Cookbook Legend Faye Levy’s Feast from the Middle East Book

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Faye Levy’s beautiful book, Feast from the Middle East, is a treasure trove of traditional recipes and cooking tips to explore the history and the preparation of Middle Eastern cookery.  

Faye, a native of Washington, D.C. whose experience at her family dining table was not very exciting to her, visited and fell in love with the middle east – and Yakir Levy, the man who would become her husband of many years – the first time she visited  Israel.  Faye was so devoted to each that in order to stay there, she learned Hebrew and joined the army!  She later worked in an office, as she tells it, finagling a way to listen to the food expert of the day on her weekly radio show.  

In time, Faye would up working for her, eventually moving to France where she spent five years at La Varenne, the Parisian cooking school and earned the “Grand Diploma” of the first cooking class.  With Fernand Chambrette she authored La Cuisine du Poisson on the cooking of fish and became the first American to publish a book on French cooking – for the French.  

Yakir laughs and say that when they moved into their Paris apartment, he hung signs labeling all the furniture in French and they were not allowed to speak English or Hebrew in the apartment until they mastered the language.  I am now working from her book, Fresh From France Vegetable Creations, (1987) which features her meticulous research, detailed preparation and hints on shopping.

Today Faye herself is a “treasure trove” of information on middle eastern shopping and cooking – with extensive travel to keep up with the cuisines.    In Faye’s words, “From the Fertile Crescent, where agriculture began, to the extravagant tables of Ottoman emperors, the Mideast boasts a surpassingly rich culinary heritage.”  This  acclaimed food journalist and cookbook author brings 250 time-honored recipes into the twenty-first-century American kitchen. Accessible and authentic dishes, helpful shopping tips, and her trademark user-friendly approach make this book a must-have introduction to a vibrant international cuisine.

For almost  four decades, Faye Levy has shopped, cooked, and dined her way through the Mideast, and her enthusiasm for this flavorful, unfussy cuisine will inspire you to make these ancient culinary traditions your own. Featuring the bold flavors and simple, healthy techniques of more than ten countries, this collection has dishes for every occasion, from dinner-party feasts to quick and healthy weekday meals. Faye Levy’s repertoire of fresh, mouthwatering specialties ranges from  a simple sandwich enlivened by a zesty Grilled Eggplant Sesame Dip to elegant Grilled Lamb Chops spiced up with Garlic Cumin Tomato Salsa.  Chef Faye takes readers beyond hummus and falafel—although she offers stellar recipes for both of these classics. Feast from the Mideast offers a veritable banquet of authentic, tempting dishes and is the ultimate all-in-one guide to the wholesome cuisines of these historic, sun-drenched lands.”

Faye Levy is the lead cooking columnist for the Jerusalem Post and the author of 23 critically acclaimed cookbooks, including Feast from the Mideast and 1,000 Jewish Recipes. She has won prestigious prizes for her cookbooks, including a James Beard Award. A syndicated cooking columnist, she has contributed many articles to the country’s top newspapers, as well as to Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and other magazines.

Faye’s Middle Eastern Menu