Souk to Table

Book Review: Souk to Table by Amina Al-Saigh

Rating: 5 Stars

As a huge fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, I was beyond excited to dive into Souk to Table: Vibrant Middle Eastern Dishes for Everyday Meals by Amina Al-Saigh. This cookbook is a delightful treasure trove of over 100 easy-to-make recipes that beautifully blend traditional and modern Middle Eastern flavors. Amina, a popular food blogger known as @hungrypaprikas, really understands the struggle of busy weeknights and has crafted this book to make cooking accessible without sacrificing the bold, exquisite flavors we all crave.

The book starts off with a fantastic introduction to “My Middle Eastern Pantry.” Here, Amina lays out the essential ingredients that form the backbone of her recipes, making it easy for anyone to stock their kitchen with what they need. Following this guide are sections divided by meal types: from "Condiments and Dips" to "Salads and Sides," and even "Main Dishes in 30 Minutes." There’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking for quick weeknight dinners or more elaborate weekend feasts.

What I love most about Souk to Table is how approachable it makes Middle Eastern cooking. Each recipe is accompanied by stunning photography that makes your mouth water before you even start cooking. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, with helpful notes on alternative ingredients for those who might not have access to everything. The "Deconstructed Turkish Manti" and "One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo" were both huge hits in my house—seriously, my family couldn't get enough!

In a world where cooking can sometimes feel overwhelming, Amina’s book is like a warm hug that invites you into the vibrant flavors of the Middle East without the intimidation factor. Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting out, Souk to Table is definitely a must-have addition to any foodie’s collection. I can’t wait to try more recipes from this gorgeous book—it’s truly a celebration of culinary heritage that enriches our everyday meals!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I loved everything about this cookbook. It checks all the boxes! Beautiful photos, simple recipes, complex recipes and most of all there is a recipe for every type of eater or diet. I love all of the dip selections and soups! The mudhammara pasta is outstanding and so inventive!!

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful cookbook. It's filled with recipes that are delicious!

Souk to Table is a book of vibrant Middle Eastern dishes for everyday meals.

Author Amina Al-Saigh grew up with family dinnertimes of delicious dishes cooked from scratch by her Iraqi mum. She started a food blog of her own when on maternity leave for her first child, on which she published Middle Eastern recipes with measurements (as many people from the previous generation cooked with their senses rather than precise quantities) as well as helpful tips and tricks on how to make the process easier and faster.

The book is divided into several sections. "My Middle Eastern Pantry" presents the pantry and fridge ingredients used throughout the recipes in this book. After this follow the recipes themselves, divided into the following categories: "Condiments and Dips", "Salads and Sides", "Main Dishes in 30 Minutes", "Main Dishes in 1 Hour", "Main Dishes Worth the Effort", "Main Dishes Soups & Stews", and "Desserts and Drinks"

The dishes are beautifully photographed and notes on alternative ingredients or methods are included for most of the recipes. Her cauliflower fritters were a big hit with my kids, and I can't wait to try the sheet-pan chicken shawarma and the one-pot shrimp and rice!

A recommended read for people who would love to cook like Ottolenghi but are short on time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A goregous cookbook full of recipes that I am dying to make and eat! The pictures are so vibrant, and the food looks like it could jump right onto my table.

4.5⭐ I love this cookbook! It has so many great recipes in it. And each recipe has a full page photograph to go with, so you can see the delicious dish before you make it! There are 100 mouth-watering recipes in this book, and I'm planning to work through as many as I can.

Her layout for each recipe is easy to read, and her instructions are easy to follow. There's a very informative section at the front of the book describing all the pantry items you will need for these recipes. Most items can be found in your local grocery store.

I love lamb tagine, and have been making it for many years. Amina's recipe is very similar to mine. I use apricots and raisins, she uses prunes. Next time I'm going to try prunes!

Amina is also a food blogger, @hungrypaprikas , where some of these recipes are featured, along with beautiful photos! She is first generation Arab Canadian and has offered up recipes for meals she made with her family while growing up. It doesn't get any better than this!

Thank you Amina Al-Saigh and NetGalley for this ARC. The above is my own and personal opinion.

I would give this cookbook ten stars if possible; everything is incredible, from the recipes to the photos! The recipes are easy to follow and flavourful, and the cookbook is organized incredibly well, so it's easy to understand and find recipes from quick mains for weeknights to longer weekend recipes. I recommend this cookbook to anyone looking to venture out of their comfort zone or get a great cookbook with accessible, delicious, crowd-pleasing favourites!

The presentation of the recipes was great and multiple looked really interesting to try. And more vegetarian than I expected. This would be a good gift.

This is a gorgeous cookbook full of recipes I can't wait to make! I love how the book categorizes recipes in an easy to navigate way. I enjoyed the photos of the dishes and want a copy for my brother who likes to cook. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Souk to Table is a well written, appealing, and traditional general Middle Eastern cookbook with recipes collected and developed by Amina Al-Saigh. Due out 8th Oct 2024 from Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Besides the generosity of spirit and hospitality deeply tied to food traditions in the Middle Eastern countries, the food is beautiful to look at, exotic for many folks who live in North America, and importantly, deliciously healthy.

The author has collected recipes from the whole Middle East, adjusted them slightly in some areas to make the ingredients more easily sourced for western readers, and written them down in an accessible way.

The recipes are arranged thematically: condiments & dips, salads & sides, 30 minute dishes, 1 hour, "worth the effort" (more complex/time consuming), soups & stews, and drinks & desserts. Each recipe is written with an introduction and area from which it comes, yields, estimated prep time, bullet list of ingredients, and step by step prep and cooking directions. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) measurements with metric measures in parentheses (yay!).

Most of the ingredients will be readily available at well stocked international type grocery stores, or larger urban grocers in most of North America/Europe.

A high point of the book is the excellent photography throughout. The food is attractively and professionally styled and photographed in color. The author has also used a fair amount of effort to provide a comprehensive pantry list and spice/seasoning primer for general audiences.

The cross referenced index includes ingredients by single entry, for easy lookup of particular recipes. (Don't know why this isn't -standard- in all cookbooks!).

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I shall say very sincerely that everything in this book is mouthwatering.
Years ago, I was so in love with the food in a Middle Eastern restaurant in a European city, and never since have seen the same quality of recipes, food and representation of those recipes/meals until this book.
I am so getting this, and also gifting this when it is released.

This is such a great cookbook! I will no longer have to miss the tastes of my childhood!

I love that it has all different Middle Eastern countries together so that I can try the versions of the good food I grew up with!