Review by Booklist Review
In July 2015, restaurateur Alarnab bade farewell to his family and fled his beloved Damascus. Three months later, he arrived in the UK and today owns a much-lauded London restaurant. Damascene cuisine will seem familiar to anyone experienced in Middle Eastern cooking, but the particular flavors that infuse Alarnab's hummus, baba ganoush, fattoush salad, falafel, kuftah, tabbouleh, kibbeh, and much more reflect his own take on Syrian traditions. (Even before laying out recipes, Alarnab directs cooks in creating a number of spice and herb blends.) Recipes are clear, and many questions may be answered by the color photographs. But the beating heart of this cookbook is the saga of Alarnab's escape from Assad's malevolent regime, a solo trek that put him at the mercy of human traffickers. Eventually reaching Calais, he slept for days on the steps of a church. He survived only through the ministrations of locals, who provided shelter, food, and advice. Anyone who wants to know what it means to be a refugee will be staggered by Alarnab's harrowing account.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this moving debut collection, restaurateur Alarnab writes plaintively of migrating from Syria to the U.K., and how cooking--including making meals on a hot plate for hundreds of his fellow refugees in a camp in Calais, France--got him through tough times. Alarnab would go on to open the London restaurant that gives the book its name in 2021, but upon arriving in the city as an undocumented migrant in 2015, he found work in a car wash, where he also slept at night. His unvarnished descriptions of the immigrant experience ("We were cold, exhausted, afraid of what came next")--are movingly rendered and segue smoothly into recipes where generosity is the watchword. A chapter on spice mixes including dukkah (cumin, coriander, pink peppercorns, and two types of chilli flakes) and another on basics like the crispy onions that top many dishes lay a solid foundation for cuisine that is both homey and elegant. The collection features recipes suited to gathering and sharing: marinated lamb shoulder roasted with abundant garlic; spiced rice with shrimp; a large tray of baklava. Flatbreads are ideal for scooping and "there's pretty much nothing that hummus doesn't go with," Alarnab writes, before offering a recipe for a big batch with a variety of topping choices. Instructions are clear and thoughtful throughout, but it's the author's personal experiences that make this heartfelt cookbook shine. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In 2015, chef and restaurateur Alarnab fled his home in war-torn Syria and began his perilous journey to the UK. Like many refugees, he worked a variety of jobs before he began cooking pop-up dinners for UNICEF, catering, and ultimately opening a restaurant and reuniting with his family. This narrative is often raw and vivid and may seem out of place in a cookbook, but Alarnab's food carried him on his journey, created his new livelihood, and connected him to the love of his home, making his powerful story a natural pairing with his recipes. The dishes and the narrative give a window into the culture and people of Damascus and how Alarnab maintains a connection with his homeland. The recipes, which have traditional roots but are adapted for the modern home kitchen, rely on building a solid pantry of ingredients and spices to deliver big flavors. The book's design and illustrations evoke warmth, paired with appealing food styling and photos of Alarnab in his kitchen. VERDICT Recipes that spotlight particular ingredients with vibrant tastes anchor this deeply personal refugee story and will remind readers of the power that food has to bring people together and help them heal.--Sarah Tansley
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