Customer Reviews

From the Lands of Figs and Olives: Over 300 Delicious and Unusual Recipes from the Middle East and North Africa

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an amazing book! I have been able to recreate dishes that I ate as a child. There are excellent traditional recipes for Lebanese, Egyptian and Palestinian/Jordanian food. Also included are several versions of the same recipe with regional differences which is a rare treat for those with more experience and knowledge of middle eastern food. A must have.

...but I am still looking for the best Arab cookbook out there, and I havent found it.

I made the Iraqi date cookies.....those were good. I also made katayif.....the filling was nice but the batter was chewy.

The baklawa turned out nicely, and the spinach pies were alright.

However I made something called "chicken milina" which supposedly is from Morocco.....in the end, chicken mixed with sliced onion and tomatoes made for a rather mushy, and visually unappealing dish. I thought Moroccan cuisine was supposed to be the most sophisticated? This recipe didnt do much to support that idea.

The Iraqi "meat pies" were similarly disappointing. It was basically hamburger mixed with rice, no spices except S&P, and cilantro...but the cilantro's flavor is cooked out of existence, leaving me with a glorified hamburger patty.

Kufta bis Sayniya was another disaster. Ground beef layered with tomato sauce and onions and a few spices....and then 1/4 inch thick potato slices that never cook all the way through even if you follow the directions and then give it additional time.

So far, Im not "wow'ed" by the actual entrees, but most of the desserts have turned out well.

This is a great cookbook, with anecdotal information that makes it feel like you're sitting down with the authors over hot Turkish coffee, reminiscing about their travels.

Each recipe has the country/ies of origin, and what it's called in Arabic (which could come in very handy next time you're in a Middle Eastern restaurant!). The instructions are clear, and it has a great index.

My one complaint is that it has only a few photos. I like to know what it's supposed to look like when I'm trying a new recipe. I know that's not a deterrent for many cooks, but for those of you like me, that is a drawback. The varied selections and the cultural tidbits between the covers more than make up for that lack, though, and I recommend this cookbook heartily.

Excellent and easy to follow directions have made me a gourmet cook from all of the recipes I've tried. There are a myriad of recipes and selections for anyone who loves to cook and of course, for anyone who loves to eat. The variety of dishes gives one an excellent view of the palate of the Arab world and the preparation instructions make one a gourmet cook each time a recipe is made. Excellent results from an encyclopediatic recipe collection! No kitchen should be without it!

What I liked about this book is the fact that many Arabic complicated dishes were simplified, and it encouraged me to cook many dishes that I like but thought would take me a lot of time!

What I did not like is the fact that the writer has generalised the Marocan cuisine for the whole of North Africa or the Magreb. The Couscous is a Berber dish, the Berbers live all over Tunisia, Marocco and Algeria, this is why couscous is found in all those countries. Couscous is NOT a Marocan dish that is popular in Algeria and Marocco ad the author claims. Also the Tunisian Tajin has nothing to do with the Marocan Tajin, I think the author has never had a Tajin in Tunisia and he used a Marocan recepie and claimed it to be a Tunisia dish.

I hope those 2 mistakes will be rectified in the future edition, and I would welcome the author in Tunis and introduce him to the Tunisia cuisin which will make his book more complet!

Other than that, I highly recomend this book.

If no more I could eat any but one fruit it would be figs or perhaps olives. It is a choice that would strain me to make. Figs have filled the bellies of many but olives have fed the world. The choice is difficult.
I met a family from Iran 30 years ago they shared their cooking with me and I have loved Middle Eastern and North African foods since. I found this book while living in Chicago nearly 8 years ago and have been cooking from it since. While, as some here note, the recipes lean to less spice, it is appropriate to increase those you find appealing.
Here you will find that humus is more than what you might find in your stores refrigerator case. Here there are ways to use lamb and of course olives and figs. What ever you cook from this know that this book is only an introduction to these cuisines. Perhaps a trip to these distant lands would offer the best way to experience them but until then this book will do.

If you only purchase one cookbook on food or the Middle East, this is a good candidate. Mr Salloum has written a charming and accessible book that covers a wide scope and instructs in a clear and concise fashion. The recipes seem to be well-tested. I have made the some of the savoury pastries with very good results. I eagerly await his next effort. He does both his Canadian and Middle eastern roots proud!

I'm usually one who prefers to eat instead of cook, but the recipes in this cookbook are easy enough to follow, and many dishes are given a brief history of their origin, which more books should do. I consider it very important to understand how what you are eating came to be. Many of the ingredients are common enough, and the few that aren't are not too difficult to find. Definitely recommend this for anyone interested in making their own Middle eastern meals.

These easy to make dishes are wonderful. Some of the dishes are listed with historical information as well. The book is marked 17.95 US and 24.95 CANADIAN so Amazon is fooling you with their "special prices".

From the Lands of Figs and Olives: Over 300 Delicious and Unusual Recipes from the Middle East and North Africa
I was disappointed in some of the recipes included in this book. I have come to love and appreciate the nuances of the many spices used in North Africa and the Middle East. This book has "oversimplified" the spices to the point of making some of the recipes dull.