
Forever Beirut: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Lebanon
Piney Kesting
Barbara Abdeni Massaad
Interlink Books, 2022.
“All the tiniest steps described in preparing these dishes are small indispensable gestures of caring in which cherished memories of trust and of closeness to loved ones are stored for safe keeping.”
—From Forever Beirut: Recipes and Stories From the Heart of Lebanon
—From Forever Beirut: Recipes and Stories From the Heart of Lebanon
Written in response to the disastrous 2020 Port of Beirut explosion, this collection of 100 traditional Lebanese dishes by Massad, an award-winning cookbook author, honors victims of the blast with a portion of proceeds going to the Lebanese Food Bank. For Massaad, these recipes represent more than just sets of ingredients. They embody cherished customs, handed down through generations, a connection to hours spent in her family’s Beirut kitchen and her country’s past. Massaad shares personal stories, history and traditions alongside instructions for everything from baba ghanoush to Aleppo kebab to turmeric cake, with an entry for each dish. The effort results in an engrossing read that brings Beirut’s food scene, renowned as one of the culinary capitals of the Arab world, to vivid life. By tying these recipes to her own memories and culture, Massaad has created a work that satiates the pallet and touches the heart.
You may also be interested in...
The Ebb and Flow of History on the Zambezi River
In tracing the past six centuries of history, historian Malyn Hewitt captures the cyclical rise and fall of the river and its people.Essays Unpack the Evolving Hajj and Umrah Experience
This volume of essays juxtaposes historical first-hand narratives of Hajj and Umrah journeys with oral interviews of contemporary pilgrims to show the transformative power of storytelling.In War and Peace, Book Explores How Rome and Persia Remained Frenemies
Book Review: In his latest scholarly work, Roman historian Adrian Goldsworthy reduces Persian and Roman longevity to simply an ever-evolving coexistence.