Thanks to your cookbook, I made Kibbeh Sineyieh
for the very first time. Everyone, including my grandson, loved it.
I followed the recipe very carefully and took my time in its
preparation. When all was done, it was very delicious. For the
record, I would never have tackled anything of this magnitude were
it not for your "Taste of Syria " cookbook. You have opened up a
brand new pastime for me and I am truly enjoying it, and grateful to
both of you for your efforts and meticulous detail in your
description.
September 14th, 2011
By
Sandy Kabba
I received my cookbook
and I am so excited. My father was Syrian and he gave me a cookbook
years ago but I lost it within my many moves. I am enjoying reading
all the information about Syria with traditions, history and all the
other information you have included in the book. I love Syrian food
and always wanted to know more about it and even try making some of
the recipes. My father unfortunately did not live long enough to
teach the traditions and culture. My fathers sister and brother in
law live in Nutley, NJ and they are the only relatives I have left
on my fathers side, other than many cousins, aunts and uncles that
may still be living in Worcester, MA.
Thanks for writing this book.
May 12th, 2011
By
Janel Dreeka
A letter from Janel Dreeka (click thumbnail to enlarge)
I am sending you this e-mail to let you know that I have been using "A Taste of Syria" cookbook for a few items that all came out delicious. I've already made Ir'jeh several times and it reminded me of the way my mother's used to taste. I also made the Kefta Kebab using lean ground Turkey instead of lamb and it came out delicious, as well. I made the kebab several times over the last couple of weeks, and your cookbook is most correct --- the BBQ or grilled method is much preferred over the oven. I also made Each, but doctored it up a bit by reducing the amount of the tomato paste indicated. Each, as you know, goes best with Romaine lettuce and taste best the following day after preparation. I love the flavor so much and I could never eat enough of it.
I truly wish you continued success with this wonderful book. My late
mother made so many of these fabulous recipes which really aren't
published in any other Syrian cookbook. Your recipes are truly down
home cooking. I ordered 4 books to be sent to our office to give away
to my family and friends.
Thanks again for your labor of love
As promised, the cookbooks I ordered arrived on time for Christmas. They are already wrapped and ready to give my children who will love them....almost as much as they loved the Syrian food my mother used to prepare daily.
Actually, over the years, my son learned how to make the rolled grape leaves. Two years ago, I gave him a case of jarred grape leaves and he treated me to a yeb'rat dinner that he made. Also, one of my daughters is the Director of Baking and Pastry at the Institute for Culinary Education in NYC, and every now and then, she calls to ask me about one Syrian pastry or another that she remembers. Now she will have the recipes that are so true to how my Mom used to prepare them.
Thank you for autographing, packing, and shipping the books to me, and special thanks for the many months of effort you must have put into this project. You have memorialized a large part of our Brooklyn/Syrian tradition, and you have brought back oh so many memories. Ah, those were the days, as you so accurately portray in your book.
Thanks so much for the cookbook. My mom has been making some
of the recipes and they're great. My father's parents, my Jidu
and Sito, came to the U.S. from Aleppo about 90 years ago. My
sisters and I have been enjoying the recipes from your book.
Thanks again.
I received the book and gave it to my mom -- she is thrilled! There are recipes that she has not been able to find anywhere else. My mother's family (Aboyoun) are NJ Syrians originally from Paterson. Thank you so much for this wonderful book! We are telling all of our Syrian friends and family about it!
I was in George's market
over the weekend and had the pleasure of perusing the Taste of
Syria. I immediately bought a copy and read it cover to cover last
night. I appreciated the background on the history and cooking of
foods from Aleppo which I never really understood - I assume that
you wrote it based upon first-hand travels and experience.
I felt like I was
reading my mother's own recipes that she never wrote down. My dad
passed away on Christmas Eve so I felt some urgency in learning the
recipes that my mother never taught us.
We have been making
adeed, memooneah, Simeneht, etc our whole life. I always felt that
the Cooking Good with Sitto, while a pioneer in Arabic cookbooks,
left out a lot of recipes. Your book is excellent and I will
probably give it as a gift to others.
Thanks for the response about the recipe. Your recipes and the explanations are excellent - so I have already picked out my next two week menu.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to cook - authentic delicious food.
Thanks for putting out a great product.
Because I was part of
the faculty meeting this afternoon I got to take one of your cookbooks.
It is wonderful. My very best friend---for the past 43 years-- has been
a woman who is second generation Lebanese/American. Her parents were my
introduction to some of the world’s finest food—much of which is in your
cookbook. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes looking at the
recipes for some of the dishes, which I remember from the Nehmes’ table.
That is a very generous gift. Thank you very much.
Very easy-to-follow Syrian
cookbook. Brings back memories of my grandmother "Sita" making all of
these things.
By Anne E. McBride, Hippocrene Books, March 2003
A Taste of Syria is a collection of treasured family recipes that were
brought to this country by the authors grandparents, immigrants from
Aleppo, Syria. Two generations later, a desire to honor the culinary
skills of their own parents, Helen Kassar Jerro and Alice Kassar Kayal,
led to this cookbook. The Kassars are known for their culinary skills
and commitment to preserving the integrity of Syrian cuisine. All these
family recipes are reproductions of meals prepared similarly in
Syria
today. While some items (like hummus) are universal throughout the
Middle East, the tastes of Aleppo are unique in their particular mixture
of spices and textures. It is also a particularly healthful cuisine,
with many vegetarian recipes reflecting the sophistication of that city.
