I hope that you’ve shown some grace with me as I review cookbooks this summer. While I’ve stated I’m doing the “best of,” I often throw in other books that catch my fancy. Thanks for putting up with that.
I’m truly back in the swing of the Best of 2024 Cookbook Reviews with Keep It Zesty: A Celebration of Lebanese Flavors & Culture from Edy’s Grocer by Edy Massih.
About the book:
A Favorite Cookbook of Summer 2024 by Food & Wine • Most Anticipated Cookbook of 2024 by Food Network and Epicurious
“By sharing his food, Edy shares every beautiful part of himself, and it just may change your life, too.” –Dan Pelosi, New York Times bestselling author of Let’s Eat
From the beloved chef and owner of Edy’s Grocer, a deeply personal celebration of Lebanese flavors adopted for the modern home cook.
Born in a small fishing village in Lebanon, Edy Massih grew up eating and cooking alongside his Teitas (grandmothers), Odette and Jacquo, who taught him the secrets to preparing delicious Lebanese food, including how to roll labneh balls and bind homemade kibbeh by hand. When Edy moved to the United States with his family at age ten, cooking soon became his solace, and from eighteen onward, Edy steadily built his career as a chef and caterer, specializing in these dishes and many others from his native land.Then Covid-19 struck, and Edy’s dreams, like those of many other culinary professionals, were nearly derailed by the pandemic. But when his adopted Teita Maria decided to retire ownership of her beloved neighborhood deli, Edy knew what he had to do. In only a few short months, the new sign, Edy’s Grocer, went up, and the Lemony Corner of Brooklyn was born.
In Keep It Zesty, Edy shares his personal story as well as more than 115 easy-to-follow recipes for some of his favorite dishes—traditional Lebanese fare with a modern twist. Infused with the zest and positivity he brings to everyday life, Keep It Zesty offers everything adventurous home cooks need to whip up delicious weeknight meals and entertain friends. Edy shows you how to build your own Brown Paper Board (the supersize charcuterie board of your dreams), alongside recipes for mouthwatering starters such as Orangey Date Carrot Dip and Spicy Fig Jam; showstopping breakfasts such as Rosewater Raspberry Dutch Baby and Tomato Halloumi Skillet; Za’atar Chicken Thighs and Everything Sumac Salmon with Sweetie Tahini Eggplant; Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops and Shawarma Chicken Taco Night to wow even the most demanding guests; and sweets and drinks, from Pistachio Halva Rice Krispies to Jallab Rosey Iced Tea. Plus, you’ll find easy tips and tricks from a one-man catering (and grocer-owning) powerhouse.
In addition to his amazing dishes, Edy includes helpful recipe charts for easy customization—accompanied by odes to Middle Eastern pantry staples, more than 100 truly stunning photographs of food and lovingly preserved family pictures, and heartwarming essays dedicated to the women who shaped him along the way.
Delightful, accessible, bursting with flavor, and full of the joy of life, this rich cookbook introduces a rising young culinary star and inspires home cooks everywhere to keep it zesty!
What I thought…
The cover of this cookbook is a riotous combination of colors—reds, greens, lemon-yellow, oranges. I would have picked it up if it hadn’t have been on a “best of” list. Edy, while not a Lebanese grandmother, does allude to turning the reader into one. There are lots of spins on his own grandmother’s recipes and staples. I was pretty pumped from just the introduction with promises of herby falafel, spicy tomato jam, hummus with Dukkah, and marinated feta. Yes, please!
It is probably a condensed version, but Edy includes the origin story of Edy’s Grocer. The retro family photos are adorable. The photos of authentic markets in Lebanon are as colorful as the front cover of the book.
His grandmothers, especially his Tieta Odette, taught him everything: “how to stand in the kitchen all day, how to seamlessly entertain, how to value family, and how to preserve Lebanese food and culture” (10). When he loses her, he almost lost his footing.
The loss of a Lebanese grandmother is like no other—she is who your family gathered round. She is the one who first showed you your favorite dishes. It’s her scent and words of wisdom that come to life when you close your eyes. (10)
I could relate his other pivotal life moments that led him to Edy’s Grocer in Brooklyn, but you can buy the book and read it yourself. And, I encourage you to do just that. (The photos of his own store shelves echo those greens, yellows, reds, and oranges.)
