Reviews of Hadia’s Lebanese Style Recipes
Rad Lady
I just had to write about Hadia! She is amazing and I am thrilled with the Hadia Lebanese Style Recipe book that I bought last month. This book is no “light weight”! It weighs over 4 lbs!
Also, it has more than 400 beautifully designed, mouthwatering color photo pages showing each recipe. This book has actually motivated me to want to try as many recipes as possible because the recipes all look so good. Yet, the recipes use simple ingredients and are easy to follow. The recipes that I have tried so far were so yummy, delicious and came out just the way I expected. I can see that this book will appeal to and please any skill level from a beginner to the highest level skilled chef. It truly has so much to offer. It is fun and fascinating to browse and discover the extent and diversity of the recipes and the information and tips available. I can honestly say that this book is a great value and a must have for anyone who has a kitchen and wants to cook and to see the recipe they are making with a beautiful color photo of the dish along with simple, detailed instructions. The book provides a vast variety of delicious recipes in all categories that can appeal to any pallet internationally. I look forward to trying, enjoying and having recipes in this book become some of my favorites now and hopefully continuing to expand my favorites from this cookbook in the years to come. Thanks to you Hadia!
Dishin with Didi
My good friend Hadia from Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine
was gracious to send me her cookbook. When I received the book, I was like a kid in a candy store. I opened it up immediately and started looking thru.
Not only was I reviewing the cookbook and salivating, I brought it over when I would visit mom and was reading her the recipes and showing her the mouth watering pictures as well. Can I just say, this book is chock full of pictures personally taken by our good friend!
This cookbook is literally next to none, and let me tell you, I have a ton of cookbooks. I used to have about 300 and have since paired down to about 25, so when I tell you this cookbook is absolutely beautifully done I mean it. Hadia was kind enough to translate metric for her American readers. Her step by step, is literally that, step by step, no steps missing. Her ingredients are fresh, homemade, which do not require a zillion ingredients but most of all, they are not labor intensive!
She has meticulously explained every ingredient if you have to purchase it, and even how to even substitute that said ingredient if need be so you don’t have to stop in the middle of recipe and say to yourself; “dang it, I don’t have…” Right? I hate that! I also hate those really weird exotic ingredients that cost a fortune, which you will only use 2 tsp at the most and never use it again.
Hadia must share our thoughts and frustrations!
There were quite a few recipes that caught my mom’s eye. I have about 7 more I need to make for her as soon as possible is the command!
Mom’s first recipe she wanted to try out was Hadia’s Zalabbia. They are fried dough with sesame seeds and anise seeds, coupled with just a smidgen of sugar? Heaven! Absolute heaven!
I love Hadia’s tip of putting in 3 small holes into the strips prior to frying. It’s absolutely genius I say! You are going to ask me; “Didi why are you so excited about 3 small holes into the dough”?
Well my friends, why it so genius is because you can see through the holes that the one side is now nicely golden and can then flip over to the other side. See? I told you genius.
The Zalabbia’s are crispy, absolutely not greasy at all, and that is very important! They are slightly sweet, they are nutty with the addition of the sesame seeds and possess a light Anise flavor which translates my friends into a bite of heaven! These are absolutely perfect for breakfast, or an afternoon munchie…
Hadia recommends a Lebanese cream cheese “Labneh”, or you can slightly sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
Mom and I tried both these versions and LOVED THEM! Mom loved the sprinkled powder sugar, she has such a sweet tooth I say! I tried something different and dipped them in a combination of Tahini w/ honey. OH MY GOODNESS! The combination of the Tahini with honey along with the the slightly sweet, nutty Zalabbia’s? That was my most favorite combination! Mom tried it and also promptly fell in love just as I did!
We love this cookbook so much I ordered my mom one for a surprise Mother’s Day gift. I know I will be making them, but as long as I keep my mom interested and wanting to create? That is a score onto itself!
