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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

all of the other (positive) reviews are true!, October 22, 2003

Reviewer: drbobenterprises from Philly burbs, United States

My wife is Armenian from Lebanon but it is her mom who is the cook. In turn her mom was from Aleppo, Syria, which Patricia Wells [oops, Paula Wolfert--a memory lapse]
describes as a culinary mecca in the Middle East in one of her travel food writings. This cookbook is the most authentic one for the traditional Armenian recipes of the Middle East diaspora: my mother-in-law has tested a number of them and confirms that they can be trusted.

Of course there are as many variations of these recipes as cooks (more, since when I get her to dictate recipes for posterity more than once, they always change), but these simple straightforward ones work and are good. Some of my food tales are at drbobenterprises.com.

I have bought about 15 copies of this book to give to relatives and friends over the years. Among all cookbooks in this area (and I have many as an amateur cook with a heavy cookbook habit), it stands out. So if you are interested in this cuisine, buy the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Armenian cooking made clear., September 26, 2002

Reviewer: A reader from Glendale, CA United States

I am married to an Armenian and can now finally hold my own against my mother-in-law's cooking! No small matter, as she is a fabulous cook. I have tried lots of the recipes in this book and have yet to find one that was not superb. They are all step by step which really helps to break down what can be done ahead and shows which recipes are hands-off vs those that require constant attention. I really like the variation suggestions at the end of each recipe, which have encouraged me to try my own substitutions with great success. Some of the recipes that call for baking I have cooked on the stovetop successfully so I don't have to heat up the house so much.
A lot of the recipes are VERY heavy on butter but I find I can easily cut back on that (often by 50%) and still have wonderful results. If you like middle eastern food at all you'll love these recipes.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

If you only get one Middle Eastern Cookery book..., April 22, 2001

Reviewer: Valarie J. Vousden (see more about me) from Phoenix, AZ USA

...this is the one to get! I've had the real Persian food and the pleasure of those exotic spices and combinations lingered in my memory for many years. I searched and searched for a good cookery book that I, as an American, could understand. And I found it in this book by Linda Chirinian. The variety is excellent, recipes are easy to read and follow, the colour photos (a must for me as I'm a visual person) show the food at it's sumptious best. Some of my Favourites are Morgh Polow (Chicken with Dried Fruits and rice), Kuft Sabzi (Herbed Meatballs), Shawerma (Spiced meat), Khoreshta Loobia-sabz (String bean with meat stew), Kharn Pancharaghen (mixed vegetable bake), Khoreshta Bademjan (Eggplant/aubergine stew), Bagali Shevid Polow (Lima Beans in Dill rice), Sfeha/ Lahm-bil-ajin (Yogurt meat pies). There's just a sampling, are you getting hungry? I have now given this cookbook to a few of my friends who also enjoy the sensual flavours of this type of cooking and they love theirs, too. I have not been disappointed in one thing I've made from this book yet, nor will you be. I definitely recommend this to you if you are serious about Middle Eastern cooking. I'd choose it over several others I've gotten in the past.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

A wonderfull cookbook, January 2, 2001

Reviewer: ursel13 (see more about me) from Rochester, NY United States

This is one of the best cookbooks I own. I've made nearly all the desserts and many of the other dishes. I just love this book. I use it frequently. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. She even gives tips on where to find some of the more unusual ingredients. I have at least 30 cookbooks, this is the one I turn to most often. I only know Middle Eastern cooking from restaurants but these recipes are ususally better than any I've have had from a restaurant.

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