Product Description

The culinary traditions of the Middle East have always been enriched by the incredibly diverse and often turbulent passages of this region's history. In a unique melting pot of Persian, Islamic and Ottoman influences, with a sprinkling of the Byzantine and Roman legacies also thrown in, The Middle Eastern Kitchen represents cooking and hospitality raised to the level of a fine art and pleasure and invites you to wholeheartedly join in. Whether delicate and spicy, aromatic and fragrant or scented and syrupy, Ghillie Basan's dishes celebrate the Middle East as the world's famous trading mecca - where Africa, Asia and Europe always met, traded and fused with unparalleled cultural diversity. From Turkey to the Yemen, and Egypt to Iran, The Middle Eastern Kitchen contains over 150 authentic recipes and gives real insight into the customs and cultures of the Middle East. Each ingredient has its own section, from chickpeas and pomegranates to lesser-known orchid roots and melokhias, with information on its appearance and taste, how it grows or is manufactured and its culinary and medicinal uses, together with two or three specialty recipes. Jonathan Basan's photographs are a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach and the mouthwatering Palestinian Bread with Chicken and Sumac or the Hot Chickpea Puree will have you reaching for the pots and pans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156647 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
Praise for the hardback edition - 'photographs of food which are so temptingly alive that you find yourself licking your lips in anticipation, imagining textures and flavours...' Lindsey Bareham, Evening Standard; 'an intriguing guide to the cuisines, culture and history of the region's food' Sunday Telegraph; 'If you don't know anything about the traditional food of the Middle East then you should definitely buy this book. It's the first that I've seen which brings together food from the whole region...It covers all the basic spices and ingredients just perfectly.' Ali Demir, restaurateur, Independent

From the Publisher
This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book is an encyclopaedic companion to the foods of The Middle Eastern Kitchen. Ghillie Basan's 200 authentic recipes, complemented by Johnathan Basan's evocative location and food photography, demystifie exotic foods, making them more accessible to wider audiences.

About the Author
Ghillie Basan lived and worked in Turkey for many years. She is a qualified Cordon Bleu cook and has written extensively on food, as food journalist, restaurant reviewer and author of the highly acclaimed Classic Turkish Cookery. Here, she teams up with Jonathan Basan (short-listed for the 1999 Glenfiddich Food and Drink Visual Award and photographer of Classic Turkish Cookery) to create an essential reference work.

Customer Reviews

My newest cooking bible!!
A fantastic book, I haven't put it down since I bought it! Ghillie's recipes are innovative, creative, inpiring and very original. Not just about food either, she writes a wonderful history of the region and the photographs (some by her husband) are beautiful. The recipes are listed by ingredient; from carob to orchid root!! Each with a brief history of their usage in the Middle East. Anatolian Lamb Kebabs are just so perfect you will never buy take out again and Rose Petal Jam (heaven in a pot) is definitely one for the connoiseur! Ghillie's book is similar to Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons and if you enjoyed that then you would love this book as well.

2 years later and I am still using this book!
I first wrote a review of this book in 2002 ........... I am still using this book which I really think serves as a testament to it! There are far too many recipes to describe here and now it seems to be limited I would not give this book up even under duress! Fantastic recipe book worth the money and if you are into food from the middle east and regions surrounding, then this is the one for you!

middle eatern cooking
Did not like this book at all, the receipes look hard and not interesting at all, I think I waisted my money