The Pharaoh's Kitchen by Magda Mehdawy

The Pharaoh's Kitchen by Magda Mehdawy

Judging from the evidence available from depictions of daily life on tombs and in historical texts, the ancient Egyptians were just as enthusiastic about good food and generous hospitality as are their descendants today. Magda Mehdawy and Amr Hussein have done extensive research on the cultivation, gathering, preparation, and presentation of food in ancient Egypt and have developed nearly a hundred recipes that will be perfectly recognizable to anyone familiar with modern Egyptian food. Beautifully illustrated with scenes from tomb reliefs, objects and artifacts in museum exhibits, and modern photographs, the recipes are accompanied by explanatory material that describes the ancient home and kitchen, cooking vessels and methods, table manners and etiquette, banquets, beverages, and ingredients. Traditional feasts and religious occasions with their own culinary traditions are described, including some that are still celebrated today. A glossary of ingredients and place names provides a useful guide to unfamiliar terms.

"Food historians as well as adventurous cooks are bound to appreciate this tasty testimony to ancient Egyptian cuisineAs its title suggests, this painstakingly researched volume provides a fascinating glimpse into the kitchens of Pharaonic times. Magda Mehdawy, who holds a degree in archeology from the University of Alexandria, and Amr Hussein, a graduate in archeology from Cairo University, have gone to great lengths to recreate dishes gleaned from hieroglyphs and descriptions in ancient tombs and manuscripts, and adapt them for the contemporary table. Detailed appendices even include sections on "Food and Language" and "Food and Hieroglyphs." If dishes such as Crocodile Date Loaf or Pickled Palm-Tree Pith fail to entice you into the kitchen, you can still treasure this unusual cookbook as an excellent reference on the gastronomy of ancient Egypt."—Aramco World

"The Pharaoh's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Egypt's Enduring Food Traditions is more than a cookbook—it is a wealth of culinary lore and history. Full-color photography of tomb reliefs and artifacts from museum exhibitions as well as freshly prepared reconstructions of ancient Egyptian dishes, prepared just as they were thousands of years ago, illustrate this exceptional cookbook. The text offers more than thorough, step-by-step instructions for recreating the foodstuffs that archaeology shows ancient Egyptians served at banquets and dinner tables. There is also a wealthy of history, from how ancient peoples used certain ingredients to ward away parasites or spoilage, to etiquette of the era, to notations on how many of these dishes are prepared and served in Nubia today. A truly unique and extraordinarily worthy addition to exotic cookbook shelves."—Midwest Book Review

Magda Mehdawy holds a degree in archaeology from the University of Alexandria. She is the author of My Egyptian Grandmother's Kitchen (AUC Press, 2006), which received the Al-Ahram Appreciation Prize for the original Arabic edition in 2004. She lives in Alexandria.Amr Hussein, artist and graphic designer, graduated from Cairo University in 1979 with a degree in archaeology.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9789774168130
ISBN 10	9774168135
Title	The Pharaoh's Kitchen
Author	Magda Mehdawy
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	The American University in Cairo Press
Year published	2016-10-14
Number of pages	176
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.