A Middle Eastern Pantry: Essential Ingredients for Classic and Contemporary Recipes: A Cookbook

by Lior Lev Sercarz

An insightful exploration into the bounty of both familiar and new Middle Eastern ingredients plus 90 modern and traditional dishes in which to use them, from the author of Mastering Spice and The Spice Companion
 
“Get ready to go on a transformative cultural journey that begins in your kitchen.”—Carla Hall, bestselling author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food

Growing up on a kibbutz in northern Israel, spice master Lior Lev Sercarz has long had an affinity for local ingredients and produce. After becoming a chef and then devoting his creativity and career to sourcing and blending spices, he recognized the intensive labor, skill, and craftsmanship that goes into the development of Middle Eastern pantry staples, from olives to silan (date molasses), and tahini to sujuk (a fermented and dried sausage).
 
In this cookbook and culinary resource, he homes in on the everyday ingredients used throughout this vast region, including Turkey, Tunisia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Armenia, Jordan, and more, as he offers an homage to the pantry staples that define Middle Eastern cuisine. Lior offers an in-depth look at the production, history, cultural resonance, and storage of each pantry item, then shares an array of mouthwatering recipes crafted for home kitchens. Dishes range from a hearty Verjus and Lamb Stew to snacky Kibbeh with Pine Nuts, Roasted Vegetables with Egyptian Dukkah, tangy Iraqi amba mango sauce, a sweet-syrupy-cheesy kunafe, and a creamy Turkish rice pudding.
 
This book is for home cooks who crave not only recipes but also origin stories that lend cultural relevance and insight into one of the world’s most ancient and beloved cuisines.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Yaaresse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific information on ingredients and how to use them. Good recipes. The author does own a spice company, but he manages to avoid self promotion for the most part. I learned a lot from this book, and I can see referring back to it frequently.

[Rakhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Middle Eastern Pantry, Essential ingredients for classic and contemporary recipes by Lior Lev Sercarz is not just a cookbook, it is an elegant encyclopedia of spices, techniques, and recipes with histories and beautiful photographs. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own. This is a cookbook like no other cookbook on my shelves. In each page, you learn something invaluable about the tastes of the spices presented, the best ways of sourcing and storing, and the traditional uses. The organization of the chapters is intriguing and thought provoking: Spices, Condiments, Pickles, Olives, Nuts, Sesame, Dried Fruit, Molasses, Flowers, Honey, Grains, Legumes, Dairy, Meat & Fish. The order exemplifies a perfect feast to serve to special friends. There are recipes and “Recipe Ideas”; the ideas are less involved than the actual recipes, but all are worth trying. The Zereshk Polow is beautiful, and aromatic, with just the right amount of barberries, it goes perfectly with the Pomegranate Roasted Leg of Lamb. Sinya is a fish dish that is light and delicious! The salads and vegetables are refreshing and easy to pull together. With the Spiced Silan Carrots, I finally found a use for my bottle of date molasses. Flowers are used brilliantly in recipes throughout the book, and they shine spectacularly in the desserts. I have purchased spices and creative spice blends from La Boite over many years, and the emails from the La Boite Team are great reads. This cookbook is a treasure!

[Jennifer M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

phenomenal book! A must read for anyone interested in exploring spices and flavors!

Lior Alec Sercarz is my favorite author when it comes to explaining how to use spices and spice blends. Through his comprehensive explanation or each spice and spice blend, he has made it easy to try a new dish or spice. This book builds and gives more detail into the history, geography and use of spices and ingredients in dishes throughout the Middle East. All my books by Mr. Sercarz are well used and have post it notes throughout. This is no different. I’m extremely inspired to try a few choice recipes immediately.

[Jackie]

Lots of recipes I’ve never heard of and look intriguing. Interesting methods of preservation which may come I handy down the road.

[Fadi · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author appropriates Palestinian dishes without acknowledging Palestine at all. He specifies the country of origin of each recipe except for recipes that come from Palestine.