Alice's Kitchen; Traditional Lebanese Cooking (Paperback)

by Linda Dalal Sawaya (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
. . . generous serving of pride, affection, and kitchen wisdom. . .a family cookbook that has evoked heartfelt responses from readers for years. . . -- Saudi Aramco World, Sept./Oct. 2005

. . . generous serving of pride, affection, and kitchen wisdom. . .a family cookbook that has evoked heartfelt responses from readers for years. . . --Saudi Aramco World, Sept./Oct. 2005

. . .Arab-American writers. . . reexamining lives of their remarkably determined ancestors. AK is both cookbook and part of this literature. . . -- Charles Perry, LA Times, Aug. 18, 1999

. . .Arab-American writers. . . reexamining lives of their remarkably determined ancestors. AK is both cookbook and part of this literature. . . --Charles Perry, LA Times, Aug. 18, 1999

. . .elegant, utterly delicious tributeto Arabic food, memory, precious family flavors we savor all our lives-I adore Linda's cookbook! -- Naomi Shihab Nye, author

. . .elegant, utterly delicious tributeto Arabic food, memory, precious family flavors we savor all our lives-I adore Linda's cookbook! --Naomi Shihab Nye, author

Product Description
This very popular book which has been out of print a fes years, is now newly revised and expanded and available! It is bigger, has 40 more pages with additional new recipes, and lots more photos. Alice's Kitchen is authentic Lebanese home cooking at its best! An immigrant family cookbook, with more than 140 original recipes, from how to pick and cure olives to how to bake pocket bread. Here are generations of recipes passed down from mother to daughter in the mountain village of Douma, overlooking the Mediterranean, brought to America by Grandmother Dalal and Mother Alice, and then passed on to Linda. In Alice's Kitchen, Linda presents their recipes, along with family stories, as a culinary gift to you of Lebanese cuisine-one of the healthiest on the planet. Traditional, home style Lebanese recipes that include quick, familiar vegetarian favorites such as hommous, tabbouli, baba gannouj and many other fantastic and authentic salads, rice, and vegetable entrees. Learn to create Lebanese ice cream and pastries, such as heavenly, light baklawe, where one piece is never enough. Tantalizing, traditional lamb and rice dishes keep company with rolled grape leaves, soups, and appetizers in this expansive collection. Sawaya provides excellent recipes seasoned with a generous amount of memoir and much love.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Linda Sawaya Design; Rev Upd edition (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966049225
• ISBN-13: 978-0966049220
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #701,411 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exquisite, thorough cookbook., August 15, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alice's Kitchen: Traditional Lebanese Cooking (Paperback)

As a 22-year-old Lebanese American, I know that our food is not simply something thrown down your throat. It is love, it is nourishment to our souls as well as to our hearts. It is shared at every event, every home...sometimes when you are not even hungry! Sawaya starts the book with her family's history, which truly brought tears to my eyes. She explains all the ingredients, even their history. The book includes everything Lebanese I have ever eaten, and those I haven't. She covers all breads, preserves, herbs, sauces, hors d'oevres, salads, lamb, chicken, fish, sweets, beverages, grains, vegetables...It is 216 pages of hard work and lots of love. Family pictures of Sawaya's abound, and her hand-done illustrations grace the cover. I am moving away from home soon and will take this book with me, to share with all who come into my home, the pleasure and joy of Lebanese cooking. Thank you, Linda Sawaya, for this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful eat down somenone else's memory lane, August 7, 2002

By	M. D. Thomas "ReadingSailor" (New London, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alice's Kitchen: Traditional Lebanese Cooking (Paperback)

Growing up as third generation Lebanese-American, I enjoyed many of the dishes in this book. I have prepared many of the dishes in this book with great success. I enjoy cooking Lebanese food regularly (now if I could just get some help with the language). The recipes are easy to follow and yield marvelous results. I highly recommend the Lentil Soup (Shourbat Addis)and the Lebanese Squash stuffed with lamb and rice (Kousa Mihshi). Reading Ms. Sawaya's introduction and tips greatly enhanced my enjoyment of using this cookbook. If you are interested in preparing Lebanese foods, or like me, remembering food from you childhood, this book is an excellent place to start. Simple recipies that produce tasty results.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traditional Lebanese Cuisine, November 22, 2006

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"Having a garden and eating foods in season is our inherited ancestral tradition of living gently on the earth, using its resources respectfully, and preparing and sharing food with love. Food, of course, is a central part of Lebanese culture." ~Linda Dalal Sawaya

Linda Dalal Sawaya presents a cookbook with a beautiful warm personality, filled with recipes for: Appetizers, Cheese, Yogurt, Butter, Sauces, Soups, Salads, Lamb, Chicken, Fish, Vegetarian Entrees, Vegetables, Beans, Grains, Breads, Sweets, Preserves, Beverages, Herbs, Spices and Fragrant Waters.

Sample Recipes:

Fig Jam with Aniseed and Walnuts
Spinach Pies
Stuffed Grape Leaves with Lamb and Rice
Savory Pastry or Meat Pies
Lemony Lentil Soup with Chard
Turkish Coffee
Rose Water Pudding
Filo Cheescake with Orange Blossom Water
Baklava
Sesame Cookies

Alice's Kitchen is a world of Lebanese cooking that gives insight into how life was lived in Lebanon and how a family adapted to buying ingredients in America while living in California. Linda Dalal Sawaya tells the story with humor and we learn about how her family maintained their traditions despite a variety of obstacles.

"Dear, if you make it with love, it will be delicious." ~ Mother Alice

Each recipe is set out in a way that is easy to follow with step-by-step instructions and plenty of pictures throughout to keep you entertained. The pictures and the family stories make this book collectible and the recipes bring the warmth of Lebanese cooking into your home in a way that is very accessible. The ingredients include spices and herbs like parsley, paprika, cinnamon and allspice. Lemon juice and olive oil are used throughout the recipes. Pomegranate syrup and orange blossom water are very easy to find these days, especially online. Most of the recipes use ingredients you can find at your local grocery store, but you might want to order some "zaatar."

This book made me long for my childhood overseas when we had Lebanese friends who always made delicious dinners and taught me to make a spinach dish with yogurt and cheese. My dad also used to make fig jam from a tree in our backyard. So, this book was filled with lots of memories and introduced me to a world of treasured memories as shared by Linda Dalal Sawaya.

As you cook from this book your home will be filled with the scents of fragrant spices, warm syrupy baklava, rose, lemon, anise, coffee, doughnuts, buttery cookies, fresh bread, lamb with rice, and of course, garlic!

Sufra deimi!

~The Rebecca Review