Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan [Hardcover]

Sonia Uvezian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

The area comprising Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan has provided the world with one of its most distinguished culinary traditions, and, in this landmark volume, Sonia Uvezian gives this time-honored cuisine the kind of presentation it truly deserves. Written by a leading authority on Middle Eastern and Caucasian cuisines, this highly original cookbook offers hundreds of superb recipes, many of them not found elsewhere. Established favorites such as tabbuleh and baklava appear alongside exciting innovations and creative interpretations of classic dishes. The book also contains illuminating essays on a variety of topics, among them hospitality, meals and menus, and utensils. The essay on ingredients includes a definitive and much-need section on pomegranates and pomegranate molasses. What lends this book added distinction is the author's impressive grasp of the historical, cultural, and geographical influences that have shaped the region's cookery. With its personal reminiscences of an eastern Mediterranean childhood, evocative illustrations, and insightful anecdotes and proverbs, this revelatory work is a welcome blend of outstanding scholarship and entertaining reading. A genuine contribution to culinary literature, it will be a treasured addition to the library of anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking and is destined to become a classic.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Those who recall Beirut's heyday before the Lebanese civil war brought it all crashing down speak fondly of the city's lively beaches, its cosmopolitan atmosphere, and the multiple culinary traditions intersecting at the Mediterranean's eastern shore. Arabs, the French, Armenians, and Maronite Christians contributed to the melting pot that was Beirut. Uvezian grew up in the city's halcyon years, and she has re-created the recipes for foods she so happily recalls. Spices play a major role in Lebanese cooking; cinnamon and allspice add fragrance to both meats and vegetables. Lamb is the meat of choice, but beef makes a good substitute. Pork appears only in Maronite dishes. Vegetables come to the table lukewarm, reflecting a pan-Mediterranean tradition as well as sparing the cook exertion during the heat of the day. Those wanting to reproduce Uvezian's recipes may find some staples such as pomegranate molasses hard to find, but most ingredients appear in large supermarkets. Mark Knoblauch

Review

Recipes and Remembrances could very well be the seminal book on the cooking of the eastern Mediterranean and fills a longstanding void of scholarly works on the subject in English....The amount of research and labor that went into the production of this cookbook is astounding...The hundreds of recipes are clearly written, easy to follow, and produce incredibly delicious results....Recipes and Remembrances is as entertaining and informative to read as it is a joy to cook from....It is a title that should reside in the collection of every serious cook and culinary historian. -- The Austin Chronicle, November 26, 1999

This highly original cookbook offers hundreds of superb recipes drawn from the culinary traditions of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. In addition to the recipes themselves, Sonia Uvezian also offers illuminating essays on a variety of topics ranging from hospitality and meals to menus, ingredients, and utensils. From appetizers, salads, and soups to entrees, side dishes, and desserts, to sauces, breads, and beverages, Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen offers a complete spectrum of culinary delights. -- Midwest Book Review, November, 1999

Uvezian has...an enviable reputation...Her new book...is quite irresistible...an exciting journey...one could wish no better guide. -- Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food, in Petits Propos Culinaires 64, April, 2000

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292785356
• ISBN-13: 978-0292785359
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,031,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sonia Uvezian was born and brought up in Beirut, Lebanon. A leading authority on Middle Eastern and Caucasian cooking and the winner of a James Beard Award, she is the author of six other highly acclaimed cookbooks, including Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen, Cooking from the Caucasus, and The Book of Yogurt. Several of her books have been selections of Book-of-the-Month Club and published internationally. Ms. Uvezian has also contributed articles and recipes to Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Vogue, and numerous other publications.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A culinary milestone; brilliant,comprehensive,indispensable., November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan (Hardcover)

Sonia Uvezian has written yet another landmark cookbook, her best yet. I am familiar with many books on eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cooking, but none compare to this revelatory and loving volume in which the author brings to life a cuisine and a culture in the way only one who was born and reared in the region could. Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen recreates a time and place inaccessible not only to most Americans, but even to most eastern Mediterraneans. It evokes the world of Uvezian's Lebanese childhood and is a rich portrayal of how people lived once upon a time, a happy time, not too long ago. A masterpiece of culinary instruction as valuable for its authentic and inspired recipes as for its exceptionally informative text, this extraordinary work is an essential guide for anyone who enjoys cooking and reading about eastern Mediterranean ingredients, markets, traditional utensils, scenes of daily life, views of mountain villages and the sea, ancient temples, mosques, and monasteries. I found the content of these illustrations at least as impressive as their inherent beauty. Anyone can make the dishes described by following the author's clearly written recipes, which are almost always based on readily available ingredients. Some of the best cooking I have done-ever-resulted from this wonderful book.

