Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan by Sonia Uvezian

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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Seafood and vegetable soup (Shurabat samak)

    • MWFhome on September 29, 2014

      This soup is delicious. Make with cod and shrimp, white wine from Abruzzi, and used an off-the-shelf seafood stock in place of the water.

  • Lamb stew with yogurt (Laban ummo or Shakriyya)

    • Barb_N on February 25, 2026

      I made this with boneless lamb shoulder and goat kefir. I seasoned the meat with ‘grilled meat spice’ mix from Galilee; primarily coriander, cumin, turmeric and sumac. I ‘cooked’ the kefir in spite of the notes indicating that goat or sheep yogurt would not separate. I didn’t want to take a chance. The extra ten minutes were worth it- tender cubes of lightly seasoned meat in a silky yogurt sauce. Note that the meat does braise for 60-90 minutes before adding the dairy so it does require advanced planning and time. I will mark this recipe for a repeat when we want a change of pace.

  • Green beans in olive oil (Lubiyya bi zayt)

    • ellabee on September 10, 2022

      Needs longer to cook than specified. Long prep for beans (trimming & cutting lengthwise) but once done is great to have on hand in summer; improves with a day in fridge. Good cold, room temp, or rewarmed. Goes well w/cheesy mains like omelet, pasta carbonara, corn fritters, potato gratin, etc.

  • Sour cherry jam (Murabba al-karaz al-hamud)

    • Barb_N on July 04, 2020

      I skipped the maceration step as my cherries were popped in the freezer unpitted to save them after an overly ambitious trip to the farmer’s market (they had a buy 5 get one pint free, my daughter reminded me). Once they were thawed and pitted they were already very soft. This method saved them turning to mush as you lift the cherries out with a slotted spoon then further reduce the juices. Despite the lack of pectin mentioned in many recipes, this set up firm.

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  • ISBN 10 0970971680
  • ISBN 13 9780970971685
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Jan 01 2001
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 438
  • Language English
  • Edition 2nd
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher The Siamanto Press
  • Imprint The Siamanto Press

Publishers Text

Located in the very heart of the Eastern Mediterranean, the area comprising Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan has provided the world with what is considered by many to be Arab food at its best. In this landmark, one-of-a-kind volume Sonia Uvezian gives this time-honored cuisine the kind of presentation it truly deserves. Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen is a revelatory work rich in personal reminiscences, insightful quotations, anecdotes, and proverbs, valuable information on ingredients, utensils, daily meals, and traditions, and evocative period illustrations.

Sonia Uvezian's many memories and associations establish a sense of place and emotional pull rarely encountered in Middle Eastern culinary literature. The Eastern Mediterranean kitchen in the title is actually that of her family's summer home in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon's fertile agricultural and winemaking region, as well as the one in their Beirut apartment. It is where the Uvezians prepared the food they grew themselves or bought from nearby farms, orchards, and markets.

Written by a leading authority on Middle Eastern and Caucasian cooking and over two decades in the making, this is a fascinating and highly original book imbued with a keen historical perspective and a deep respect for the region's cultural heritage. Few cookbook authors have approached their subjects with the thorough, painstaking research reflected in this work. A profound understanding of Eastern Mediterranean food shines through in its hundreds of superb, clearly written recipes, which are often preceded by illuminating introductory remarks. From the definitive and much-needed section on pomegranates and pomegranate molasses through the fabulous chapters on desserts and beverages, this book provides indispensable reading for anyone interested in the cookery and culture of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Like the author's groundbreaking classics, The Cuisine of Armenia and Cooking from the Caucasus, which were among the first to bring Middle Eastern and Caucasian cooking to America, it is long on such traditional dishes as tabbuleh and baklava but also includes innovations, among them Damascus-Style Cheese Dip with Toasted Sesame Seeds and Nigella and Grilled Quail with Sour Cherry Sauce.

Timeless and timely, Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen is a welcome blend of outstanding scholarship and entertaining reading. A genuine contribution to culinary literature that has already achieved the status of a classic, it will be a treasured addition to the library of anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking.

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