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Vinegar and sugar, dried fruit, rose water, spices from India and China, sweet wine made from raisins and dates--these are the flavors of the golden age of Arab cuisine. This book, a delightful culinary adventure that is part history and part cookbook, surveys the gastronomical art that developed at the Caliph's sumptuous palaces in ninth-and tenth-century Baghdad, drew inspiration from Persian, Greco-Roman, and Turkish cooking, and rapidly spread across the Mediterranean. In a charming narrative, Lilia Zaouali brings to life Islam's vibrant culinary heritage. The second half of the book gathers an extensive selection of original recipes drawn from medieval culinary sources along with thirty-one contemporary recipes that evoke the flavors of the Middle Ages. Featuring dishes such as Chicken with Walnuts and Pomegranate, Beef with Pistachios, Bazergan Couscous, Lamb Stew with Fresh Apricots, Tuna and Eggplant Pur#65533;e with Vinegar and Caraway, and Stuffed Dates, the book also discusses topics such as cookware, utensils, aromatic substances, and condiments, making it both an entertaining read and an informative resource for anyone who enjoys the fine art of cooking.… (more)
User reviews
The great weakness of this book is that it was originally published in Italian, and the text is skewed towards making medieval Islamic food understood in comparison to the Italian situation. The fact that the recipes were translated from their original context (sometimes through Arabic, as many recipes came from a Persian context) into Italian, and then into English makes understanding what is meant even harder than these things already are. I also suspect that the translator into English does not regularly cook. It is often unclear what ingredient is meant (semolina is not the same as semolina flour; the notes on ingredients refer to what is available in Italy.)
I'm sure this was published as nothing else was available for the series in a Western language. It would be better to have a book without the Italian step in between, and with notes on the cooking that fit the intended audience.