Customer Reviews

Lebanese Cuisine: More than 200 Simple, Delicious, Authentic Recipes

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Originally recommended to me by my (ex-)brother-in-law, who was Lebanese, this book is the best cookbook for Lebanese cuisine. I have given copies of this book to many friends, and now that a new edition is available, I'll buy more copies for myself and others.

The recipes for Baked Kibbi (Kibbi bis-Sayniyyi) and Baqlawa are among my favorites (I prefer the rose water approach to Baqlawa to the cinnamon most commonly found in such recipes).

The author also presents the recipes with their Arabic names, as well as pronunciation rules, for more authenticity.

I discovered this book about 25 years ago and have been using it and giving it as gifts to children, relatives and friends for so many years. My edition is stained and worn but I have kept a new one wrapped and tucked away for the day on which I will retire the original. I'm delighted that it has been reissued; I can stop saving that wrapped copy.

My family is Lebanese; my grandparents emigrated at a young age to the U.S. in the 1890s and although my grandmother and aunts taught me many recipes, we moved to another state before I could learn everything. Dr. Farah's book filled in many of the blank spots as did Rose Dosti's wonderful "Middle Eastern Cooking" and Anissa Helou's "Lebanese Cuisine."

I prepare Lebanese food several times a week at home because we like it and it is so healthy (not including desserts). When I became a chef/owner of an upscale catering business some years ago, I used many of Dr. Farah's recipes for my clients who were constantly asking for more. We are fortunate in my area to have a large Middle Eastern grocery where I can find all ingredients specified but many can also be ordered from on-line retailers or found in some health food stores.

Sometimes when I make a recipe it reminds me so much of being at Sitti's house that I just want to cry -- the aroma, the taste, the texture -- I can just see us all sitting around the big wooden kitchen table when I was a little girl. This book is not only about the cuisine, it is about family and wishes that so many of those family members were still alive to enjoy our meals with us.

This book has the best recipes. They remind me of my mom and grandma's. The preface sounds as if I wrote it myself. My sisters and I have been tiring for years to get the exact measurements of our favorite dishes and cookies. Thank you for writing them down. Even the smallest details are there (use cold water when mixing the kibbi meat. Thanks again, I'm ordering for each of my children and friends.

I discovered Madelain Farah's Lebanese Cuisine cookbook almost 20 years ago and use it faithfully. The recipes are so very much like those my beloved Mother and Godmother used. I purchased a copy for each of our three grown children as I consider the book to be a must for anyone who has grown up with authentic Lebanese or Arabic cuisine.

This is a great choice if you want to cook great tasting Lebanese food. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes to eat.
Five stars all the way!

As a Lebanese American I have tried many different Lebanese Cookbooks. I have not only found Ms. Farah's recipes easy to follow but so close to the tastes of my family's regional cooking. My non-Lebanese friends are "always" so pleased. Be prepared to make little adjustments to suit your personal tastes. The "Daj Mhammar" (baked chicken w/oil lemon and spices) will quickly become a favorite, so quick; easy; and wonderful.If you don't have time to make the dough for required recipes (and who does besides my grandmother)try using frozen unbaked white bread or prepared pizza dough with rising time). I use this book as a gift to Lebanese and Non-Lebanese alike. As we say in Lebanon "Sahtayn": enjoy; fill up on her wonderful recipes; and be happy.

Sundays we always gathered at Situ's (grandmother's) with all nine of my mother's brothers and sisters; their husbands and wives and all of our cousins. How we all fit I can not remember. The aromas, the food, the family. Such wonderful memories. Recipies were not written down. It was a handful of this, soak in this...maybe because my grandmother could not read or write in English. Now we have the closest thing I have ever found and I bought enough to share with my family. What a wonderful surprise. My mother is 82 and does not cook as often but enjoys reading the recipes for the joy of the memories. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This book is a great addition for a Lebanese-American home. As with most international cuisine, it takes a few good cookbooks to get all of the best dishes.

An excellent book, truly authentic, great recipes written by a lady who knows the cuisine & culture. Would recommend to anywone who wants to cook & know more about Lebanese Food

According to my Lebanese (Lebanon immigrant) husband this is the best and most authentic Lebanese cookbook available and we have many and continue to purchase Lebanese cookbooks. Farah's cookbook is the rule and no matter how many we buy, this is the one we consult most. We are on our second copy.

Recipes are clear and easy to follow.