Lilia Zaouali: Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Lilia Zaouali, a Tunisian educated at the Sorbonne, presents the rich, medieval tradition of Arab cookbooks and cuisine in Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes (University of California 2007). She explains both cultural background and culinary context. The book starts with an excellent forward by Charles Perry, a Los Angeles Times food journalist and Medieval food expert, author of Medieval Arab Cookery and A Baghdad Cookery Book. Because medieval Arabs wrote and cooked from cookbooks, he points out, "Islam has the richest medieval food literature in the world. (p. ix)" The first cookbook of Islamic cuisine dates back to the 10th century, but there is plenty from non-cookbooks as well, detailing lavish dinners and court manners: Every sovereign felt obliged to leave his mark on history, beginning with the introduction, in the feasts prepared in his palace, of his preferences and tastes, which were those his mother transmitted to him or else those of his tribe or of his native region. (p. 8) Dr. Zaouali describes the cuisine of the court in Baghdad, and the cuisines of farther flung Islamic regions of Spain, and North Africa. Many of the books were about diet and health, and relied upon Galen, Hippocrates and Islamic thinkers – but not all: In the beginning of the ninth century, in the royal palace at Rusafa near Baghdad, a prince and his concubine, united by a grand passion for the culinary arts, passed most of their time before the stoves. A sensuous cuisine such as that of Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi is inconceivable without romantic inspiration. The muse in this case, a woman named Bid'a, was particularly valuable, for she was a very great cook. Theirs seems to have been an extraordinary partnership, which assumed tangible form in the creation of a genuine laboratory of flavor. (p. 38) The second part of her book are recipes from medieval cookbooks. What is amazing is that the dishes sound so modern. The use of vinegar and sweeteners is prominent. There are strange, almost molecular gastronomy dishes like Artificial Marrow (p. 90) in which a copper tube is filled with liver and fat and boiled. The vegetable dishes include many with eggplant, which came into the Medieval Islamic world rather late, and taro. There is a marvelous recipe for Beef and Rosebuds (p. 93) that includes mastic and cinnamon. Another dish, Shad Cooked in Salt (p. 101) might be found on the Bosphorus today, though this one comes from Morocco. The recipes lack proportions and detail, but they are inspiring. The desserts are especially rich as the Muslim world had a strong sweet tooth. Dr. Zaouali describes Cannolis (p. 131 stuffed with walnuts and sugar - a dish that captures the whole Mediterranean's love affair with sugar. The last section of the book includes contemporary recipes from North Africa including a recipe for Bestilla: Moroccan Pigeon Pie (p. 158). It is clear that modern cuisine is closely connected to medieval cuisine. One finds the same use of sweet and sour, fruit, vinegar and lemon in both, as well as wonderful sugary desserts. This is a handsome book, rich on many levels, for scholars of the kitchen and good cooks. Dr. Zaouali's opus is straightforward and easy to use, whether as cookbook or history book—a very fine idea for a gift. Video: YouTube.com interview with Lila Zaouali (in Italian) Previous articles: Claudia Roden: Arabesque Arab Table: May Bsisu Sufi Cuisine: Nevin Halici Oldest Cuisine in the World: Jean Bottero Sensual Language of Bakhlava: Diane Abu-Jaber [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef