint, olive oil, and lemon juice. "A little tomato" is suggested as an option, yet this salad is hardly worth making without a generous amount of tomatoes. Also, the recipe doesn't specify that flat-leaf (not curly) parsley and spearmint (not peppermint) should be used. The author writes that tabbouleh is traditionally served with boiled vine leaves, or raw lettuce or cabbage leaves. Actually, it is served with fresh vine leaves, romaine, or white cabbage leaves.
Ms. Roden's burghul pilaf is another disaster. Her recipe calls for 4 cups burghul, which serves at least 12 (not 6)! It neglects to specify what size burghul to use (it should be coarse rather than fine), calls for an excessive amount of butter, and uses less than half the quantity of liquid required. The recipe for meat eggah (omelet) doesn't work because the meat should be browned (not raw) before being combined with the eggs. The recipe for dondurma kaymakli (ice cream) asks for 1 teaspoon sahlab or cornstarch, which is wrong. Far more sahlab is required for this recipe to work, and cornstarch will not work at all.
The recipes often fail to provide essential information, nor are they consistent. They frequently neglect to specify the type and size of pan needed, whether or not to cover the pan during cooking, how long to cook the ingredients and if and when to stir them, whether to use high, medium, or low heat, and how far to place the food from the heat source when broiling or grilling. They often don't specify the amount of butter or oil needed, what kind of vinegar to use, what size and/or weight eggplant is required, and, sometimes, what size burghul to use.
Recipes for many well-known dishes are missing. There is little information on Middle Eastern breads; some of the most important ones, for example khubz markuk and its regional variations, are not even mentioned. Several countries, among them Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Yemen, are very poorly represented.
The book could have been better organized. For instance, rice and burghul aren't discussed in the same chapter, which would have been appropriate since they are both grains and can often be substituted for each other in recipes. Also, the index leaves much to be desired.
This cookbook is hardly the standard work it has been made out to be. Readers will need to look elsewhere.
Customer Reviews:
A good little book.......2000-08-10
This is a good little book for children or a beginning cook looking for Russian flavour. But honestly, the price was a bit much for a book with less than 50 pages and less than 2 dozen recipes. You can find the same recipes in the larger books.....plus many others, for less money.
The one plus this book gets over the others is that it has pictures. Lots of pictures. If you aren't hungry when you get the book you will be after you open it!
Customer Reviews:
Really bad cookbook.......2006-05-03
How much are you supposed to spend for a 72 page book? I think $25 is a bit much. Why are some of the books in this series only $7.95? Is there some reason that the Latin American and Middle Eastern series are more expensive than the Thai?
Buy a better and more complete book.
Suitable for kids and people new to Middle Eastern cooking.......2005-11-22
This book contains really simple, easy recipes that anyone can follow. The dishes are not complicated, and it's a nice introduction to Middle Eastern food for the absolute beginner. It may seem too simple to someone who is an experienced cook, or is familiar with Middle Eastern foods.
Average customer rating:
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Al Hasa Saudi Arabia Cookbook
Karen Stiltner
Manufacturer: General Publishing and Binding
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
 General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000V9DWX2 |
Product Description
Al-Hasa is the former geographical title of a portion of the present Eastern Province, the region along the Arabian Gulf of Saudi Arabia where the oil fields are located. Through the combined efforts of women's groups in the area, the best recipes are presented for all to enjoy. The book has some Middle-Eastern recipes, but most recipes are American in origin because the authors in many cases were wives of Americans in working in Saudi Arabia for oil the companies.
Book Description
The Land of Milk and Honey shares a biblical vista of foods and recipes. Did you ever wonder what foods Abraham ate and served in his tent at Beth El? What Jesus was served at the Last Supper? What Vespasian ate when visiting the Holy Land at the head of the Roman Legions? These and more can be found in The Land of Milk and Honey.
Here are the foods of the Bible, what the Sages and the Holy Men ate when in Jerusalem, and what King Herod served at the Winter Palace. These are the recipes, fully kitchen tested, that give you the ability to prepare the foods of The Holy Scriptures and The New Testament.
You'll find the original foods of Judea and Samaria that have come down to us, first by spoken word and then written in the Hebrew Alphabet. They were developed throughout Proto-Canaanite script via Phoenician, prior to the year 1100 BCE.
Here is the full scope of the culinary accomplishments of the 12 Tribes of Israel, the breads of David, the stew of Esau, the Holiday foods of the Holy Temple.
This is the book that every Born Again Christian, every Jew and every Muslim will want for their kitchen. Easy to follow recipes from our complex past will give even the novice cook the excitement of the history in the domain of their own kitchen.
Throughout nine years of research Norton Locke, a nationally recognized food professional and an authority in food preparation, has lovingly created The Land of Milk and Honey.
It's not only a must for your cookbook collection, but the perfect gift for everyone you know.
Product Description
Middle Eastern Cuisine
Book Description
The landscape of American farming changed dramatically in
the century between 1850 and 1950. Horse-drawn mechanical
reapers replaced hand scythes used to harvest grain; later, the
mechanical reapers were replaced by steam engine-powered
threshing machines. Horses, originally used to pull the
powerful machinery, were replaced with tractors. Eventually,
all these systems became obsolete with the invention of
self-propelled combines.
These good old days of agriculture are represented in a wealth
of antiques from the period. Collectors of antique farm pieces
will love this fantastic reference, which documents popular
collectibles such as horse hardware, tools, farm implements,
kitchen items, advertising, seed catalogs, toys, and countless
print items including John Deere manuals, calendars and
magazines. Current pricing information for the collectibles
accompanies over 1,000 photographs! The book also devotes
an entire chapter to farm items from 1905.
