Souk to Table: Vibrant Middle Eastern Dishes for Everyday Meals by Amina Al-Saigh - #bookreview

 

I wish I could start this introduction by saying that I am finally fulfilling my life-long dream of writing a cookbook. That ever since I was a little girl, I was in the kitchen, cooking and dreaming of one day sharing my food with the world. But that's not my story at all...

The Blurb

Enrich your weeknight meals with 100 easy-to-make, traditional and modern Middle Eastern dishes filled with bold spices and exquisite flavors.

 In Souk to Table, popular food blogger Amina Al-Saigh (@hungrypaprikas) is here to help you figure out dinner for your family with her easy, quick, and accessible Middle Eastern recipes, inspired by her heritage and using flavors she knows and love. She understands how busy life can get and how sometimes cooking Middle Eastern dishes can be overwhelming, but with the right know-how and the right recipes, you can serve up delicious and bold flavors and not spend all day in the kitchen!​

This homestyle cookbook gathers the best of the region—dips, condiments, salads, sides, mains, soups, stews, desserts, and drinks—using easy-to-find, fresh ingredients and delicious Arabic spices.​​ In Souk to Table, you'll find:

 100 easy-to-make and delicious recipes from Amina’s homeland of Iraq, as well as Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, and beyond​

Dinners that can be made in under an hour for easy weeknight cooking, as well as traditional dishes "worth the effort" for weekend cooking​ and hosting

A simpler approach to Middle Eastern cooking without sacrificing any of the authentic flavors​

A stunning photo accompanying every recipe​

How to stock your Middle Eastern kitchen

Adventure across the Middle East every night of the week through accessible recipes with Souk to Table as your guide. 

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1631069765

Publisher:  Rock Point

Formats:  e-book and hardback

No. of Pages:  256 (hardback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Waterstones

My Thoughts

It is difficult to write anything about the Middle East at the moment, with even a hint of positivity. Every time we switch on our televisions, radio or news apps we are confronted with the awful situation that is playing out over there. 

However, I am delighted to be able to tell you about this book of Middle Eastern cookery is joyful to read. I encourage you to peruse the gorgeous photographs and indulge in the aromas and flavours that the author describes.

The book begins with her telling us of her childhood in Iraq and Libya, before moving with her family to Canada. She paints an evocative picture of the foods which her mother would produce for the family. What the author does in this book is to take those dishes and make them suitable for producing in the busyness of the modern world.

There are sections in the book which take either thirty or sixty minutes to produce. There are also chapters on condiments and dips, desserts and drinks, salads and sides, soups and stews, as well as a chapter on recipes that are worth spending extra time over. She also details what can be found in her Middle Eastern pantry.

As a fan of Middle Eastern food, there are so many recipes in this book that I cannot wait to try. There is a wonderful Sheet-Pan Chicken Shawarma recipe in the 30 minute section, Kofta Bil Tahini (Baked Kofta with Tahini) in the 60 minute section and in the Dessert chapter Iraqi Churag (Sweet Buns.) At the time of writing this review I am not at home. However, once I am back in my own kitchen I shall be trying out these recipes.

About the Author

Amina had a career as a engineer before giving it up to devote time to her food blog https://www.hungrypaprikas.com/. From this grew this book, Souk to Table. Amina currently lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(author media courtesy of Hungry Paprikas)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2025 by Lia Leendertz - Illustrated by Sarah Abrehart - #bookreview #blogtour

 

The year lies ahead of us, its full moons, equinoxes and soltices, meteor showers, flowers, cakes and festivities all to come, from the first scent of spring on the cold air [through] to the cosy candlelit cave of winter...

***

The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2025 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark, and appreciate each month of the year in your own way.

The 2025 edition has the theme ‘ancient astronomy’ and includes constellation stories from around the world and a ‘megalith of the month’ - exploring the myths and astronomical alignments of stone circles and cairns from across the UK and Ireland. It also includes a brand new Cake of the Month feature.

Readers find themselves referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.

From tide tables to moon phases, wildlife to folklore and mouthwatering seasonal recipes this is the comprehensive guide to 2025.

***

As I sat reading this book, I could see the season changing before my eyes. Although The Almanac covers next year, it nonetheless seemed to speak to me as I observed the sudden drop in temperature and the yellowing of the leaves outside my window.

It is a small volume which contains a wealth of knowledge. As expected, it is broken down into monthly chapters with each of them being folkishly illustrated by Sarah Abrehart.

