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Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland
From James Beard Award–winning author Anissa Helou, a vibrant and inviting look at the food of her home country, exploring the astonishing variety of local Lebanese cuisine
Though she has lived all over the world, Anissa Helou has her heart firmly in one Lebanon, her late mother’s home country and the place she grew up. In her ninth book, Helou shares the beauty and diversity of the country’s regional cuisines, along with a deep look at its culinary history and culture.
While only half the size of New Jersey, Lebanon boasts an astounding variety in its cuisine, including classics like hommos or kibbeh, as well as lesser-known regional specialties. Spanning a breadth of dishes from flat breads and savory pastries, soups, dips, and salads to stuffed vegetables, fish, poultry, and grains, Lebanon represents Helou’s unique perspective on the most essential—and delightful—dishes from her homeland. Meatballs in lemony sauce, fava beans and lamb in yogurt, lentil risotto, and baked fish with Tripolitan tahini cilantro sauce are just a few of her chosen favorites among 165 recipes, along with delectable sweets, including sweet walnut triangles, aniseed fritters, semolina cream pastries, and tahini rice pudding.
Lebanon is animated by Helou’s warm and conversational voice, punctuated by her family stories as well as her reflections and encounters as she treks through Lebanon to discover—and rediscover—her home country’s rich and varied culinary traditions.
Though she has lived all over the world, Anissa Helou has her heart firmly in one Lebanon, her late mother’s home country and the place she grew up. In her ninth book, Helou shares the beauty and diversity of the country’s regional cuisines, along with a deep look at its culinary history and culture.
While only half the size of New Jersey, Lebanon boasts an astounding variety in its cuisine, including classics like hommos or kibbeh, as well as lesser-known regional specialties. Spanning a breadth of dishes from flat breads and savory pastries, soups, dips, and salads to stuffed vegetables, fish, poultry, and grains, Lebanon represents Helou’s unique perspective on the most essential—and delightful—dishes from her homeland. Meatballs in lemony sauce, fava beans and lamb in yogurt, lentil risotto, and baked fish with Tripolitan tahini cilantro sauce are just a few of her chosen favorites among 165 recipes, along with delectable sweets, including sweet walnut triangles, aniseed fritters, semolina cream pastries, and tahini rice pudding.
Lebanon is animated by Helou’s warm and conversational voice, punctuated by her family stories as well as her reflections and encounters as she treks through Lebanon to discover—and rediscover—her home country’s rich and varied culinary traditions.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 15, 2025
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.
I am always looking for new recipes, and even though I don't believe I have ever tried Lebanese food, I thought I would look at this cookbook. Although I don't think I would be interested most of these recipes, I am sure my sister would probably love many of them. I am going to try
Might make baklava. I would like to know what it tastes like homemade. I have only had it one time, and that was prepackaged. Didn't care for it. However, that doesn't really mean much when you are dealing with prepackaged goods. There were a few desserts that I may try, including the semolina cream pastries
I would like to mention, that the photographs were not showing on the kindle version on my phone. When I was looking at in the the NetGalley app, though, all the photographs were present. This may be an issue with the advanced copy, or maybe an issue with the kindle on the phone. Only mentioning in case the photos are showing up for someone else. There are so many photographs included in this cookbook. They are absolutely stunning.
Definitely would recommend!
I am always looking for new recipes, and even though I don't believe I have ever tried Lebanese food, I thought I would look at this cookbook. Although I don't think I would be interested most of these recipes, I am sure my sister would probably love many of them. I am going to try
Might make baklava. I would like to know what it tastes like homemade. I have only had it one time, and that was prepackaged. Didn't care for it. However, that doesn't really mean much when you are dealing with prepackaged goods. There were a few desserts that I may try, including the semolina cream pastries
I would like to mention, that the photographs were not showing on the kindle version on my phone. When I was looking at in the the NetGalley app, though, all the photographs were present. This may be an issue with the advanced copy, or maybe an issue with the kindle on the phone. Only mentioning in case the photos are showing up for someone else. There are so many photographs included in this cookbook. They are absolutely stunning.
Definitely would recommend!
March 11, 2026
There are lots of recipesmixed with the life of the writer and the country itself, which is particularly unknown to me. The photos are also very beautiful, but most of them have nothing to do with the recipes, which I find disappointing. Fortunately, the measurements are given in both European and Anglo-Saxon units, so I was able to try some of the recipes myself right away.