Customer Reviews:
A superb resource for the dedicated enthusiast.......2004-11-13
American Farm Collectibles: Identification And Price Guide is a catalog of classic mementos of the bygone era of American farm life, including tools, antique tractors, toys and sleds, kitchen utensils, gardening items, turn-of-the-century ads, and much more. Black-and-white photographs fill almost every page other than the 32 pages of color photos, and the text offers straightforward item descriptions, current prices, and advice for finding collectibles and antiques. A superb resource for the dedicated enthusiast, and fun just to page through for the memories and nostalgia.
Great information, but not nearly long enough........2004-07-11
I purchased this book when I became interested in antiques and found myself scrolling the pages of Ebay for treasures. The book is invaluable in pointing out many of the creative ways con artists have ingeniously come up with to defraud the unwary buyer. The biggest flaw of the book is that it is a survey book and hits only a few examples of fakes within a number of widely diverse catagories. I happen to be interested in porcelain and the information the book provided on the few specific areas of porcelain (like RS Prussia and Delft) were first-rate. Unfortunately vast areas of porcelain like figurines in general or companies like Meissen were never even mentioned. This is understandable as the book also covers broadly furniture, bronze, scrimshaw and cast iron lawn and garden items. I would love an expanded series with books specializing in each of the areas listed. As an overview this points out areas of fraud to be on the lookout for. As a specific, unless you happen to be evaluating the exact same item, it is unlikely to be helpful in any one particular fraud question.
Best Book on Fakes and Reproductions.......2001-06-17
If you are a serious collector or a dealer this is a must have book! Covers all of the major catagories.
Up-To-Date Essential Guide for Antique Collectors !!.......2001-04-13
This brand new year 2001 super guide can protect collectors from paying good money for fakes and reproductions. The book's 304 pages covers Art glass, Cameo Glass, Depression Glass, China, Porcelain, Scientific Instruments, Art Pottery, Black Memorabilia, Bronze, Furniture, Computer-related, Lamp and, Lighting, Napkin Rings, Silver items, and Toys. There are more than 1,000 great black and white, and a 16-page full color section to help you identify reproductions. The book's 6 x 9" is a handy size to take with you while antiquing. The book can save you far more than its price by protecting you from purchasing only one reproduction. Add it to your library.
Book Makes Detecting Fakes Easy!.......2001-04-01
Mark Chervenka, editor of the monthly "Antique & Collectors Reproduction News" and noted authority on fakes and reproductions in the collectible and antiques world, has compiled a 304-page compendium that surpasses our previous experts, Dorothy Hammond and Ruth Webb Lee. Mr. Chervenka makes detecting much easier as he loads his book with hundreds of photos displaying the old next to the new. The reader has only to study and to compare and contrast the entries in this book to develop a comfortable understanding of what to look for in detecting the mass of reproductions and fakes encountered in today's antiques and collectibles market. There's just one thing wrong with the book: it's about 50 years overdue!!
Customer Reviews:
A very nice book........2006-10-24
This is a very nice book. I enjoyed the projects and got some good ideas, particarly the simple book and the shadow box which I will definitely be making. For my taste personally there was a bit too much stamping on velvet, material, and jewelry. I would have preferred more paper crafts. But it is "making gifts...". SO I will definitely dig up more books with stamping on paper by Sandra McCall. I also recommend Tim Holtz' An Altered Journey DVD. He makes a cool brayer embossing gift & cool domino book. I love Penny Black stamps, they are my favorite, so I'm always on the lookout for anything using those materials.
Sooooo Inspiring! A true artist!.......2001-12-06
The work of Sandra McCall has long been an inspiration to me, and to finally see it in print, and have such delicious photographs to keep in front of me is a real gift. The instructions are precise and easy to follow! And once again, Ms. McCall lends a new angle to the art and craft of stamping! Bravo!
Terrific !!.......2001-06-02
I'll keep this short. If you want to take rubber stamps to the next level and learn to make fabulous objects, buy this book and you won't regret it. It's a DEFINITE keeper!!!!
Sandra's book of Wonderful Stamping ideas.......2001-04-09
This book has become one of my favorites. It is packed full of wonderful ideas and easy to follow instructions. Sandra has gathered a book full of wonderful stamping projects that will make anyone a wonderful gift. Her jewlery ideas are tops. People will stop and wonder where you got some of these pieces. Her directions are easy to follow, and although the projects may look difficult they AREN'T. This book is also a wonderful idea book for stamping teachers. I love this book so much I gave it to my stamping friends as x-mas gifts. A MUST !!!!!!!
Making Gifts With Rubber Stamps-A MUST Have!.......2001-03-15
This book is FULL of gorgeous and creative ideas! The pictures and examples are stunning and the directions easy to follow.
I'm always looking for new ways to use rubber stamping in art and this book really inspired me.
Book Description
More than 250 photographs of the work of more than 40 leading interior designers in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Jupiter, and Palm Beach.
Customer Reviews:
Spectacular Homes of South Florida.......2006-11-04
Wonderful book from cover to cover, breathtaking pictures !!! You are in Florida as soon as you open this book !! Bask in the sunshine - Enjoy !!
Books:
- The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook.
- The Old World Kitchen: The Rich Tradition of European Peasant Cooking
- The Omelette Book
- The Organic Cook's Bible
- The Practical Mushroom Encyclopedia Identifying, Picking and cooking with Mushrooms
- The Practically Macrobiotic Cookbook: Preparation of More Than 200 Delicious Macrobiotic Recipes
- The Professional Chef's Book of Charcuterie: Pates, Terrines, Timbales, Galantines, Sausages, and Other Culinary Delights
- The Real Fast Curry Cookbook (Curry Club)
- The Sushi Made Easy Book & Kit
- The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook: Delicious Flavors for Today's Easy-to-Use Rice Cookers
Books Index
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