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Four of our favorite cookbooks that capture the flavors of the Middle East and Central Asia

This part of the world pulls at my soul, and the food, well, it does the same.

I'm convinced that if you look for the familiar, it can be found. This is especially true when it comes to food.

There is a common thread throughout the world, regardless of region, religion or politics. The flavors may be unexpected and the instructions may be intriguing, but the purpose is the same: to feed, to break barriers, to gather around a table.

Cookbook publishers have been diving deep into the culinary traditions of the Middle East and Central Asia the last few years. The covers pop with color and the pages tell of people who cook from millennia of tradition. This part of the world pulls at my soul, and the food, well, it does the same.

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(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)
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Historical, cultural ballads

I decided to dive into this part of the world that intrigues and moves me. I chose to cook from four books that have received critical acclaim: Jerusalem: A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ten Speed Press, 2012); Samarkand: Recipes and Stories from Central Asia and the Caucasus, by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford (Kyle Books, 2016); Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes and Memories from Pakistan, by Sumayya Usmani (Frances Lincoln, 2016); and Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Kurdistan, by Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 2016).

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These books capture regions spanning from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf to the borders of India, Russia and China.

All four books address the conflicts that have plagued these regions of the world, but they also celebrate the beautiful cultural story within each. The people, the culture and the land continue to speak volumes through food, a ballad to history and longevity.

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(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

Culinary conflict

There are tomato salads, rice and meat dishes, grilled kebabs, condiments infused with spices, flatbreads, dips filled with herbs, and rosewater-infused dishes.

Unfortunately, even within food lies conflict. A gastric nationalism, "assertions that 'we' invented the dishes that you claim is yours," is attached to many of the recipes from the Middle East, Duguid writes in Taste of Persia.

Jerusalem and Taste of Persia both agree: No one can claim the originality of the cuisines that define these regions. These "stories [are] immersed in great culinary traditions that often overlap and interact in unpredictable ways, creating food mixes and culinary combinations that belong to specific groups but also belong to everybody else," Ottolenghi writes.

For example, hummus is a point of conflict that Jerusalem covers. "It is impossible to find out who invented this delicacy ... because Jerusalem was never an isolated bastion," Ottolenghi writes.

When I opened up Jerusalem, I was struck by the hospitality. It is mountains of food, warmth and generosity. "Nothing is done sparingly," and a dinner guest is never sent home hungry.

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Rebecca White of Plano blogs at apleasantlittlekitchen.com.

Jerusalem: A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Jerusalem: A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

Jerusalem: A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ten Speed Press, 2012)

Both authors are native to Jerusalem, and the book explores the Jewish west side of Jerusalem and the Arab east side. The recipes reflect a "21st century mindset," a cook who desires more healthful cooking, spends less time in the kitchen and has access to a particular set of ingredients. Recipes are broken into three groups: traditional, fairly traditional and loosely inspired. Placed throughout the book are histories of the region and thorough explanations of ingredients.

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What I cooked: Hummus, Yogurt with Cucumber, Basmati Rice and Orzo, Swiss Chard with Tahini, Kofta B'Siniyah

Recipe: Swiss Chard with Tahini, Yogurt and Buttered Pine Nuts

Samarkand by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford
Samarkand by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

Samarkand: Recipes and Stories from Central Asia and the Caucasus, by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford (Kyle Books, 2016)

The region Samarkand covers is vast. It showcases the cuisines of seven ethnic groups: Tajiks, Russians, Turks, Jews, Koreans, Caucasians and the Uzbecks. Neighboring epicurean influences like China and Persia are noticeable in this book. It tells a story of people, history and food through recipes and photography.

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What I cooked: Samsa, Green Suzma, Tajik Bread Salad, Yogurt, Cucumber and Rose Petal Soup, Samarkand Plov, Tarragon Soda, Apricot Sherbet

Recipe: Tajik Bread Salad

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree by Sumaya Usmani
Summers Under the Tamarind Tree by Sumaya Usmani(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes and Memories from Pakistan, by Sumayya Usmani (Frances Lincoln, 2016)

This books highlights Usmani's youth in Pakistan. It emphasizes the importance of the terrain and the natural resources the land provides. The recipes showcase how Pakistani food is highly influenced by its bordering countries of China, Tibet, India, Afghanistan and Iran. This book is a ballad to a beloved homeland and treasured family recipes — an effort to preserve the epicurean spirit of Pakistan.

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What I cooked: Mooli and Tarbuzi Salad, Mummy's Nutty Saffron Rice, Karhai Ginger Chicken

Recipe: Karhai Ginger Chicken

Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Kurdistan, by Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 2016)

Taste of Persia, a 2017 James Beard Foundation Award winner, provides an education of the culture and history of this vast region through food. The author provides additional resources in a bibliography that includes books, novels, movies, websites and other inspiring cookbooks to help understand these countries. Travel notes are also used throughout the book.

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What I cooked: Cucumber Salad with Sumac and Mint, Cabbage Dolmas, Ararat Shepherd's Eggless Omelet, Baked Persian Rice, Rose Water Pudding

Recipe: Rose Water Pudding