Moltissime ricette mischiate con la vita della scrittrice e del paese stesso, a me particolarmente sconosciuto. Anche le foto sono molto belle, ma la maggior parte di queste, non ha a che fare con le ricette e questo mi dispiace. Per fortuna le misure sono nella doppia versione (europea/anglofila) cosí alcune cose le ho potute provare direttamente.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Moltissime ricette mischiate con la vita della scrittrice e del paese stesso, a me particolarmente sconosciuto. Anche le foto sono molto belle, ma la maggior parte di queste, non ha a che fare con le ricette e questo mi dispiace. Per fortuna le misure sono nella doppia versione (europea/anglofila) cosí alcune cose le ho potute provare direttamente.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
September 17, 2025
I love exploring a culture through its food. There are some common threads of taste that weave through the middle-eastern and Mediterranean areas that I enjoyed learning about through the author's previous book, Feast, and I was very excited to see her dive deeper into the foods of her homeland. Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland explores the regional flavors within the country. Instead of taking a broad stroke at dishes that are common to a whole middle-eastern region, this book focuses on the foods that are unique to just a specific place withing a country half the size of New Jersey. After and introduction that tells us a bit about the history of the country as well as the authors approach to researching the recipes that she compiled, she dives into the recipes which are divided into sections on pantry, flatbreads and savory pastries, soups, dips and spreads, salads, on the grill, cooked in extra virgin olive oil, yogurt dishes, kibbe, stuffed, vegetables, fish, poultry, offal, grains and legumes, stews and braises, & sweets. The recipes are written with the cookbook-usual description blurb, ingredients, and instruction segments. The blurbs provide interesting background to many of the foods, ingredients listed are mostly easily procured items, and instructions vary from easy to complex. There are a number of photographs throughout the book, some of markets and places within Lebanon to set a little atmosphere and some of the finished dishes. I would have preferred more images of the foods, especially things that I am less familiar with so that I had a better idea of the target look of the completed dish. I would also have liked a few small technique sequence pictures (I believe there were some in Feast for kneading or folding doughs). This was an interesting book to read and I am excited to try making a few new dishes.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Ecco) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Ecco) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🇱🇧
This is IT.
If you’re looking for an authentic and comprehensive Lebanese recipe book, look no further. This is the only one you’ll need.
In a world where culture is being forgotten and so many things are appropriated, reclaiming our history matters. This book does exactly that.
More cookbooks (and books) need the kind of introductions Anissa Helou includes here: clear, concise, and firmly rooted in identity. She doesn’t only share food, she owns the narrative behind it.
🫙 The Heart of the Kitchen
The müneh (pantry) section is incredibly important. It opens the door to a Lebanese kitchen, what builds the recipes, what sits beside them, what enhances every bite.
This is deepened by the spices section. Anyone who cooks Lebanese (or many other cuisines) knows: the right spices make or break a dish.
🍽️ More Than the Usual Recipes
This book includes so many delicacies you rarely see in cookbooks.
I especially appreciate that Anissa doesn’t just mention regional variations but she actually shares them whenever possible. That level of detail feels like respect for the cuisine and its people.
Reading these recipes filled my heart with warmth. They remind me of my mom’s cooking.
And no matter how much I search, many of these simply don’t exist online — or they don’t taste the same.
I even discovered variations and dishes I never knew existed, which is a joy on its own 💛
🥙 If You Aren't Convinced Yet
A whole section dedicated to kebbe?
If everything before didn’t convince you, that section seals the deal.
As a Lebanese reader, this is exactly what I want in a Lebanese cookbook: authenticity, depth, and the feeling of home between the pages.
Thank you, Netgalley and Ecco, for the ARC. Now I need this on my kitchen shelf.
If you’re looking for an authentic and comprehensive Lebanese recipe book, look no further. This is the only one you’ll need.
In a world where culture is being forgotten and so many things are appropriated, reclaiming our history matters. This book does exactly that.
More cookbooks (and books) need the kind of introductions Anissa Helou includes here: clear, concise, and firmly rooted in identity. She doesn’t only share food, she owns the narrative behind it.
🫙 The Heart of the Kitchen
The müneh (pantry) section is incredibly important. It opens the door to a Lebanese kitchen, what builds the recipes, what sits beside them, what enhances every bite.
This is deepened by the spices section. Anyone who cooks Lebanese (or many other cuisines) knows: the right spices make or break a dish.
🍽️ More Than the Usual Recipes
This book includes so many delicacies you rarely see in cookbooks.
I especially appreciate that Anissa doesn’t just mention regional variations but she actually shares them whenever possible. That level of detail feels like respect for the cuisine and its people.
Reading these recipes filled my heart with warmth. They remind me of my mom’s cooking.
And no matter how much I search, many of these simply don’t exist online — or they don’t taste the same.
I even discovered variations and dishes I never knew existed, which is a joy on its own 💛
🥙 If You Aren't Convinced Yet
A whole section dedicated to kebbe?
If everything before didn’t convince you, that section seals the deal.
As a Lebanese reader, this is exactly what I want in a Lebanese cookbook: authenticity, depth, and the feeling of home between the pages.
