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So between two covers, this genie of a book seems to grant so many
wishes. It's like rubbing Aladdin's Lamp, one of the most famous tales
of the Arabian nights. Twenty-five tales from the 9th century
are interspersed with equally ancient recipes for sweets and desserts
referred to in the tales. The authenticity of the book is
guaranteed when you consider that the authors have researched and
translated ancient Arabic culinary texts to complement the tales of the
Arabian nights; and knowing that they grew up in a household which made
and served the sweets they write about.
The authors are two
top-notch scholars of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, Muna Salloum
from Toronto and Leila Salloum Eliasa from Pennsylvania. They happen to
be sisters, and the books shines with their love for their family, for
their Middle Eastern heritage and for the honey, pistachios, rose
water, almonds and pastries that feature in so many of the recipes.
I found it the perfect companion for a Sydney tour run by Gourmet Safaris and called Exotic Flavours of Lebanon. Although
the authors discover differences between the ancient recipes and their
more recent adaptations, so many aspects of the book mirror what I
found on my guided tour. So many of the sweets I saw and tasted
were almost exact replicas of the illustrations in the book.
The
book is really a visual feast in itself. Layout pays attention to
modern design principles, and makes appetising use of colour, images
and insets, as well as Arabic fonts, scripts, shapes and symbols. It
conjures up the sensuality and celebratory style that Middle Eastern
sweets and desserts seem to represent for their devotees. Yet the words
and the tales are never lost in the background.
The Sweets of Araby is enchanting and almost as sweet and succulent as the desserts it portrays. |
