The Complete Middle East Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1984 I was in college, living in an international married-student housing complex, where I quickly developed a large number of friends, including several who were from the Middle East and were in Oregon to study.            We used to gather in the courtyard between our ramshackle (but very cheap) apartments for casual potlucks to share our favorite dishes. The food was always varied and quite wonderful. However, the cooks wouldn't always part with their mothers' "secret" family recipes. So I went cookbook shopping.              The full-color photos of dishes in Mallos' book were worth the purchase price alone. Using the clearly written recipies, I prepared Lebanese, Arab, Greek and other dishes I had tasted at our informal dinners. Then I got brave and tried new ones. My friends and family RAVED. Several of my closest Middle Eastern friends even seemed a little jealous...they finally told me that I cooked their favorites better than did their mothers, and they went out and bought copies of the cookbook for themselves!        You will find how easy it is to make hummous, olive-oil-infused flatbreads, tabouleh, and a score of other now-trendy dishes you pay a fortune for at the deli.         The spanokopita is divine, with the golden, buttery phyllo leaves melting in your mouth to reveal the tang of feta melded with the spinach, onions, and toasted pine nuts.          Mallos' book also contains the recipe for the BEST baklava anyone has ever tasted (at least of those I've served it to). A million calories a bite, but well worth it!          If you are a creative cook who loves the pleasures of making good food for family and friends, this belongs in your kitchen -- or better yet, on your coffee table where you can pick it up and drool...         I recently bought a new edition for my brother. The binding is far nicer than the earlier release Ð my beloved and well-used copy is crumbling, but I can't bear to toss it . . . it falls open to our favorite recipes!

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Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)As someone who owns close to two hundred cookbooks (passion or sickness, your choice on what to call it) I've vowed not to purchase another one for the rest of my cooking days. When I first glimpsed "Falling Cloudberries" at a bookstore I had to will myself to walk away. Never again, I said.
Never say never.
First, a bit of background. Like most foodies and cooks, Tessa Kiros grew up scented by cooking smells and surrounded by people who're passionate about food. Her book is filled with recipes that represent her heritage: Greek, Finnish, Cypriot, South African, and Italian. As such, there are dishes here that challenge the American palate, especially those of pedestrian tastes, but what a delightful and tasty challenge it is.
I'll set aside the sheer beauty of this book for now and rate it on the essentials--the approachability and accuracy of its recipes, the reliance on fresh and obtainable ingredients, a balanced mix of easy, intermediate and advanced cooking methods, logical and sensible organization, practical tips to ensure success, satisfaction with the end product, and (always a consideration for me) a generous representation of everyday fare.
I've tried about a dozen from this thick book and it's, without doubt, a 5-star cookbook just basing it on the above:
(1)Finnish - Gravadlax with Dill Cucumbers; Potato Pancakes (of course, to go w/ the gravadlax); Fresh Salmon, Dill & Potato Soup; Finnish Meatballs; Stroganoff with Pickled Cucumbers and will later try the Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns
(2)Greek - Dolmades; Tzatziki; Chickpea, Feta & Coriander Salad; Calamari with Butter, Lemon & Garlic; Prawns with Peri-Peri; Lemon & Oregano Chicken; Stuffed Vegetables and will later attempt the Baklava
(3)Cypriot - Moussaka (if you can make lasagna, you can make this without batting an eyelash); Pork in Red Wine
(4)South African - Fried Chicken and Barbecue Ribs, if you can believe it!
That's it...that's as far as I got and tons to go. Everything I tried was simply delicious and none of them required tremendous labor, just the same amount of effort I put into everyday cooking. For those that are fussier, I plan to just make them in the weekends when I have more time.
The book is drop-dead gorgeous and I mean every part of it. From the spine to the flyleaf, to all the photos to the quality of bond, and it even came with a pretty ribbon bookmark (how thoughtful). It's peppered with tidbits on Tessa's family and her growing up cooking with them. There's even a penciled drawing of her family tree that I thought added an amusing and extra special touch to this very personal account of food and cooking over several generations. Really creatively executed and one can easily tell that it was a labor of love. It's too beautiful that I don't cook with this book lying as is on my counter. I photocopy the page I need or wrap it first in clear plastic before using. Even these precautions don't seem enough. Someday, when I can no longer grasp my chef's knife or intimidate a slab of pastry into submission with a whack or two, I want to look at this book and just lose myself in its pristine beauty. Ridiculous, I know, but there are cooks out there who know precisely what I mean--they're the same people who look longingly at gorgeous cookbooks and say `never again' without much conviction!

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