From the Tigris to the Thames

‘Look at this feast from her [Linda Dangoor’s] new book From the Tigris to the Thames, recipes tracing her journey from her childhood in Baghdad to her life in London now via the various countries the family settled in or passed through en route, complete with fascinating stories and lovely photographs (Linda is an artist and sculptor; I meant to take a picture of her pots which fascinated me for much of the evening). As so often is the case I came away much happier, and not just because I was full of kubba (the tiny delicate rice-shelled meatballs in the second pic), tahini and tarragon trout and slow-cooked aromatic Shabbat chicken, eggs and rice and had THREE helpings — the stories around the table reminded me both of the deep joy of life, and that worse things happen at sea, as my grandma often said.’ — Felicity Cloake

‘This book transported us from our London office to a world of bold and delicate flavours, interweaving a captivating family memoir with recipes that bring life to the story. Complete with beautiful period photographs and descriptions of feasts, festivals and Jewish Iraqi traditions, the recipes include everything from homemade pickled mango Amba to soups, soft cheeses and beetroot halva. An exploration both of Iraqi Jewish identity and of the way food culture defines national and personal taste, there’s over 100 recipes to take you across the Levant and through Paris, London, Ibiza and Spain. A perfect cookbook for those who understand that food is the surest way to share experiences.’ — The Jewish Literary Foundation

This beautifully designed book traces Jewish food writer Linda Dangoor’s journey from her home in Baghdad, and through the various countries she stayed or lived in before finally making her new home in London. Part cookbook, part memoir, it interweaves delicious recipes with personal stories and musings on the meaning of home and belonging, reflecting the idea that we are where we have trod and so much more. The first half of the book includes recipes from countries that hug the Mediterranean basin, where the Arab conquests and the Jewish diaspora left their culinary mark. In the second part, the author welcomes the reader into her kitchen, sharing some of the dishes that she cooks for her family and friends on a daily basis.’ — Jewish Book World.

This is not simply a book of wonderfully written, easy-to-follow recipes, accompanied with rich narratives, photographs. The author fills in the text with asides that help to explain aspects of traditional culture that are essential to her family. She writes in the introduction that the book is “part memoir, part cookbook”. This added content makes it more than a memoir, but a documentation of her heritage. Iraqi Jewish traditions such as amulets given at birth, coffee cup reading, and more fill the pages…’

‘In From the Tigris to the Thames, Linda Dangoor introduces readers and cooks to distinctive foods from many places in the world with clear instructions. She brings together a multifaceted knowledge of cross-cultural food traditions, food history, Jewish customs, and more. Reading this cookbook is reading about a rich and varied life and so many elements that Dangoor appreciated along the way. Her descriptive use of language and storytelling brings her many experiences and their association with foods to life. My copy of the book is littered with small post-its and turned down pages of many more recipes I would like to try.’ — Annette B. Fromm, Review editor and Associate editor, Sephardic Horizons

‘”Beautifully designed and personal without sentimentality, this is a thoughtful contribution to the literature of migration and food. Readers interested in culinary history, diaspora cooking, and the ways recipes anchor identity will find much to engage them here.’’ — Kitchen Arts & Letters