Review: Taste of Beirut by Joumana Accad!

Title: Taste of Beirut: 175+ Delicious Lebanese Recipes from Classics to Contemporary to Mezzes and More
Author: Joumana Accad
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 2nd 2014
Source: Netgalley & Health Communications


Book Description via Goodreads:

Joumana Accad, creator of the blog TasteOfBeirut.com, is a native Lebanese, a trained pastry chef, and professional caterer. In her debut cookbook, the "The Taste of Beirut," she shares her heritage through exquisite food and anecdotes, teaching anyone from newbies to foodies how to master traditional Lebanese cuisine. With over 150 recipes inspired by her "Teta" (grandmother) in their family's kitchen, Accad captures the fabulous flavors of the Middle East and makes them completely accessible to home cooks.

Each recipe features step-by-step instructions, Accad's warm teaching style, and breathtaking color photographs that will make mouths water.

Review:

★★★★

As I'm sure a lot of you know by now, I am always looking to broaden my cooking horizons. I honestly know next to nothing about Lebanese food, other then the family of a girl I went to high school with own a Lebanese restaurant. This book was a great introduction to the cuisine, and I'll be using a lot of the recipes from this book in the future.

It's easily navigated, as it's sorted by course. I was really surprised (in a good way) how short but concise the recipes were. Accad gives clear, step by step instructions, but very rarely was there a recipe that was longer than one page. This worked out great for me because it allowed more room for pictures, which are a "must have" for me when buying a cookbook. On top of that, the photographs are visually appealing. It definitely made me more excited to try these recipes out.

I appreciated that the author gave tips on how to change recipes when needed, and offered a lot of varieties to some dishes. This was a bit redundant at times, but it was no doubt useful. My only concern is that there are quite a few ingredients I don't think are offered by me- but that's where the variants come in handy. There are a wide range of dishes in this book, so that meat lovers and vegetarians alike can benefit from having this book.

The three dishes that I am most excited to try are Shrimp in a Pineapple Boat, Breaded Scallops with Mango Sauce, and Pomegranate & Milk Pudding.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in spicing up their repertoire, regardless of skill level or dietary restrictions. It's approachable and well detailed so that any home cook can learn a thing or two. Thanks to Netgalley & Health Communications for my copy in exchange for my honest review.