This collection of recipes is the fruit of nostalgic longing for, and delighted savoring of, a food that was a constant joy of life so different from the Western one... Claudia Roden (from the Introduction)

{HISTORY}

Written in England as a way to share and also quell her longing for the Egyptian and Middle Eastern food she had grown up with in Cairo, Claudia Roden is credited with introducing British and American home cooks to authentic traditional Middle Eastern cuisine.

Nowadays, Claudia is a household name and a celebrated author of over two dozen cookbooks, but when this first one, A Book of Middle Eastern Food was published in 1968, no one was cooking Middle Eastern food outside of the region, especially in London where Claudia was living. This fact propelled Claudia to really dig into the history and techniques of this type of cooking so that her readers would be fully immersed and fully educated in the art of Middle Eastern cookery. 

Upon debut in the U.S. cookbook critics deemed A Book of Middle Eastern Food an instant classic, one that would be around for generations, just like most of the recipes included in the book had been passed down. What followed has been a long career for Claudia championing the cuisine of her homeland and the food customs that surround it. 

Spanning over 450 pages, this book covers a wealth of traditional foods from hors d'oeuvres to desserts.  Interesting recipes include Dukkah, Israeli Cucumber and Bread Salad, Turkish Spinach Soup, Stuffed Mackerel, Moroccan Fruit Tagine, Turkish Meatballs, Armenian Kofta, Rishta with Meat and Tomato Sauce, Moroccan Couscous, Mixed Pickles, Persian Chicken Polo, Tunisian Semolina Bread, Apricot Pudding, Balouza, Little Round Fritters in Syrup, Sweet Turkish Borek, Green Walnut Preserve, Sahlab, Konafa and so many more!

Photo of Claudia Roden courtesy of the Jewish Women's Archive

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- First American printing published in 1972

- 453 pages not including index

- Illustrated throughout by Alta Ann Parkins, an American artist, teacher and author

- Decorated coverboards

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. This cookbook is very clean and bright with no cooking spots, stains or notations. The decorated coverboards are bright and clean with just a faint cooking smudge on the top left corner on the front. All pages are intact and the spine is tight.

{SIZE}

Measures 8.75" inches (length) x 6.5" inches (width) x 1.5" inches (thickness) and weighs just a smidge under 2lbs.

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