Forever Beirut Recipes and stories from the heart of Lebanon

Review by Booklist Review

Accomplished Lebanese chef-author Massaad (Soup for Syria, 2015; Man'oushé, 2020) lends her name and talents to this cookbook, the proceeds of which will benefit the Lebanese Food Bank, a critical organization helping rebuild Beirut after the August 2020 explosion that originated in the city's port. As she promises in her introduction, Massaad gives home chefs more than "just a set of ingredients or a to-do list." Full-color photographs of life in Beirut (shot by the author) are mixed with traditional tabletop pictures, providing a visual glimpse of people and food practices. Adding to that are paragraph-plus descriptions of each dish, along with information about possible U.S. substitutes for such foodstuffs as bream and purslane. Most of the 100 recipes will be familiar to any Mediterranean food devotee: small plates/meze like hummus and baba ghanoush; flatbreads with plenty of flavor, from Armenian meat to spicy red pepper; and sweets such as baklava. A cross-Atlantic experience designed for American cooks.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Amid memories of struggle and sacrifice, Massaad (Soup for Syria) celebrates her homeland with family recipes that have "survive across generations and help protect... our identity as a people." Small plates of hot and cold mezze offered by the tableful convey a generous spirit, with fava beans dressed in fresh herbs, chicken wings cooked in a garlic-cilantro sauce, and snails bathed in tahini. Regional forms of kibbeh--a spiced dish widely adored throughout the Middle East and composed of the typical ground meat and vegetables, such as pureed squash--are baked, fried, and grilled. For mains, whole fish is wrapped in fig leaves and grilled, while the more labor-intensive upside-down rice dish maqloubeh, a flavorful item from neighboring Palestine, offers home cooks the ideal opportunity to flex their "wit and skills in the kitchen." Vegetables are stuffed, and sweets are decidedly decadent--notably a long-cooked turmeric rice pudding that Massaad reports is one of the oldest recipes favored by the Sunni community in West Beirut. To round things out, Massaad offers an excellent selection of preserved and fermented staples (pickled turnips, pumpkin in syrup, red pepper paste) for one's pantry that reduces waste and provides a hedge against times of instability. A delicious dive into Lebanese cooking and history, this is sure to be an instant classic. (Aug.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Part travelogue and part cookbook, this ode to Lebanon provides a glimpse into the country and its famous cuisine. Lebanese-born photographer and author Massaad's (Soup for Syria; Man'oushé) gorgeous images document daily life, including the people, places, and food that makes Lebanon special. She also reflects on the political and economic strife in Lebanon and how it impacts the Lebanese people, including the recent port explosion disaster, as she writes about the resilience of the Lebanese culture and its foodways. One hundred classic recipes are delivered with history and personal narratives, which are a pleasure to read and work perfectly with the visual story. The recipes cover the bases for a traditional mezze from hummus to kibbeh, along with adaptations that are often seasonal or vegetarian. Dishes feature ingredients that reflect the diversity of the regions and people; most recipes include variations or suggestions for pairing and developing a menu. VERDICT Recommended for cookbook readers, armchair travelers, and those looking to learn more about Lebanese cuisine.--Sarah Tansley

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