From the publisher

In the 1960s Claudia Roden introduced Americans to a new world of tastes in her classic A Book of Middle Eastern Food. Now, in her enchanting new book, Arabesque, she revisits the three countries with the most exciting cuisines today—Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon. Interweaving history, stories, and her own observations, she gives us 150 of the most delectable recipes: some of them new discoveries, some reworkings of classic dishes—all of them made even more accessible and delicious for today's home cook.

From Morocco, the most exquisite and refined cuisine of North Africa: couscous dishes; multilayered pies; delicately flavored tagines; ways of marrying meat, poultry, or fish with fruit to create extraordinary combinations of spicy, savory, and sweet.

From Turkey, a highly sophisticated cuisine that dates back to the Ottoman Empire yet reflects many new influences today: a delicious array of kebabs, fillo pies, eggplant dishes in many guises, bulgur and chickpea salads, stuffed grape leaves and peppers, and sweet puddings.

From Lebanon, a cuisine of great diversity: a wide variety of mezze (those tempting appetizers that can make a meal all on their own); dishes featuring sun-drenched Middle Eastern vegetables and dried legumes; and national specialties such as kibbeh, meatballs with pine nuts, and lamb shanks with yogurt.

Claudia Roden knows this part of the world so intimately that we delight in being in such good hands as she translates the subtle play of flavors and simple cooking techniques to our own home kitchens.

Here's her recipe for Kofte Kebab with Tomato Sauce and Yogurt (Yogurtlu Kofte Kebabi), which hails from Turkey.

This is a mainstay of Turkish kebab houses, where it is often served dramatically in a dome-shaped copper dish, the type that was used in the old days at the Sultan's Palace. It is a multi-layered extravaganza. Serves 4-6.

For the tomato sauce:

1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chilli pepper, seeded and chopped
750g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1-2 tsp sugar

For the minced-meat kebab:

750g minced beef or lamb
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
100g parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 pitta breads
1 tsp sumac and a pinch more
500g yogurt at room temperature
2 tbsp butter or extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp pine nuts

Make the tomato sauce first. Fry the onion in the oil till soft. Add the garlic and chilli pepper, and stir for a moment or two. Put in the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and sugar, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until they soften.

Toast the pitta bread until it is crisp, then break it into small pieces in your hands.

Season the minced beef or lamb with salt and pepper, and work into a soft dough with your hands. Add the onion, drained of its juices, and the parsley, and work them into the meat. Shape into sausages about 2cm thick and 7cm long. Arrange on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet and cook under a pre-heated grill for about 8 minutes, turning over once, until well browned outside but still pink and moist inside.

Spread the pieces of toast at the bottom of the serving dish and sprinkle with a pinch of sumac. Pour the tomato sauce all over, and top with a layer of yogurt. Heat the butter or oil with the pine nuts and stir in the remaining teaspoon of sumac. When the butter sizzles, sprinkle all over the yogurt. Arrange the meat on top.
More Claudia Roden recipes