The culinary traditions of the Middle East have always been enriched by the incredibly diverse and often turbulent passages of this region's history. In a unique melting pot of Persian, Islamic and Ottoman influences, with a sprinkling of the Byzantine and Roman legacies also thrown in, The Middle Eastern Kitchen represents cooking and hospitality raised to the level of a fine art and pleasure and invites you to join in wholeheartedly. Whether delicate and spicy, aromatic and fragrant or scented and syrupy, Ghillie Basan's dishes celebrate an area of unparalleled cultural diversity. The book is organised by ingredient, from the familiar coffee, almonds and yoghurt to the more exotic tamarind and pomegranate and the lesser-known orchid root and melokhia. The author describes each ingredient's appearance and taste, explains how it grows or is manufactured and details its culinary and medicinal uses, together with two or three authentic, mouthwatering recipes. This book is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.