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Man'oushé
Inside the Lebanese Street Corner Bakery
Barbara Abdeni Massaad; photography by Barbara Abdeni Massaad and Raymond Yazbeck
published 2014 • 9" x 11.5" • 200 pages • full-color photos
“Despite the dislocation caused by its civil war… Lebanon has managed to nurture its justly admired culinary traditions. Among these institutions are the city’s bakeries, each unique to its neighborhood and serving deliciously fragrant breads and pastries. Massaad’s book celebrates these bakeries and teaches how to replicate their products in a contemporary American kitchen. Specifically, man’oushé refers to breakfast bread, a disc of flat bread perfumed with sesame and wild thyme. Working from just several basic yeast doughs, Massaad shows how to form and bake a host of Lebanese breads and meat pies. A reasonably adept home baker will find Massaad’s recipes easy to follow... The book’s full-color photographs bring into focus not just the foods but also the lively characters who constitute a remarkably diverse nation.”
—Booklist
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New in paperback
“Documenting traditions, recipes and rituals ensures their survival; it is vital work. Barbara Massaad’s beautiful new book goes to the heart of Lebanese life. She is a writer and photographer, but above all she is a custodian of a wonderfully rich culture.”
—Alice Waters “I loved Barbara Massaad's Man’oushé, and feel the same way about her latest book, Mouneh. In both books, she opens up the world of Lebanese gastronomy in a unique way, connecting it to Lebanese culture while providing wonderful mouth-watering recipes. I couldn't ask for more.”
—Paula Wolfert THE ARABIC PIZZA THAT IS FAST BECOMING THE WORLD’S MOST FAVORITE SNACK The man’oushé is the cherished national pie of Lebanon. It has a reserved place on the country’s breakfast table and has the unique ability to be worked into every meal of the day due to its simple versatility. Barbara Abdeni Massaad’s cookbook is dedicated entirely to the art of creating the perfect man’oushé. With over 70 simple recipes, it offers you a way to enjoy these typical pies—traditionally baked in street corner bakeries—in the comfort of your own home. Man’oushé: Inside the Lebanese Street Corner Bakery is a journey to discover Lebanon’s favorite snack. One only has to leaf through the pages in order to realize that this typical Lebanese creation can be as simple as an on-the-go breakfast and as intricate as a family meal. Accompanied by Raymond Yazbeck, the author set out on a quest throughout the country in order to find every available recipe that the nation had to offer. On their journey they fell upon people and stories that inspired Barbara to create a book that is more than just a cookbook, but a way to bring out the flavor of a country through the exploration of its people through words and images. Anyone who enjoys the simplicity of good food and appreciates a good story will love this book from cover to cover. Barbara Abdeni Massaad is a food writer, TV host, cookbook author, and a regular contributor to international cooking magazines. 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. Raymond Yazbeck is one of Lebanon’s leading photographers focusing on his country’s social and cultural heritage. His photographs appeared in numerous local and international magazines. Since 1988, he has been the official photographer of the prestigious Baalbeck Festival. His books include The Stone, The Holy Valley and Expressions.
Interlink Books
“Man’oushe is the definitive guide to baking the namesake flatbread. It is organized by topping, with chapters on za’atar, wild thyme, as well as ones on sweet renditions like chocolate and halawa.”
—Felicia Campbell, Saveur “Documenting traditions, recipes and rituals ensures their survival; it is vital work. Barbara Massaad’s beautiful new book goes to the heart of Lebanese life. She is a writer and photographer, but above all she is a custodian of a wonderfully rich culture.”
—Alice Waters “I loved Barbara Massaad's Man’oushé… she opens up the world of Lebanese gastronomy in a unique way, connecting it to Lebanese culture while providing wonderful mouth-watering recipes. I couldn't ask for more.”
—Paula Wolfert
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