It is a marvelous book. … Ms. Helou joins a number of top writers like Claudia Roden, Paula Wolfert and Nancy Harmon Jenkins, in making the Mediterranean the focus of their studies. And she has done so with depth and confidence.
Amanda Hesser, New York Times
Helou (Cafe Morocco) is a friendly, inquisitive guide who's not afraid to express her own occasional squeamishness about eating on the street, … . A fascinating introduction shows a keen understanding of the entire region (Helou herself grew up in Beirut and fondly remembers the Corniche, an area filled with vendors of snacks, sweets and drinks).
Publishers Weekly
… Outstanding ....
Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Food & Wine Magazine
Armchair traveling soars to delicious heights in "Mediterranean Street Food,".
Mat Schafer, Boston Herald
… an authentic culinary trip that will have you cooking and calling your travel agent.
Julian Armstrong, Montreal Gazette
Anissa Helou could become the Jane and Michael Stern of Mediterranean street food. … In the Sterns' style, Helou shares her on-the-road experiences with the readers. The book reads like a travel journal, punctuated with black and white photographs of the street scenes, people and dishes. … Helou manages to evoke the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of countries from Spain to Turkey.
Linda Giuca, Hartford Courant Food Editor
The author accomplishes an amazing feat: She makes you not only want to travel to Morocco, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Sicily; she also makes you want to head into your own kitchen and duplicate such dishes as Yemeni Cilantro Chutney … Merguez Sausage and French Fries … Rice, Lentils, and Vermicelli; and something known as Jerusalem Mix, which calls for lamb's testicles and nearly a dozen spices. She translates the recipes for the home cook with skill and wisdom.
Michele Anna Jordan, Press Democrat News Services
I was skeptical about the concept, since it seems the height of culinary contradiction to make street food at home. … But when I tried the meticulously presented recipes, I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I could turn my stove into a replica of a vending cart. Street food is essentially simple food that makes the most out of few ingredients. In short order, I turned out seven dishes to take my dinner guests on a whirlwind tour around the Mediterranean.
Lydia Itoi, Special to the Mercury News
… a treasure trove of new recipes to try. Helou's book lets you wander this diverse region and pick up plenty of interesting eats and stories along the way.
Lari Robling
The minimalist masterpiece that is cookbook author Anissa Helou’s austere loft is enough to make any aspiring chef cry.
New York Post
…. This book has an air of authenticity rarely found in cookbooks these days. … we tested a dozen recipes and 11 were winners, a first-class result. (Every test kitchen cook who tested recipes from this book is going to buy it.)
Cook’s Illustrated
Mediterranean Street Food is the kind of modern cookery book that many attempt but few can pull off with any authority. Helou is able to draw on her won experience of Meidterranean and Middle Eastern travel, a world she knows almost as well as she knows her onions.
Jill James, Weekend Financial Times
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