Rating: 
Summary: too many kibbeh and Kurdish recipes
Review: I agree with the Russian reviewer that the ingredient
list sometimes gets too esotoric. I felt the same way
even though I am very familiar with the region's
cooking. The problem had to do with Wolfert's
exclusive attention to the Kurdish cooking, a firey
and spicy way of cooking compared to the regular
Turkish or Greek Mediterranean cooking. And what was the reason
for including a million different kibbeh recipes,
all essentially the same spicy meat ball. That was
a waste of time. May I also add that Georgian, and
North Balkan(Bulgaria, Romania etc) dishes have NO business in a Mediterranean cookbook. True Eastern Mediterranean is Turkish,
and Greek cooking, anything else is a wannabe. Yes, you can throw in a few syrian, and north egyptian dishes but can you find calamari in Syria, Kurdish Diyarbakir, Bulgaria, or Romania? I don't think so. Wolfert incorrectly identifies these regions as mediterrenaen when they are anything but.
Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: I cannot agree with previous reviewer. This is the very best cookbook on this area on the market today. Great recipes and memorable prose. Author makes these cuisines come alive! This book won both the Julia Child and the James Beard awards...and both prizes were well reserved!
Rating: 
Summary: A good book, but not a great one
Review: I have made many of the recipes from this book and have enjoyed the results of my efforts. Ms. Wolfert is a recognized expert on the cooking of the region, and as such could have used her status to impart her experiences with the culture as well as the food. One book which does this beyond compare is the book by Sonia Uvezian: A culinary journey through Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan which is now unfortunately unavailable. Kudos to Ms. Wolfert for including sources for hard-to-find ingredients at the end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A good book, but not a great one
Review: I have made many of the recipes from this book and have enjoyed the results of my efforts. Ms. Wolfert is a recognized expert on the cooking of the region, and as such could have used her status to impart her experiences with the culture as well as the food. One book which does this beyond compare is the book by Sonia Uvezian: A culinary journey through Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan which is now unfortunately unavailable. Kudos to Ms. Wolfert for including sources for hard-to-find ingredients at the end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean
Review: I truly love this book. I am a mother with two small children, which leaves me with little time for elaborate meals, and I am certainly not a serious cook or very experienced cook, but I have found this book to be very useful. There are a number of recipes that I have used dozens of times, and several more that I use on special occasions when I have more time to cook. There are also many "speciality" recipes that I have not had a chance to try, but it does not limit my enjoyment of this book. I have enjoyed trying new ingredients and replicating some of the dishes I tried while living in the Eastern Mediterranean. I especially appreciated the Georgian recipes since I did not know much about Georgia- and now we have the Georgian cheese bread pie often since my two-year-old loves it. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean
Review: I truly love this book. I am a mother with two small children, which leaves me with little time for elaborate meals, and I am certainly not a serious cook or very experienced cook, but I have found this book to be very useful. There are a number of recipes that I have used dozens of times, and several more that I use on special occasions when I have more time to cook. There are also many "speciality" recipes that I have not had a chance to try, but it does not limit my enjoyment of this book. I have enjoyed trying new ingredients and replicating some of the dishes I tried while living in the Eastern Mediterranean. I especially appreciated the Georgian recipes since I did not know much about Georgia- and now we have the Georgian cheese bread pie often since my two-year-old loves it. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: The One Book I was looking for!!!
Review: The person who bitterly wrote that this book has "millions of kibbeh recipes..." actually did a favor to me. His or her derogatory statement triggered my purchase: I finally found the book I was looking for!!This book made it to the list of winners of Julia Child's Awards, and it is by far the best guide to prepare dishes like Kibbeh or kibbi I have found. Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon and a staple of Middle Eastern Cuisine. A really nice treat to all! My kibbehs turned out GREAT for the first time!!! My frustration is over!! The "exotic" spices can be purchased online, just like the book. Not a big deal to me.
Rating:
Summary: The One Book I was looking for!!!
Review: The person who bitterly wrote that this book has "millions of kibbeh recipes..." actually did a favor to me. His or her derogatory statement triggered my purchase: I finally found the book I was looking for!! This book made it to the list of winners of Julia Child's Awards, and it is by far the best guide to prepare dishes like Kibbeh or kibbi I have found. Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon and a staple of Middle Eastern Cuisine. A really nice treat to all! My kibbehs turned out GREAT for the first time!!! My frustration is over!! The "exotic" spices can be purchased online, just like the book. Not a big deal to me.
Rating:
Summary: The One Book I was looking for!!!
Review: The person who bitterly wrote that this book has "millions of kibbeh recipes..." actually did a favor to me. His or her derogatory statement triggered my purchase: I finally found the book I was looking for!! This book made it to the list of winners of Julia Child's Awards, and it is by far the best guide to prepare dishes like Kibbeh or kibbi I have found. Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon and a staple of Middle Eastern Cuisine. A really nice treat to all! My kibbehs turned out GREAT for the first time!!! My frustration is over!! The "exotic" spices can be purchased online, just like the book. Not a big deal to me.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the amateur (or even experienced) cook
Review: This cookbook does not give the reader/cook a chance to learn the basic techniques and tastes of the cuisine, but concentrates on particular recipes with lists of ingredients so esoteric that even when I was living in the eastern Mediterranean I was unable to prepare them. And because this is such a recipe-particular rather than general taste-and-technique cookbook, it is difficult to be flexible with the recipes in terms of substitution. This is a cookbook for the purist and not for the practical cook.
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