Customer Reviews

Feast from the Mideast: 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible (Cookbooks)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Faye Levy is an established cookbook writer who is offering a book on Middle Eastern cooking which closely parallels the range of Claudia Roden's classic book on Middle Eastern food. One's choice between the two will depend largely on where your interest lies.

To those new to Middle Eastern cuisine, it can be described briefly as being based on olive oil and clarified butter; yogurt and soft cheeses; citrus, nuts and seeds; rice and bulgar wheat; honey and dried fruits; spice mixes; flatbreads; and eggplant and leafy green vegetables. Beans are common and used more creatively than in many cuisines. Wine and vinegar use is very small. Pork and cured pork products make no appearance at all. Breads and pasta are limited in variety, although those which do appear are distinctive. New world vegetables appear, but mostly as fresh rather than cooked ingredients. Fin fish and squid appear, but bivalves are uncommon.

Levy and Roden concentrate on different geographical boundaries, with Roden including and Levy excluding North Africa west of Egypt, although Levy still includes reference to famous Morrocan features such as couscous and tangines. Levy identifies the primary regions of Middle Eastern cookery as the Eastern Mediterranean (Turkey, Levant, Egypt), Iran (Persia) and the arabian peninsula and Iraq.

Levy discusses very little of the historical background but does discuss some of the says the cuisine has been influenced by India and how it has in turn influenced Europe, especially the Balkans; however, Roden goes into this in more detail. Levy's wraps her discussion in more of a linguistic focus, being careful to give the various different names of dishes for different nationalities.

Both books divide the dishes into many similar categories. To Roden's sixteen (16), Levy gives us these fourteen (14):

Appetizers
Salads
Soups
Brunch and other Fast Dishes
Seafood
Poultry
Meat
Legumes
Vegetables
Grains
Pasta
Sauces and Relishes
Breads and Savory Pastries
Cakes and Cookies

Levy includes some modern western interpretations of classic dish styles, while Roden appears to focus on the authentic modern and historical cuisine of the region. Levy always presents just the basic dish. Roden typically gives variations on basic dishes based on how the dish may have been treated in different parts of the Middle East. On examining recipes from the two books for the same dish, I believe there is little to choose in the clarity of presentation, although I would give a slight not to Roden for spelling out the regional variations.

Both writers were born in the Middle East and both appear to be thoroughly in touch with their subject. Neither is here just for a brief visit. Both have also produced books on Jewish cuisine, so it is not surprising that these volumes concentrate much more on the Muslem cuisine than on any Jewish dishes.

Levy includes a chapter on menus for entertaining and give a somewhat more detailed discussion of spice mixes. Levy also includes recipes for pantry items such as stocks. I recommend anyone wishing to make stocks for these recipes stick with a good French, Culinary Institute, or Cooks Illustrated Best Recipe source.

Levy's book has 380 pages for $30 and Roden has 490 pages for $35. If I were picking one book, I would take Roden based on the deeper historical perspective, the more interesting geographical range, and the (I suspect) more valid separation of Turkish cuisine from that of the Levant. If you were primarily interested as a source for entertaining and most especially interested in the Arab cuisine, then Levy's book may give you more of what you want. Both are superior books on a regional cuisine. I give it only four stars because it did not teach me anything really new about cooking and cuisine. You may have a different background, so I leave that open to your judgement. I agree with another reviewer that the book did not entirely fit it's subtitle as sun-drenched is not discussed and the range exceeds the lands of the Bible, but I don't hold it against the author.

My daughter is living in Jordan, and this is the only middle eastern cookbook I've found that has all the foods my daughter is eating. And the index is great -- foods are listed both by the Arabic name and in english. The recipe for mansaf (the Jordanian national dish) is wonderful, as are simple recipes such as zahtar and labneh on pita. I'm delighted with this discovery!

I found this book in a bookshop in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. My best friend and I were browsing through it and found so many recipes that we wanted to try, we bought the book and made a middle eastern dinner that night. I live in the Middle East now (my husband is an Arab)and I can tell you that I pull this particular cookbook out whenever I want to prepare something to impress my husband or local friends. I have several other middle eastern cookbooks, but this one is the one that always comes through for me!

Faye Levy's "Feast from the Mideast : 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible (Cookbooks)" is a great source for anyone who wants to learn about Middle Eastern cooking using a book which includes simple, authentic recipes that work. In the beginning of her book Faye explains the nuances and the regional differences of Middle Eastern cooking. Next, in a mere 14 pages, she tells you everything you need to know about the ingredients. She gives a very good reading list (Bibliography). As a graduate of Varenne and a food writer for Jerusalem Post, Faye has the credentials to write about Middle Eastern cooking. She has authored one of the best cookbooks on the subject. One possible drawback is the book has no = zero photographs. I love photos, so my solution is to cook up her recipes take my own photographs.

Faye Levy is an established cookbook writer who is offering a book on Middle Eastern cooking which closely parallels the range of Claudia Roden's classic book on Middle Eastern food. One's choice between the two will depend largely on where your interest lies.

