A rare and beautiful gem of a cookbook, Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume celebrates the succulent cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean, a land rich in multi-cultural Ottoman tradition. Popular British chef Silvena Rowe gives us a beautifully designed, lavishly photographed compendium of inspiring and enticing recipes—a treat for the eyes, mind, and heart as well as the palate.
Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Equal parts rustic and elegant, Rowe’s is a borderless cuisine of za’atar and lemon zest, chile and cumin, marked by vibrant flavors, bright colors, and heady aromas.” (Bon Appétit )
From the Back Cover
Silvena Rowe, executive chef of London's exquisite restaurant Quince at the May Fair Hotel, invites you on a journey through Eastern Mediterranean history and its culinary secrets. Here, the olive oil, rosemary, and basil of the West meet the exotic spices of the East for a contemporary cuisine of surprising lightness and variety.
From tempting starters such as creamy feta and caramelized leek filo pastries to sumptuous entrées such as spiced pilaf with duck confit, raisins, and pine nuts to heavenly desserts like maple-glazed roasted figs with pistachio praline, this is food for celebrating, for healthy living, and, above all, for sharing.
Rowe offers a modern twist on the classic recipes of a rich tradition, following in the footsteps of the great Ottoman chefs who combined the sweet and the sour, the fresh and the dried, the flavors of honey and cinnamon, saffron and sumac, scented rose and orange flower water. Filled with mouthwatering recipes that can be made using surprisingly simple and easy-to-find ingredients, and illustrated with stunning photographs, Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume brings to life the natural beauty and irresistible flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By Heatha
Format:Hardcover
I heard Silvena Rowe on the Splendid Table last Saturday 9/3/11 and it really caught my attention so I ordered this book that evening. I finally had a chance to sit and read the evening of Friday 9/9/11 and read through it all that evening. It caught my interest the way a good novel does. The next day I went shopping for ingredients and I spent part of today (Sun 9/11/11) harvesting the rest of the ingredients from my own garden and cooking. I'm always nervous with a new cookbook, because even when the recipes read well, you just never know how well the recipes have been tested. I think they did a good job with this book.
I made the following:
Hummus: A perfect recipe for when you want to make hummus out of dried garbanzos you've cooked yourself. The flavor is great, but the techniques specified really push it to perfection because the resulting texture is exactly right. Hummus sandwiches are my work-a-day lunch staple and I think those sandwiches are going to be brilliant from now on.
Monkfish Shwarma: I felt like this was a big risk, marinating fish in an acid marinade overnight, I was afraid of accidental ceviche and rubbery fish. I did not grill it, as you would for more traditional shwarma but ran the fish under the broiler. It was so full of flavor and the texture was perfect. This is going to be a go-to recipe as well.
Pomegranate Molasses: I am so excited to have a recipe for this that is so easy. I love this ingredient. I used honey instead of sugar and it came out great.
Eggplant, Aleppo Pepper and Pomegranate Spread: This recipe caught my attention because I had bought some Aleppo pepper a few weeks before buying the book and because of the reference to the pomegranate molasses above. I decided to make this instead of the babbaganoush recipe recommended for serving with the monkfish recipe above. Another winner!
I hope the rest of the recipes I try are as good as these.
I made the following:
Hummus: A perfect recipe for when you want to make hummus out of dried garbanzos you've cooked yourself. The flavor is great, but the techniques specified really push it to perfection because the resulting texture is exactly right. Hummus sandwiches are my work-a-day lunch staple and I think those sandwiches are going to be brilliant from now on.
Monkfish Shwarma: I felt like this was a big risk, marinating fish in an acid marinade overnight, I was afraid of accidental ceviche and rubbery fish. I did not grill it, as you would for more traditional shwarma but ran the fish under the broiler. It was so full of flavor and the texture was perfect. This is going to be a go-to recipe as well.
Pomegranate Molasses: I am so excited to have a recipe for this that is so easy. I love this ingredient. I used honey instead of sugar and it came out great.
Eggplant, Aleppo Pepper and Pomegranate Spread: This recipe caught my attention because I had bought some Aleppo pepper a few weeks before buying the book and because of the reference to the pomegranate molasses above. I decided to make this instead of the babbaganoush recipe recommended for serving with the monkfish recipe above. Another winner!
I hope the rest of the recipes I try are as good as these.
35 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By i4abuy
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like some other reviewers I was drawn to this book by the NPR interview with the author. I used the "look inside the book" feature and read that it was "Filled with mouthwatering recipes that can be made using surprisingly simple and easy-to-find ingredients." That was all I needed to order the book.