Thank you, Netgalley and Ecco, for the ARC. Now I need this on my kitchen shelf.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Ecco for the e-ARC.
I enjoyed this cookbook quite a bit. The opening essays were insightful, opening the book with Lebanon’s history with colonialism and its impact on the country’s food culture. Additionally, I loved that Helou explored the wide and varied food ways of Lebanon, including where Palestinian and Syrian influence was present. I appreciated Helou’s overall emphasis on seasonality when sourcing ingredients and menu planning.
I found the recipe headnotes a bit lengthy for my taste. I prefer headnotes that point out particularities to watch out for when preparing each recipe, or identifying potential substitutions for hard to find ingredients. I think of other cookbooks with a focus on specific national or regional cuisines, like Falastin by Sami Tamimi or Oaxaca by Bricia Lopez, where the recipe notes will explicitly point out ingredient alternatives where possible. This is something that Helou opts not to do, a conscious choice to stay as true to the recipes, food origins, and their seasonal ingredients as possible. For the experienced home cook, a bit of research or consultation with a local Mediterranean grocer (if you have a good relationship with yours!) would be advised for some of the dishes included - in particular when challenging to source ingredients are present.
For cookbooks, my format preference is a physical hardcover, as I find they make the recipe more accessible when you are working through the steps in the kitchen. While my digital copy had some issues with formatting, I hope that the final print version contains photos for each of the finished dishes, which were unfortunately largely missing from the advance copy.
I enjoyed this cookbook quite a bit. The opening essays were insightful, opening the book with Lebanon’s history with colonialism and its impact on the country’s food culture. Additionally, I loved that Helou explored the wide and varied food ways of Lebanon, including where Palestinian and Syrian influence was present. I appreciated Helou’s overall emphasis on seasonality when sourcing ingredients and menu planning.
I found the recipe headnotes a bit lengthy for my taste. I prefer headnotes that point out particularities to watch out for when preparing each recipe, or identifying potential substitutions for hard to find ingredients. I think of other cookbooks with a focus on specific national or regional cuisines, like Falastin by Sami Tamimi or Oaxaca by Bricia Lopez, where the recipe notes will explicitly point out ingredient alternatives where possible. This is something that Helou opts not to do, a conscious choice to stay as true to the recipes, food origins, and their seasonal ingredients as possible. For the experienced home cook, a bit of research or consultation with a local Mediterranean grocer (if you have a good relationship with yours!) would be advised for some of the dishes included - in particular when challenging to source ingredients are present.
For cookbooks, my format preference is a physical hardcover, as I find they make the recipe more accessible when you are working through the steps in the kitchen. While my digital copy had some issues with formatting, I hope that the final print version contains photos for each of the finished dishes, which were unfortunately largely missing from the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lebanon by Anissa Helou is a thoroughly researched and beautifully presented cookbook that serves as an excellent resource for anyone seeking authentic Lebanese cuisine. Helou's work goes far beyond a simple collection of recipes—she weaves in personal family stories and cultural reflections that give meaningful context to each dish, creating a rich tapestry of Lebanese culinary tradition.
The book is impressively comprehensive, with lovely photography and detailed descriptions that bring each recipe to life. Helou doesn't take shortcuts; she provides the authentic ingredients and techniques needed to recreate these dishes properly, which speaks to her commitment to preserving the integrity of Lebanese cooking.
I'll admit that the extensive ingredient lists and my own unfamiliarity with some components means I may not personally make many of these recipes soon. However, this is a reflection of my own circumstances and access to ingredients, not a criticism of the book itself. For anyone serious about learning Lebanese cuisine or for home cooks with access to Middle Eastern markets, this would be an invaluable guide.
This is the cookbook I would recommend without hesitation to anyone wanting to explore Lebanese food authentically. Helou has created a wonderful tribute to her culinary heritage.
Thank you to NetGalley and [Publisher Name] for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book is impressively comprehensive, with lovely photography and detailed descriptions that bring each recipe to life. Helou doesn't take shortcuts; she provides the authentic ingredients and techniques needed to recreate these dishes properly, which speaks to her commitment to preserving the integrity of Lebanese cooking.
I'll admit that the extensive ingredient lists and my own unfamiliarity with some components means I may not personally make many of these recipes soon. However, this is a reflection of my own circumstances and access to ingredients, not a criticism of the book itself. For anyone serious about learning Lebanese cuisine or for home cooks with access to Middle Eastern markets, this would be an invaluable guide.
This is the cookbook I would recommend without hesitation to anyone wanting to explore Lebanese food authentically. Helou has created a wonderful tribute to her culinary heritage.
Thank you to NetGalley and [Publisher Name] for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and Anissa Helou for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a stunningly beautiful cookbook! The photography is absolutely gorgeous.
