Customer Reviews

Saha: A Chef's Journey Through Lebanon and Syria

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beautifully created book that would do any coffee table proud. Having said that, it also works in the kitchen for cooks and chefs that are confident, adventurous and able.

Having had the pleasure of dining at Greg Malouf's MoMo Restaurant in Melbourne, I am aware of the love and affection he infuses in each dish he creates. This love of food and the culture associated with it comes across in every page of this book. The book is a treasure trove for cooks who like to experiment and step outside the everyday. The Pomegranate dressing is sublime on barbequed meats, the grilled sardines with lentil tabbouleh is exquisite and the zucchini and mint fritters to die for. I have cooked them all and enjoyed +++

This book is a testament to the fact that good food grows from the land and the culture of a nation and Malouf has chronicled a loving snapshot of Lebanese culture and cuisine.

This book was great, some traditional recipes, and some not so traditional twists on them as well. The one thing that bothered me was the chapter on breads. They talk and talk of Arabic Bread in the chapter, yet there is no recipe for it in the book..., anywhere. Still worth the purchase though, lots of good info and background history.

Excellent for chef's. Easy to follow, and great results. So far I have used five recipes, and all have had great results.

WOW, being from the region and living in the US, this book took me back to all the great places in Lebanon and Syria to eat! Having the recepies too made it even all the more mouthwatering.

The photography put me right there in the middle of it all too.

Even if you never have been or are not sure about going. I highly recommend this book.

K

I thought that characterizing hope as a weed was thoughtful and apt. That comment came from a book that was written about fifteen years ago on the frightful history. Now we have a splendid cookbook where weeds of hope persist.

The book itself is a wide format with heavy paper that handles the photographs and the expansive pages well. This book is not made for the kitchen shelf. Rather it is for exposition and enjoyment of the ample text. So for the cook, the book is not efficiently organized. This book is for a reader who will put it to kitchen use at will.

If you had to classify the book, you would call it middle-eastern. But Lebanon is highly developed on its own terms including their history of contact with many cultures. Chard, crisp-fried onion, lemon and all sorts of pickles and preserves await your inspection.

Try your hand at the yogurt cheese and be impressed with your results. Make Dijon feta dressing.

Beyond Lebanon, there is Syria, which has the oldest yeast cultures known. Damascus is the oldest continually inhabited city. I was heartened to see that Armenia is included because we forget how they were almost exterminated even before the word "genocide" was coined.

So with all the bounty, there persists the bitter twinge. Read, cook and grow.

A friend of mine was recently in Lebanon and upon her return she recommended this beautiful book. As someone from Lebanese descent I bought it and have started making the recipes! They are wonderful and top of that I have a beautiful picture book that I keep on my coffee table! It's fun for me to make Lebanese recipes that are alittle finer that what I am used to making. I can't wait to prepare them all!

I haven't cooked my way through this cookbook, but some of the recipes have been real winners! For instance, the Manoushi bread recipe is amazing! We've made it quite a few times. It puffs up so well and tastes great. I've used it as a pita for chickpea sandwiches and to dip it in hummus. I've made this recipe with all-purpose flour and with half whole wheat half all-purpose flour. That was great, too. We also enjoyed the pull-apart cheese bread dinner rolls and we're looking forward to making the manoushi bread pizzas.

I haven't really read much of the cookbook except the recipes, so I don't know about that part of the book, but I've enjoyed all the recipes we've made so far.

This book is a treat! The author shares so many wonderful descriptions of delightful details about the place and the food. The photographs add a lot of interest and last, but certainly not least... wonderful recipes... it has the personal touch.

Unless you have indigenous authors with a lifetime of experience a cookbook doesn't become better than this. Follows the same format as "Turquoise" (product link doens't work, sorry), which is about Turkish food. A travelogue (including pictures) that actually is well written and shows that the authors have passion for food. Makes you want to travel there. Most important are off course a large number of varied recipes. Even if you don't cook you can make a list of food to try if you plan a trip in the regions. Recommended, but a bit on the pricey side.

I checked this book out from my public library and it is amazing. the spice mixtures and the attention to detail is incredible, highly rec.