Apricots on the Nile: A Memoir with Recipes [Large Print] [Paperback]

Colette Rossant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004

Cairo, 1937: French-born Colette Rossant is waiting out World War II among her father's Egyptian-Jewish relatives. From the moment she arrives at her grandparents' belle époque mansion by the Nile, the five-year-old Colette finds companionship and comfort among the other "outsiders" in her home away from home -- the cooks and servants in the kitchen. The chef, Ahmet, lets Colette taste the ful; she learns how to make sambusaks for her new friends; and she shops for semits and other treats in the Khan-al-Khalili market. Colette is beginning to understand how her family's culture is linked to the kitchen...and soon she will claim Egypt's food, landscape, and people as her own.

Apricots on the Nile is a loving testament to Colette's adopted homeland. With dozens of original recipes and family photographs, Colette's coming-of-age memoir is a splendid exploration of old Cairo in all its flavor, variety, and wide-eyed wonder.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The New York Times Her memories are vividly rendered, infused with piquant tastes and smells....Nostalgia for the Egypt of Rossant's childhood pervades this charming book.

Chicago Tribune [Y]ou'll find vicarious pleasure in reading about this gourmet's life.

Daily News (New York) [E]ngrossing not just for its lovely style of writing but because Rossant's life has been so unusual and interesting. And getting the recipes for some of the dishes she reminisces about is an added bonus!

Alice Waters This is the kind of writing about food that stimulates your senses and connects you to the important traditions of the table....I am enchanted by this memoir. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Colette Rossant is the author of eight cook-books and the memoirs Apricots on the Nile and Return to Paris. A James Beard Award-nominated journalist, she divides her time between New York and France. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Ulverscroft Large Print (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753198819
• ISBN-13: 978-0753198810
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,009,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very engaging, February 1, 2006

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Hortensia "Sunshine" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apricots on the Nile: A Memoir with Recipes (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this book - even though I will probably never try the recipes. I read the whole book through in one sitting (although, to be truthful, it's a small book.) Besides being an interesting memoir of the author's childhood in Egypt during WWII, in a wealthy Jewish family, it's also an honest account of her alienation from her mother, which really spoke to me. The author is a good writer, which makes the book easy and rewarding to read.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love It!, March 8, 2007

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V. Crouch "Daydreamer" (Colorado Springs, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Apricots on the Nile: A Memoir with Recipes (Paperback)

This was one of my favorite all-time books. I purchased one as a gift for my sister also. I love to read about other cultures, and this was an enjoyable read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Apricots on the Nile, May 17, 2009

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Kitchen Diva - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apricots on the Nile: A Memoir with Recipes (Paperback)

Not as good a story as some other cooking memoirs I've read, kind of sad. Fair recipes