Thuraya: Recipes From Our Family's Kitchen in Jordan

Lushly photographed and evocatively written, this tribute to traditional Jordanian cooking is named for the author’s mother, born into a large family in Amman. It’s the first book we’ve seen dedicated to Jordan and we’re excited that it is so strong.

At more than 360 full-color pages, the self-published Thuraya weaves together the story of a family and a country, linking language, tradition, and the modern world without sacrificing any of its identity to trendiness.

An extensive guide to ingredients introduces readers to the likes of samneh baladi (a spiced ghee), jameed (sun-dried balls of yogurt), and jaranek (sour plums). Recipe headnotes provide good context, helping us understand which dishes are everyday, which are for special occasions, and how different cooks may create their own variations.

There are recipes for Middle Eastern staples such as falafel (Mansour uses a combination of chickpeas and fava beans), mujaddara, the rice and lentil pilaf served with crispy onions, and grilled kebabs. But more distinctive to our eyes were dishes such as:

• ‘Ejjet Zahra, a cauliflower omelette with a hint of cinnamon

• Makdous, preserved baby eggplant stuffed with walnuts and red peppers

• Galayet Bandora, a garlicky tomato stew which sometimes contains beef or lamb

• Hilbeh, an airy semolina cake flavored with fenugreek

Recipe names appear in Arabic script, transliterated Arabic, and English.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.