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Nawal NasrallahThe Kanz al-fawāʾid fī tanwīʿ al-mawāʾid, a fourteenth-century cookbook, is unique for its variety and comprehensive coverage of contemporary Egyptian cuisine. It includes, in addition to instructions for the cook, a treasure trove of 830 recipes of dishes, digestives, refreshing beverages, and more.It is the only surviving cookbook from a period when Cairo was a flourishing metropolis and a cultural haven for people of diverse ethnicities and nationalities. Now available for the first time in English, it has been meticulously translated and supplemented with a comprehensive introduction, glossary, and 117 color illustrations to initiate readers into the world of the Kanz al-fawāʾid. The twenty-two modern adaptations of Kanz recipes will inspire further experimentations. It is a valuable resource for scholars of medieval material culture, and for all lovers of good food and cookbooks.Biographical noteNawal Nasrallah is an independent scholar, previously professor of English literature at the universities of Baghdad and Mosul. She has published books and articles on the history and culture of Arab food, including Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchens (Brill, 2007), and Delights from the Garden of Eden (Equinox, 2013).ReadershipA valuable resource for academic and public libraries; for readers interested in medieval material culture, including that of the Arabo-Islamic world; for those in the social sciences, anthropology, comparative studies, and linguistics; and for anyone interested in Middle Eastern food culture and history.ReviewsFor Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook Nawal Nasrallah was presented with the Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2007 for best translated cookbook.في 117 من الرسوم التوضيحية الملونة، و22 من الوصفات المُحدّثة لبعض أشهر الأطعمة والطبخات فى الكتاب؛ نمضى فى هذا «الكنز» إلى التعرّف على أشهى وصفات مطبخ ذلك الزمان، ونوادره وحكايات الطعام، وأسواقه ومطاعمه فى القاهرة، ومهرجاناته العامة فى مواسم مثل رمضان والأعياد. «كنز الفوائد فى تنويع الموائد» يحفل بوصفات تخليل اللفت والزيتون والليمون، والباميا، والملوخية، والسمبوسك، والكشك، والعجّة، و«حُمّص كسّا» الذى عرفناه لاحقًا بـ«الحُمّص بالطحينة». وغير ذلك من أصناف أخرى تتماثل تمامًا مع وصفات المطبخ المصرى الحديث.إيمان علي، مجلة روز اليوسفEman Ali, Rose Alyoussef, no. 4658, 25 Sept. 2017, pp. 46-7.Table of contentsPREFACENOTES ON TRANSLATING THE TEXTINTRODUCTIONPART I: THE MAKING OF KANZ AL-FAWĀʾID1. The Text2. The Provenance3. Date and Sources4. A Case of Abridged Borrowing: Kanz al-fawāʾid and Zahr al-ḥadīqaPART II: MEDIEVAL EGYPTIAN FOOD CULTURE5. Diet and Formation of a Cuisine6. What was Cooking in Medieval Cairo?7. The Culture of Food and Cooking8. Shopping and Eating outPART III9. Medieval Egyptian Cooking as Reflected in Kanz al-fawāʾid10. Eating in Good HealthINFINITE BENEFITS OF VARIETY AT THE TABLE (ENGLISH TRANSLATION)Chapter 1: Indispensable Instructions for CooksChapter 2: How to Knead Bread Dough and Bake It; and Making Varieties of Bread: Enhanced (muṭayyab), Seeded (mubazzar), Salted (mamlūḥ), and MoreChapter 3: Measures Taken When Drinking Water: muzammal, and Chilled with Ice (thalj maḍrūb)Chapter 4: Qualities of Air-Cooled Water and What the Physicians Said About ItChapter 5: Miscellany of DishesChapter 6: Making murrī (Liquid Fermented Sauce), and Preserving Juice of Sour Unripe Grapes (māʾ al- ḥiṣrim) and Lemon Juice (māʾ al-laymūn)Chapter 7: Eggs Cooked as Omelets and Other DishesChapter 8: Vegetarian Dishes (muzawwarāt al-buqūl) for the Nourishment of the SickChapter 9: All Kinds of Dishes Made with Different Varieties of FishChapter 10: Making All Kinds of Sweets (ḥalwā)Chapter 11: Digestive Stomachics (juwārishnāt), Electuaries (maʿājīn), and Drinks (ashriba) Offered Before and After the MealChapter 12: Making fuqqāʿ (Foamy Beer), and Other DrinksChapter 13: Dried-Apricot Compote (naqūʿ al-mishmish)Chapter 14: Making Preparations Which Relieve Nausea (adwiyat al-qaraf)Chapter 15: Making Mustard [Condiments], Mild and Pungent-HotChapter 16: Making Table Sauces (ṣulūṣāt)Chapter 17: Dishes Made with Dairy (albān): kawāmikh (Fermented Condiments), jājaq (Drained-Yogurt Condiment), Condiments with kabar (Capers) and zaʿtar (Thyme); bīrāf (Clotted Cream); and the LikeChapter 18: All Kinds of Pickled Turnip and Onion, Pickling Fruits and Vegetables of All Kinds, and Preserving Lemon, Damascus Citron and the Like, in SaltChapter 19: Making Cold Dishes (bawārid)Chapter 20: On Aromatics (ṭīb), and Properties of Toothpicks (khilāl) Made from Willow Wood (ṣafṣāf) and Egyptian-Willow Twigs (ʿīdān al-khilāf)Chapter 21: Varieties of Aroma-Diffusing Incense Which Fortify Spirit and Heart; Aromatizing Pills; Deodorants; and Other PreparationsChapter 22: Top Quality Perfumed Powders (dharāʾir mulūkiyya) and Other PreparationsChapter 23: Storing Fresh Fruits and Keeping Them to Use After Their SeasonGLOSSARY1. Beverages for Pleasure and Health2. Breads, Grains, Pasta, Noodles, and Sweet and Savory Pastries3. Dairy4. Desserts, Sweeteners, and Conserves; for Pleasure and Health5. Dishes and Prepared Foods: Main and Side Dishes, Snacks, Condiments, Pickles, Dips, and Table Sauces6. Fats and Oils7. Fruits and Nuts8. Ingredients Used in Foods and Medicinal Preparations: Herbs, Spices, Aromatics, Minerals, Food Colors, and Seasoning Sauces9. Kitchen and Cooking Implements, and Culinary Techniques and Terms10. Meat11. Medical Terms, Medicinal Preparations, and Personal Hygiene and Perfumes12. Vegetables and Legumes13. Weights and MeasuresAPPENDIX: A TASTE OF TIME: MODERN ADAPTATIONS OF TWENTY-TWO RECIPES FROM THE KANZ AL-FAWĀʾIDWORKS CITEDINDICES