Title:	The Essential Middle Eastern Cookbook: Classic Recipes Made Easy
	Author:	Michelle Anderson
	Published:	May 19, 2020Rockridge Press
	No. of Pages:	174
	Cover Price:	$16.99 Paperback, $6.99 Kindle

---

To many of us, Middle Eastern food seems exotic - the aromatic spices and unique ingredients are things we aren’t used to having. However, there has been a surge of popularity of Middle Eastern food,(i.e., everyone eats hummus and it is available in every grocery store), so Michelle Anderson’s excellent cookbook The Essential Middle Eastern Cookbook: Classic Recipes Made Easy is very timely, and a book that will garner interest with almost everyone.

The early chapters in the book explain the region, as well as the spices and ingredients – a great help for those who are unfamiliar. Once readers have absorbed information about the Middle East, they are ready to try the excellent recipes in the book. Pita Bread is the first recipe in the book, and not only does it turn out perfectly, the dough can be mixed and proofed in an automatic bread machine which saves time and effort. Then the recipes include everyone’s favorite hummus (Anderson’s is excellent), as well as well-known dishes as Labneh, Baba Ghanouj, and falafel. There is a yummy recipe for Persian Stew with Walnuts and Pomegranate, as well as Turkish Börek, Chicken Kabsa (tonight’s dinner), and a Spiced Beef Tagine. The book has a variety of mouthwatering dishes and most are quite easy to make. The instructions are easy-to-follow. There are a few dishes with ingredients that aren’t in every kitchen, but I found they were available online. Included are appetizers, salads, soups, stews, fabulous main dishes, and wonderful desserts. The only thing that isn’t included is photographs – there are a very few, and it would be nice to see what we are cooking.

This is a great cookbook for beginners who want to learn about Middle Eastern cooking, as well as veterans who just want a few new good Middle Eastern recipes. You can’t go wrong with this cookbook.

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