(LANSING, MI) — Michigan-based food blogger Maureen Abood is a second-generation Lebanese-American whose passion for authentic Lebanese cuisine led her into a writing career, which has helped popularize the rising trend of Lebanese food.
Abood, who grew up in Lansing, Michigan, recently penned her first cookbook called Rose Water & Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes from my Lebanese Kitchen (Running Press, $30).
The book is based on Abood’s award-winning blog, which is updated frequently with new recipes and family stories of Lebanese cooking.
“I think that I have a great opportunity to form a bridge, to open a door and to say, have a look at this piece of Lebanese culture — of Middle Eastern culture — because this might be not exactly what you expect,” Abood told the Lansing State Journal.
Abood said the cookbook intertwines her love of cooking with the importance of family and ethnic traditions — something that’s highly valued in Lebanese culture, she says.
Rose Water & Orange Blossoms has been described as a “love letter” to Lebanese food and a “rich” and “delicious” family story.
According to Running Press, the cookbook presents more than 100 recipes of popular Lebanese favorites with an American twist, including spiced lamb kafta burgers, avocado tabbouleh in little gems, and pomegranate rose sorbet.
Weaved throughout are the stories of Abood’s Lebanese-American upbringing and the path that led her to culinary school at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco, California. Abood said her family is originally from Deir Mimas, a small town in south Lebanon.
“Maureen is a special kind of cookbook author – insightful, mindful of tradition, always appreciative,” said Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Every Day. “She uniquely uses charm, experience, warmth, and evocative storytelling to invite us into the seductive realm of her Lebanese table.”
To learn more about Abood’s cookbook, visit MaureenAbood.com.