The Lebanese Cookbook

The popularity of Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem has celebrated Middle Eastern cuisine to new heights--now it is time for America to ride the wave to Lebanese cuisine with Hussein Dekmak's The Lebanese Cookbook. Hussein welcomes you with open arms to his country's food and traditions with over 100 delicious, authentic recipes to cook at home. With its emphasis on fresh ingredients and aromatic spices, Lebanese food offers a healthy abundance of vegetables, olive oil, garlic, fish, lamb, chicken and grains. The cookbook caters for all tastes and appetites with chapters on Soups, Salads, Hot and Cold Starters, Main Dishes, Barbecues, and Sweets and Drinks. The recipes are very straightforward and use basic ingredients--from an Eggplant and Tomato Moussaka to Artichoke Hearts with Lamb to Lebanese Chile Fish. You will not be disappointed with the depth of flavors and alluring aromas in this beautifully photographed cookbook. Don't be surprised when you find yourself dreaming of the mountains of Lebanon off the village of Bayesour, where Hussein had once collected tea leaves with his mother as a young boy. Fall in love with the traditional lentil soup or his mom's version of it and reap the secrets of a small village's medicinal concoctions. Hussein is happy to share the food that has nourished himself and his family for generations!

Table of Contents:
Contents Introduction Soups Salads Cold Starters Hot Starters Main Courses Barbecues Doughs, Rice, Sauces and Pickles Sweets and Drinks Index Acknowledgments

About the Author :
Hussien Dekmak was born in Beirut and has been cooking since he was a teenager. He trained at Al Hamra in London's West End, and opened Le Mignon in 1997an outpost of classic Lebanese cooking in Camden." (Time Out).

Review :
Healthy, light and packed with the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean... With so many light, healthy recipes, it's a book that will come in very handy... The Bristol Post, 12/02/2006 I wanted to make every single easy, mouthwatering recipe... May well have you cooking a whole new way. The Sunday Times, 12/03/2006 Lebanese food is a current A-list favorite after Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas recently celebrated their wedding anniversary in London with a Lebanese meal. But there's no need to go any further than your own kitchen with The Lebanese Cookbook... -- Juliette Kellow, First [Hussien's] honest approach to food is simple, focusing on the ingredients, their freshness and flavor. A Lebanese table is always full with delicious dishes. Salads, soups, starters and main courses are served at the same time and shared mezze style. If you aren't already a fan, be prepared to be hooked. You are What You Eat, November 2006 Some of the finest Lebanese food I have ever tasted. -- Patricia Wells International Herald Tribune I can't believe I'm going to get the recipe for moujadara after all these years! I could never extract it from Hussien, despite all my pleadings! -- Darina Allen I could live on mezze, and the rice and lentil dish is one of my favorites. -- Jill Norman One of our best Lebanese chefs provides recipes that are traditional, simple to make and full of fresh, strong flavors ... an inspiring and useful book. The Sunday Telegraph An ideal introduction to Lebanese cooking with very easy recipes. -- Bee Wilson, author, Consider the Fork Stella magazine The surprise is that there are so few ingredients in his dishes ... simple to make and simply delicious to eat. The Spectator