Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume: Cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean

When, like me, you have something of a mania for collecting Middle Eastern cookbooks, each new purchase carries with it an increasing risk, especially if you are buying it 'blind', that it will offer nothing new but instead every recipe will more or less duplicate something that has come before somewhere or another in one of your volumes, and thus end up as a bit of a pointless acquisition. I pre-ordered this on the basis of rave reviews of her earlier publications which I don't own, and I've not been disappointed as Silvena Rowe has here presented us with something of a fresh approach to the region's cuisine with plenty of new recipes, innovation and ideas.The geographical region covered is essentially restricted to Turkey and Syria rather than the wider area we would normally think of as the Eastern Mediterranean, but it also includes a certain element of 'fusion' cooking brought into some of the dishes whilst not totally losing sight of the Levantine essence, and the feel is very contemporary and up to the minute rather than merely harking back to classics.It's a well presented and colourful volume, with a standard division into mezze, starters, boreks, pilafs & salads, meat, fish vegetables and sweets; generally it has one recipe to one page, mostly accompanied by an opposing excellent photograph, and a minimum of irrelevant location photographs which serve as padding in many other similar cookbooks.Some sample recipes:MezzeSuzme (strained yoghurt, a.k.a. labneh) and goats' cheese rolled in za'atar, sumac and pistachiosAubergine, Aleppo chilli and pomegranate jamRed lentil kofte with pomegranate and coriander saladJerusalem artichoke 'hummus' with lamb and sumacLamb and pistachio kofte with tahini and pistachio sauceLamb and spinach yoghurt pastry pyramids (looking a bit like giant versions of the Turkish manti)Fennel and feta kofte with walnut taratorStartersChickpea and courgette kofte with mulberry and chive flower saladSumac braised nettles topped with onion seedsCheddar, coriander and chard gozleme (pastries)Chilled sweet pea and watercress soup with rose petal cream (the photo on the cover)Pilafs and saladsKadirga pilaf with pistachios, almonds and currents, topped with Bechamel saucePerdeli pilaf with duck confit, raisins and pine nutsPink grapefruit, avocado and pomegranate salad with nasturtium flowers (a riot of colour)MeatSpice scented spring lamb with quince and mustard relishPomegranate glazed kebabs with spiced pomegranate chutneyAl Halabi style kebabs with walnuts and pine nuts served with potato moutabelZa'atar and pistachio crusted poussin with quince and rose jamFishSea bream with currants and pistachios and a blood orange sauceSea bass with wild garlic en papillote poached in rakiRed mullet with pine nuts, currants and gremolataVegetablesMung beans with caramelised onions and nigella seedsAubergine stacks with pomegranate, mint and yoghurt sauceWild asparagus and green herb tart with pomegranate dressingCumin scented broth of celeriac, summer squash and orangeDessertsMaple glazed roasted figs with pistachio pralineFig and cardamom ice creamPink peppercorn and cardamom meringues with mulberries and white chocolateIstanbul orange and vanilla baklavaProbably the only downsides are that there a few ingredients here and there which will be a little hard to come by, and that some combinations of ingredients within recipes are not exactly in season simultaneously - not necessarily a problem with our present day all year round availability of many items, but goes a little against the modern trend towards returning to seasonal eating. Nevertheless, with its fresh and innovative recipes it's a most welcome addition to my collection.

The book arrived at tea time, and we ate our first meal from it for dinner the same night - it conjoured up such instant enthusiasm!Other reviewers have commented on the use of exotic ingredients: I only live in a medium sized town, and have seen nothing in the book that I can not buy locally. Unless you live in a very remote community, then I do not think you will have a problem sourcing what is required.I bought this because I enjoy 'Feasts' by the same author. As a vegetarian, there will be recipes I will not be using, but I still consider it a worthy addition to my groaning shelves. It has even made me reconsider my holiday destinations!My only complaint about the writer's last book was the quality of the actual paper - no complaints this time. The only slightly odd thing that needs to be noted before you start cooking is that, unusually, the heat & timings are given for a fan oven, not a conventional electric oven, and adjustments may be needed.

Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume, even the title is evocative that it made me want to buy this book for my collection.The recipes in this book are absolutely awesome and the vibrant pictures that go with them do not disappoint the eye.By cooking some of these recipes so far have made me appreciate cuisine from Eastern Mediterranean. I simply adore the following recipes so far;Stuffed Vine Leaves with Summer Squash,Rice and Pine Nuts,Lamb and Pistachio Kofte with Tahini and Pistachio Sauce,Baba Ghanoush,Sujuk Sausage Roll,King Prawn and Blood Orange Charmola Salad,Lentil, Rice and Lamb Soup,Cheddar, Coriander Chard Gozleme,Kadaifi wrapped King PrawnsNow, aren't the above recipes what you would like to eat; cook for the family or to make when throwing a dinner party.

I am a keen cook and have quite a collection of cookbooks. This one is outstanding on several levels. The pictures are gorgeous and the text outside the recipes is interesting and engagingly written. Most importantly: the recipes are clearly written and turn out delicious: I have tried lots of them and have had many compliments from dinner guests thanks to the book. These Ottoman-based, Bulgarian and Georgian flavours and combinations are exotic and wholesome at the same time. Only one small criticism: Ms Rowe sometimes forgets to mention seasoning (with salt). But if you cook, you should be tasting as you go along! I like this book so much I have gifted it four times.

This is possibly the most veggie friendly cook book I've bought that isn't veggie.It has a huge range of dishes and I've yet to get stuck in but I'm pleased with my purchase so far.

Inspirational and delicious. Just spent the last 3 weeks learning to master a range of dishes from this wonderful recipe book to extend what we eat at home on a regular basis. Have loved every single recipe - tried and tested twice on family and friends. Simple to follow, some great time savers and enjoyed the history behind some of the recipes too. Highly recommend.

Fabulous, really love the different recipes and different flavours and the ingredients are not difficult to find. A beautiful book. A friend called today and saw it on the table and after a quick look she ordered one too.

A good read even if you don't cook. But if you do cook this book is a must have. Good value