So order yourself a copy of this cookbook, I cannot stress this
enough! You can order here; Hadia Lebanese Style Recipes
When you get your cookbook, do what I did; grab yourself a cup of tea, and start bookmarking the recipes you will be making first…
The review of Kelly from Wildflour’s Cottage Kitchen
I had secretly been dreaming of owning this beautiful cookbook by my dear friend, Hadia. When one day, out of the crystal blue, she asked me if I’d like to have a copy! I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited and thankful, after a very awful day, that I think I actually cried! Hadia, Lebanese Style Recipes was on it’s way! (I think I pinched myself, too! Well, we had some kind of mishap during the shipping from Canada, and the book never made it here. (Obviously, someone else liked it quite a lot, too). But the always kind and extremely generous Hadia, had her very helpful son, who’s currently attending college in Montreal, send a second copy!! Bless her heart!!
I first met Hadia on Facebook after seeing one of her elegant dishes shared on a friend’s cooking page. When I went to visit her FB page, Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine, to see more of her recipes, I was absolutely floored!! Her photos are nothing short of stunning! And her recipes not only include Lebanese-style food, but she also enjoys making and creating dishes from all over the world! When I saw that she was an author of her own cookbook, and even took all of her own photos for the book as well, I hoped that by Christmas we’d be back on our feet so that I could BEG Santa for a copy.
Well…Christmas came early this year.
When the second book arrived, (safe and sound this time!), I couldn’t put it down!! Every single page was so beautifully done and her dishes and tablescapes so vibrantly full of brilliant colors, that your eyes just feast on every carefully planned detail! You can’t hardly wait to turn the page to see what’s next!! I spent many afternoons pouring over each and every recipe, marking pages with little pieces of paper torn from my spiral notebook. And by the time I had gone through her book 3 times, I had over 30 pages marked!
Well, though I would’ve LOVED to have made them all for this post, I kinda thought that 30 might be a wee bit too much. So, I planned out a nice, intimate dinner for my husband and I to be enjoyed out on the deck, and chose to make a lovely, summer supper al fresco for two, instead!
I started our evening with a pretty salad that I made from what I already had on hand, arranged nicely on a large plate to be shared, including Hadia’s light and refreshing Mayonnaise Dressing! There are only 6 simple ingredients to this refreshing, and lightly tangy dressing, and it went beautifully with the salad ingredients that I had chosen! I even made some pretty little turkey and roast beef “roses”! Our dinner al fresco was off to a fabulous start!
(*Note: The only thing that I did differently, due to our commercial mayonnaise containing air from being whipped, was to only add 2 Tbl. water instead of 3, and that worked perfectly! You may want to use more or less, depending on what brand you are using, and to achieve whatever consistency that you desire. I used Hellmann’s).
Moving right along to the main course! Since it was picture perfect weather, I definitely wanted to grill our entree, (which turned into two, because I simply couldn’t narrow down my picks any further!), and chose to make two different kabobs! I wanted a casual, but party-like atmosphere, and anything cooked on a stick just makes it even more fun, doesn’t it? I wanted to choose 2 entrees that are popular where Hadia is originally from, Beirut, and when I saw her middle eastern Shish Tawook (Chicken Kabobs), and her Grilled Kafta Kebobs (ground beef or lamb), my heart leapt! I knew that they would be absolutely perfect, and they sure were!!
My hubby let me know immediately – – without speaking a word – – that the dishes I had prepared and grilled were authentic. That each had brought back memories for him of searching out food vendors in the early hours of the morning when he was in the Navy. And he said, that BOTH kabobs, were spot-on! He was teary-eyed. And I was, too, as he tasted small bites, taking in not just the food itself…but you could see in his eyes, that he was reliving the streets that he walked on. The people that he spoke with as the sun rose. Thousands of miles from home, yet welcomed each day and greeted with a smile and conversation that one would have on any given morning right at your own kitchen table – – with not strangers – – but friends he just hadn’t met yet. And he opened up a bit about his experiences there. I felt so grateful for every word he spoke of it.
My hubby is a lover of anything banana, and ever since I first saw Hadia post this intriguing and unique recipe forFried Banana Balls (Akara), I have always wanted to make them, and kept her recipe in my back pocket of things to make SOON!! I knew that I would love them, and couldn’t wait to see my hubby’s reaction….believe me, when I say, his eyes rolled back (and I was lucky to get to try a few!) They were DELICIOUS, and such a perfectly fun, and festive dessert to slowly savor after a fantastic dinner!
