Sweet Middle East: Classic Recipes, from Baklava to Fig Ice Cream

by Anissa Helou, Linda Pugliese (Photographer)

Overview

The seductive flavors of the Middle East have won over food lovers around the world, but the sweets of the region have remained largely unknown to Western palates—until now. Sweet Middle East, by doyenne of Middle Eastern cooking Anissa Helou, presents 70 classic desserts fragrant with spices, honey, dates, and nuts, and steeped in tradition. One bite of Anissa's authentic cookies, cakes, custards, puddings, and more reveals why these enchanting desserts deserve to be shared beyond their native lands.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780594094197
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	1,080,918
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Anissa Helou is the author of multiple cookbooks, and has been published in Saveur, Food & Wine, the New York Times, and more. She resides in London, England.

Linda Pugliese specializes in food, lifestyle, and travel photography. She is based in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

01/01/2016
In this colorful volume of pastries, confections, and beverages, Helou (Levant) shares more than 60 recipes for distinctive Middle Eastern sweets. Western readers will recognize her recipes for baklava and Turkish coffee, but they'll be unfamiliar with most other dishes, including pumpkin halva, Turkish sweet chicken pudding, apricot leather ice cream, and barberry jam. Helou doesn't shy away from traditional ingredients such as mastic (a plant resin), mahlab (a spice made from cherry pits), and Argan oil; rather, she encourages seeking them out from suggested online sources if necessary. Other frequently used items, such as orange blossom water, cardamom, dates, and semolina, will be easy to find. VERDICT A unique dessert collection that will thrill fans of fragrant, spicy, and syrupy sweets. For a different take on similar flavors, try Anne Shooter's Sesame & Spice.

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