Saffron in the Souks: Vibrant Recipes from the Heart of Lebanon
Tom Verde
John Gregory-Smith
2019, Kyle Books, 978-0-85783-577-2, $29.99 hb.
The “sour tang” of Lebanese cooking, along with its “intricate use of herbs and spices,” such as sumac, za’atar and Lebanese seven-spice—a local, ubiquitous blend of seasonings—infuse this lively cookbook. For travel writer and cook John Gregory-Smith, the colorful and exotic beauty of Tripoli’s suq, as well as the kitchens of Lebanese friends, inspire this collection of recipes that highlights the dynamism and diversity of the country’s cuisine. In Beirut, Smith discovers the Ottoman-linked history of daoud basha—meatballs swimming in a heady, glistening sauce of cinnamon, allspice and pomegranate molasses. In the Bekaa Valley, he learns how to make sfiha, bite-size meat pies of ground lamb, tomatoes and allspice. In Batroun, between Beirut and Tripoli, he is treated to a Lebanese friend’s rendition of shrimp scampi, enhanced with chili and fresh mint. Gorgeous images of the food and the country add to the book’s allure.
You may also be interested in...
Celebrate Women's History Month With These Reads on Women Throughout History
To help honor Women’s History Month, AramcoWorld brings you a list of 10 female-focused reads that celebrate women throughout history.
Nomadic Chieftain’s Biography Unveils Dynamics of Colonial Expansion
Historian Tetsu Akiyama challenges the narrative that the Kyrgyz were a “static and monotonous ‘traditional’ society’” destined to be subsumed.
In the Aftermath of Rome's Collapse, These Communities Shaped the Mediterranean
Three regions of the post-Roman Mediterranean, from 400 CE to 1000 CE—the Latin West, Byzantium and the early Islamic world—are the focus of this work.