Lastly, and almost like a second dessert, we finished our romantic dinner for two, with sips of sweet Watermelon Juice! Cool, refreshing, and a perfect ending to our evening!
Hadia, who is originally from southern Lebanon, has 3 sons, and she and her husband currently live in Kinshasa, Congo! She and her family have traveled extensively, which is how she has gained unlimited knowledge and learned to cook so many diverse cuisines! As a little girl, playing “school” with her dolls and dreaming of being an English teacher, I think that she has also accomplished that dream, too. I cannot thank her enough for generously sending me her fabulous cookbook, (twice!), and teaching me how to cook authentic Lebanese dishes, and my husband thanks her as well. Not just for the wonderful dinner that I made for us, but also for bringing back the memories he has of being in Lebanon so many years ago.
Thank you so much dear friend! Kelly Williams.
A FoodieWineLover (Gina Martino Zarcadoolas)
A beautiful cookbook showcasing an assortment of global cuisines. It will also add a nice touch to your coffee table.
I am the proud owner of this beautifully-created cookbook by Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine. It has vibrant food images, 600 delicious and easy-to-read recipes from Lebanon and various parts of the world. I am a food and wine blogger and this lovely cookbook exceeds my expectations in every aspect. I highly recommend it.
NETTIE’S REVIEW(MOORE OR LESS FOOD BLOG)
GRILLED KAFTA KEBABS AND A COOKBOOK REVIEW
I was honored and excited when Hadia asked me to review her cookbook, Hadia Lebanese Style Recipes. I was blown away when I received her beautiful cookbook, which by the way, is the size of a college text book filled with 600 recipes. I feel like I am with Hadia reading every recipe.
I can not imagine the time, energy and dedication it took to create this incredible cookbook. It is very detailed and enticing. Each photograph is beautifully shown. I read and re-read through the cookbook many times, wracking my brain with what recipe I would choose to represent Hadia’s cookbook in a fair and representational way.
I usually lean towards desserts, but I was contemplating what to serve my family for dinner. So I made my choice~ Grilled Kafta Kebabs! I love easy recipes, and Hadia delivers more than her share of easy and mouth watering recipes from soups, appetizers, salads, eggs, main courses and pastries, desserts in Lebanese recipes, French recipes, Mediterranean recipes, Italian recipes, and American recipes. Hadia ‘s cookbook is so diversified and clearly reaches such a large audience, that it would be impossible for anyone to read the cookbook and not see an enticing recipe. This cookbook shows step by step recipes which are easy to follow, resulting in a perfect meal and dessert.
I have been a fan of Lebanese cuisine for years and decided to choose an authentic Grilled Kafta Kebabs. Only 7 ingredients are need for these moist and flavorful kebabs. The weather has been so mild in Maine this winter that we have actually been grilling. I served these delicious Kebabs with hummus and salad and pita bread.
Swathi’s review about the book (Zesty South Indian Kithen):
I grew up eating rice pudding and had a belief that rice pudding is a dish only in India. But once I stepped out of India, I found that rice pudding is universal; you can find them in other parts of the world also. Rice pudding is varied with additions according to place of it origin. This recipe is Lebanese version of rice pudding “Riz B Haleeb” which translates to “Rice in Milk”
This recipe is adapted from the book “ Hadia Lebanese style recipes” by Haida Zebib Khanafer. She is my virtual friend and also writes the blog Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine. She had sent me the book a while ago, but I was not able to try any recipes from it as I was debating on which one to try first. I have long list to try a few among them being Coconut Namoura, Zatar bread, Stouf cake etc. I am fan of Namoura which I used to get from a Middle Eastern Store near my old house. I collected spices, orange blossom water, rose water, pomegranate molasses etc. Now we are staying very far so it is not easy to make a trip as I would have earlier.
