Mini Bar or Arabesque

Mini Bar: The Complete Set

Author: Mittie Hellmich

Mini Bar is the essential go-to guide for the cocktail enthusiast. Each volume in the series is filled with more than 50 traditional and original recipes that really pack a punch. Rum lovers will break out the little umbrellas for Mittie's innovative Frozen Watermelon Daiquiri and Colada Nueva; Tequila tipplers will love the agave-alicious Papaya Margarita and Tequila Sunrise; Vodka enthusiasts will find delightful concoctions in the sophisticated Martini and the festive Fig Leaf Fizz; Gin aficionados will toast concoctions like the Tasmanian Twister; and Whiskey lovers will revel in the recipe for the Perfect Manhattan.

Each volume in this new series reveals the history of its particular alcohol, as well as its distinct traits and characteristics. A glossary of essential bar tools and cocktail terminology will ensure readers that they not only will be able to walk the walk of an expert mixologist, but also talk the talk. Mini Bar is the perfect spirited stocking stuffer and a must-have for any entertainer. Cheers!

Books about marketing: Dining In or You on a Diet

Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon

Author: Claudia Roden

In the 1960s Claudia Roden introduced Americans to a new world of tastes in her classic A Book of Middle Eastern Food. Now, in her enchanting new book, Arabesque, she revisits the three countries with the most exciting cuisines today—Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon. Interweaving history, stories, and her own observations, she gives us 150 of the most delectable recipes: some of them new discoveries, some reworkings of classic dishes—all of them made even more accessible and delicious for today’s home cook.

From Morocco, the most exquisite and refined cuisine of North Africa: couscous dishes; multilayered pies; delicately flavored tagines; ways of marrying meat, poultry, or fish with fruit to create extraordinary combinations of spicy, savory, and sweet.

From Turkey, a highly sophisticated cuisine that dates back to the Ottoman Empire yet reflects many new influences today: a delicious array of kebabs, fillo pies, eggplant dishes in many guises, bulgur and chickpea salads, stuffed grape leaves and peppers, and sweet puddings.

From Lebanon, a cuisine of great diversity: a wide variety of mezze (those tempting appetizers that can make a meal all on their own); dishes featuring sun-drenched Middle Eastern vegetables and dried legumes; and national specialties such as kibbeh, meatballs with pine nuts, and lamb shanks with yogurt.

Claudia Roden knows this part of the world so intimately that we delight in being in such good hands as she translates the subtle play of flavors and simple cooking techniques to our own home kitchens.

Publishers Weekly

Roden, a leading authority on Middle Eastern and North African food and the James Beard Award-winning author of The Book of Jewish Food, provides a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating look at the cuisines of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon. Including bits of history, stories and more that 150 recipes, Roden reworks the classics, making them easier and more flavorful for today's home cook. By organizing the book by country, she makes it easy to plan meals from the same country or combine various recipes from each. In each recipe, flavors are exquisitely balanced, as in Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup; Tagine of Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives; Turkish Lamb Stew with Eggplant Sauce and Roasted Quinces; or Squabs Stuffed with Date and Almond Paste. She gives proper homage to the Lebanese tradition of serving mezze little appetizers served with drinks such as Eggplant and Tahini Dip (Baba Ghanouj) and Spinach Pies. The simple desserts bring out some of the same ingredients from savory dishes such as nuts (in Pistachio Cake; Milk and Almond Pudding) as well as flowers, like Tiny Open Pancakes with Cream and Rose Petal Jam, or orange blossom water in Kataifi with Cream Filling. 93 color photos. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

A well-known authority on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, Roden turns to the cuisines and culinary heritages of three Mediterranean countries that all were at one time the center of an empire. She notes that in each there is renewed interest in the culinary past, as well as increasing popularity of the various regional cuisines. She has chosen more than 150 recipes from Morocco, Tukey, and Lebanon, some newly discovered, some variations on more familiar dishes, and a selection of favorite classic dishes. Each section opens with a fascinating insider's guide, providing both cultural and culinary history as well as information on specific ingredients and techniques. Recipes are grouped into chapters on starters and meze dishes (or mezze or kemia, depending on the country), main courses, and desserts, and include both simple country dishes such as a Chicken Pie with Onions and Sumac from Lebanon and more sophisticated ones such as Turkish Seared Tuna with Lemon Dressing. An essential purchase. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.