Arabic cooking is like Arabic dancing—vivid, exotic, enchanting. Seasoned with herbs and spices, moistened with olive oil and butter, rolled in cabbage and grape leaves, food no longer merely abates hunger but becomes a picture of fragrance and charm to satisfy sight, smell, and taste. There is no difference between Syrian and Lebanese foods. In America these foods are most popularly known as Syrian foods. However, since Syria was under the rule of Turkey for centuries, some of the drinks and foods are Turkish. This is why the coffee served in Syria and Lebanon is called Turkish coffee. A part of my heritage, these recipes have been handed down from mother to daughter for generations and followed by instinct—a little of this, a pinch of that—and flavored to please the palate, though the ingredients were never accurately measured. As my sister and I gathered these recipes from my mother, Maheeba (Mabel), she recalled many scenes of her native land; of certain haflis (parties), of friends, of the rich aroma of Turkish coffee poured into a demitasse, of the historical background of Arabic script and the makings of exquisite damask cloth. When we lived in Canton, Ohio, as children, my sister, brother, and I used to get a great deal of pleasure watching my father and his friends take turns smoking the narghileh (Turkish water pipe) as they relaxed during the evenings, exchanging stories of their journey to this country. The narghileh had the sound of bubbling water and an incense aroma filled the house from the Persian tobacco that was used. Our narghileh was made of beautiful cut glass with an oriental brass stem, and the smoking pipe that was attached had an almost cobra look with its many variegated colors. The smoke was being drawn through cold water to reduce the strength of the nicotine. The guests were served Turkish coffee and the hostess was ready to play the part of a fortuneteller. The cups were inverted and left to stand so that the coffee sediment formed a pattern on the inside of the cup. Then the cups were turned up again and the hostess interpreted the future of each guest from the pattern in his cup. I have included in the book features on the religious significance of foods, Syrian-Lebanese festivals, weddings, Easter, Epiphany, the preparation of wine and bread for Holy Communion, and a complete Lenten section. This is an adventure in foods you will want to repeat over and over again. While these customs and traditions still prevail in the land of my ancestors, I felt that you would enjoy opening a few doors to this ancient land, reflecting the mingling of traditions between those days and modern times. This illustrated classic includes the following sections: Spices and Herbs Arabic Menus Appetizers Sauces Soups Salads Game, Poultry, and Dressings Meats and Outdoor Festivals Wheat and Kibby Pancakes and Omelets Vegetables Olives Bread and Pies Beverages Candied Fruits and Preserves Pastries and Desserts Fish Lenten Foods and Menus Lenten Menus Lenten Pies Lenten Salads Lenten Kibby Lentil Dishes Lenten Sauces Wheat and Vegetable Dishes Lenten Desserts Traditions and Foods of the Orthodox Catholic Church

★ Who doesn't like to eat? Food is the most accessible pleasure. It is nourishing and comforting. ★ It connects people and makes them feel good. Eating is what all of us have in common, and we all love to do it well. Plus, food is the easiest way to explore a different culture. ★ Do you like to cook? But you are tired of the same old menu? ★ Have you been looking for fun recipes for any occasion? ★ Are you a fan of an authentic kitchen? ♥♥♥ Then you are in luck! This cookbook has it all and more. It will upgrade your cooking routine with one hundred eleven delicious and filling meals from Syria with love. You will be happy to cook again. Explore new and exciting flavors of authentic Syrian cuisine. You will be delighted with the results. Don't worry if you are not a chef. ★ This comprehensive cooking guide is good for any level. ★ It will help tap into your creative side. ★ You will love this cookbook because everyone can appreciate a real homemade meal and newness. Surprise yourself, your friends, or your family. It is time to cook something new. Be ready for your taste buds to sing. ✓✓✓✓✓Get it now!

Delectable recipes from the medieval Middle East This popular thirteenth-century Syrian cookbook is an ode to what its anonymous author calls the “greater part of the pleasure of this life,” namely the consumption of food and drink, as well as the fragrances that garnish the meals and the diners who enjoy them. Organized like a meal, Scents and Flavors opens with appetizers and juices and proceeds through main courses, side dishes, and desserts. Apricot beverages, stuffed eggplant, pistachio chicken, coriander stew, melon crepes, and almond pudding are seasoned with nutmeg, rose, cloves, saffron, and the occasional rare ingredient such as ambergris to delight and surprise the banqueter. Bookended by chapters on preparatory perfumes, incenses, medicinal oils, antiperspirant powders, and after-meal hand soaps, this comprehensive culinary journey is a feast for all the senses. With the exception of a few extant Babylonian and Roman texts, cookbooks did not appear on the world literary scene until Arabic speakers began compiling their recipe collections in the tenth century, peaking in popularity in the thirteenth century. Scents and Flavors quickly became a bestseller during this golden age of cookbooks and remains today a delectable read for cultural historians and epicures alike. An English-only edition.

Syria is where food, memory, and resilience collide: recreate the flavors of this beautiful country in Our Syria, for delicious meals anywhere in the world. Syria has always been the meeting point for the most delicious flavors from East and West, where spices and sweetness collide. Even now, in possibly the country's darkest hour, Syrian families in tiny apartments from Beirut to Berlin are searching out the best tomatoes, lemons, pomegranates, and parsley to evoke the memory of home, keeping their treasured food history alive across continents. Friends and passionate cooks Itab and Dina met Syrian women in the Middle East and Europe to collect together the very best recipes from one of the world's greatest food cultures. They spent months cooking with them, learning their recipes and listening to stories of home. Recipes like the following elicit vibrant images of an ancient culture: Hot Yogurt Soup Fresh Thyme and Halloumi Salad Lamb and Okra Stew Chicken Shawarma Wraps Semolina and Coconut Cake Our Syria is a delicious celebration of the unique taste, culture, and food of Syria-and a celebration of everything that food and memory can mean to an individual, to a family, and to a nation.

A culinary trip to the land of Bible history, Syria and Lebanon, with traditional recipes adapted for American Kitchens.