Samarkand

Recipes and Stories from Central Asia and the Caucasus

⭒ A Guardian Book of the Year ⭒

Over hundreds of years, various ethnic groups have passed through Samarkand, sharing and influencing each other's cuisine and leaving their culinary stamp. This book is a love letter to Central Asia and the Caucasus, containing personal travel essays and recipes little known in the West that have been expertly adapted for the home cook. An array of delicious dishes will introduce the region and its different ethnic groups - Uzbek, Tajik, Russian, Turkish, Korean, Caucasian and Jewish - along with a detailed introduction on the Silk Road. Chapters are divided into Shared Table, Soups, Roast Meats & Kebabs, Warming Dishes, Pilavs & Plovs, Accompaniments, Breads & Doughs, Drinks and Desserts. 100 recipes are showcased, including Apricot & Red Lentil Soup, Chapli Kebabs with Tomato Relish, Rosh Hashanah Plov with Barberries, Pomegranate and Quince, Kefir Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup and the all-important breads of the region. And with evocative travel features like On the Road to Samarkand, A Banquet on the Caspian Sea and Shopping for Spices under Solomon's Throne, you will be charmed and enticed by this little known region and its cuisine, which has remained relatively untouched in centuries.

Photography: Laura Edwards

Published by Kyle Books June 2016

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'This is a book to delight food lovers, travel hounds and history buffs alike.' The Telegraph

'As an armchair traveler, I was … lured into the kitchen by Eleanor Ford's fine recipes' Florence Fabricant, New York Times

'The recipes here, a mix of traditional dishes and modern iterations, are surprisingly approachable. Most call for familiar ingredients used in pleasantly disorienting combinations ' Georgia Freedman, Wall Street Journal

‘One of the most fascinating cookbooks to be published in the last few years’ Honey & Co

'I am LOVING it! So interesting to see so many familiar but also lesser known recipes!' Sabrina Ghayour

'Been waiting for this for over a year… I want to work my way through it.' Diana Henry

'Superb recipes by Eleanor Ford... Samarkand is a wonderful book.' Olia Hercules

‘The recipes in Samarkand are intriguing … so simple yet so elegant.’ Eat Your Books

‘Top of the reading pile’ Heidi Swanson

‘A wonderful book’ Marlon James, Man Booker Prize winner

'A particularly expansive and ambitious example of the genre. Imagine a Lonely Planet guide to Uzbekistan and beyond, with a hundred recipes. The recipes are directly written and friendly, with headnotes that sometimes give market tips and sometimes detour into history… this is a very fun read.’ LA Times

'The food in this book comes wrapped just as evocatively as the book itself... A central Asian table must be a thing of great beauty.' Guardian Cook

'LOVE this book - a wonderful appetite whetter for Asia's hidden culinary gem...' Felicity Cloake

'The authors have combined their travel and cookery writing skills to produce this fascinating book.' Waitrose Weekend

'One of the most impressive cookbooks of 2016.' Food52

‘The book's artfully curated recipes complement each one another.’ Publishers Weekly

'This cookbook will change everything you thought you knew about Soviet food.' Vice

'It's inspirational. Before you know it you'll be cooking recipes such as Georgian chicken with walnut sauce or Azeri pomegranate soup.' Delicious

'LOVE this book - a wonderful appetite whetter for Asia's hidden culinary gem...' New Statesman

'Recipes are evocatively appealing and surprisingly simple for the home cook.' House & Garden

'Rather sumptuous Central Asian cookery book which introduces dishes from the region and its different ethnic groups.' The Bookseller

'A wonderfully evocative book that combines exotic yet accessible recipes.' Vegetarian Living