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Janice Jweid Reed
ALLi Author Member
Location: United States of America (the)
Genres: Cookery & Diet
Skills: Speaking Engagement/Lecture, Press/Media Interview
I grew up in the vibrant and diverse community of Syrian and Lebanese families in Paterson, New Jersey. It was here that I was steeped in the foods and Arab cultural traditions that my own grandparents had brought with them from Aleppo, Syria. These Syrian foods were dishes I knew so well, but the actual cooking or baking of them was new to me. At the time, I realized that no written recipes were ever created. Mothers traditionally taught their daughters these kitchen secrets through the generations. I also realized these cooking treasures, taught to my Sitto (grandmother) in Aleppo, Syria, comprised more than 100 years of traditional Arab cooking. It was in 2009 that I authored my first cookbook, Sitto's Kitchen. It was published in 2012.
My goal for that first cookbook was to keep our traditions intact, but to allow for a modernization of some of the old techniques, so that young cooks would not be intimidated by Middle Eastern cooking. I went on to publish Sitto's Kitchen II in 2017 and now Sitto's Kitchen, published in June, 2020, self-published.
My life background is as a mother and homemaker, with a degree in Interior Design. I went on to own my own business in New York City and am now retired and a grandmother.
I now live in Southern California and am currently planning the next cookbook, as part of my Arab heritage.I hope that the next generations of young Arab cooks who long for these traditional foods will be drawn into Sitto’s Kitchen.
Janice Jweid Reed's books
Sitto's Kitchen
Sitto's Kitchen, A Treasury of Syrian Family Recipes Taught from Mother to Daughter for Over 100 Years, contains the original recipes and memories carried by the author's grandmother onto the shores of Ellis Island in 1912.
Sitto's Kitchen Cookbook features more than 165 recipes and over 100 full color appetizing photos of these delicious foods. It will take the reader, even a novice cook, on a homespun adventure in Middle Eastern cookery, as it has been prepared for generations!
Culinary delights, from an Aleppo breakfast of butter-soft turnovers to after-dinner Arab coffee and sweets, highlight this unique cuisine. Tantalizing Tamarind Meatballs, Open Meat Pies, aromatic Rice and Lentil Pilaf with caramelized onions and Syrian Stuffing are mouth-watering. Phyllo-encrusted Spinach Rolls, healthy vegetable soups, salads and grains, including several Bulgar Wheat dishes, will satisfy vegetarians. Appetizers and desserts include traditional favorites enjoyed all over the Levant!
Sitto’s Kitchen is Middle Eastern cooking with no mystery, simply prepared and traditionally preserved by generations of cooks who lovingly served these humble dishes to their families. Ahlan! To all who wish that they too, had a grandmother, “Sitto,” in their kitchen!