I am so impressed with Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen that I have ordered several copies as gifts for friends and relatives on my Christmas list. I strongly recommend that you buy two copies for yourself, one for your kitchen and the other for your night table. My thanks to Sonia Uvezian for a truly remarkable cookbook.

78 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest ethnic cookbooks of all time, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan (Hardcover)

Bitter experience has taught me not to put much faith in rave reviews of cookbooks. I must admit, however, that all of the previous customer reviews of this book are absolutely on target. Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen is one of the greatest cookbooks I have ever used and is unquestionably the best in its subject area. Fascinating text and fabulous recipes make this inspired volume a must for anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking. The author gives such clear and east-to-follow directions that I have not had a failure yet. Recently I gave a dinner party using recipes from this book, and it was a huge success. People are still raving about Uvezian's Hummus with Red Pepper Paste, Damascus-Style Cheese Dip with Toasted Sesame Seeds and Nigella, Tabbuleh, Fried Stuffed Kibbeh, Baklava, Aleppan Wedding Cookies, and, last but not least, her Mulled Pomegranate Wine Punch.

Some other favorites of mine from this book include Hummus with Mixed Spices, Toasted Nuts, and Mint (battle-weary hummus gets a new lease on life); Yogurt Cheese Dip with Red Pepper Paste (Muhammara Labna) (Uvezian's version is in a class by itself); Orange, Lemon, and Onion Salad with Black Olives and Mint (full of beguiling contrasts); Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard and Potatoes (earthy and deeply satisfying); Baked Fish with Tomato Sauce Garnished with Sautéed Pine Nuts, Raisins, and Onions (seduces both eye and palate); Chicken, Pepper, and Tomato Kebabs (Shish Tawuq) (a popular restaurant dish that is simple to prepare at home); Musakhan (this easily made version beats all others I've tried); Quail or Cornish Hens with Sour Cherry Sauce (I'll spare you a stream of inadequate adjectives!); Crown Roast of Lamb Served with Saffron Rice with Ground Meat and Toasted Nuts (perfect for a special occasion); Grilled Skewered Pork with Sour Plum Sauce (as splendid as it is simple); Potato Kibbeh (delightfully different); Apricots Stuffed with Meat (unusual and exquisite); Grilled Eggplant with Walnut Sauce (now I know why those Georgian recipes in other books that call for "vinegar or pomegranate juice" did not work when I tried them); Mixed Vegetable Casserole with Garlic and Herbs (excellent as a light vegetarian entrée or as an accompaniment to poultry or game); Stuffed Prunes in Pomegranate Sauce (wonderful with poultry or game birds); Pita Bread (absolutely first rate! the best recipe I've found); Filo Pastry Triangles with Cheese Filling (I could eat these every day of my life!); Knafi with Nut or Cheese Filling (a stellar dessert, fully the equal of baklava); Ma`mul (these stuffed cookies deserve their popularity); Gh'rayba (butter cookies with a difference); Sesame Cookies (Barazik) (altogether addictive!); Orange Cake with Pomegranate Syrup (a brilliant combination); Quince Compote (unforgettable!); Pomegranate Ice (ravishing!); and Sweetened Yogurt Cream (Uvezian's own creation and a godsend for calorie counters).

Since acquiring Recipes and Remembrances I have purchased Uvezian's wonderful yogurt book and was fortunate to find a copy of her fantastic appetizer book, which is, sadly, out of print. How I wish that I had discovered the works of this talented food writer many years ago!

71 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one eastern Mediterranean cookbook I wouldn't be without, December 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan (Hardcover)

I was thoroughly disgusted to read the baseless criticisms of this superb cookbook. It is precisely to obtain an accurate account of the cookery of this region along with first-rate recipes that one needs to own "Recipes and Remembrances." Although Claudia Roden's "A New Book of Middle Eastern Food" is better than Paula Wolfert's "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean," when it comes to recipes and text neither can approach "Recipes and Remembrances" in quality. I have cooked extensively from many Middle Eastern cookbooks, including these three, and I can honestly say that Uvezian's book upholds the highest standards of eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern cooking and is in a class by itself.