# A new Elizabeth David?



## rachel (Oct 27, 2001)

Can anyone recommend an author who writes with the same kind of authority as Elizabeth David, but about Eatern Mediterranean food and/or African food (North or Sub-Saharan)? By Elizabeth David-like, I mean someone who has clearly left their own kitchen and travelled to find out the origins of a recipe, explains as much and explains about each recipe. I am getting very tired of an endless production of 'super-chef' TV style books with no regard for either the history or tradition of food. . .


----------



## athenaeus (Jul 24, 2001)

Xmmmm Rachel!

Demanding as always! If someone wants to answer to your questions must now at least a couple of dead languages!!

Apart of the recipe book of my grandmother Ester ...the only book I know as the one you describe is the book of Athenaeus , the original one ...
But as always I will check because the subject inspired me


----------



## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

These are just the books I have in my own library; I'm sure there are more!

*Paula Wolfert* has several books out, including _The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean_ and _Couscous and Other Good Foods from Morocco_.

*Claudia Roden* has _The New Book of Middle Eastern Food_which is a recent update of her _A Book of Middle Eastern Food_.

*Colette Rossant*, who was born there, wrote _Memories of a Lost Egypt._

*Joyce Goldstein* has _Sephardic Flavors: Jewish Cooking of the Mediterranean_ and _Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen._

And, finally, *Jessica Harris* includes some North African recipes in _The Africa Cookbook.

All of these differ from Elizabeth David in that they write their recipes with actual, precise measurements (!) -- but their research and love of the food is surely equal._


----------



## rachel (Oct 27, 2001)

Thank you very Suzanne,
I should have thought of Paula Wolfert myself, I've heard that she is very good. It's just that she's not so famous this side of the Atlantic. And I have to confess that i don't object to precise measurements, just food as fashion (or 'the new porn,' as a journalist wrote in The Guardian a couple of weeks ago.
Athenaeus, I hope to be astounded by your insight into reading material!


----------