To those new to Middle Eastern cuisine, it can be described briefly as being based on olive oil and clarified butter; yogurt and soft cheeses; citrus, nuts and seeds; rice and bulgar wheat; honey and dried fruits; spice mixes; flatbreads; and eggplant and leafy green vegetables. Beans are common and used more creatively than in many cuisines. Wine and vinegar use is very small. Pork and cured pork products make no appearance at all. Breads and pasta are limited in variety, although those which do appear are distinctive. New world vegetables appear, but mostly as fresh rather than cooked ingredients. Fin fish and squid appear, but bivalves are uncommon.

Levy and Roden concentrate on different geographical boundaries, with Roden including and Levy excluding North Africa west of Egypt, although Levy still includes reference to famous Morrocan features such as couscous and tangines. Levy identifies the primary regions of Middle Eastern cookery as the Eastern Mediterranean (Turkey, Levant, Egypt), Iran (Persia) and the arabian peninsula and Iraq.

Levy discusses very little of the historical background but does discuss some of the says the cuisine has been influenced by India and how it has in turn influenced Europe, especially the Balkans; however, Roden goes into this in more detail. Levy's wraps her discussion in more of a linguistic focus, being careful to give the various different names of dishes for different nationalities.

Both books divide the dishes into many similar categories. To Roden's sixteen (16), Levy gives us these fourteen (14):

Appetizers
Salads
Soups
Brunch and other Fast Dishes
Seafood
Poultry
Meat
Legumes
Vegetables
Grains
Pasta
Sauces and Relishes
Breads and Savory Pastries
Cakes and Cookies

Levy includes some modern western interpretations of classic dish styles, while Roden appears to focus on the authentic modern and historical cuisine of the region. Levy always presents just the basic dish. Roden typically gives variations on basic dishes based on how the dish may have been treated in different parts of the Middle East. On examining recipes from the two books for the same dish, I believe there is little to choose in the clarity of presentation, although I would give a slight not to Roden for spelling out the regional variations.

Both writers were born in the Middle East and both appear to be thoroughly in touch with their subject. Neither is here just for a brief visit. Both have also produced books on Jewish cuisine, so it is not surprising that these volumes concentrate much more on the Muslem cuisine than on any Jewish dishes.

Levy includes a chapter on menus for entertaining and give a somewhat more detailed discussion of spice mixes. Levy also includes recipes for pantry items such as stocks. I recommend anyone wishing to make stocks for these recipes stick with a good French, Culinary Institute, or Cooks Illustrated Best Recipe source.

Levy's book has 380 pages and Roden has 490 pages. If I were picking one book, I would take Roden based on the deeper historical perspective, the more interesting geographical range, and the (I suspect) more valid separation of Turkish cuisine from that of the Levant. If you were primarily interested as a source for entertaining and most especially interested in the Arab cuisine, then Levy's book may give you more of what you want. Both are superior books on a regional cuisine. I give it only four stars because it did not teach me anything really new about cooking and cuisine. You may have a different background, so I leave that open to your judgement. I agree with another reviewer that the book did not entirely fit it's subtitle as sun-drenched is not discussed and the range exceeds the lands of the Bible, but I don't hold it against the author.

My food-obsessed son gave me this cookbook one Christmas. It was a gift to the whole family. Now, in addition to our standard Thanksgiving dinner, we have a collection of favorites from Feast from the Mideast that we prepare together when we want a meal that lives up to the word "feast". We are most impressed with the Chicken Bulgar Pecan patties. My daughter is a big fan of the desserts. I find them unnecessary, as I am quite satisfied by this cuisine which relies heavily on olive oil, lemon juice and lots of vegetables.

author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
September 19, 2003

While apples and honey are de rigueur among Ashkenazim for celebrating the New Year, Middle Easterners turn to the more exotic, like dates, quinces or pomegranates during the High Holidays. So if you're looking for some unique recipes this High Holiday season, you might want to turn to Faye Levy's latest cookbook, "Feast from the Mideast: 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible" (HarperCollins, $29.95).

Levy lived in Israel for nearly 12 years, where she met and married her husband, Yakir. A cooking novice until her mother-in-law took her in hand, she soon developed a love for the varied, bold flavors of her adopted home. She went on to train at the renowned La Varenne in Paris and to produce more than 20 cookbooks and writes with authority and passion on the cuisine of the Middle East.

"It is amazing how all these people who can't get along eat the same things," observed Levy, whose cookbook highlights cuisines of over ten countries.

"Eating together and discussing food and recipes is a great way to bring people closer," Levy continues. "Arabs and Jews share a lot of the same food. The Islamic rules of halal are similar to our laws of kashrut. We both don't eat pork. Arabs do eat shellfish, and they don't have a problem mixing milk and meat, but they hardly ever do it.

While the book explores the foods of all faiths and nationalities of the region, so many of the dishes are perfect for Rosh Hashanah because of the Middle Eastern fondness for incorporating local fruits, a perfect way to wish guests a sweet New Year.

