OP: Cooking from the Caucasus (paperback)

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. Paperback. Very Good. 

While Lebanon-born Armenian Sonia Uvezian was researching her first book, The Cuisine of Armenia (1974), which focused primarily on western Armenia, she felt her interest being pulled further east to the Caucasus, an area then encompassed within the USSR. 

Today, the Caucasus are contained in the borders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—all nestled between Russia, Iran, and Turkey—this natural crossroads of ancient national and ethnic influence has developed a distinct cuisine which is prized for its deliciousness and healthfulness but is perhaps less known outside of the region.

In her second book, The Best Foods of Russia (1976)—retitled Cooking from the Caucasus for the paperback edition—Uvezian offers geographical, historical, and cultural context in brief essays, which precede each section. Her tone is one of admiration and respect.

Dishes include:

• Goose roasted with onions and apples
• Rice pilaf with onion and an egg crust
• Lamb soup with cilantro and saffron
• Vegetable casserole of eggplant, potato, and tomato with fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, and mint
• Quince pudding
  

Ours is a Very Good paperback copy with modest shelfwear and the original cover price blacked out in marker.