Rose Water and Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes from my Lebanese Kitchen Hardcover – April 28, 2015

Fantastic cookbook. My favorite Lebanese cookbook. The recipes are so authentic and fun to make. It brings back happy memories of my childhood when my grandmother and aunties were all in the kitchen cooking that wonderful food.

As a long time fan of Maureen's blog I looked forward to her cookbook. I was not disappointed. This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've seen. The photography is first class. The recipes are a combination of traditional right out of her Sitto's (Grandmother's) kitchen and those that have been adapted to American tastes and available ingredients. Along with the recipes are family stories that give the book a "homey" feeling. Then there are pages of suggestions on ingredients and techniques such as how to pick grape leaves and how to peel chickpeas. As in any Lebanese community the book was put together with the help of "cousins" testing the recipes to make sure they met standards. Of course in Lebanese communities everyone is a "cousin". But the point is this isn't just the author's taste that passed or eliminated a recipe but the opinion and adaptation of and by a community.The book is well made with heavy 8X10 pages. My only disappointment was it is printed in China but that is the way of the world today.If you like this book or to get an idea of the writing style that went into the book check out the blog at http://www.maureenabood.com/ That will give you a better idea than these reviews.

If you like Middle Eastern food and you cook, this book belongs in your library. I do, and I do, and I'm glad I have it in mine. I've read it cover to cover, and tried several dishes so far. The lamb with hoummus was wonderful, although I made it easier by using prepared hoummous. The Lebanese rice with vermicelli was a perfect side dish and will go with just about anything. Some of the recipes will wait until cooler weather, and I look forward to making them. You'll need a few specialty items, but many urban areas have markets that will carry them. If not, Maureen provides sources and she's even selling some online. The book is well organized and the recipes are clearly written with enough direction for someone who hasn't cooked Lebanese before. The photos are helpful, too. There are many dishes included that I've only had in restaurants, and some entirely new to me. What I really enjoy in a cookbook is the author sharing him/herself with the reader, and Maureen does just that, sharing family stories that make the dishes part of something larger. I hope to be cooking from this book for a long time to come.

I had tried unseccessfully over the years to master a garlic sauce called Toum which accompanies grilled dishes as Lebanese restaurants in the area where I live. My sporadic attempts always produced disappointing results. One day I came across a link to "serious garlic sauce" on a blog written by Rose Water and Orange Blossoms author, Maureen Adood. I tried the recipe and produced EXACTLY what I'd been hoping for. (I am about to retire my number at the neighborhood block party as "best chef who brings weird stuff we love but have never heard of before). I have been a vocal Maureen Abood fan ever since. Her blog is really beautifully produced and quite charming. Her cookbook is the same. It's like accompanying your ethnic college friend home for a holiday break, being welcomed into her family and invited to share in the stories and the food. A very warm embrace. I own a lot of cook books; I rarely "read" them. Typically I consult them for a recipe now and again. Rose Water and Orange Blossoms not sits on our coffee table as suggested reading.

Coming from a Lebanese family, I've developed high standards when it comes to Lebanese food. It's not always easy having access to quality Lebanese food especially when you sometimes find yourself in a city where all they sell is the vomit-inducing Sabra "hummus." All the best cooks in my family are getting older or dying off before I've gotten a chance to learn some family recipes. The other thing about most relatives from the "old country" is that they do not measure anything! This book has been immensely helpful in providing a foundation of classic dishes that my family members are too old or dead to make or teach. Maureen also has many variations on classics that I've added to my arsenal. Hummus being a family staple has of course been a fan favorite. The directions are very straightforward and when there's a less common ingredient, Maureen tells you specifically where you can find it. I'm so glad that I have this book to guide me in making this exquisite food for the next generation!

Decades of soul is in the book.

I really enjoy her blog so was very excited to get the printed version of her recipes. The recipes are good but the overall presentation is lacking the style and delivery I'm used to from her.

I haven't written a book review in YEARS, but I am compelled to review this cookbook. Every recipe I've tried has been outstanding. Outstanding as in truly authentic - as good as my husband's Lebanese family cooks authentic.The fattoush salad recipe alone is worth the price of this book. We used recipes and instructions in this book to cook for 28 people on my husband's side of the family this summer and everyone was blown away. If you want to make truly incredible, from scratch, authentic Lebanese food, but ou need instructions and not just the recipe, buy this book today.