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Memories of a Lost Egypt: A Memoir with Recipes
A memoir in which French-born Colette Rossant recalls her childhood in Egypt where she was sent to live at the age of six with her Egyptian grandparents in a mansion near the Nile. Includes anecdotes and recipes from the household's chef and servants, befriended by the author.
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
March 30th 1999
by Clarkson Potter
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It's rather difficult to review a memoir.
If this was a "normal" novel, I would complain about the main character and some decisions or reactions I couldn't understand, but since it's not I'll switch to other things that I've noticed.
First off, I would have loved for this book to be structured following a timeline. As it isn't, and some experienced are revisited at later points in the book, I had a really hard time trying to figure out how old the author was during any given experience. Time spa...more
If this was a "normal" novel, I would complain about the main character and some decisions or reactions I couldn't understand, but since it's not I'll switch to other things that I've noticed.
First off, I would have loved for this book to be structured following a timeline. As it isn't, and some experienced are revisited at later points in the book, I had a really hard time trying to figure out how old the author was during any given experience. Time spa...more
Jan 10, 2012
Shovelmonkey1
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
foodies and arm chair travellers
Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by:
book store cheapness and an appealing front cover
This book made me nostalgic. But mostly it made me hungry.
Apricots on the Nile combines the childhood rememberings of Colette Rossant with a series of her best and most beloved recipes. About half way through reading this I got up and made hummus, ful medames and falafel because reading about it and not being able to eat it was making me crazy. I will admit now though that I didn't take this book into the kitchen with me and follow any of Colette's recipes. I prefer to use my own tried and teste...more
Apricots on the Nile combines the childhood rememberings of Colette Rossant with a series of her best and most beloved recipes. About half way through reading this I got up and made hummus, ful medames and falafel because reading about it and not being able to eat it was making me crazy. I will admit now though that I didn't take this book into the kitchen with me and follow any of Colette's recipes. I prefer to use my own tried and teste...more
11 likes · like · see review
A very cute memoir of a book...
I found this book at a landmark bookstore on Picadilly Street in London, England. It was titled APRICOTS ON THE NILE, A Memoir With Recipes. I just realized via a search on Amazon that the title is different here in the USA. I like the English title better. This book is a 'must get' for anyone who cooks. There will be some recipes that sound "ugh", but many are mouth watering. Personally, I liked the Tomato Salad(s), Roast Chicken on a Bed of Leeks, Meatballs with...more
I found this book at a landmark bookstore on Picadilly Street in London, England. It was titled APRICOTS ON THE NILE, A Memoir With Recipes. I just realized via a search on Amazon that the title is different here in the USA. I like the English title better. This book is a 'must get' for anyone who cooks. There will be some recipes that sound "ugh", but many are mouth watering. Personally, I liked the Tomato Salad(s), Roast Chicken on a Bed of Leeks, Meatballs with...more
Frankly, i don't love the book so much but i like it any way because i used to love books which i read.i feel that i don't like it
but actually i like the idea of recipes which describes every single meal mentioned in the book.i think the writer does that in order to make us enter her world or to make us live with the novel's heroes daily life.
but actually i like the idea of recipes which describes every single meal mentioned in the book.i think the writer does that in order to make us enter her world or to make us live with the novel's heroes daily life.
Aug 04, 2012
Therese
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who like to read about different places and/or cook
Recommended to Therese by:
book club selection
$5.99
If you like food and love to cook, you may very well like this book. I'm not crazy about food and don't cook, but I enjoyed the author's story of how even though she was born in Paris, she ended up living in Cairo throughout the war and developed very fond memories of her Egyptian heritage. Needless to say she loved food, and so when she moved back to Paris, she learned even more.
It is a simple retelling of fond memories from a woman who had been basically abandoned by her mother but raised...more
If you like food and love to cook, you may very well like this book. I'm not crazy about food and don't cook, but I enjoyed the author's story of how even though she was born in Paris, she ended up living in Cairo throughout the war and developed very fond memories of her Egyptian heritage. Needless to say she loved food, and so when she moved back to Paris, she learned even more.
