"Sirocco" by Sabrina Ghayour | Book Review

Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour

Publishing Date: May 3, 2016
Pages: 240
Publisher: Appetite by Random House
Links: Goodreads | Indigo | Book Depository | Amazon

The word "sirocco" means "a hot, dry wind blowing from East to West, often carrying with it flavours of the Mediterranean". And this cookbook is exactly that.

Sabrina Ghayour is back with her second cookbook, full of delicious recipes from the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The recipes are inspired by the flavours of the East, but use the ingredients and cooking styles of the West. From snacks to main dishes to desserts, Ghayour uses simple, everyday ingredients to make wonderfully flavourful food.

As I flipped through this book looking for recipes I wanted to try, I found myself flagging practically everything - the recipes just sound (and the photography looks) that good!

As the introduction suggests, it's easy to find most of the ingredients required in this cookbook. For the recipes I decided to make, all the ingredients were either things I had at home, or things that we regularly buy for our household anyway. It was convenient to not have to look for "special" ingredients!

Clockwise from left: Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Cookies (p. 219);
Kofta Burgers (p. 181); Two-Cheese Melts with Thyme-Roasted
Onions (p. 30); Grape Leaf-Baked Feta (p. 81)

I ended up making two appetizer/snack recipes, one main dish, and a dessert. All of them were delicious. I think my personal favourite was either the Kofta Burgers or the Two-Cheese Melts with Thyme-Roasted Onions, but it's a tough competition.

Everything was pretty simple/easy to make and didn't require a whole lot of effort, which is a plus. I think people of most skill levels in the kitchen would be able to make these recipes with no problems.

To top it all off, these recipes are approved by everyone in my family who tried them, which means that in some cases, they're even picky-people-approved!

Sirocco is full of simple, delicious recipes and it has quickly become my favourite cookbook!

*This book was sent to me by Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.