The Iraqi Family Cookbook

The author does a lovely job of telling Westerners or displaced Iraqis how to make their own Arabian Spice mixture, as well as other substitutions for commonly used items. She also does a good job of telling what dishes accompany each other, and what time of year or celebrations go with the foods. Typical chapter menues for a cookbook such as appetizers, soups and stews, then the vegetables, different kinds of meats, and desserts. Very good pictures and clear instrucitons. This author did a lovely job with t he cookbook.

My husband is from Mosul,Iraq. He has lived in the USA since 1958, but has vivid and fond memories of his years growing up in Mosul and Baghdad. I ordered this cookbook for him as a gift. To say he was pleased is an understatement! The photos and especially the section of historical facts about Iraq took him on a mind-journey back to his childhood and homeland. He is so happy that each recipe, although written in English, has the Arabic name for that particular dish. We have tried many of the recipes, some of which my husband could prepare almost without the book because the dishes and foods are so familiar to him. We have ordered seven copies of the book and sent them to various family members with the hope that they will enjoy it as much as we have. I am happy to have discovered such a publication with so much meaning for our family. Kudos to author Kay Karim for putting together this beautiful cookbook!

I deployed to Iraq a lot when I was in the Army and when I was there I loved the food. I can't find anything close to it in the states so I ordered this book for my girlfriend (I guess you can say it's for me) and we've made several of the things I remembered having. It's got a lot of foods one would normally encounter while there, which is what I was looking for. It's got a lot of variety and it's explained easily. I was skeptical at first but I made the right choice on ordering this. On other reviews a woman complained about the pictures being blurry. A couple are in ways but you can clearly see what it is with no problem. Don't let that deter you from getting this. The pictures are fine.

Superb contents and well written. Easy to use recipes with easy to find ingredients. Wish the glossary of ingredients were more extensive but a pleasure to use. Great healthy meals generally from ones pantry. Great preface and introduction along with recipe anecdotes which almost makes one feel like being part of the author's family when cooking. Mid-eastern and Mediterranean made very accessible. Well done and thank you Kay for sharing your family's recipes.

This is a great cookbook. Clear instructions. Nice photos. All those foods my grandma used to cook for us but didn't write down. I can make the authentic Iraqi dinners and desserts I grew up loving. It'll make your house smell like home.

I am middle eastern but never got a chance to learn how to cook middle eastern food from my mom. I wanted to learn so badly but, could not get the recipes down right. That's when my search started for a middle eastern cookbook and I bought a few but this one takes the cake!!! The recipes are spot on with how my mom made the dishes. I have made 4 different dishes from the cookbook so far and have loved each one of them. My husband greatly appreciates my cooking a whole lot more now!! Thank you for creating such an awesome cook book!!

As a cookbook, the cookbook is well done. The recipes are straightforward and illustrated (I didn't mind the quality of the photos, they do the job), they encompass the sorts of things one would expect to find in an Iraqi cookbook, and the author has an enjoyable "voice" and offers a window into her family's traditions. Her PERSONAL recollections are well written and enjoyable, and add to the general feel of the book. However... I was uncomfortable with her introduction where she discusses the different religious groups in Iraq. Due to the tone of voice she uses for other religious groups, I was easily able to discern her religious orientation even before I came to the photos of her nephew's baptisim...and I don't think that's a good thing for a cookbook. In particular, she is unnecessarily negative towards Muslims, and I was surprised that a copy-editor didn't intervene and suggest she use less loaded or biased language. While Islam-bashing is all the rage these days, it seems especially inappropriate here given that the majority of the population of Iraq is Muslim. She confuses 'popular custom among Iraqis who, coincidentally, happen to be Muslim' with 'Islamic customs that stem from the religion and are shared by Muslims across the world', and this either reflects (a) a lack of knowledge about what she is writing about, (b) a lack of concern for factuality, or (c) both. I find this to be highly irresponsible in a published work, and certainly if I were going to publish on a subject that I was not an expert about, I would at least run my writing by an expert first. She also makes occasional factual errors about Islam, which made me wonder if perhaps she naively assumed that, because her cookbook is in English, none of the readers would be Muslim or know anything about Islam. (Particularly since she mentions that she assumes her readers will not know anything about Iraq, whereas it is quite likely that English-speaking people of Iraqi descent would purchase the book.) I think it is reasonable to discuss religious groups in a Middle Eastern cookbook since religion is very important in the Middle East, and different religious groups often have their own foods and traditions. I think it would have been fine if she wanted to frame it as a Christian Iraqi cookbook, and I genuinely find it interesting to read about other people's customs and traditions. (Indeed, the inclusion of recipes for wine is generally a giveaway that it is not a traditional Muslim cookbook.) I was just taken aback by the negativity and lack of factuality. That being said, most people aren't buying this book as an introduction to Iraqi history or customs or as an introduction to the religions of Iraq, they are buying it because it is a cookbook. And, it is a fully functional cookbook. So... I give it 5 stars for being a cookbook, but less stars for the other issues.

This book met all my expectations! Born in the United States to a Assyrian christian family that migrated from Iraq it gave me a history of our people. The book went over many of the recipes my Mother use to cook for us. It's not only a cookbook but its an inspiration! I quickly ordered one for my oldest sister that was thrilled with it as well. If you are from that origin I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. I even contacted the author for information before ordering the books. She responded quickly which was great! Thank you! Kay Karim for writing this extraordinary book. God Bless you!

so many instantly recognisable dishes, I didn't know where to begin. What a joy to now be able to cook the meals I eat as a child in Iraq

Excellent cookbook , and a must as a reference to real Iraqi dished , Easy to follow with lots of pictures. above all the recipes are so delicious and very authentic , just the way my family in Iraq use to make, loved the history and heritage information that the author provided . Most of the receipts are so healthy and lot's of vegetarian dishes. I will give one to my daughter so she can learn more about her heritage , keep the tradition going and get experience using a truly exceptional cookbook.

Excellent book makes me remember my childhood!

Great cookbook for real Iraqi recipes! My husband is Iraqi and a lot of these recipes are similar to the food his mom makes. There is beginner recipes as well as recipes that require more time/skill. And I love that the writer has included some explanations of the history/culture of Iraqi food in the cookbook.... very interesting!

I've been looking for a very long time for a book like this. The recipes are fresh, flavourful and easy to follow. So hard to find authentic Iraqi cooking at all, but these recipes are all very well presented in a modern book. Can't wait to start making Iraqi dinner parties!