Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon by Claudia Roden

    • Categories: Jams, jellies & preserves; Moroccan
    • Ingredients: coarse rock or sea salt; lemons
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Notes about this book

  • FionaC on December 30, 2011

    The recipes in the version of this book available in Australia are slightly different from this version!

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Lemons preserved in salt and lemon juice

    • Ganga108 on October 20, 2024

      Claudia has several different methods for preserving lemons, fabulous to see. This is the usual salt and lemon juice method. I always chop lemons into chunks for ease of use (rather than leaving whole and stuffing slits with salt).

  • Mashed eggplant and tomato salad

    • erin g on February 20, 2011

      Excellent. I replaced paprika with all ground chili to no ill effect.

    • eve_kloepper on November 06, 2011

      delicious. I served this over shredded romaine leaves. not traditional, but it worked well.

  • Grated cucumber and mint salad

    • twoyolks on June 29, 2017

      This was watery and bland. Draining in a colander removed some liquid, but I feel the cucumber needed to be salted and wrung dry to really remove the watery nature. I used an English cucumber and I would've liked to remove the seeds before grating it.

    • mjes on December 10, 2019

      Do pay attention to twoyolks note. Depending upon the cucumber you are using you may need to take additional actions to control the liquid. I used Persian cucumbers and served it immediately so colander draining with a bit of squeezing was sufficient. Loved the orange blossom and mint.

  • Potato and olive salad

    • VeryCherryBerry on March 22, 2020

      Probably my favourite potato salad. Mix ingredients when potatoes are hot and leave in the fridge to cool preferably overnight. Use the very best ingredients you can - the essence of the flavours will shine through.

    • Wilkie on April 18, 2012

      Nice, but surprisingly a little flat given the ingredients. I added capers and a plop of harissa to the leftovers for more brineyness and depth.

  • Orange, olive, and onion salad

    • sharifah on March 18, 2013

      Nice easy salad. I paired it with the Roast Lamb with cous cous and date stuffing which works really well together.

  • Sweet potato salad

    • mjes on December 10, 2019

      Trying/retrying some sweet potato recipes, I thought of Roden not sure which book I'd used. This isn't the recipe I remembered but I like the seasoning here - all the flavors marry well. However, I wasn't pleased with the "problem" that each serving gets its share of olives - or that only one or possibly two bites had olives. I understand why they aren't chopped - they should add an occasional pop - but I think cutting them in half would be an improvement.

  • Spinach salad with preserved lemon and olives

    • swegener on January 29, 2015

      This is one of my very favorite dishes of all time, which is strange for such a simple dish, but there you go. I usually make it with frozen spinach, and add some caramelized onion if I have it on hand. I can eat bowls of the stuff.

    • Laura on January 30, 2015

      Pg. 56. I made this using a regular lemon because I didn't have a preserved lemon. The recipe calls for chopping the peel, I zested it. The recipe called for 'violet olives.' I've never seen that term before, so I used kalamata olives. The recipe says to serve this cold, but I served it warm as a vegetable side. We enjoyed it, but I would like to see what it would be like when served cold.

  • Meat cigars

    • erin g on June 14, 2013

      These also require fillo pastry.

  • Roast cod with potatoes and tomatoes

    • Laura on January 15, 2010

      Pg. 76. Wow, this is a great recipe. The chermoula sauce adds wonderful flavor. I cut the potatoes into quarters, instead of slicing and used canned, whole San Marzano tomatoes because there are no good fresh tomatoes available at this time of year.

  • Cod steaks in tomato sauce with ginger and black olives

    • Laura on October 20, 2013

      Pg. 81. We thought this was good, but not great. It was very easy to prepare. The ginger was an off-note -- just didn't harmonize well with the rest of the ingredients. If I made this again, I'd eliminate the ginger. I used regular lemon zest as I did not have preserved lemons. Perhaps it would be much better with them. I prefer the cod recipe on pg. 76, 'Roast cod with potatoes and tomatoes.'