Syrian entrees are lamb-based (very lean cuts), and include rolled grape
leaves with meat, and stuffed squash or eggplant cooked in a garlic,
tomato, lemon, and mint sauce.
Complete with indices in English and Arabic, A Taste of Syria opens with
an introduction to Syria and Syrian Cuisine, a glossary of terms, and
a guide to Syrian food preparation. Helpful serving hints and a list of
ingredient and utensil suppliers complement this cookbook, which will be
an exciting addition to the collection of all Middle Eastern food
lovers.
Born and raised in the large Syrian/Lebanese community in Brooklyn,
Virginia Jerro Gerbino, a grandmother herself, is the family cook and
the keeper of its culinary traditions. She has inherited her love of
cooking from her mother Helen, who excelled in the preparation of Syrian
pastries. She is a legal secretary and now resides in New Jersey. Her
first cousin and co-author, Philip Kayal, is a sociologist at Seton Hall
University in New Jersey and the author of several books on the
Arab-American experience. Realizing that food is part of ethnic identity
and heritage, the authors see this cookbook as a necessary contribution
to the culinary melting pot of America.
Amazon.com Book Reviews
Outstanding easy to use Middle Eastern cookbook,
March 27, 2003
By
Jeanne
Baccash
(Morris Plains, New Jersey United States)
A Taste of Syria is a
wonderful collection of Middle Eastern recipes and a special treasure
for those of us who are third and fourth generation descendants of
Middle Eastern families. I grew up in Brooklyn and remember fondly the
wonderful Syrian cooking of my paternal grandmother and the many
wonderful meals eaten at her home. As a teenager and young adult I tried
to cook my favorites among these meals but my grandmother's instructions
were basically - "a little bit of this or that; you need to see how it
tastes or feels." After several unsuccessful efforts, I gave up trying
to cook most of these meals and truly missed these wonderful, healthy
foods of my childhood. This book has given me back those wonderful
recipes and memories. The recipes are clear and provide step by step
instructions with many pictures and lots of useful information. The
names in Arabic and English and the information on where to get the
ingredients are particularly useful. I have tried several of the recipes
and they are terrific and taste just the way my Grandmother made them. I
have also shared this book with many of my relatives and non-Middle
Eastern friends and family who also enjoy this food and are excited that
they now can try these recipes. The authors have done a truly
outstanding job and I thank them for keeping alive a very special part
of our heritage and capturing the essence and quality of Middle Eastern
cooking for all.
A Taste of Syria is must
reading for any one who enjoys terrific Middle East cuisine. Not only is
it the first truly authentic, homespun Syrian cook book published in
decades, this outstanding book impressively captures the texture and the
life of the Syrian American community as it pertains to its culinary traditions.The authors present delicious Syrian specialities,
capitalizing especially on the internationally acclaimed cuisine of
Aleppo.And there are two helpful indexes -- dishes are listed by both
their Arabic names and their English names. This yummy cook book has it
all--how to conveniently prepare tasty lamb, seasoned vegetables,
yogurt, as well as favorite staples like Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and
Tabouli.What I especially like about this book, which spans two
cultures, are the easy-to-follow cooking instructions. This innovative
cook book is such a delight I'm seriously considering changing
professions and becoming a chef!
Fabulous Reading and Cooking, March 27, 2003
By An Amazon.com
Customer
Finally a cook book that
reads like a family album. Not only authentically Syrian American foods,
but stories of the authors childhood memories and loves. I have tried
many of the recipes and the results are spectacular. Easy to follow
instruction, I feel sometimes like 'grandma' is in the kitchen teaching
me. Thanks for this wonderful slice of your life, and for a book I will
use for many years to come. Now I can enjoy my favorite Syrian foods at
home without going to Paterson!!
. The Kassars are known for their culinary skills
and commitment to preserving the integrity of Syrian cuisine. All these
family recipes are reproductions of meals prepared similarly in
Syria
today. While some items (like hummus) are universal throughout the
Middle East, the tastes of Aleppo are unique in their particular mixture
of spices and textures. It is also a particularly healthful cuisine,
with many vegetarian recipes reflecting the sophistication of that city.
Syrian entrees are lamb-based (very lean cuts), and include rolled grape
leaves with meat, and stuffed squash or eggplant cooked in a garlic,
tomato, lemon, and mint sauce. 
recipes and memories. The recipes are clear and provide step by step
instructions with many pictures and lots of useful information. The
names in Arabic and English and the information on where to get the
ingredients are particularly useful. I have tried several of the recipes
and they are terrific and taste just the way my Grandmother made them. I
have also shared this book with many of my relatives and non-Middle
Eastern friends and family who also enjoy this food and are excited that
they now can try these recipes. The authors have done a truly
outstanding job and I thank them for keeping alive a very special part
of our heritage and capturing the essence and quality of Middle Eastern
cooking for all.