The Arabian Nights Cookbook: From Lamb Kebabs to Baba Ghanouj, Delicious Homestyle Arabian Cooking

Canada-based food and travel writer Salloum (Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East & North Africa) and photographer Suan Lim collaborate to produce a beautiful cookbook of over 100 dishes, many of which are restaurant standards that fans of Arab cooking will recognize. After reviewing unusual utensils and spices that might be used in the recipes, Salloum explores basics like homemade yogurt and versatile spice mixes; appetizers, soups, and salads; entrees including kebabs, meatballs, and vegetarian dishes; and breads, drinks, and desserts. Bright and appetizing photographs accompany nearly all recipes, and complex instructions are illustrated with step-by-step photos. Salloum's extensive commentary to his recipes include historical and geographical notes, cultural and personal recollections from travels and life, and remarks about ingredients, combining to create a virtual culinary journey. Healthy diners will enjoy the free-handed use of vegetables and restrained use of butter. These are traditional recipes, however, and no alternative cooking methods are suggested for fried items like Falafel. A valuable addition to the catalog of Middle-Eastern cooking, The Arabian Nights Cookbook is comprehensive enough for the home cook without being so large as to paralyze. Illus. (Oct.)