  • Prawns in spicy tomato sauce

    • Laura on April 25, 2014

      Pg. 84. I loved how quickly this came together (once the shrimp were shelled and deveined) and how healthy it is. Flavor-wise, however, the saffron was the only taste that really stood out -- not that that's a bad thing. It just wasn't nearly as spicy as I was hoping. Next time I would increase the ginger and the chili pepper.

  • Chicken with dates

    • jahqdruh on March 28, 2018

      This was fabulous. Definitely would do again.

  • Roast chicken with couscous, raisin, and almond stuffing

    • twoyolks on October 05, 2017

      The chicken was good, particularly with the cooking juices poured over it. The cooking time was perfect for my chicken. The couscous was fine but nothing special.

    • Melanie on June 13, 2014

      Incredibly flavoursome. The couscous is served on the side (and I just used instant couscous) but both components were great. Chicken skin wasn't quite as crispy as I would have liked but still a great result. Served with Melissa Clark's roast carrots & pomegranate molasses, and roast beetroots topped with minted yoghurt.

  • Tagine of chicken with preserved lemon and olives

    • kari500 on December 20, 2022

      This was easy and fairly tasty. Served over couscous with minced zucchini and peas. Up the spices next time?

  • Roast shoulder of lamb with couscous and date stuffing

    • sharifah on March 18, 2013

      I was a little worried by the amount of cinnamon & orange water required for the cous cous because as you mix them, it smelled way too strong. But the cous cous turned out very well indeed. A little too sweet for me actually with the dates, I think maybe a little fresh chopped parsley & slightly less dates may make it even nicer. I paired it with the Orange & olive salad which cuts through the sweetness of the dates.

  • Tagine of lamb with caramelized baby onions and quinces

    • mziech on October 30, 2010

      dutch version: no walnuts included

  • Tagine of lamb with apricots

    • evromans on October 02, 2011

      Lovely lamb recipe. Don't overdo the apricots and honey though, otherwise it will become too sweet (at least for my taste).

    • jahqdruh on March 28, 2018

      Agree that this is a lovely recipe, along with the caution against overly sweetening it.

  • Almond pastries in honey syrup

    • willinzuri on December 27, 2018

      these are so delicious! i substituted the orange flower water for vanilla as i couldn't find it and added cinnamon.

  • Walnut pastries in honey syrup

    • jahqdruh on March 28, 2018

      Phyllo is a pain to work with, but these little pastries were worth the effort. They were just as good the next day, too.

  • Mint tea

    • Ganga108 on October 20, 2024

      The mint is growing well this Spring, so tea is becoming usual. I always find mint tea very refreshing.

  • Roasted eggplants and bell peppers with yogurt and pine nuts

    • PinchOfSalt on August 15, 2015

      I tried this without the yogurt. Excellent!!

  • Zucchini fritters

    • MarciK on September 29, 2024

      These are very tasty with the feta in them and the herbs. They are a bit eggy, which I don’t mind at all. They were soft and some broke when trying to flip. Maybe a little more flour would have helped that.

    • jenburkholder on May 23, 2021

      Really liked these. The chunkier zucchini helped keep the fritters nicely moist. However, do add salt - the feta isn’t salty enough to carry through. Yogurt with garlic did the job for us.

  • Beets with yogurt

    • twoyolks on February 05, 2015

      The yogurt compliments the beets nicely. The mint really added a nice flavor note.

    • mirage on January 17, 2010

      Use version w/tahini and garlic

  • Bell peppers stuffed with rice, raisins, and pine nuts

    • dabilock on December 09, 2023

      p.172

    • dabilock on December 09, 2023

      Add canned tuna

  • Baked pasta with cheese

    • twoyolks on April 22, 2012

      This was very much so-so. The feta flavor did not come through at all and we used a very good, local feta.

  • Seared tuna with lemon dressing

    • westminstr on May 15, 2015

      I was looking for a simple preparation for my fresh tuna steaks, but this was a little too simple. I didn't think the lemon dressing did much for the fish, will not repeat.

  • Chicken with tomato pilaf

    • Cheri on April 30, 2011

      Quick, easy, makes good leftovers for lunch. Will try again in summer with more flavorful tomatoes.

