Category Archives: Cookbook review

Mouneh by Barbara Abdeni Massaad

  I first got wind of Barbara Abdeni Massaad’s work a few years back on my usual Summer trip to Lebanon. A large coffee table book was prominently displayed on the shelf with the title Man’oushé. I remember feeling elated that someone would actually build an entire book over our humble and beloved breakfast flatbread.  [...]
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Délices des Mille et Une Nuits (Kamal Mouzawak)

  This is a unique cookbook. Designed around the story of The Thousand and One Nights, this book is a work of art created by Kamal Mouzawak, written by  Malek Chebel and illustrated by Anne-Lise Boutin.  Kamal’s contribution to the book is a special collection of recipes. Each recipe conjures visions of the famed Bagdad [...]
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Jasmine and Fire by Salma Abdelnour (Giveaway)

This book is an account of American/Lebanese writer Salma Abdelnour‘s stay in Beirut  after a life spent in the US. This is a book that hundreds of thousands of Lebanese expats throughout the world could easily relate to. Salma Abdelnour is a gifted writer; she manages to write a 300 page book in which very [...]
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Armenian cuisine by Aline Kamakian, Barbara Drieskens

This coffee-table book was on display at the local bookstore and it sparked my interest immediately, especially after I realized that the author was also co-owner of one of the finest Armenian restaurants in Beirut, Mayrig. What I liked about the book: It is a cookbook with a soul; several Armenian gentle folks are portrayed [...]
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Delights from the Garden of Eden by Nawal Nasrallah

I am aware that for a lot of people the word Iraq conjures violent images of blown-up vehicles, death and destruction. When I think of Iraq however, I am still starry-eyed and try my hardest to blot out these dark and tragic  images. The Iraq I saw (years ago) was magical. Imagine being led in [...]
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