[Sca-cooks] A Baghdad Cookery Book in 2006

[Johnna Holloway]

I am reminded that I have a number of forthcoming books
to mention. Time to play librarian.
I have already mentioned Ann Hagen's combined edition.

Also Coming in 2006

A Baghdad Cookery Book
by Muhammad Ibn Al-Hasan Al-Baghdadi, a new translation by Charles Perry

Al-Baghdadi's Kitab al-Tabikh was for long the only medieval Arabic 
Cookery book known to the English-speaking world, thanks to A.J 
Arberry's path-breaking 1939 translation as `A Baghdad Cookery Book' 
which was re-issued by Prospect Books in 2001 in Medieval Arab Cookery. 
For centuries, it has been the favourite Arab cookery book of the Turks. 
The original manuscript is still in Istanbul, and at some point a 
Turkish sultan commissioned a very handsome copy which can still be seen 
in The British Library in London. In the twentieth century the Iraqui 
scholar, Daoud Chelebi, produced a modern transcription which served as 
the basis for Arberry's translation. Charles Perry has re-visited the 
manuscript and discovered many possible errors and amendments that 
affect the interpretation of these essential recipes for the 
understanding of medieval Arab cookery. He has produced a new Enlish 
translation incorporating these ammendments and fully annotating his 
variations with the 'authorised' version. Scholars will now have a 
definitive text on which to work. They will also have this text in an 
inexpensive and handy format, just the thing for a learned lady's 
handbag. 128p (Prospect Books February 2006)

ISBN 1903018420. Paperback. Not yet published - advance orders taken. 
Price US $19.95
http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm/ID/45389

Johnnae llyn Lewis