"Sephardic Jews begin the Rosh Hashanah meal with dates, just as we do with apples and honey," Levy noted. "And in Greece, Turkey and Morocco, all around the Mediterranean really, quinces are really important for Rosh Hashanah. Moroccan Jews do dip apples in honey, then dip them in sesame seeds, symbolizing our wish that our people be numerous. Pomegranate seeds are traditional for the same reason."

Chicken in Pomegranate Walnut Sauce, a classic dish of the Persian kitchen, is appropriate for the holiday, Levy said.

"Pomegranate juice and paste are available in Middle Eastern and gourmet markets, because a lot of American chefs, like Bobby Flay, have suddenly become very excited about them. It has become trendy," she said.

If you can't find either, Levy advises using pomegranate juice, now readily available in supermarkets, and adding less water.

Traditional holiday foods vary from country to country and from family to family. Some people avoid sour tastes for the holiday, like lemons and vinegar.

Persians, however, favor tart over sweet and love a splash of lemon juice on many dishes, Levy noted.

"In fact, I have a friend from northern Iran who says that the pomegranate paste available in this country is too sweet, so he asks his relatives from Iran to bring some from home when they visit." Some people avoid black ingredients for the New Year, so they use golden raisins instead of dark and do not serve eggplant. Since the word for leeks in Hebrew means "destroyed," many serve leeks to convey the wish that our enemies be destroyed.

Some people will not eat walnuts, but will use almonds; others eliminate nuts altogether.

"In our family we always have rice with toasted almonds and dried fruit for Rosh Hashanah," Levy said. "Middle Eastern cooks have so many delicious ways to do rice, and some, like Almond Apricot Basmati Rice, are so good you could consider them a dessert, a side dish or a main course.

"Sweetness for Rosh Hashanah is more of an Ashkenazi thing," she said, "though certain Middle Eastern Jews do it, too. Moroccans often serve vegetables sprinkled with sugar, but sometimes instead of making food sweeter, they might just tone down the spiciness."

For example, fish is traditional for Rosh Hashanah, particularly served with the head.

Moroccans might make Foil Baked Trout with Red Pepper and Garlic, but omit the jalapeño and lemon for Rosh Hashanah.

"It really depends on your family's tradition," Levy said.

For Ashkenazim, Rosh Hashanah would not be complete without honey cake, but Sephardim of the Mediterranean may choose Citrus and Spice Quinces with Cranberries or Date Pinwheel Cookies. Honey isn't found necessarily in desserts in the Middle East, Levy said, though some might use it as syrup on cake. Fruit with Honey, Figs and Dates will appeal to both camps as a sweet ending to the Rosh Hashanah dinner.

"It's perfect for the season and really easy. And it goes well as a topping for traditional honey cake, too."

Dja'jeh b'Ah'sal (Chicken With Prunes and Honey)

Sauce:

2 cups pitted prunes, soaked in 1 cup cold water for 15 minutes

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chicken:

5 to 5-1/2 pounds chicken pieces (white and dark meat), skinned

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Three 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks

2 cups cold water

Prepare the sauce. Place the prunes and soaking water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the honey and cinnamon. Mix well and simmer until the prunes absorb some water and soften (they should be soft yet retain most of their shape), about five more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the chicken. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a plate.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions, stirring, until golden and soft, three to four minutes. Add the chicken pieces and brown, cooking for two to three minutes on each side. Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon sticks and water, stir well, and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for one hour.

Uncover the skillet and cook until some of the excess liquid cooks off and the sauce has thickened to a gravy-like texture, an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve on large platter, garnished with one cup blanched whole almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden.

Ka'ikeh b'Ah'sal (Honey Cake With Sesame Glaze Cake)

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)

2/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:

2/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare the cake. Combine the beaten eggs, tahini, honey and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add to the wet mixture and mix well.

Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan or 9-inch Springform pan and bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-35 minutes.

When the cake is ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 45 minutes. With a knife, loosen the edges of the cake. Place a large plate on top of the cake pan and flip the pan upside down.

Prepare the glaze. Combine the honey and tahini in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until blended to a smooth consistency, four to five minutes. Add the sesame seeds and mix well. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the hot glaze over the top of the cake, allowing the glaze to soak in. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Cut into diamond shapes about two inches long and one inch wide and serve at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

I have a few problems with this book: In the intro it perpetuates the low-fat is good for your myth and that eating more vegetables is good for you then eating meat.

I would liked to have seen some pictures, but that's not why I gave it four stars.)

In the intro, it contained an interesting fact on Crete, which lent support to the historical accuracy of the Bible, that was a nice boost to my faith.

Yet another book by the very (too?) prolific Faye Levy. I was intrigued by the sub-title: what would be sun-drenched in this new book and what are the Lands ( plural) of the Bible ? It is a pity we do not get answers to these questions.
In brief, nothing new in this book, written in a unconvincing style.