Mon Liban

A self-taught chef who was born in Lebanon and grew up in the US, Alan Geeam now runs two restaurants in Paris, including the Michelin-starred, eponymous Alan Geeam in the 16th arrondissement, not far from the Arc de Triomphe.  While that establishment is known for French cuisine with Lebanese flourishes, in this book the chef pays tribute to the traditional food of his homeland, presenting it in fine dining style.

Something as simple as baba ganoush is given a flourish of diced, fried cubes of eggplant dressed with pomegranate molasses and strips of fried pita and coriander leaves. His "black falafel" incorporates smoked eel and pickled turnips. Cabbage leaves are stuffed with veal sweetbreads and served with a salsify puree and date-shallot condiment.

Although the book includes many photographs of markets and street scenes in Lebanon, this is clearly an interpretative approach, demonstrating the creativity of a skilled practitioner who has moved away from his origins but not forgotten them.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout. In French.