Hummus to Halva - Recipes from a Levantine Kitchen by Ronen Givon & Christian Mouysset - #BookReview

"The Levantine Kitchen - The term 'levant' first appeared in English in 1497, and originally meant the East in general or 'Mediterranean lands east of Italy'. It is borrowed from the French Levant or 'Rising', that is, the place where the sun rises at a time when the Mediterranean was the centre of the known world. The Levant referred to the Eastern Mediterranean, literally where the sun rose."

Hummus to Halva is a collection of recipes inspired by the tastes of the ancient Mediterranean.

Discover the best toppings for a smooth swirl of hummus before venturing further afield with simple, family-friendly messe dishes. With favourites from falafels and flatbreads, to all-important desserts like halva parfait, and not forgetting the sauces, sides and snacks in between, Hummus to Halva offers moreish recipes from a Levantine kitchen.

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Two of my favourite foods are hummus and halva so when my son gave me this book for my recent birthday it was a pretty foregone conclusion that I would like it. He was absolutely right as this is a beautiful book.

The book begins with some interesting descriptions of the authors and details about the Levantine kitchen. The contents include chapters on: 

Making Hummus

Toppings for Hummus

Falafel and Wraps

Soups

Salads

Breads and Sauces

Desserts

Drink

Quick Snacks

I have made some of the recipes from the book. I began with shakshuka which was lovely although I added a few vegetables to the basic recipe. Seeing those glorious egg yolks running through the red tomato base of the sauce made this a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.

I have also made the pitta bread recipe and the hummus recipe from the book. Now, I have made many different versions of hummus over the years and I have to say that I think this one is by far the best. It is a basic recipe made from chick peas. tahini, salt and lemon juice. I added some garlic to this as this is the way my family like it.

However, the basis of this hummus recipe lies in the toppings that are put on top. I made the hummus with chicken recipe and it was delicious. I served it with the homemade pitta bread recipe which was remarkably easy to make. They recipes were very easy to follow and these photos are of my efforts.

There are several other recipes that I want to try and I cannot wait to make the halva cookies.

I highly recommend this book. It has been beautifully photographed by Karen Thomas which I guarantee will make your mouth water in anticipation.   I would love to hear how you get on with any of the recipes when you give them a try.

ISBN: 978 1911641988

Publisher: Pavilion

About the Authors:

Born and raised in Israel on a kibbutz, Ronen became obsessed with hummus as a teenager. Exploring different hummus places in Tel Aviv to taste and discuss which hummus was the best, hummus for Ronen is a reminder of groups coming together to eat and indulge in one of the world’s cheapest and most versatile ingredients. With his friend Christian Mouysset they opened their own hummus business to bring the hummus to the high street.