Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Soup for Syria: Recipes to Celebrate our Shared Humanity Hardcover – October 13, 2015 by Barbara Abdeni Massaad (Interlink Pub Group ) (IBRCookBooks) (Interlink Books)



Soup for Syria is a wonderful book on many levels. The recipes are delicious, yet simple to prepare; the photographs are beautiful; and the profits help people. I discovered this book because of my theology class's concern about Syrian refugees. I bought ten copies----one for each member of the class. At the next meeting, we ate Greek Chickpea Soup with Lemon and Rosemary (page 77)-----satisfying to body and soul. Other favorites are Carrot and Ginger Soup, Curried Cauliflower Soup, and Iranian Pomegranate Soup. I can't wait to try Green Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs and Sauteed Shrimp.

Soup is the ultimate comfort food; war is not. Soup for Syria gently stirs the two together: a variety of comfort-ready recipes from well-known food writers and chefs share the pages with a variety of faces often smiling, always with eyes wide open of the Syrian refugee crisis. The intimate photographs are a gentle reminder of the discomforts beyond our kitchen; the recipes the opportunity to experiment with a global collection of soup ideas, particularly from the Mediterranean region that Syria is a part of. Little twists and turns with tomato, bean and pasta soups may inspire you to create your own variations, hot or cold, while other recipes introduce less familiar soup ingredients, like bulgur wheat, yogurt and verjuice. The requisite chicken soup is here, but this book is particularly comforting for vegetarians and vegans. As we indulge in these recipes, we pray for the day Syrians will once again be able to sit down together over a bowl of soup in their own kitchens. 
Alia Yunis, filmmaker and author of The Night Counter

In Farsi, the word for chef is ash-paz someone who is capable of making ash, or herb soup. The ash dishes of Iran are held very dearly, and the act of making them is often regarded as an act of love or dedication. I would like to think that as you make this recipe you will remember those who are in exile from Syria, who have no kitchen or soup pot or indeed anyone for whom or with whom to make soup. 

About the Author

Barbara Abdeni Massaad is a food writer, TV host, cookbook author, and a regular contributor to international cooking magazines. She is the author of Interlink's bestselling cookbook Man'oushe : Inside the Street Corner Lebanese Bakery. She won the the Gourmand Cookbook Award and the International Academy of Gastronomy Award for Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, she moved to Florida at a young age. She gained her real culinary experience while helping her father in their family-owned Lebanese restaurant Kebabs and Things. After moving back to Lebanon in 1988, and completing university there, she decided to pursue her passion for cooking. Determined to gain proper experience within the culinary world, Barbara trained with several renowned chefs at Lebanese, Italian, and French restaurants. She is also a founding member of Slow Food Beirut and an active participant in the International Slow Food movement. She lives in Beirut with her husband and three children.

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