Title:	Taste of Beirut
	Author:	Joumana Accad
	Published:	2014, HCI
	No. of Pages:
	Cover Price:	$18.95 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle

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Joumana Accad, who has been promoting Lebanese food on her blog, tasteofbeirut.com for some time, presents her first cookbook, Taste of Beirut. This beautiful cookbook contains recipes for popular, well-known Lebanese dishes, as well as new and not-so-well-known dishes. It also has helpful information on ingredients, do's and don'ts of Lebanese cooking and eating, and beautiful color photographs. The recipes are easy to follow with step-by-step instructions.

Since most cooks are busy and want to locate recipes in a hurry, a detailed index is essential to a good cookbook; Taste of Beirut has an excellent index, as well as table of contents. The biggest problem with this book is deciding which dish to try next, since there are so many that sound good. Many of the recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less, and others can be made ahead. Accad's recipe for hummus is luscious, and since it is an essential component of the traditional Lebanese mezze table (appetizers and/or first course) and also an indispensable addition to many Lebanese meals, it's a good recipe to start with. After tasting this hummus, which is very easy to make, fewer people will be purchasing the sub-standard so-called hummus in grocery stores. Her recipe for baba ghanouj is equally delicious, and both are made even better served with fresh very thin pita from the recipe in the book. There are yummy salad recipes, including an excellent one for the ever-popular fattoush, dozens of mouth-watering main dishes, and irresistible desserts.

The bottom line is this: anyone who loves Middle Eastern food will love this book, and every cook, whether seasoned or beginner will be able to create picture-perfect dishes because of the clear, concise instructions. Highly recommended.

An advanced review copy was supplied by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
Taste of Beirut: 175+ Delicious Lebanese Recipes from Classics to Contemporary to Mezzes and More, Paperback
Taste of Beirut: 175+ Delicious Lebanese Recipes from Classics to Contemporary to Mezzes and More, Kindle