The book consists of 21 chapters divided into soups, salads, appetizers, eggs, pastries, grains, pasta and gratin, Laban (yogurt based), tarts and pies, oriental sweets, drinks ,pickles and jam etc. This book has 440 recipes; and I am sure everybody will find their favorite one. Even though book is named as Lebanese style recipes, but it has recipes from all over the world. I would love to try Lebanese recipes as I can learn about the culture and cooking style. There are about 30 soups, 36 oriental sweets recipes etc to name a few. For example there are 8 pudding recipes you can choose from. This is just to give you an idea that this book has lot of delicious recipes. So if you are looking for good Lebanese recipes then buy this book you will love it. Only con I can find is that you need a long time to try all the recipes.
I choose to try this Lebanese rice pudding because I wanted to learn the difference in cooking style of rice pudding in various countries. In India when we make rice pudding we don’t add any thickener like corn starch. So it is runny consistency where as this rice pudding has thick consistency. Also I like the addition of mastic gum.
NANCY BAZARIAN KASSABIAN’S REVIEW
“Dearest Hadia
I just received my copy of your exquisite cookbook and am thrilled with the beauty and elegance with which you put this work together. Stunning photographs accompanying each recipe with such a variety of foods, Middle Eastern and more! It is so complete! I am reading it like a “novel” and cannot wait to get cooking! Thank you for this superb treasury of recipes.” Nancy Bazarian Kassabian
May Darwish
May Darwish s review on Amazon: This is a wonderful cookbook whether one is of Lebanese, Middle-eastern, or any other background . It provides an easy step-by-step guide to wholesome and scrumptious recipes whose ingredients are easily found in one’s own pantry or in grocery store aisles. The different sections are clearly divided and labeled, and the pages often conclude with a relevant quote, lending the book an intellectual edge. Of Lebanese heritage and a good cook myself, I find the book an easy reference when preparing a dinner party or when at a loss of what to cook. I’ll certainly give a copy to each of my two daughters when they embark on their own journey of looking after a family of their own. May Darwish
A Dish of Daily Life
Hadia Lebanese Style Recipes
A Dish of Daily Life…Hadia’s cookbook not only has the traditional Lebanese recipes that you expect to find in Arabic restaurants, but also a variety of recipes inspired by her travels around the world. She even includes helpful information on spices commonly used in Middle Eastern recipes, as well as how to properly set a dinner table. For someone who doesn’t entertain often (and usually by the pool when she does), it’s a nice reference to have on hand.
There are quite a few recipes in Hadia’s cookbook that I intend to try. I wanted to try the two I chose because they are both similar to Middle Eastern recipes that I make, and I enjoy trying new variations. I am so glad I did, because I found things about both versions that I loved. These are fantastic recipes! If you haven’t tried Arabic food, Hadia’s Middle Eastern recipes are an easy and delicious place to start. If you’re already a fan, then you’re going to LOVE this cookbook!
Lentils are a staple in our house…we eat them several times a month. Hadia uses caramelized onions in her recipe, which I have never done before. But since making this a few weeks ago, I have started to add them to my regular recipe…they really add another dimension of flavor.
Hadia’s Mediterranean style green beans were also a huge hit…the slow cooking brings out such a delicious flavor. My kids have already requested them several times! I have to say they were simply amazing. This recipe is a definite keeper! Michelle Kantor Nahom
Priya Shiva
http://priyakitchenette.blogspot.in/ Hadia Zebib Khanafer needs no introduction to foodies and cook book collectors. I started following Hadia almost a year back and started drooling on the food she shares. What started as small fascination ended up being an obsession for me. A day would not be complete if I don’t see what Hadia had to offer that day. Slowly from a follower of her blogs, to building a connect in social media and interacting with her, I started getting drawn to the person Hadia is and ended being a friend. I was fortunate enough to receive the copy of her “Hadia Lebanese style recipes”. This is one of the most comprehensive cook book I have come across till date with over 500 recipes. The book has been categorized beautifully from soups, starters, main dishes, desserts and lovely tips. The moment you lay your hands on this book, you know the efforts behind this book must have been humongous. This book, is a must have collection on your shelf. Priya Shiva.
Christine It
This book is amazing and the photos are mouth watering. A feast for the eyes! The recipes are easy to follow and I cannot wait to make them for my family. Christine Tsalavoutas.
