Alon ShayaShaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel: A Cookbook

I am madly in love with this book! In fact, I'm TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY by it! I've laughed, cried, gasped, texted my friends to see if someone has read it so I can have someone to discuss it with - such drama, this book! I read the entire book in 24 hours and like with any good novel, I was very sorry to finish it. So, you CAN buy this book on the strength of the stories alone!Then I started cooking and I've posted some of the photos of the results for you to see. I also made but didn't photograph the Bulgarian Lamb Kebobs, the Tzatziki, the Israeli Salad including the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette - all stellar. So yes, you can purchase the book to read only but you will quickly learn this is an extremely fine cookbook. I will also say that we were visiting family in Denver right after I cooked all of these dishes from the book. We took a group over to Alon Shaya's restaurant, Safta, and had many of the dishes I'd made at home plus others. The recipes he provides will give you the same results as the dishes he serves and I appreciated very much the time and effort that went into making these recipes easy to follow at home.

Such a fantastic book. I'm now making this my go-to gift giving book for the people in my life who love to cook. I have this on my coffee table as it is fun to kick back, read through the stories and become inspired to tackle a new recipe. I am not a professional chef, just an enthusiast home-cook who is learning on the fly, and this is my new favorite cookbook.The recipes are so well explained with stunning pictures. I aIso love that there is a wide range of accessibility. Some are definitely special occasions dishes where you might want to track down a few special ingredients. However, there are many very doable recipes that are pushing me just outside of my comfort-zone flavor wise with really great results. I also appreciate the ingredient subs if you aren't interested or able to track down a certain unusual ingredient. Highly recommend.

I borrowed Shaya from the library when it was first published. Flipping through the book, the first chapter I read was titled "Family Meal." It describes a Thanksgiving dinner Shaya cooks with and for his family after a family tragedy. It touched me so deeply, I knew that I wouldn't be able to part with the book in just 2 weeks. I quickly tried a couple of recipes to make sure they worked (the preserved lemon aioli sold me in an instant) and ordered the book. The stories that begin each chapter are personal, insightful and honest and the recipes I've cooked, quite a few now, have all worked well, including my first effort at making beautiful puffy pita breads. The recipes are clearly written and offer substitutions for unusual ingredients.Because it's written as a narrative, recipes don't appear by type. I noticed at least one Amazon reviewer complained about this but there is a category listing in the back of the book and I didn't have a problem with the unconventional organization. There are color photos of every dish while watercolor sketches and photographs illustrate the stories.Weights are given for the baking recipes but most of the book uses conventional US volumetric measures, my only nit to pick with the book as I prefer weights.This book is a delight to read and to cook from.

After eating at Shaya in New Orleans, I eagerly purchased Alon Shaya's cookbook. No longer at the restaurant bearing his name, Alon Shaya is about to open Saba (Hebrew for Grandfather), also in New Orleans.His collection of Israeli-inspired recipes is accompanied by generous portions of text to explain the chef's background and opinions about food. I'm eager to try preparing the wood-fired pita on my Green Egg, and my goal is to work my way from cover to cover to try each of the recipes. The book itself is visually spectacular, far too nice to leave on a shelf. If you love cooking, especially cooking Middle Eastern foods, this is a must-have cookbook.

So far, I've prepared three recipes from this book: Lutenitsa (pp 8-9). Emily's Famous Red Beans and Rice (page 197) and Stuffed Cabbage with Tomatoes and Onions (page 171). All three were delicious and not difficult to make. The cabbage dish is by far the most delicious stuffed cabbage recipe I've tried. For the Lutenitsa, I don't have a gas stove. So, I cut the veggies in half and put them under the broiler on a sheet pan to char them. This is a delicious appetizer! The red beans recipe, I prepared twice now. It's a go to recipe for beans! This is a beautiful book with wonderful stories and photos. The author has been influenced by cuisines from the Mediterranean, Israel, and New Orleans. So, the recipes are varied and unique. This is my new favorite cook book and I'm looking forward to trying the other dishes.

Very disppointed with this book. Difficult recipes. Not what I expected. If you like it GREAT but not for me

One of the best cookbooks I own ( I have almost 500 ). The recipes are excellent but what makes it really unique is how he uses food to tell a story. I'm reading it as it was a biography. I really really recommend this beautiful book.

Amazing book! Recipes are absolutely delicious!

An amazing cookbook with truly wonderful stories!!!

One of my most favourite cookbooks now