Written by a leading authority on Middle Eastern and Caucasian cuisines, this highly original cookbook offers hundreds of superb recipes, many of them not found elsewhere. Established favorites such as tabbuleh and baklava appear alongside exciting innovations and creative interpretations of classic dishes, among them Damascus-style cheese dip with toasted sesame seeds and nigella and grilled quail with sour cherry sauce. The book also contains illuminating essays on a variety of topics, among them hospitality, meals and menus, and utensils. The essay on ingredients includes a definitive and much-needed section on pomegranates and pomegranate molasses.

What lends this book added distinction is the author's impressive grasp of the historical, cultural, and geographical influences that have shaped the region's cookery. With its personal reminiscences of a childhood spent in the eastern Mediterranean, evocative period illustrations, and insightful anecdotes and proverbs, this revelatory work is a welcome blend of outstanding scholarship and entertaining reading. A genuine contribution to culinary literature, Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen will be a treasured addition to the library of anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking and is destined to become a classic.