  • Roast chicken with pine nut and raisin pilaf

    • Clog on January 14, 2023

      Superb balance of flavours

  • Lamb stew with shallots and chestnuts

    • e_ballad on October 12, 2019

      A good stew, but not more than a sum of its parts. I did like the technique for easily peeling the shallots, which I’m sure to use again for other recipes.

  • Stuffed eggplants with meat

    • thekitchenchronicles on July 24, 2017

      This eggplant was alright- but definitely not the best I've had. The filling was just a little bit bland and the preparation was time-consuming.

  • Apricots stuffed with cream

    • Lindacakes on September 24, 2011

      Easy and delicious.

  • Milk and almond pudding

    • thekitchenchronicles on July 24, 2017

      Not a fan. I know milk pudding is not supposed to be firm, but I followed the instructions to the letter and in the end it felt too soupy to really be called pudding...

  • Eggplant with pomegranate molasses

    • twoyolks on August 25, 2020

      I didn’t care for the flavor or texture.

  • Eggplant slices with pomegranate, yogurt, and tahini

    • mjes on December 10, 2019

      I used Kressi vinegar and labneh rather than yogurt. In my opinion this is best served at room temperature. I look forward to repeating the recipe when I have the optional pomegranate arils available.

  • Eggplants with tomatoes and chickpeas

    • Ganga108 on October 23, 2024

      This book has lovely eggplant recipes. This one is fairly simple and gorgeous. I tweaked it by adding a few things I had sitting on my kitchen bench waiting to be used. Served over a soft polenta and it was a very filling meal.

    • erin g on June 19, 2011

      Subbing in good balsamic vinegar for the pomegranate molasses also yields a nice dish.

  • Little puff pastry cheese pies

    • mziech on October 14, 2012

      Easy recipe, substituted the mozzarella cheese for halloumi cheese, which gave a nice result.

  • Chicken pie with onions and sumac

    • willinzuri on September 08, 2018

      This pie was very dry. It is literally fried chicken and onions in oil mixed with spices wrapped in phyllo. I enjoyed the spice blend however.

  • Chicken and chickpeas with yogurt

    • PinchOfSalt on August 13, 2014

      This is comfort food. It is tasty, but unusual (to North American palates) and not much to look at. Stale pita meets chicken in something like a middle eastern savory bread pudding. The yogurt / garlic / mint dressing adds a lot of flavor and contrast. Do not leave it out.

  • Milk pudding

    • mziech on October 14, 2012

      delicious taste. Perhaps better to let set in individual bowls/cups as it is not a very firm pudding and tends to slowly collapse....

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  • ISBN 10 0307493970
  • ISBN 13 9780307493972
  • Published Dec 18 2008
  • Page Count 352
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Knopf
  • Imprint Knopf Publishing Group

Publishers Text

In the 1960s Claudia Roden introduced Americans to a new world of tastes in her classic A Book of Middle Eastern Food. Now, in her enchanting new book, Arabesque, she revisits the three countries with the most exciting cuisines today--Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon. Interweaving history, stories, and her own observations, she gives us 150 of the most delectable recipes: some of them new discoveries, some reworkings of classic dishes - all of them made even more accessible and delicious for today's home cook.


From Morocco, the most exquisite and refined cuisine of North Africa: couscous dishes; multilayered pies; delicately flavored tagines; ways of marrying meat, poultry, or fish with fruit to create extraordinary combinations of spicy, savory, and sweet.


From Turkey, a highly sophisticated cuisine that dates back to the Ottoman Empire yet reflects many new influences today: a delicious array of kebabs, fillo pies, eggplant dishes in many guises, bulgur and chickpea salads, stuffed grape leaves and peppers, and sweet puddings.


From Lebanon, a cuisine of great diversity: a wide variety of mezze (those tempting appetizers that can make a meal all on their own); dishes featuring sun-drenched Middle Eastern vegetables and dried legumes; and national specialties such as kibbeh, meatballs with pine nuts, and lamb shanks with yogurt.


Claudia Roden knows this part of the world so intimately that we delight in being in such good hands as she translates the subtle play of flavors and simple cooking techniques to our own home kitchens.



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