The oldest kitchen in the world 4,000 years of Middle Eastern cooking passed down through generations

De Mayee is here to correct the record. Until now, he writes, there hasn't been a specific cookbook devoted to Assyrian cooking, the cuisine of Christians from the Middle East. The author credits his mother, Smuni Turan, "the world's best Assyrian chef," as the true author of this cookbook and does a very empathetic rendering of her recipes as well as her experiences in her Turkish village homeland and the Netherlands, where the author was raised. (He writes it because, as he notes, "my mother grew up in a place and time when girls didn't learn to read or write.") Thanks to this mother-son effort, the Assyrian roots of iconic foods like baklava, kebabs, and steak tartare are visible. The specifics of Assyrian cuisine can be found in the pantry, with ingredients like grape molasses, mastic, and nigella seed, and in cultural traditions, such as the offering of kolonya before and after meals. These 60plus dishes require time and preparation, like maqloubeh or upside-down savory pie, but are a definite must-try.