Feast: Food of the Islamic World, by Anissa Helou

A richly colorful and exceptionally varied cookbook of timeless recipes from across the Islamic world

In Feast, award-winning chef Anissa Helou—an authority on the cooking of North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East—shares her extraordinary range of beloved, time-tested recipes and stories from cuisines throughout the Muslim world.

Helou has lived and traveled widely in this region, from Egypt to Syria, Iran to Indonesia, gathering some of its finest and most flavorful recipes for bread, rice, meats, fish, spices, and sweets. With sweeping knowledge and vision, Helou delves into the enormous variety of dishes associated with Arab, Persian, Mughal (or South Asian), and North African cooking, collecting favorites like biryani or Turkish kebabs along with lesser known specialties such as Zanzibari grilled fish in coconut sauce or Tunisian chickpea soup. Suffused with history, brought to life with stunning photographs, and inflected by Helou’s humor, charm, and sophistication, Feast is an indispensable addition to the culinary canon featuring some of the world’s most inventive cultures and peoples.

“Telling a genuine food story that covers a quarter of the world’s population is a mighty task...One person who can wrestle with such a challenge is Anissa Helou. Her range of knowledge and unparalleled authority make her just the kind of cook you want by your side.”
(Yotam Ottolenghi)

“Helou’s recipes gracefully capture this world where food, religion, and culture are deeply intertwined, opening it to a broader audience and presenting it unfiltered.” (Taste)

“...[D]ives deep into Islamic food culture and history... ’For a comprehensive selection, I would have needed more than one volume,’ and reading this engrossing book, one might wish she had more than one.” (Food & Wine)

“Anissa Helou stops at nothing when it comes to research. Every recipe. . . is brought to life by its origin story and by Helou’s own experiences.” (Saveur)

“Masterly...Helou captures the joy with which most Islamic communities regard food...Feast offers the perfect guide to the great cuisines of the Islamic world.” (Hidustan Times)

“First an expert on Islamic art, then an expert on Islamic cuisine, world-class chef Helou’s book is part culinary revelation, part travel diary.” (Esquire)

Released May 29, 2018