An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair [Hardcover]

Faith Gorsky (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 6, 2012

When Faith Gorsky married her Middle Eastern husband, she married more than just the man. She found herself introduced to a culture and cuisine that would forever change how she experienced food and cooking.

Faith's mother-in-law took her under her wing and in 6 months gave her a thorough course in Middle Eastern cooking that became the basis for her popular website, An Edible Mosaic. The growth and success of her website and her own developing interest led to more trips to the Middle East, deepening her knowledge of the cuisine which she shares in An Edible Mosaic.

In it, the book of the same name, Faith imparts her favorite Middle Eastern recipes, recipes anyone can make with a little work and some help from Faith! Her love for the cuisine of her husband's homeland shows in her enthusiasm for these dishes and the awareness that food is more than just a means of sustenance for the people of the Middle East—it lies at the epicenter of their gatherings with family and friends.

Recipes include:

Parsley Salad with Bulgur Wheat (Tabbouleh)

Creamy Chickpea and Yogurt Casserole (Fetteh)

Mashed Fava Beans with Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, and Garlic (Foul Mudammas)

Ground Chicken Kebabs (Kebab Dajaj)

Sumac-Spiced Chicken (MÆsakhkhan)

Upside-Down Rice Casserole (Maqluba)

Date-Filled Cookies (MaÆamoul)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Faith Gorsky fell in love with Middle Eastern cuisine when she spent six months living in Damascus. Her Syrian mother-in-law, who happens to be a master cook, was a willing teacher and patient guide. During the past six years, Faith has visited the Middle East four different times, each time expanding her passion and knowledge for both the cuisine and culture of the region. Combining her love for writing and cooking, Faith started her successful and wildly popular food blog, An Edible Mosaic (www.AnEdibleMosaic.com) and in two years has built a following of fans that love both her food and her writing. She cooks, writes and lives in Upstate New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; Hardcover with Jacket edition (November 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804842760
• ISBN-13: 978-0804842761
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.7 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Middle Eastern

More About the Author

Faith grew up in Upstate New York on classic American fare and it wasn't until after she was married that she had her first experience with the exotic, enticing flavors of authentic Middle Eastern food. It was at that point that she spent six months living in the Middle East, where she discovered not only a love of Middle Eastern food and culture, but also a love of cooking...and luckily, her Syrian mother-in-law, who happens to be a master at Middle Eastern cuisine, was willing to teach her. In the past six years, Faith has been to the Middle East four different times, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and culture of the region and cultivating her passion for Middle Eastern fare.

In addition to her love for cooking, Faith has always been an enthusiastic writer. She went to law school, where she cultivated her writing skills further, and it was after graduating law school that she decided to combine her two passions - cooking and writing - by authoring a food blog, www.AnEdibleMosaic.com.

An Edible Mosaic is a unique compilation of recipes; Faith's favorite things to feature are updated American-inspired dishes and classic international fare. Her recipes range from breakfast to dessert, and everything in between, with emphasis on seasonal dishes. Since she's a home cook writing recipes with the home cook in mind, her recipes have straightforward instructions and focus on easily-accessible ingredients.

An Edible Mosaic has a steadily growing readership; per month, the site gets over 195,000 unique visitors and over 950,000 page views. Faith has won several recipe contests and her recipes and tantalizing food photos are regularly featured by other food bloggers and food websites; she's also had the honor of being featured in both local and national cooking magazines, including Cooking Light. Her love for food photography has also blossomed along with her blog; Faith's online photo gallery can be viewed at www.FaithGorsky.com.

Faith currently lives in Upstate New York with her husband Michael.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have November 7, 2012

By Genevieve

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I finally had the pleasure to thumb through this book today, after many long months of waiting! I have followed Faith's blog at [...] since she began writing it. Like her blog, her first cookbook will not disappoint.

Not only are Faith's recipes incredibly delicious, they are also easy to follow. Many of you might think that Middle Eastern cuisine isn't for you, or maybe you think it is just too hard to cook. Well, I'm no master chef myself, but following the recipes in this book might make you feel like one! I have served several of Faith's recipes to my family, and many of them have become popular requests! Lastly, Faith has beautiful pictures for just about every recipe in her book.

I highly recommend this book to any and everyone. Whether or not you are familiar with Middle Eastern cuisine, this cookbook is a must-have for every kitchen!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic and Delicious Recipes November 27, 2012

By Lola's Mom

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book because I do follow Faith's blog (which I love...great recipes) and because I grew up eating Middle Eastern food and always love to explore it further. These recipes are authentic remind me so much of how my Mom cooked. What I didn't expect when I bought this book was what a great read it was! Faith's stories are well written and interesting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have Middle Eastern cookbook! November 19, 2012

By im.tj

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

What a beautiful comprehensive Middle Eastern Cookbook. I am Middle Eastern myself and grew up eating pretty much most of the food that Faith has included in her cookbook. My mom happens to be a great cook but unfortunately I never took the time to learn how to cook when I was younger and now that I am married and thousands of miles away from home, it really is great to find a cookbook that has all these tasty recipes that I can actually follow and understand. The cooking tips and techniques in the book are very helpful. I also tend to think of myself as a visual learner, so having all these beautiful pictures of the food is a perfect addition.

This is really a great authentic cookbook and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys Middle Eastern Cooking. I would also recommend it to anyone that would like to try something different, you will not be disappointed especially when it comes to all these tasty desserts (Lebanese nights, Middle Eastern pancakes, Coconut Semolina Cake, and so much more!) so different and so very satisfying. Can't wait to perfect all these dishes!