The Best of Traditional Middle Eastern Cuisines

Nonfiction, Food & Drink, Soups & Stews, International, Asian, Professional

• Author: Hala Behnam
• ISBN: 9780993168604
• Publisher: Hala Behnam
• Publication: April 7, 2015
• Language: English

Exotic food, delicious, authentic dishes, suitable for dinner parties.  This cookery book is a perfect gift for thanksgiving and mother's day.

The idea for writing this book arose after having many dinner parties in my house where people always commented on my unique delicious tasty dishes and ask for my recipes.  Since then I have thought of sharing these recipes with the public to make it available for whenever they want to practice and cook for themselves.

I have always loved cooking and started as a young girl in my mother’s kitchen. I would usually just go by taste and consistency and add ingredients as I went along so when the idea came about to write this recipe book, I had to prepare all the dishes individually measuring all ingredients to be able to produce a recipe.

I was born and raised in Iraq where these dishes have been known to us for centuries however some of the dishes in this book may be found and cooked in other Middle East countries like Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.  I have therefore called this book “Best of Traditional Middle Eastern Dishes” but will concentrate on Iraq as the main source for these dishes.

Learning the skills of cooking in Iraq begins at an early age where recipes and techniques are handed down through generations.  Types of dishes vary according to the geographical regions and cultures of different ethnicities.

The essence of good and tasty meals stems from cooking seasonal vegetables that are grown locally in the area.  This gives the best taste as they pick their products in harvest time taking advantage of the warm sun and good but different soils. The north soil is thick and muddy whilst the south is sandy and loose.

Food and cuisines differ in Iraq due to the geographical and cultural diversity.  The north is cool whilst the south is warmer.  The northerners like to have burgul or bulgur in their daily dishes whilst the southerners prefer rice and fish.  The culture differences arise from the fact that Iraq has been visited by many neighbouring countries over the centuries. The natives and Assyrians have different dishes from other settlers of Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic descent who bring with them the richness and variety of different dishes and cuisines.