Oriental cookbooks: Ottolenghi, Jérusalem, Simple, Ma table libanaise, Turkuaz Kitchen. Step-by-step recipes from Morocco to Lebanon, cooked at home.
An oriental cookbook gathers recipes from Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey or Iran, explained step by step. Each recipe gives the ingredients, the quantities, the preparation time and the number of servings. Most books show the finished dish in a full-page photograph, so you know what it should look like on the plate.
In them you will find the great classics: tagine, couscous, hummus, tabbouleh, falafel or Persian saffron rice. Desserts often have their own chapter: gazelle horns, baklava, rice pudding with orange blossom. Many books also devote pages to mezze, the small plates shared at the start of a meal.
The authors introduce the Eastern pantry: cumin, sumac, za’atar, chickpeas, bulgur, pomegranate molasses or tahini, the sesame paste. A glossary explains each ingredient and suggests a substitute when it is missing from the shops. Some books also tell the story of a dish or the celebration at which it is served.
Our section brings together books by chefs, such as Yotam Ottolenghi, and other titles such as “Choukran” or “Yalla !”. Dish names often come from Arabic, Turkish or Persian: our methods for learning Arabic help you read and pronounce them.
Start with the country that appeals to you. A book devoted to a single country, such as “Ma table libanaise” or “Cuisine familiale d’Iran”, goes further into that country’s recipes, techniques and celebrations. It often gives the local name of each dish, with its translation. “Turkuaz Kitchen” is devoted to Turkish cooking.
A book that brings several cuisines together adds more variety to your menus. “Jérusalem”, written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, gathers the Jewish and Arab recipes of the city where the two chefs were born. Vegetables, fresh herbs and spices take pride of place.
Then consider your level. Ottolenghi’s “Simple” offers quick recipes, with few ingredients or that can be prepared in advance. Family cookbooks explain the basic techniques, such as rolling couscous or stuffing vine leaves. Chefs’ books take more time and call for ingredients that are sometimes hard to find.
Finally, check the measurements. A good French edition gives quantities in grams and millilitres, not in cups like American books. An index by ingredient helps you find a recipe using what you already have in the fridge. A hardback cover stays open more easily when laid flat on the worktop.
Think first of the person’s tastes. A fan of Lebanese cooking will be delighted with “Ma table libanaise” or “Liban”. Someone curious about Persian cuisine will discover in “Cuisine familiale d’Iran” the tahdig, that rice with a golden, crunchy crust.
For a beginner or a student, choose a book with short recipes, such as “Simple”. For a cook who loves entertaining, a large chef’s book such as “Jérusalem” offers enough to put together whole menus, from mezze to desserts. A beautifully illustrated book also appeals to those who rarely cook: it can be leafed through in the living room.
During Ramadan, a cookbook helps vary the meals that break the fast. It can then go alongside one of our books on Islam in a festive gift basket. Add a jar of za’atar or a sachet of saffron: the recipient can cook their first recipe the same day.
To protect the pages from stains, rest the book on a kitchen book stand or slip it into a clear sleeve. Wipe a stained cover with a barely damp cloth. You will find more reading ideas among all our oriental books.
