In Syria: Recipes from Home, Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi, two food fanatics, bring the beauty and tenacity of the Syrian people to life within its pages. Despite incredible odds and harsh conditions, the people of this country still rejoice in the celebration of food and family.

The pair travelled across Europe and the Middle East meeting Syrian women, some who were living in tents, on the street or in one room apartments, but all were bravely fighting back against the destruction of their homes with the only way they know how through cooking. Following traditions and sharing dishes kept their sense of home alive. 

Throughout the book we meet these women - Hala, Tahani, Ahlam, Mona, Israa, Shaima, Fedwa, and Razan. We often see their stunning faces in photographs surrounded by the words of their escape from whatever hell they were living through and how their food memories and recipes kept them strong. Their favorite recipes and dishes are shared and for some there is no happy ending - just survival. 

The recipes are vibrant and approachable. The women are the same. While Syria is a cookbook and shares recipes such as Sweet stuffed pancakes, Turmeric cake, Freekeh with chicken, and Baba ganoush with minced lamb, the book shines in the narrative that reflects the indeliable spirit of the women of Syria.

Special thanks to the publisher for sharing one of the recipes from this truly spectacular book and for offering three copies in our contest opened to members worldwide. Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter. 

 

Za'atar flatbread
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(Mana'eesh)

SERVES 6

  • 3 tbsp za'atar
  • 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 x 320g pack of puff pastry
  • Fresh mint leaves, to serve
  • ½ tomato, diced, to serve


Preheat the oven to 160ºC/fan 150ºC/gas mark 3, then mix the za'atar with the olive oil.

Roll out the pastry and, using a pastry brush, spread the za'atar olive oil all over, leaving a 2.5cm border around the edges.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the pastry puffs up and turns golden brown.

Serve with fresh mint and tomato on top.

Recipe from SYRIA: Recipes from Home by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi, which is published by Trapeze in hardback and eBook. Photography by Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton.  

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members worldwide. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on November 21st, 2017.