The cooking of the Middle East has always had its devotees and eating at Lebanese, Turkish or Greek restaurants have delighted many people in recent years. But relatively few have tackled these dishes in their own kitchens. Tess Mallos now shows you how to produce delectable meals from the exotic world of Homer. Omar Khayyam and the Arabian Nights, with recipes carefully tested and set out in easy-to-follow steps. Many of the dishes are illustrated in eighty superb colour photographs.

The introduction to each chapter gives you an insight into the food, lifestyle and cooking methods of the area, tempered with snippets of history. An invaluable guide to Middle East ingredients, most of which are now easily available from supermarket shelves, is set out in the Glossary.

While still keeping the traditional flavour of the cooking, Tess has updated preparation methods in many instances, giving guidance on the use of modern appliances. She is also aware that many cooks today are making their own bread, pickles and preserves, and these are a special feature of the book. Information on how to preserve olives, make cheese and yoghurt and fascinating breads make this book a valuable addition to your cookbook collection.

Recipes from the following featured countries:

Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan.

Tess Mallos, born in Australia of Greek parents, has known Greek cookery from childhood. It is a natural progression from Greek food to the food of the Middle East as centuries of history have intertwined the cuisines, with each country influencing and being influenced by the others. Tess has worked as a cookery consultant for many years, specialising in recipe development and writing, as well as food preparation for photography.