Sephardic cuisine is truly a mosaic of a variety of Mediterranean influences. Typical ingredients include cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek, saffron, almond essence, rose and orange flower water, tahini paste, artichokes, fava beans, olives, fennel, couscous, semolina and bulgur. Noted cookbook author Sheilah Kaufman guides home cooks through the specialities of the Israeli kitchen in this unique collection of recipes. Includes 120 easy-to-follow recipes, as well as a brief history of the Jews and their wanderings, and guides to kosher dining, Jewish holidays, and food terms.

Influenced by neighboring cuisines such as Greek, Persian, and even Chinese, Turkish cuisine is uncomplicated yet rich in flavor. With over 180 recipes, A Taste of Turkish Cuisine incorporates fresh and healthful ingredients into delicious mezes (appetizers), soups, salads, entrees, breads, pilafs, vegetable dishes, preserves, yogurts and desserts. This cookbook also includes a brief history of Turkish cuisine, and guides to commonly used ingredients and Turkish cooking terms.

The Arabic word Maghreb means "land where the sun sets." The Maghreb is a multicultural Mediterranean region of North Africa which includes Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Libya. It is bordered by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, and in ancient times, the Maghreb included Spain, Sicily, and Malta. The history of this region is completely different from that of the rest of Africa, and today's cuisine reflects those differences. It's an inviting cuisine, made with fresh local and seasonal ingredients, that carries a diversity of flavors and time-honored traditions to the Maghreb table. Before the Arab conquest, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and later the Italians and French, colonized the Maghreb. Each new culture that entered the region left unique influences and together they created a multicultural cuisine using aromatic spices, fresh herbs, citrus, dried fruits, nuts, fresh fish, lamb, chicken, pasta, rice, and copious fresh vegetables. Ancient civilizations such as Phoenicians and Romans spread the cultivation of wheat. The Moors brought citrus and olives from Spain. The Berbers gave birth to couscous. Fennel, peas, and artichokes arrived with the Italian settlement, and the baguette, salad Nicoise, and mayonnaise were brought by the French when they colonized the area. Thus, the food of Maghreb became a melange of Sicilian, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Berber cuisine. This unique cookbook brings the colorful, aromatic foods of the Maghreb region to readers through over 100 authentic recipes. Chapters cover a range of options: Appetizers, Soups, Sides, Vegetables, Main Courses, Condiments, and Desserts. Also included are helpful chapters on the pantry essentials, herbs and spices that give Maghreb foods their distinct appeal. Sample recipes: Crostini with Dill and Pecorino Spicy Cauliflower Minestra Couscous for Festive Occasions (Seffa) Lamb Chops in Dried Fig Sauce Baked Whole Bass with Chermoula Shrimp Speidini with Golden Breadcrumbs and Pistachios Rustic Pizza Stuffed with Red Onions, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins Broccoli Affogati Marzipan-Stuffed Dates

Soups, Stews, and Chowders bring credibility to the idea that America is a great melting pot. Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup has its origins in George Washington's kitchen at Valley Forge during the winter encampment. Pigeon Soup was a particular favorite of Thomas Jefferson as pigeons were plentiful around Monticello. In colonial kitchens the predominate utensil was a large kettle. Cooks throughout the centuries have utilized whatever food was available to prepare delicious, invigorating, and warming soups for their families. Sheilah Kaufman assembles over 70 soup recipes including Dill Pickle Soup, Pumpkin Mushroom Soup, Corn Chowder, and Clam Chowder to satisfy your nutritional urges. Some soups are hot and some are cold, but each recipe is elegant yet simple to prepare with easy clean-up. Also included is a concise history of soups, stocks, and broths, notes about the origin of the terms we use today, and helpful hints to make your soup the envy of your neighborhood. Sheilah Kaufman learned to bake at the age of 8, when she craved chocolate desserts like brownies, fudge, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Her mom's version of dessert was either an un-iced sponge cake or vanilla wafers Teachers from La Varenne in Paris and Le Cordon Bleu gave Sheilah her formal training in French cuisine. In 1966 Sheilah began teaching international cooking classes under the name French Cuisine Plus. Sheilah is the author of more than sixteen cookbooks including her bestselling French Cuisine Plus, More French Cuisine Plus, A Chicken in Every Pot, Easy Ways to Elegant Cooking, and Sheilah's Fearless, Fussless Cooking. Glamour magazine says "If you like to entertain, Sheilah's Fearless Fussless Cookbook should be your best friend." During the 1970s Sheilah began traveling the US lecturing and teaching with appearances on many TV and radio programs. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Modern Bride, International Travel, and Magna, Sheilah is the food editor for Washington Jewish Week, and the gift basket and fancy food editor for Gift & Decorative Accessories Magazine. Sheilah lives with her husband in Potomac, Maryland.