Pomegranates & Pine Nuts (US)

Successful food blogger Bethany Kehdy’s debut book offers up the enticing world of Middle Eastern and North African cooking in a stunning collection of over 100 delicious and evocative recipes.

Bethany Kehdy is renowned for the contemporary Middle Eastern and North African recipes that she publishes on her blog (dirtykitchensecrets.com). Born and brought up in Lebanon, she spent countless hours learning to cook with her perfectionist teta (grandmother), her vivacious dad and her spirited aunts. Her recipes are a harmonious balance of classic and contemporary, as she draws upon her childhood roots whilst adding her own personal twist.

The cuisines from the Middle East and North Africa share many diverse influences and gorgeous key ingredients and spices, such as pomegranates, figs, pine nuts, saffron and sumac. Passionate about food and her heritage, this former Miss Lebanon showcases the sheer brilliance of the dishes that these regions have to offer. With chapters divided into mezze, poultry, meat, seafood and vegetarian and dessert dishes, there is a wide variety of delicious recipes to suit every occasion. Some of these beautiful dishes can be thrown together from scratch in a matter of minutes, while more ambitious dishes are made easy with clear instructions and clever cooking techniques. From Whipped Hummus with Lamb to fragrant Slow-braised Spiced Squid and Chicken with Preserved Lemon Tagine to Vine Leaves with Bulgur, Figs and Nuts, there really is something for everyone. All the cuisines of the regions are covered, including Egyptian, Palestinian, Syrian, Turkish, Iraqi and Jordanian, and all the recipes are easy to make. You’ll find yourself drawn into a whole new world and a whole new way of cooking.

Bethany Kehdy is an unrivalled chef of today’s new Middle Eastern generation. Born in Houston and brought up in Lebanon, she is currently taking the internet by storm with her notable food blog, www.dirtykitchensecrets.com, which receives over 100,000 unique visitors a year, plus a growing following on Twitter and Facebook, Bethany works as a recipe developer, freelance food and travel writer and food photographer. She also leads culinary tours across Lebanon and organizes Food Blogger Connect, a conference for food bloggers.