Speaking of shelves, he includes not only the spices to stock in your pantry, but also recipes for blends like Baharat, Shawarma Seasoning, Dukkah, Za’atar, Herby Harissa Seasoning, and Edy’s Everything Seasoning. Edy’s little avatar head pops up throughout the book to marks tips like using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, stocking Greek yogurt, buying lemon in bulk to juice all at once and using parchment paper instead of foil. The best tip of all—how to build a brown paper board. Not familiar with this term? It is a signature (and trademarked) charcuterie/grazing/veggie board on steroids. The photo, again with the colors, is not only descriptive and thoughtful but just simply amazing.
It might be a bit retro, but I love a cookbook with menus and Edy does not leave these out, everything from an intimate gathering of 4-6 to a blow-out party for 16+.
I won’t mention the color palate again but appropriately the first section is called “Taste the Rainbow” and includes dips, cheeses, pickles and “all the fixings.” The first recipe for hummus is size large—6 cups of cooked chickpeas and 1 cup of tahini! Make it in bulk! The other traditional staples are there too: tzatziki, muhammara, baba ganoush, labneh balls, baked feta, Beiruti Balila (marinated chickpeas), hashweh (ground beef, onion and Baharat), and Aleppo chili crisp. Edy adds his own spin with recipes for something called Green Angel (yogurt with fresh herbs, garlic, avocado and lemon), pesto white bean dip, fava smash and spicy tomato jam. And the pickles. There’s just too much here. I forgot to mention the cheese like Ricotta Three Ways and Za’atar Goat cheese. Favorite section of the entire book!
I want to start my day at Edy’s with one of the variations of Manoushe and some good white coffee (orange blossom water and agave or honey). Since I doubt I’m in Brooklyn anytime soon, he includes recipes so I can start my day off right. The Za’atar Shakshuka looks beyond words.
“Mix & Match” is his lunch section, full of creative salads like Charred Corn, Tomato and Halloumi Salad to soups like Moroccan Harissa Minestrone. Need to mix in a sandwich? There is the Za’atar Chicken Salad. Enough said. But wait….What is a Pitadillas? It is a must-try: more Za’atar, nigella seeds, Armenian string cheese, moz, feta all melted inside a lavash wrap. Genius!
The weeknight meals section is “Easy, Breezy, Lemon Squeezy.” 🙂 The entrees are varied from Muadara, Fasolia ou Riz, Émincé de Poulet to Lemony Sheet Pan Chicken. Edy includes accompanying sides like Harissa Lime Brussels Sprouts and Sweetie Tahini Eggplant.
“Hosting & Gathering” is definitely the party section. Everything here could be laid out on the Brown Paper Board or on a backyard picnic table. More salads are included here like Couscous (with fall/winter and spring/summer variations) and Garlicky Potato Salad. Edy starts riffing in this section with Herby Falafel, Sharma Chicken Taco Night and Aleppo Garlic Shrimp Cocktail.
In “Ignite Childhood Memories” (or The Quintessential Lebanese Staples), Edy includes his tomato sauce recipe, Chickpea & Eggplant Stew, and Riz a Djej, Fatteh Six Ways (besides other traditional recipes).
Don’t be alarmed. Of course there is a dessert section: “Helou ya Helou (Sweets for my Sweeties).” The first recipe here? Salty Chocolate Tahini Cookies. Oh, my. The second recipe? Pistachio Halva Rice Krispies. I don’t need to go on but if I did I would mention Salted Tahini Brownies, Spicy Chocolate Popcorn, and Turkish Coffee Tiramisu.
Can you tell I was impressed with this book? I’ll start with the hummus and work my way through. Buy it (or check it out of the library like I did). It’s worth the overdue fines.
Aside: I actually did not start with the hummus but instead made the sheet pan chicken mentioned above along with the recommended side of vermicelli rice. Both recipes were stupendous.
It might not be as colorful of meal as you might envision from this color-pop cookbook, but it was delicious and our company loved it. Now on to the hummus.
I’m linking up with Foodies Read.
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