Easy-to-find? Maybe from a restaurant supply house in London, but not in my market: nasturtium flowers, salsify, blood oranges, quinces, lavender flowers, garlic scapes, zucchini flours, nigella seeds, hemp seeds, poussins, whitebait, mullet, rose petals, kadaifi pastry, passion fruit, hazelnut flour, nettles. And, while pomegranates are available, their season where I shop is brief. There are few recipes without unavailable ingredients and the book seldom suggests alternate ingredients.
It is also a bit annoying in the quantities of ingredients -- often 14 ounces of ground meat, 5 ounces of lamb, 7 ounces of cheese. Those are not the sizes available in my market. Perhaps this is a translation of quantities for an English market? And it would have been helpful if the author had suggested which dishes to serve with other dishes.
I really wanted to like this book (and I can see why others do) because the pictures are beautiful and, yeah, my mouth is watering (in a good way). Yum. But most of the recipes look like the food you should order in her restaurant, not expect to recreate in your home. For me, there are too few useful recipes to justify the price of the book, or the space on my cookbook shelf.
Easy-to-find? Maybe from a restaurant supply house in London, but not in my market: nasturtium flowers, salsify, blood oranges, quinces, lavender flowers, garlic scapes, zucchini flours, nigella seeds, hemp seeds, poussins, whitebait, mullet, rose petals, kadaifi pastry, passion fruit, hazelnut flour, nettles. And, while pomegranates are available, their season where I shop is brief. There are few recipes without unavailable ingredients and the book seldom suggests alternate ingredients.
It is also a bit annoying in the quantities of ingredients -- often 14 ounces of ground meat, 5 ounces of lamb, 7 ounces of cheese. Those are not the sizes available in my market. Perhaps this is a translation of quantities for an English market? And it would have been helpful if the author had suggested which dishes to serve with other dishes.
I really wanted to like this book (and I can see why others do) because the pictures are beautiful and, yeah, my mouth is watering (in a good way). Yum. But most of the recipes look like the food you should order in her restaurant, not expect to recreate in your home. For me, there are too few useful recipes to justify the price of the book, or the space on my cookbook shelf.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By haia
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
different and new recipes with beautiful colorful pictures ,it was something new i already made 8 or 10 recipes like
roasted chicken with honey zaatar ,eggplant with pomegranate spread , yougart & feta dip
baba ghanosh ,zucchini motabel ,rice pilaf with apricots & chickpeas
smoked eggplant salad with hazelnut ,lentil borek
and so many good and tasty recipes
you must buy it
roasted chicken with honey zaatar ,eggplant with pomegranate spread , yougart & feta dip
baba ghanosh ,zucchini motabel ,rice pilaf with apricots & chickpeas
smoked eggplant salad with hazelnut ,lentil borek
and so many good and tasty recipes
you must buy it
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
I bought this as a gift
I bought this as a gift so I don't know if the recipes are any good. However, I browsed through it and the pictures were beautiful. The layout was bright and fresh.
Published 5 months ago by emmaline
5.0 out of 5 stars
Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume- an excellent addition to the kitchen
Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume is a delightful addition to any kitchen- don't leave it on the shelf keep it on display where you can use it
Excellent easy recipes that taste... Read more
Excellent easy recipes that taste... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Caz
5.0 out of 5 stars
beautiful, unique addition to a cookbook collection
I read about this book in a magazine and decided to order it. The book is beautifully put together, the photos are gorgeous. The recipes are excellent. Read more
Published 7 months ago by mick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet, Savory and Totally Delicious !
I heard the author on NPR, and the recipes sounded intriguing. While still listening, I ordered the book on line. I was not disappointed, the recipes are wonderful. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mindy E Cohen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Purple Citrus
This is a wonderful cookbookbook, history book, story book! The recipes are very good, with most ingredients easily available. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ms. E
4.0 out of 5 stars
Overall Elegant, Creative, But Some Amounts Are Off
Almost everything about this book is interesting and even exciting, but I found that some amounts need adjustment. Read more
Published 8 months ago by sephardit
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something for everyone here
Armchair cookbook traveler? Perfect, beautiful in every way, from pictures to stories, to easy-to-read recipes.
Seasoned cook, up for a challenge? Read more
Seasoned cook, up for a challenge? Read more
Published 19 months ago by AZ Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
provocative
This was a gift sent to Bellingham, WA from Baltimore..The book was well received and thought of a very provocative read of the recipes.. Read more
Published 19 months ago by detur9
5.0 out of 5 stars
Makes Your Belly Dance with Delight!
This splendid book couldn't be an easier or tastier introduction to the world of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Jumilla
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC
THIS BOOK CAME IN A-1 CONDITION- i RECOMMEND IT- BEAUTIFUL PICTURES AND AUTHENTIC RECIPES!! DEFINATELY A BOOK I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE WANTING GREAT RECIPES FROM MIDDLE... Read more
Published 20 months ago by orexi
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
