Rose Water and Orange Blossoms

I got a sneak peek at a ebook proof of Rose Water and Orange Blossoms by Maureen Abood, a Lebanese-American who recently took her first trip to Lebanon. When she arrived, she found family who welcomed her with open arms.

And of course, she ate.

Abood had always liked to cook, and she liked to cook Lebanese food, and always thought about writing Lebanese recipes for others to make. She spent time in kitchens of family members who cooked, and eventually she went to culinary school.

The stories in Rose Water and Orange Blossoms came from family history, and many of the recipes are classic Lebanese dishes. Others are inspired by Lebanese ingredients and style of cooking, but are new inventions.

The recipes emphasize spices, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, grains, and fresh herbs - for a lot of healthy recipes.

Since I have a proof version, I can't share any recipes - editing and corrections were likely done before the book was sent to print. But I can tell you that the recipes look pretty amazing, and unlike some ethnic cookbooks, the ingredients shouldn't be too hard to source. Pomegranate molasses is one of the more unusual items, and that's not too hard to find these days.

There are little stories throughout the book that make the recipes more personal and the photos are lovely. I'm looking forward to snagging a finished copy of this book,