The Complete Middle East Cookbook
Okay, so technically food isn’t an Islamic subject. However, our families have to eat and our tastes in food are often deeply ingrained in us. Many American Muslim women are married to men from far away lands. Whether they mention it or not, most desperately miss the foods they grew up with.
Even if your husband would never dream of asking you to learn a whole new style of cooking, trust me when I tell you he would be eternally grateful! If your spouse is from the Middle East, you must get The Complete Middle East Cookbook. This book by Tess Mallos covers a broad spectrum of foods, from appetizers and soups to main dishes and desserts. Most of the region’s favorites are included, including: stuffed grape leaves, ground meat kabobs, baklava, leg of lamb, and basbousa. What’s more, she offers recipes from most countries of the region, including:
- Greece
- Turkey
- Egypt
- Syria
- Lebanon
- Cyprus
- Armenia
- Iraq
- Gulf States
- Iran
- Afghanistan
In addition, the book offers a helpful primer on Middle Eastern cooking, with advice on topics like:
- Freezing veggies
- Preparing veggies for Middle Eastern recipes
- Dealing with grape leaves
- Making light and fluffy rice
- Basics of breadmaking
- Handling fillo pastry
- Sterilizing jars
Although many of the recipes are quite time-consuming, the results are well worth it. The book is entertaining, too; many of the recipes feature stories about the origin.
I do have two cautions about the book. First of all, it is not written for a Muslim audience. Many of the recipes call for wine. I usually substitute apple juice or water for white wine and cranberry juice for red. So far, I have never had any complaints. Some of the recipes, especially for Cyprus, also feature pork. I either skip those recipes or substitute beef or lamb. Since our husbands have likely never tasted pork, they’ll never know the difference!
The second caution is regarding national pride. Tess Mallos has divided the book into chapters based on country of origin. Many of the recipes are actually eaten throughout the region, and all of the countries take credit. So, feel free to use recipes from different countries, but don’t tell your husband which country the recipe comes from! Some of these Middle Easterners can be quite possessive of their foods.
For more Middle Eastern recipes, visit the food blog. Blogger Catherine Ipcizade offers some tasty Turkish recipes.
Let me know how your family likes the Middle Eastern recipes!
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