Tahini & Tumeric: 101 Middle East

Add a dash of Spain, a chunk of Lebanon, a splash of Israel, and a hint of America. Blend until smooth and voila! You may end up with a well-mixed identity crisis, but happily you'll get Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox, amazingly creative and food-mad sisters raised in Barcelona by Syrian-Lebanese Jewish parents. Since moving to the United States about twenty years ago, they have successfully married comforting Middle Eastern flavors with new healthy ingredients. Their site Mayihavethatrecipe.com features their award-winning recipes, and gorgeous food photography, and receives over 110,000 page views a month.

In their debut cookbook, Cohen and Fox interpret 101 Middle Eastern dishes in an irresistible--and easy--collection of vegan recipes, creating tempting, healthy dishes that take readers and eaters beyond the conventional and recognizable Middle Eastern staples of baba ghanoush and baklava. Instead, they offer modern, lighter dishes bursting with flavor. Covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between--and complete with tips for what cooking staples and an introduction to some newer ingredients to keep in your pantry--these recipes are perfect for the health-conscious cook who loves the flavors of the Middle East.

Written by experienced recipe developers and bloggers, the recipes are free of time-consuming or complicated techniques and are meant to be served on busy weeknights and during casual gatherings with friends. With simple tricks, like substituting spring roll wrappers or pita bread for from-scratch dough, they've made it easy to prepare delicious, exotic food without an all-day affair in the kitchen.