Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume: Cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean

Rowe, a London-based writer, chef, and TV star, explores "the cuisines of the Eastern Mediterranean," taking home cooks through the "kitchens of Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, the cuisines of the Europeans and Arabs, of Muslims, Christians and Jews"%E2%80%94she doesn't shy away from peppering this solid collection of recipes that follow "in the footsteps of the great Ottoman chefs" with memoirs, poetry, adaptations of short stories, and breathtaking landscapes. Recipes feature ingredients often associated with eastern Mediterranean cooking such as pomegranates, saffron, lamb, and yogurt, as well as flavors that may be new to some U.S. home cooks such as sumac, rose petals, lemon balm, nettles, and nasturtium flowers. Inspired by her Turkish heritage, the author offers regional selections such as g%C3%B6zleme, a Turkish, stuffed street food, and a selection of b%C3%B6reks, Turkish pastry, along with dishes her grandmother cooked such as baba ghanoush, and her mother's yiahni, a Turkish stew. This title takes readers far beyond their kitchen through the spices and stories of the enthusiastic and talented author. (June)