The Complete Middle East Cookbook

Published by Lansdowne Publishing, 1985, softcover, illustrated, index, 374 pages, 20.2 cms x 27.7 cms x 2.6 cms, condition: basically as new.

Tess Mallos shows how to produce delectable meals from the Mediterranean islands, Armenia, Arabia, and Israel--19 countries in all. The introduction to each chapter provides an insight into the food, lifestyle, and cooking methods of each area, and the book features 80 pages of full-color photos.

• I've been a fan of this book for years now. This is an excellent introduction to the Middle Eastern cuisines. I've tried several recipes from all the chapters and haven't had a failure yet. This book introduced me to a couple of recipes that are firm favorites (like lubia bi zeit and aush) and my go to picnic dish- the batata kibbeh recipe. It includes recipes from cuisines which don't receive as much attention as the more well known food traditions of Greece, Turkey and Lebanon. I'm particularly enamored of the section on Armenian food which was a revelation to me. This book was kind of my gateway drug when it comes to a lot of these cuisines- I've gone on to buy books that deal more intensively with one cuisine or another. I still reach for this often though because the recipes are just good.