Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews

I got this from the library earlier in 2012 and tried cooking from it. I was so impressed with all of the recipes I tried, I put this at the top of my Amazon wishlist. I was just gifted this book and I can't wait to explore it even further. I am neither Jewish nor Syrian, but I find the history and photos of this so beautiful and touching - Mrs. Dweck has opened her heart as well as her family recipe book to share her heritage. I've tried the spinach-cheese frittata (p. 224), lemony allspice-cumin potato salad (p. 37), velvety lemon sauce (p. 198), carmelized onions stuffed with ground meat and rice (p. 147), and green peas and rice with coriander and meat (p. 118). All delicious. (The spinach cheese frittata is now a staple, even though I've probably already got at least 5 recipes similar to this dish.) I have found the recipes to be very clearly written and incredibly accessible. The ingredients are not so unusual that they can't be found at a good supermarket or Whole Foods: Tamarind paste, rosewater, pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo peper are the most unusual ingredients and those are all fairly common these days. There are many wonderful vegetable recipes, along with diary and meat dishes. The section on sweets and beverages could have been it's own book - it is that extensive and unique. I've got a sweet tooth so I can't wait to try SO many of them, such as candied apricots with pistachios (p. 287) and white coffee (p. 323) which is not coffee at all but an herbal infusion. (Though, I really don't like working with fillo dough, so I might skip the pistachio filla wedges in rose water syrup, p. 251. If someone would send me some I'd be most grateful.) Other recipes I'm anxious to try include tamarind-stewed meatballs (p. 162), okra in tomato sauce with meat (p. 88), red lentil soup with garlic and coriander (p. 106), eggs scrambled with rhubarb (p. 231), and roast chicken with crispy spaghetti (p. 192). Crispy spaghetti... in my house that would be considered a mistake, but in this recipe it bakes with a chicken and is served in a sauce with cinnamon and allspice. It sounds delicious. When I got this from the library, I read it almost cover to cover like a work of non-fiction, not a cookbook. it is beautiful, enlightening, heartfelt. The recipes are delicious, the photography and information are incredible - it's like cultural anthropology. I try and introduce my family to as many cultures as possible through cooking - I've always felt if you can meet anyone over their table, you will be able to make a friend. There is a heart and soul to the Syrian Jewish diaspora, and it is felt in this book. Cook from it and you will feel it too.

This book is truly wonderful! You can tell that the author put their heart and soul into this cookbook. My grandparents are Syrian Jews from Aleppo and I’ve been looking for a Syrian Jewish cookbook. This book exceeded all expectations, as it contains a lot more than just recipes. Full of history and photos, I’ve already learned so much. The book itself is great quality, clear photos and good size and binding. If you’re either Syrian, Jewish, or Syrian Jewish and you like traditional dishes I recommend this book 10/10!

Do you remember the smell of your grandmothers kitchen when she prepared food for the Shabbat or the holidays? If you didn't have the opportunity as me to get her recipes while she was alive, then this is a great book to get. Both my grandmothers came from Aleppo so this book is almost a treasure of sefaradic kitchen. Great buy!

Aromas of Aleppo is a beautiful book, worthy of displaying, but the recipe's are really why this book is a must have. My aunt and I made the stuffed artichokes with tomato sauce for the holidays and accompanied them with the browned onion and lentil rice, and a beet salad. Not only was there not a bite left after dinner, there were cries for more. My family is mostly American from an Eastern European background, and half are Catholic, and half are Jewish, and we are not familiar with many of the foods in this book, however, every time I make a dish from it I feel like a tradition is born. Accompanying each other to the grocery stores to find these ingredients and then cooking together in the kitchen with aromas that bring to mind far off places and exciting new flavors truly is the real magic of this cookbook. Many of the recipes in this book are extremely easy to make and the foods easy to find, but don't let the more complicated recipes and ingredients hinder you from the others, they are the ones I have found most rewarding! Even if you do not end up making one recipe from this cookbook the beautiful pictures of the dishes, as well as the text on the history and culture of the Syrian Jews make it an addictive addition to any coffee table, book shelf, or cookbook collection.

I absolutely love this book. I love Sephardic cuisine in general and was very intrigued by the cover. I was a little worried about the price tag but after owning it for a few month I believe it is very well worth the price. the book is quite heavy, very extensive, the pictures are gorgeous and the stories are great. Poppa makes the reader feel like he's part of the family, and I wish I was so I would eat her cooking! All the recipes I have tried so far are delicious and pretty well explained. A lot are quite complex, requiring specialty ingredients and involving many steps but i don't think this is a book a beginner would get anyway. It's currently in display on my coffee table, and i believe it will remain there for a while.

I might be a little biased as a picture of my mothers side of the family is prominetly pictured on the cover. but what makes this book amazing and a joy is that it provides the world a catalog of recipes that were only handed down in the kitchens of Syrian Jews, mostly from Mother to daughter. But beyond the historical and cultural aspects of a cookbook, you would also want it to be a good guide to make great tasting food. And that is what this is also. The food is very comfortable and warm. And it has a very internationally mixed feeling, combining what seems to me many elements of middle easter, meditaranian, and other cultures to make something very unique and special. If you are not familiar with Syrian food I can guarnatee you this, it will be different than anything you ever tasted, in a good way.

enjoyed the heritage part of these recipes, to experience the culture, family, and moments that went into their cooking and eating occasions. Isn't that what we should make at all our family gatherings and pass down to each generation? where we came from and how our dishes blend with that and become the fabric of our lives? Although it was centered on the American experience of Syrian Jews living here, having visited Israel and Jordan recently, it was nice to have recipes to make and enjoy all over again.

Simply the best

Box was ripped and the book arrived dirty and crumbled like it was used already . Overall I was excited about the book but I tried few recipes didn’t exactly come out to our taste.

My grandmother's recipes (though we were from Damascus)!!!!. Excellent book, I heard an interview with the author on the internet, I could recreate my family memoirs.

Acquistato per fare un regalo, ha avuto un discreto successo. Bellissima edizione con ricette molto interessanti

This really is the most marvellous book, huge in format and huge in information. Every page is full of history and of course truly wonderful recipes. I myself am not Jewish or Muslim but I found the historical text to be riveting and the photographic accompaniment superb, this is a must have book just in order to get these recipes. I have travelled extensively in Greece, Turkey and the Levantine countries and this is the kind of food that I prefer to eat almost all of the time. Virtually everything is now available either from specialist shops or on-line so the recipes can be faithfully reproduced. This is not really for the kitchen, it's far too big for that but it makes for such comfortable reading in your study, reading room or lounge. This is the kind of book I prefer to read at a desk with a cup of fresh coffee to hand, some peace and plenty of time, an hour or so is most comfortable and since buying this, I have gone back to it several times and enjoyed something new it seems, on each excursion back into the Aromas of Aleppo. It really is a fascinating book, full of practical and educational worth and I highly recommend it to one and all who have become interested in middle eastern cuisine.

El mejor libro de recetas árabes que existe actualmente, recetas muy precisas y muy antiguas que vas a querer cocinar. La portada del libro y las imágenes son de excelente calidad. recomendable al 100%