It is a simple retelling of fond memories from a woman who had been basically abandoned by her mother but raised...more
Rossant's memoir is certainly mouthwatering, and it brings 1940's Cairo alive. However, it's a little on the light side - there are several family conflicts happening and it might have beeb better to explore them more fully. Still, Rossant's work is enjoyable and intriguing - looking forward to reading her first and third books.
Colette Rossant's light literary style compensates her heavy and old-fashioned Egyptian and French recipes. She is not a novellist, the story is bizarrely structured with chronological loopholes and her writing style is too light, if not superficial. Her 'local impressions' have no depht at alll. The recipes were appetising but some are too old school. She hasn't really convinced me of testing them.
Overall, a nice yet disappointing tale.
Rossant is a very interesting lady, with firm roots in the Middle East (Egypte, Lebanon) and the Western World (France, Spain, US). In these memoires she warmy describes her long stay in Cairo, with her grandparents, arond the second world war. As a culinary journalist she gives ample room to the local kitchen.
It's simply a beautiful book. Rossant has this remarkable way of drawing you into her Egyptian-Jewish-Parisian-Catholic world. The recipes from her childhood just give this book another level. I love it...it definitely gives a sense of nostalgia.
Gorgeous book. A beautiful memoir of a extraordinary upbringing, with recipes to make your mouth water!
Made even more interesting knowing that these are someone's real experiences. I'm dying to try the recipes!
Dec 04, 2010
Bettie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
BBC7 listeners
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Beautiful, lyrical memoir.
I love travel writing more so since since my own traveling has slowed down... I particularly love travel writing from the early 1900's. This books is good so far.
A cute little book with nice recipes of the typical Egyptian food you still get today and some others with a French twist. The book is more a collection of little anecdotes than a fully flung story. Fairly shallow and superficial, but still worth reading for the feel-good factor. If you like food, this is a good choice. You can see and smell those kitchens in vivid detail.
I had already read "Return to Paris" prior to reading this book, which focuses on Colette Rossant's early years. I enjoyed this book very much. The only reason I gave it four stars was because it was a bit repetitive if you've already read "Return to Paris." However, if this is the first volume you read, you won't be lost wondering who the characters are.
Rossant is/was a food writer I think for the NY Times....and she really delivers on this memoir of her childhood. Her grandparents home in Cairo and her other grandparents in Southern France lay the ground for a rich look at the food and society she was exposed to. It will inspire you to cook with your children :)
A time past in Egypt and the Author's biography in these pages.
Makes you want to try food you would never have thought about of another culture. Wonderfully descriptive food. Have good food on hand to eat while reading this book. Do not read this book while hungry!
Makes you want to try food you would never have thought about of another culture. Wonderfully descriptive food. Have good food on hand to eat while reading this book. Do not read this book while hungry!
A charming little book! What a life the author led, so fascinating to glimpse into her world in Egypt in the 1940's. The author retells her childhood tales and recounts countless mouthwatering recipes from her past. Lovely!!
I was pleased to find this book in my library. I had a wonderful gastronomical experience when I was in Egypt this past March. The memoir was charming, and the recipes doable for an inexperienced cook such as myself.
A novel based around french and egyptian cooking. Not well structured or well written, but interesting as an exploration of being jewish and living in egypt in the 40s.
A little gem of a book. A loving memoir dotted with cherished recipes throughout. If you've spent any time in Egypt then this book will be even more special to you.
This is such a beautiful account of childhood spent growing up in Egypt and the incredible food and food rituals that accompanied.
An enjoyable book to read if you are into autobiographies or history of Egypt, the added recipies make it fun.
May 19, 2013
Kyle
marked it as to-read
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Colette S. Palacci Rossant was born in Paris but spent most of her childhood in a mansion in the Garden City district of Cairo, Egypt, raised by her paternal grandparents and a host of aunts and cousins -- all of whom excelled in the kitchen. Her closest childhood friend was Ahmet, the house cook.
At the age of 15 she returned to Paris to finish her studies and lived with her maternal grandparents....more
More about Colette Rossant...
At the age of 15 she returned to Paris to finish her studies and lived with her maternal grandparents....more
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Jan 06, 2012 09:24pm
Desserts yes. Very swe...more
updated Jan 07, 2012 06:53am