- Paperback: 664 pages
- Publisher: Authorhouse (Feb 21 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 140334793X
- ISBN-13: 978-1403347930
- Product Dimensions: 28.3 x 21.1 x 3.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 1.5 Kg
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#355,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #65 in Books > History > Ancient > Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
- #83 in Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Middle Eastern
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
'Nawal Nasrallah blends recipes, culinary history, folklore, personal stories and art in a lively mix. Her recipes are precise and easy to follow, with tips and observations derived from her long experience with Iraqi cuisine. Humorous, insightful, a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.' Paula Wolfert, winner of the Julia Child, James Beard, F. K. Fisher, and Tastemaker awards 'This cookbook is more than an introduction to Iraqi cuisine. It is in fact an introduction to Arab cooking in general researched with the kind of depth not seen before in a cookbook of the Arab world and Middle East.' From the Foreword by Clifford A. Wright, winner of the James Beard/KitchenAid Cookbook of the Year and the Beard Award for Best Writing on Food in 2000 for A Mediterranean Feast and the author of 13 other books on Middle Eastern politics and on cookery. Praise for the first edition 'A monument to energy, knowledge and enthusiasm. It is an account of origins and development as well as of the complex ethnic make-up of present-day Iraq.' Tom Jaine, Petits Propos Culinaires 'Delights from the Garden of Eden is a project of meticulous and thorough research. Not only Iraqis will be proud of Nawal's achievement in presenting information, known in the main only to specialized Assyriologists and anthropologists, in such an accessible and easy-to-read volume. Thank you Nawal, for introducing this rich cuisine to anglophone readers. The dishes we've cooked so far have tasted delicious.' Margaret Obank, Banipal 'A culinary odyssey through 8,000 years of Mesopotamian culture and some of the world's oldest recipes, preserved on 3,700-year old cuneiform tablets.' Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times 'There are over 400 recipes, and the ones I have tried are wonderful. But although the recipes are in a way the main point of a cookbook, in another way they are here a mere vehicle for the stories, the food lore, the proverbs, the poetry, the word play and the sociological tidbits that Nasrallah has to share.' Christine Barbour, Herald Times of Bloomington, IN
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
Delights from the Garden of Eden is the revised edition of the 2003 publication by the author. It is a unique Iraqi cookbook that displays the diversity of the region's traditional culinary practices, delicious and enduring. It contains more than 400 recipes, all tested and easy to follow, covering all food categories with ample choice for both vegetarians and meat lovers, and many that will satisfy a sweet tooth. Light healthy touches are suggested throughout, and ingredients and cooking techniques indigenous to the region are duly explained. Preceding the recipes is a comprehensive, thoroughly researched introductory chapter that traces the genesis and development of the Iraqi cuisine over the centuries, starting with the ancient Mesopotamians, through medieval times and leading to the present, aided throughout by the author's native intimate knowledge of cookery. Research on the ancient Sumerian and Akkadian cuisine draws extensively on archaeological findings, such as the Babylonian recipe collection, and literary sources. The medieval era focuses on the Abbasid cuisine as exemplified by the contemporaneous luxurious culinary culture that encouraged the trend of writing cookbooks. Of particular interest are the book's numerous food-related folkloric stories, reminiscences, anecdotes, songs, poems, excerpts from narratives written by foreign visitors to the region, and cultural explications of customs, all interwoven with the recipes. The book is supplemented with detailed menus and a Glossary to help the reader create authentic Iraqi meals. A valuable addition to the shelves of specialized and general libraries, and a must for food lovers everywhere.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most 5-star deserving cookbook I've ever seen,
By
This review is from: Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine (Paperback)
My initial impressions were good. This is a large, weighty cookbook. It has a lot of information in it, and lots of recipes. I especially like all the background information on the ancient cooking techniques. I have a great many cookbooks from the Middle East, and almost all of them have a section on Iraqi food, but never before have I seen such depth and completeness.Possibly the most important thing in a Middle Eastern cookbook is its recipe for Baklawa. In this fine cookbook, the section on Bawlawa stretches from page 465 through page 477, and the pages are large (8"x11")! The author is an academic, so there are references, and the bibliography in the back looks like a great place to further any Mesopotamian food intrests. On the downside, many of the images inside are rather poor resolution, and in one case an image overlays some text, but don't let that bother you. This is agreat book, and well worth the price.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Treasure,
By Bea Lindberg (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine (Paperback)
Nawal Nasrallah has given us all a gift in writing this book. It is a treasure of the first rank. In the midst of all the war and destruction we are witnessing in Iraq, this book has been a wonderful palliative. She reviews the fascinating series of civilizations that have left roots in Iraq including recipes, some of which she has revised for the book. Among the recipes she has embroidered folk tales, jokes, and intriguing historical notes. I read right through the book as soon as I received it. For the last couple of months, I have been cooking almost nothing else but these recipes, and each one is a new and (for me, jaded palate that I am) freshly seductive experience. Please don't neglect to make her spice mixture, Baharat, which perfumes my whole cupboard and is a revelation.What a shame that Nawal Nasrallah was forced to self-publish, but what wonderful good fortune for all of us that she was not discouraged by publishers' rejections. The time and dedication she put into the work without a guaranteed outcome is amazing. You'll love it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Newsweek reviews this cookbook,
By A Customer
This review is from: Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine (Paperback)
Newsweek, May 5, 2003:"Now we know the taste of the cradle of civilization."
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