I really appreciated all the detailed descriptions of the various ingredients. A lot of them are not as common here, and it will make shopping for them a lot easier if I know what I'm looking for. It will also help with substitutions as well.
The recipes are well written and easy to follow, and there are lots of photos included as well. The little bits of history and knowledge with each recipe are a nice touch too. I think an experienced beginner could easily cook most of the recipes in this book. The cooking techniques are interesting and varied, and I think this would be a fun book to cook through all the recipes to learn new skills.
There are several recipes on my list to make very soon, and my mouth was watering the entire time I was reading this book. The recipes are flavorful and full of so many aromatic spices and different textures. The section with offal recipes was especially interesting. I am a big fan of using every part possible from an animal!
Overall this is a fantastic cookbook full of delicious Lebanese recipes.
This is a stunningly beautiful cookbook! The photography is absolutely gorgeous.
I really appreciated all the detailed descriptions of the various ingredients. A lot of them are not as common here, and it will make shopping for them a lot easier if I know what I'm looking for. It will also help with substitutions as well.
The recipes are well written and easy to follow, and there are lots of photos included as well. The little bits of history and knowledge with each recipe are a nice touch too. I think an experienced beginner could easily cook most of the recipes in this book. The cooking techniques are interesting and varied, and I think this would be a fun book to cook through all the recipes to learn new skills.
There are several recipes on my list to make very soon, and my mouth was watering the entire time I was reading this book. The recipes are flavorful and full of so many aromatic spices and different textures. The section with offal recipes was especially interesting. I am a big fan of using every part possible from an animal!
Overall this is a fantastic cookbook full of delicious Lebanese recipes.
November 11, 2025
Since my husband and I won’t be able to travel until at least 2027 due to some medical issues, we’ve decided to cook our way around the world while we wait to get cleared. That was a great option for us because we found several recipes in it that we truly enjoyed and added Lebanon to our list of countries we want to visit once we were able to travel again.
Pictures included in this book are absolutely gorgeous. The recipes are easy to follow and the food is incredibly delicious! I don’t believe I’ve ever really had Lebanese food before this. At least not traditional Lebanese food and boy are we hooked! We still have another 14 months of recipes to try from other regions around the world, but I know that at least a few more will be coming from this book as well.
This would make a great gift for yourself, a foodie, or anyone else who’s interested in exploring other cultures and recipes from around the world.
Pictures included in this book are absolutely gorgeous. The recipes are easy to follow and the food is incredibly delicious! I don’t believe I’ve ever really had Lebanese food before this. At least not traditional Lebanese food and boy are we hooked! We still have another 14 months of recipes to try from other regions around the world, but I know that at least a few more will be coming from this book as well.
This would make a great gift for yourself, a foodie, or anyone else who’s interested in exploring other cultures and recipes from around the world.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 rounded to 4
This cookbook is a love letter to the culinary delights that Lebanon has to offer. Any home cook will appreciate the easy-to-follow recipes, with approachable ingredients and interesting dishes that are new and delicious.
This does read like a textbook in some areas and can be abit over detailed and verbose. You can appreciate that the author has a passion for Lebanese food. It was a bit of a bore with multiple skimmed pages that did not engage me. The pictures are beautiful, but was lacking in photos of the actual food. I get wanting to include people/area/vibe shots, but in the end, I am picking this up for the recipes and the food I am going to cook.
This cookbook is a love letter to the culinary delights that Lebanon has to offer. Any home cook will appreciate the easy-to-follow recipes, with approachable ingredients and interesting dishes that are new and delicious.
This does read like a textbook in some areas and can be abit over detailed and verbose. You can appreciate that the author has a passion for Lebanese food. It was a bit of a bore with multiple skimmed pages that did not engage me. The pictures are beautiful, but was lacking in photos of the actual food. I get wanting to include people/area/vibe shots, but in the end, I am picking this up for the recipes and the food I am going to cook.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was the sort of cookbook that you read for enjoyment, not that you cook a bunch from. I loved the food history and personal history and the differences between regions in Lebanon but with living in a small Midwestern town I may not COOK a bunch from it. I can't review the recipe photos as well as normal because I had a digital ARC and the formatting made it hard to see the photos and what they went with (not a problem, ARCs are just like that sometimes.) Glad I read the book though!
September 17, 2025
Netgalley ARC- Interesting cookbook. Very detailed, almost to the point of making it hard to read. It's clear she's passionate about the topic, a lot of familiarity with the cuisine, however, some judicial editing would have been nice. Nice photos of people and the country but not many of the food.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Well, I want to make everything and I can’t wait to dive in. These recipes are sprinkled in with so much of the Lebanese history and culture, it’s so informative. Such a beautiful cookbook! When I start cooking from this, I will update the review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This review is my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This review is my own.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews