[Sca-cooks] Medieval Cuisine of Islamic World was New book on period Middle Eastern Cookery due out hopefully soon!

[Johnna Holloway]

Here's the description that I came across the other day.

Huette is right as it does look like it will be an interesting title for
the fall.

Johnnae (who promises a forthcoming booklist one of these days)


Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174
Recipes *by Lilia Zaouali **Publication Date:* October, 2007 *University
of California Press ****ISBN:* 0-520-24783-3 *ISBN13:*
978-0-520-24783-3 ** Trade Cloth *Pages:* 242 *Price:* $24.95 (USD)
Retail (Publisher)

Vinegar and sugar, dried fruit, rose water, spices from India and China,
sweet wine made from raisins and dates--these are the flavors of the
golden age of Arab cuisine. This book, a delightful culinary adventure
that is part history and part cookery, surveys the gastronomical art
that developed at the Caliph's sumptuous palaces in ninth- and
tenth-century Baghdad, drew inspiration from Persian, Greco-Roman, and
Turkish cooking, and rapidly spread across the Mediterranean. In a
charming narrative, Lilia Zaouali introduces the great medieval cooks
and cookbooks, discusses the origins of dietary obsessions and
prohibitions, tells of Arab merchants who traveled to China to obtain
sugar, coconuts, and spices four centuries before Marco Polo, considers
the food of Ramadan, and much more as she brings to life Islam's vibrant
culinary heritage. The second half of the book gathers an extensive
selection of original recipes drawn from medieval culinary sources along
with thirty contemporary recipes that evoke the flavors of the Middle
Ages. Featuring dishes such as Chicken with Walnuts and Pomegranate,
Beef with Pistachios, Couscous with Walnuts, Lamb Stew with Fresh
Apricots, Tuna and Eggplant Pureacute;e with Vinegar and Caraway, and
Stuffed Dates, the book also discusses topics such as cookware,
utensils, aromatic substances, and condiments, making it both an
entertaining read and an informative resource for anyone who enjoys the
fine art of cooking.

I just checked the website for the U. of Calif. Press and found out that
it is being
published in October of this year!  For the exorbitant sum of $24.95!
And they are
taking pre-orders!  Yippy!!!!

Huette