JD Provence
Hello Hadia. I’m Diane’s admin, on Canning and Cooking at Home. I have a little over 100 cookbooks, I’ve had your’s a few months now. It is the most amazing one I’ve ever seen. The photos are beautiful, and the recipes are fantastic. Congratulations on creating such a wonderful work of art!
Rania Fahmi
I have bought the cookbook today and I recommend it seriously it is …one of the best books, the recipes are not complicated and it has lot of variety and new recipes which I came across other than traditional books. I loved the quality of the papers with emphasized pictures for every recipe
Charles Beauregard
https://www.facebook.com/www.welcometomykitchen: Hadia, your cookbook is excellent. I have made hummus, baba ganooj and Labnee and they all came out perfect. I have many Lebanese friends in New Zealand and Australia from when we lived there. Your recipes taste like the food they made and introduced me to. If the basics are right, the other dishes will be too…
Anisa Jehan
I ordered the cook book just in time for Ramadan and I have been using it to cook some great iftars the last couple days. My husband is from lubnan and I know how much he misses Lebanese food. It’s great to be able to put some meals together that he grew up eating. Thank you so much for putting together this book. It’s def the best cook book i have! I love that there are so many pictures and how it’s really well organized. I can tell you put a lot of time and energy into it. Best wishes to you and Ramadan Kareem!
A New York Foodie
Hadia’s book not only has Lebanese recipes, but you can find all sorts of different cuisines in this book from Italian to Asian to South American. Most of her recipes include a picture so you can see what that finished dish looks like and believe me, her recipes are a picture to look at!
Hadia and her family are from Southern Lebanon and as she says, “she includes foods of her ancestors”. The cuisine of Southern Lebanon relies heavily on natural ingredients from the Earth which include: wheat, tomatoes, olive oil, onions and citrus fruits.
Hadia originally wanted to be a teacher, studying “English as a second language” at the Lebanese
American University
. She goes on to explain to her readers how she never cooked before she was married, not even knowing how to fry an egg. Hadia, is a self-taught cook who went from not knowing anything about cooking to writing a wonderful cookbook that has fabulous recipes.
In addition to her wonderful recipes, you will find all sorts of tips and tricks, temperature and measurement charts both in metric and U.S. Customary Units. Hadia tells us how to set a formal dinner table as well as an extensive section on Middle Eastern spices and kitchen utensils.
Her book covers many different categories from soups, salads and appetizers to pasta, grains, main courses and even cakes, pies and beverages, so this is an all-around cookbook.
Hadia, thank you again for sharing your wonderful creations with me and I look forward to making many more of them as time goes on!
Now, without further ado, on the following pages, I bring you some of Hadia’s most delicious recipes that myself and my family adored! Sandi Nina
Canning and Cooking at Home
Do you ever know that something is just going to be good before you even “see” it? I ordered Hadia’s Cookbook “Hadia Lebanese Style Recipes” after seeing her Facebook Page and sharing recipes onto this Page. I have to tell you that it is by far one of the best laid out, most beautiful books I’ve seen. You can see the amazing work and artistry that has gone into this cookbook!! Really, I am not kidding…every recipe is laid out beautifully and her photography is stunning as well!! Kuddos Hadia!! One day hopefully I will be able to carry my book to you – to be hand signed, OUTSTANDING WORK!! Diane
440 Pages of amazing recipes and a really cool bookmark in there too!! Diane Baker.
The Social Chef
“I have helped a friend of mine who has a T.V cooking show with some photos for her cookbook. I can tell you from personal experience as you already know, it is a tremendous amount of work. Your cookbook is extremely impressive. I have been paging through it and I am beyond impressed.” Michael Van Horn.
Jane Austin
Just received your book and it’s totally fabulous. I strongly recommend it. Recipes are fantastic, easy to follow and everything is just delicious . Thank you SOooo much Hadia x “Jane Austin”
Mary Beth
MBThings I know ……Great Cookbook!! Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine has a cookbook that is probably one of the best I have ever seen..Clean, crisp pictures and lots of them. Well written recipes, glossary of explanations for some of the ingredients and names of food. I collect Cookbooks and I will personally endorse this as a must have.”Mary Beth”
