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Ziryab: Authentic Arab Cuisine is a food-lover's version of Scheherazade's famous Thousand and One Nights collection of stories. Writing in the voice of Ziryab -- a 9th-century arbiter of taste forced to flee his native Iraq and settle in Cordoba, Spain -- Farouk Mardam-Bey draws upon a wealth of culinary and historical research, complemented by his formidable story-telling powers, to provide an erudite yet practical introduction to Arab gastronomy.
Ziryab draws together the food traditions of the Arab world from the Near East and Iran to the North African Maghreb, enriched by culinary lore, historical anecdotes, literary quotes and travel notes. The book opens with an exhilarating gastronomic voyage across the breadth of the Arab world, presented as a celebration of 17 fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and grains essential to authentic Arab cuisine. Introductions on the history and uses of each ingredient set the table for more than 80 recipes typical of specific countries or regions in the Arab world.
Mardam-Bey establishes the cultural and historical context of this culinary voyage with an extensive section titled "Logbook." Here he profiles the role that specific countries have played in the evolution of Arab gastronomy and their characteristic dishes and ingredients, including both present-day Arab states and nations such as Spain, France and Greece that have been influenced by Arab culture.
The book concludes with the "Gourmet Lexicon," an A-to-Z listing "in which Ziryab mentions other fruits and vegetables, as well as dishes, beverages and historical characters which every gourmet should know about." From "A for Asparagus" and "B for Baqlawa" through "Y for Yogurt" and "Z for Ziryab," the author provides a whimsical reference guide that displays both his encyclopedic knowledge of Arab foods and his profound appreciation for Arab cuisine.
Ziryab offers a fascinating introduction to Arab gastronomy, its many facets and manifestations, from ancient Persia to present-day Morocco -- and it leaves the reader intrigued and inspired to taste the magic of authentic Arab cuisine.
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table of contents
Praise
The eggplant
The fava bean
Saffron
The apricot
The olive
The date
The squash
The tomato
The fig
Couscous
Rice
Bulgur wheat
The grape
The artichoke
The apple
The chickpea
The pistachio
Logbook
Gourmet Lexicon
ISBN: 1-931605-02-5
Price: $Out of print
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