Title:	Jewelled Kitchen: A Stunning Collection of Lebanese, Moroccan, and Persian Recipes
	Author:	Bethany Kehdy
	Published:	August 23, 2016, Nourish
	No. of Pages:	224
	Cover Price:	$19.95 Paperback, $7.99 Kindle

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Middle Eastern food is all the rage, and there have been dozens, even hundreds of new cookbooks released. The foods of the Middle East are considered exotic, yet most are fairly healthy and taste good. Jewelled Kitchen: A Stunning Collection of Lebanese, Moroccan, and Persian Recipes is one of the best cookbooks out there to introduce those of us who are unfamiliar to this delicious food. The author, Bethany Kehdy, is the author of the popular blog, Dirty Kitchen Secrets, and is an accomplished food writer. While many of the ingredients needed to prepare the delicious recipes in the book will require a trip to a Middle Eastern grocery store, it will be well-worth it. With the huge popularity of Middle Eastern food, however, what were once considered exotic ingredients are now showing up on shelves in larger grocery stores. Kehdy also includes recipes for spice mixes and basics in the book, so if you are up to mixing a few things rather than shopping, you’ll be set to go.

The pictures of the dishes are beautiful; the recipes are easy-to-follow, and the end results are picture-perfect. One of the prettiest, and tasty recipes is for Jewelled Rice. This sweet and savory rice dish goes with several of the main dishes in the book, but it also makes a great side dish for anything grilled or broiled. Tagines are always fun, and Kehdy includes several of them – a favorite is her Chicken and Preserved Lemon Tagine. The Spiced Lamb Flatbread Pizzas were reminiscent of some I sampled in a Middle Eastern section of Amsterdam a few years back, and are delicious.

This cookbook contains everything anyone can want from appetizers (Mezze) to soups, breads, tagines and casserole-type dishes, salads, side dishes, and mouthwatering desserts. It is well-written and well-organized; there is interesting reading for those not in the mood to cook. There is plenty of information on ingredients and how to use and store them, as well as a comprehensive index.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to explore the exotic cuisine of the Middle East, Jewelled Kitchen will not disappoint.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this cookbook.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
Jewelled Kitchen: A Stunning Collection of Lebanese, Moroccan, and Persian Recipes