As with every book I have published, I was helped in the research and writing of this one by many people, some already friends and others who have become friends. Indeed, even if it is somewhat of a cliché to say so, it is easier to make friends over food than over any other subject. When I worked in art, I made friends attending auctions, previews and exhibitions but the connections were never as immediate as those I make with people I meet when I’m researching recipes and culinary traditions, be they home cooks, street vendors or artisan food producers or simply friends of friends helping me find the dishes I am looking for or the cooks or sweet-makers to prepare them. There is hardly a Levantine person who doesn’t love to talk about food, and wherever I travel in the region, it never feels awkward accosting people in the street, at a restaurant or in the souk to ask about what they are eating, ordering or buying. They almost always respond warmly despite never having met me before. And it always makes me happy when I have these friendly encounters with total strangers. So, here are the friends, new and old, who I would like to thank.
In Syria, Pierre and Irene Antaki, Lena Antaki and Georges Husni for talking to me about Aleppine cuisine and arranging for me to taste an extraordinary range of dishes cooked at home (at Lena’s and Georges’s) or in the restaurant and in particular the Club d’Alep. Majed Krayem and Bassam Mawaldi for letting me into the kitchens of Pistache d’Alep to watch the sweet-makers perform miracles, at least as far as ghazl el-banat (candyfloss) is concerned. Lina Sinjab for brilliant restaurant recommendations in Damascus. Chef Emad at Bazar el-Sharq for making the most amazing dishes for me and explaining how he prepares them, and Maria Gaspard for teaching me what has become one of my favourite dips made with beetroot. Also Sonia Khandji for generously sharing some of her recipes with me. Not to mention the many people I have met in markets, on the road and in small villages with whom I have shared marvellous moments over a piece of bread or something more. Sadly, Syria has changed in the last two years and much has been destroyed. I have not been back since the beginning of the uprising but I hope that when I do, I will be able to find some if not all the people that I have befriended as well as the various food places that I loved to visit.
In Lebanon, Jacquot and Marco Ayoub – Jacquot always takes me on wonderful culinary trips of discovery to taste an exceptional goat meat kibbeh nayeh, or a goat’s cheese matured in goatskin; Huda and Elie Broudi and her sister Mona Za’tari, who is an amazing traditional cook while Huda is a fantastic modern one. Both have cooked for me, generously sharing their culinary secrets. Nayla Audi and her father Abdullatif el-Zeyn and her mother Alice for receiving me so warmly in their home down south and introducing me to specialities of the region that I was unfamiliar with. Amal Bohsali, my favourite place for k’nafeh (a sweet cheese pie eaten at breakfast), for allowing me into their kitchens to watch it and other sweets being made and for getting me a huge stock of the mysterious soapwort root (shirsh le-halaweh) to experiment with making natef (a sweet dip served with walnut or pistachio cookies). Youmna Ghorayeb and her sister Leila for showing me around their Mymouné kitchens where they produce some of the best artisanal preserves. And of course my wonderful mother, Laurice Helou, who remains an invaluable fount of knowledge as far as the country’s cooking is concerned.
In Istanbul, Hande Bozdogan and Kaya, her husband, for being wonderful hosts and taking me to great places to eat. Banu Özden for introducing me to the best stuffed mussels vendor in Istanbul as well as other places. Musa Dağdeviren and his wife Zeynep for the delicious food at their restaurant Çiya. Nevin Halıcı, my guru on all things Turkish, who arranged for me to go with her brother Feyzi Bey and his delightful wife Bahar to an amazing lunch cooked by Bahar’s sister, Lale, which unfortunately will remain unrecorded – Jason Lowe lost all the pictures from our trip due to a break-in at his place. Also Nadir Güllüoğlu for opening his baklava kitchens to us. Sabahat and Fahri Küpelikılıç and their daughter Gökçe for receiving us into their homes and serving kormenli pilaf and tarhana çorba (soup made with dried yoghurt) and village cheese, and Hale for sending over delicious yaprak sarması (stuffed vine leaves). And finally Aylin Öney Tan.
In Gaziantep, my adopted sister Filiz Hösükoğlu, who is the perfect guide to all things culinary in that city. Mustafa and Murat Özgüler for letting me see how the best katmer (pistachio and cream pie) in the world is made and allowing me to film their katmer master; Mustafa Hasırcı at Metanet for the best beyran (lamb stew eaten boiling hot for breakfast) in Gaziantep. Mr Bayram Sarıbas¸ at Güllü Baklava who makes scrumptious kourebyeh (pistachio shortbread); Özgüler ice cream. Belgin Yetkin, a wonderful home cook who taught me several typical south-eastern Turkish dishes, including omaç, a very interesting salad shaped into balls. Ali Gürbüz, the owner of Ciğerci Ali Haydar Usta restaurant, where the speciality is liver kebabs, the best you will ever eat. S¸evket Kılıç at Kılıç Kadayıf and his kadayıf-makers for allowing us into their back kitchen to watch the mesmerising process of making kadayıf (‘hair’ pastry) by hand. Older Talat Bey, his son Burhan Bey and young Talat Bey of I˙mam Çağdas¸ for their hospitality and help and for opening their kitchens for me to see how they prepare their kebabs and baklava. Ferhat Almacı (apple seller) who arranged for us to go and watch bastik and ceviz sucuğu (grape leather and sweet walnut ‘sausages’) being made. Resul Bayhan and his team for letting us into their bastik-making hangar. Vakkas Azrak for connecting us to families drying vegetables. Kamil Sarpkaya at the Pistachio Research Centre and all the wonderful pickers in the pistachio groves. Also all the lovely people who let us into their homes to watch them prepare various specialities and take photographs which sadly are now all gone. Derman Tuzlu for translating and accompanying us at the Kahkeci. Hanımeli Yufka for opening their doors and letting me watch the men make yufka (the Turkish equivalent of filo pastry). Ali, our wonderful driver, who started out by being very sullen but ended up cheerfully trying to speak English with us. S¸irvan Payaslı at S¸irvan restaurant. Cevdet Güllü at Güllüoğlu Mahmut Güllü in Elmacı Pazarı for pistachio kurabiye (shortbread) and his lovely bald chef Arap Usta.
In Iran, Nasrine Faghih for receiving me so warmly in her beautiful house and Ali Farboud for being a perfect companion on our travels together. Mrs Akbar and her daughter who have shown me how to prepare various Gilaki (from Gilan province) dishes and all those who have helped me with information, introductions to friends and whose names I sadly never wrote down.
In London, Jenny Heller, Lizzy Gray, Helen Wedgewood, Elen Jones and the design team HarperCollins as well as Nada Menzalji for going over the transliteration. Caspian Dennis for being a perfect agent, and the late Abner Stein for his wonderful company and advice while he was alive. Amir Amirani for introducing me to his wonderful friends in Tehran and Jane Levi for testing some of my recipes so brilliantly. And to all those I have forgotten to mention. Sadly, I do this with each book and however hard I try to keep track of all those who have helped me, I always miss a few. I hope you will forgive me if you are among the forgotten ones!