Thuraya: Recipes From Our Family's Kitchen in Jordan
SynopsisPlot
At its heart, the book Thuraya is a culinary diary and loving tribute to the plates of Jordan and the Middle East, documenting and preserving the recipes and traditions passed down from mother to son. Throughout its pages, Nadeem has richly captured over 120 of these delicious recipes and illustrated them with delightful stories and stunning photography. From small dishes to large feasts for meat eaters and vegans alike, Thuraya brings you a diverse collection of classic Levantine recipes and family favourites to enjoy at home in your kitchen with your loved ones.
Story
About this book
Thuraya is a cookbook by Nadeem Mansour that records over 120 recipes from Jordan and the broader Middle East. The collection draws on dishes passed down within Mansour's family, organized around Levantine cooking traditions. Recipes range from small plates to large shared meals, covering options for both meat eaters and those following a plant-based diet. The book takes its name from a family member, and the recipes are presented as a personal archive of home cooking rather than restaurant cuisine.
Each recipe is paired with original photography and short written accounts that place the food in the context of family life. Mansour frames cooking as an act of memory, linking specific dishes to the people and occasions that shaped them. The approach treats a household kitchen in Jordan as both a practical workspace and a site where food knowledge travels between generations.
The Levant, the eastern Mediterranean region that includes Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, shares many ingredients and techniques across borders. Thuraya sits within that wider culinary geography while keeping its focus on one family's particular versions of classic dishes, noting the small differences that distinguish a home cook's repertoire from a generalized regional standard.
