Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through the Middle East Cookbooks.
I love discovering new food and cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.
- 1. The Middle Eastern Kitchen Cookbook
- 2. Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day
- 3. Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams & Treats
- 4. Tempting Yemen Recipes
- 5. Tahini and Turmeric: 101 Middle Eastern Classics
- 6. Flavors of the Sun
- 7. Fast Feasts: Quick, easy recipes with a Middle-Eastern Twist
- 8. Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East
- 9. Good Food: Inspired by my Middle Eastern Roots and the Places I’ve Called Home
- 10. The Arabian Nights Cookbook
Middle East Kitchen
If you want to explore Middle Eastern cuisine, then these middle east cookbooks are a great place to start. Each one offers a different take on the flavors and ingredients of the region, so you can find the perfect fit for your taste buds. And who knows? Maybe one of these recipes will become your new favorite!
While many Middle Eastern recipes are available for purchase, if you want to make the best and most authentic dishes, then check out this comprehensive list of the best Middle Eastern cookbooks! Below you will find a variety of Middle Eastern recipe books, including vegan cookbooks (check out our guide on the and country-specific cookbooks. Prepare to overwhelm your senses with the flavors of Middle Eastern food!
Here is Our Selected List Of The 10 Middle East Cookbooks For You! 👇
1. The Middle Eastern Kitchen Cookbook
Review 📖
The middle eastern cookbook is available in hardcover and paperback. It was published on November 15, 2019, by Rukmini Iyer. She is an accomplished cookbook author who has more than five other cookbooks to her name. The cookbook has recipes from regions like Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Try the Baba Ghanouj, an eggplant recipe that makes enough food to serve four people. Stacey Heinrich, who purchased the cookbook in December 2020, said, “I can’t wait to try these recipes! The pictures are stunning! I’m glad to be adding this cookbook to my Middle Eastern cookbook collection.”
2. Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day
Review 📖
The hardcover illustrated Middle Eastern cookbook was published on September 1, 2020, by Eden Grinshpan. Grinshpan is currently the host of Top Chef Canada; she is also an accomplished chef who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in London. Other chefs are raving about this book! Antoni Porowski gushes about the Tahini Caesar and Lemony Mejadra recipes within the book and the unique spin that Eden Grinshpan gives to these traditional recipes.
3. Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams & Treats
Review 📖
The cookbook was released on August 18, 2021, by Salma Hage. The New York Times named Middle Eastern Sweets one of the Best Cookbooks of 2021. Salma Hage is from the Kadisha Valley in Lebanon. Middle Eastern Sweets is her fourth book. Food Network reviewed the book and said it was “equal parts recipes, travelog, and personal history.” Try the Salted Tahini and Chocolate Cookies recipe!
4. Tempting Yemen Recipes
Review 📖
The cookbook is an illustrated cookbook filled with various Middle Eastern recipes published by Rose Rivera on May 5, 2022. Yemen is a Middle Eastern country. The cookbook is available in paperback and hardcover varieties. Yemen cuisine includes goat, onions, lamb, lentils, tomatoes, and potatoes. Typical seasonings include turmeric, cumin, chili peppers, coriander, and mint.
5. Tahini and Turmeric: 101 Middle Eastern Classics
Review 📖
This book is one of the best Middle Eastern vegetarian-vegan cookbooks. Ruth Fox and Vicky Cohen released it on May 29, 2018. Fox and Cohen are sisters living on the United States East Coast. The book has enjoyed critical success. For instance, Richard Landau, the author of Vedge and V Street, raves about the personal experience shared by the authors and the guidance through ancient spices. Landau calls this cookbook a must for those looking for healthy, plant-based recipes.
6. Flavors of the Sun
Review 📖
Published on September 7, 2021, by Christine Sahadi Whelan, this guide on Middle Eastern cooking offers a comprehensive guide on using Middle Eastern ingredients like sumac, pomegranate molasses, and preserved lemons. Flavors of the Sun provides recipes for appetizers, entrees, and desserts; try the pistachio cheesecake or the tahini brownies. Whelan is the fourth-generation co-owner of Sahadi’s market in Brooklyn, New york. Sahadi’s is a James Beard Award-winning specialty grocery with a focus on Middle Eastern ingredients.
7. Fast Feasts: Quick, easy recipes with a Middle-Eastern Twist
Review 📖
Fast Feasts by John Gregory-Smith describes various quick and easy traditional recipes featuring a distinctive Middle Eastern twist. John Gregory-Smith is a chef and best-selling author specializing in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. He has written six cookbooks, and he has a Saturday Supper Club column in The Telegraph magazine. The recipes are a great introduction to the spices and culture of the Middle East, making everything accessible to novices.
8. Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East
Review 📖
The cookbook was published on May 25, 2021, by Ori Menashe, Genevieve Gergis, and Lesley Suter. The authors own multiple restaurants, including Bestia and Bavel. The cookbook by the same name as their second restaurant includes tahini, labneh, and hummus recipes. Chad Robertson is the author of another cookbook called Tartine Bread. Robertson raves about the flavorful and intense cooking shared by Ori and Genevieve. The secrets these two reveal to mastering flavor within your home with curated and carefully articulated recipes filled with guidance.
9. Good Food: Inspired by my Middle Eastern Roots and the Places I’ve Called Home
Review 📖
The hardcover cookbook by Sina Mizrahi was published on July 19, 2021. Mizrahi offers delicious dishes inspired by her Middle Eastern roots. The cookbook is an excellent addition to your kitchen, from holiday dishes to weeknight Instant Pot recipes. Try the recipe for pita bread. With only five simple ingredients, it is fresh and tasty! More than one hundred people have purchased, reviewed, and given this cookbook a five-star rating.
10. The Arabian Nights Cookbook
Review 📖
The cookbook includes beautiful illustrations and tasty recipes. It was published on October 10, 2010, by Habeeb Salloum. Salloum is a Canadian author who has been writing travel narratives and cookbooks since the mid-1990s. Recipes in the book include fish filets in a red sauce, spicy falafel patties, and stuffed zucchini. My favorite recipe is for coffee! Arabian food is a unique subset of Middle Eastern food. A review from Sante magazine said the cookbook is “a celebration of the savory and diverse foods of the Arabian Peninsula; no kabob is left unturned with this thoroughly enchanting new collection of recipes.”
Final Thoughts
From pita to tahini to mejadra, from Egypt to Palestine, the ten cookbooks listed can assist any home cook in making the most authentic and delicious Middle Eastern foods. With celebrity chefs and James Beard-award-winning restaurants affiliated with these cookbooks, the high quality of recipe descriptions is laudable.
Most cookbooks can be purchased in hardback or directly onto your Kindle for immediate access. Middle Eastern food is made accessible to everyone through these authentic recipes using particular ingredients and spices that replicate Middle Eastern flavor. So what are you waiting for? Start cooking up a Middle Eastern feast today!