Each month has a title chapter page listing it's contents which include the religious festivals of a range of religions. These vary from the Chinese New Year through to Litha, the Pagan Midsummer Festival, international celebration days, UK Bank Holidays and so much more.

Within each of the monthly chapters there is a marvellous array of information. There are tide tables, lunar gardening, music, crafts, recipes, all with the theme of ancient astronomy running throughout. There is something to appeal to everyone in this whether your interest is the giant megaliths or the moon cycles.

This is one book I shall be keeping beside me next year as I fully expect to want to reread it each month of 2025.  It would make a fantastic Christmas gift, and I can think of several people who I know that would enjoy referring to this. 

I highly recommend this lovely Almanac and I am sure that you enjoy it too.

ISBN: 978 1856754682

Publisher:  Gaia

Formats:  e-book and hardcover

No. of Pages:  288 (hardcover)

About the Author:

Lia Leendertz is an award-winning garden and food writer based in Bristol. She presents a monthly podcast, 'As the Season Turns', about what to look out for in the month ahead and writes a free weekly newsletter, 'Lia's Living Almanac'.

Her reinvention of the traditional rural almanac has become an annual must-have for readers eager to connect with the seasons, appreciate the outdoors and discover ways to mark and celebrate each month.

(book and all media courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(all opinions are my own)

Tea at the Palace: 50 Delicious Recipes for Afternoon Tea by Carolyn Robb - #BookReview

 

During my thirteen years as a royal chef, I was very privileged to call some of Britain's most splendid royal palaces and castles my 'place of work'. It was immensely inspiring to cook for such incredible people in such impressive surroundings. Each royal residence has its own distinctive character, traditions and ambience, dictated by its whereabouts and its history, which in many cases, dates back hundreds of years. I have created this collection of special recipes in celebration of a unique aspect of each of the twelve superb locations.

***

Set against a backdrop of twelve of Britain’s most stunning palaces and residences, the recipes are a mix of traditional, contemporary and whimsical; each one with its own unique twist.

 

Every chapter tells a tale, with inspiration drawn from sources as diverse as a 200-year-old royal banquet menu, an intriguing 17th-century chocolate kitchen commissioned by William III and Queen Victoria’s highland retreat.

Gingerbread soldiers in sentry boxes, striking raspberry swirl meringues, miniaturised cream scones, cacao nib nuggets and warm salmon tartlets are just a few of the teatime temptations.

 

Written by the Former Personal Chef to TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales.  

***

I don't often review cookery books, but when I do I always like to have a go at one of the recipes before I write it, and this is no exception. I needed to make a cake as the centre piece for my WI's Jubilee Celebration so this book was perfect to find a recipe for this occasion (more about my efforts later.)

There are some truly sumptuous looking cakes and bakes in this book, all of which have all been beautifully photographed by John Kernick, making it a visual delight. I could have happily baked my way through most of the recipes. 

However, not only are the photographs of the bakes gorgeous but there are also wonderful photos of the royal palaces. The recipes are divided up by royal residence with appropriate bakes attributed to each venue. They are: 

Buckingham Palace

Sandringham House

Kensington Palace

Hampton Court Palace

Brighton Pavilion

Highgrove House

Blenheim Palace

Balmoral Castle

The Castle of Mey

Kew Palace

Windsor Castle

Caernarfon Castle

In each section, Ms. Robb writes about her experience at each royal residence, followed up with recipes she has cooked. I did, in fact, use two of the recipes to make one cake as I needed the quantities of cake mixture from the White Chocolate and Mint Cake (Highgrove House) but with the filling of the Strawberry Bunting Cake (Buckingham Palace).

I found the recipe in this timely publication easy to follow and I was very happy with the result.

Anyone who enjoys baking or reading about the Royal Family would enjoy this book, and I can envisage it one that I would come back to on several subsequent occasions.

ISBN: 978 0711279650  

Publisher: White Lion Publishing

Formats: e-book and Hardback

No. of Pages: 160 (hardback)

About the Author:

Born and raised in South Africa, Carolyn Robb’s culinary education began at ‘The Tante Marie School of Cookery’ in Surrey, UK. Her first job was at Kensington Palace cooking for TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester after which she served as the personal chef for TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry for 11 years. Since then she has lived and worked in Dubai, California and the UK, as a culinary consultant, in event management, product development, in the travel sector and as a food critic, judge and author. Tea at the Palace is Carolyn’s second book. 

(author photo courtesy of Speakers Connect 

 bio info courtesy of The Quarto Group

ARC courtesy of NetGalley)