By Barbara Abdeni Massaad
2015, Interlink, 978-1-56656-089-4, $30 hb.
Reviewed by Alia Yunis on March 1, 2016
Good food and good photography are natural companions, and here they come together for a good cause. Cookbook author Barbara Abdeni Massaad has made a career photographing Lebanon’s back roads in search of its culinary heritage. Recently, that has also meant meeting some of the country’s thousands of Syrian refugees.
Her intimate portraits of these displaced men, women and children are paired with unique soup recipes from a very different set of friends—celebrity cookbook authors and chefs. Contributors include Alice Waters, Claudia Roden, Paula Wolfert and Greg Malouf. Levantine cooks also provide local flavors, such as Aziz Hallaj’s Aleppo Red Lentil with Verjuice and Paola Skaff’s Pumpkin Soup with Cardamom.
All profits from the sales of the cookbook will be donated to help fund food relief efforts through various nonprofit organizations. Most Syrians hope that one day they will be able to return to their country and rebuild their lives. For now, though, what we can do is listen to their pleas. Be part of this vital work of saving lives and help us deliver essential food items to the displaced refugees.
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