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An authentic and evocative book featuring the classic baking recipes from around Lebanon. ''There is bread and salt between us.'' This phrase, symbolising the act of breaking bread together, of welcome, of gratitude, friendship, and trust, epitomises the spirit of the baking culture of the Middle East. And the oven is the beating heart of every community. This beautifully photographed cookbook explores the vibrant baking culture of Lebanon. Perfectly poised between the Middle East and the Mediterranean, Lebanese food draws influences from myriad cultures and offers a delicious collection of baking recipes to tempt the home baker seeking new taste adventures. Lebanon is a land of culinary richness and a vibrant spirit, and this book tells the story of its baking cuisine: exploring all its regional influences and traditions. Here you will find over 80 recipes for classic home-style breads, traditional family favourites that have been handed down through generations, alongside pastry-shop delicacies, classic cakes, and street-food treats.
About the author
Hisham Assaadis a Lebanese cookbook author and chef, food stylist, and photographer who shares recipes and stories on his blog, Cookin5m2. Raised in a food-loving family who were expelled to Lebanon from their village in Palestine in 1948, Hisham grew up in Dbayeh, a Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut. He learned about Levantine food by watching his mother (a talented home cook) and father (from a family of butchers) in the kitchen. They bestowed the basics on him and he took it from there. Hisham brings his heritage as part of the Palestinian refugees to bear on recipes in danger of being lost to history or cultural appropriation, preserving them for future generations.
He has worked as a guide on boutique food tours of Beirut and the surrounding countryside for Taste Lebanon and is a frequent guest chef at local restaurants and festivals. He also works as a humanitarian clown with Clown Me In, a local NGO that seeks to democratise the arts and go where love and laughter is needed.
His work has been featured in print and online media as well as on television and radio, including a weekly radio feature with a well-known Lebanese host, giving culinary tips and recipes since 2020.
Hisham's books include
Bayrut: Recipes from the heart of a Lebanese city kitchen republished by Smith Street Books in 2025 and
Taboon: Sweet & Savoury Delights from the Lebanese Bakery, published by Smith Street Books in 2024.
