Soup for Syria Cover

It's finally done!

Good news is that my US publisher found a UK publisher too to help publishing Soup for Syria. Presently the book is being printed in China! Ouf...I am planning a launch in Beirut in September. In the US there will be launch/benefit concert on September 20th in MA.Will keep you posted on developments.Thank you to all who made this book possible! Everyone worked for FREE. All proceeds will go to a fund to help Syrian refugees It feels good to have been part of this amazing experience. Hope people will understand the core message behind the book.

You can pre-order the book on Amazon or directly on the Interlink page.

“Soup for Syria may be the most compelling cookbook ever created. Through her photographs and collected recipes, Barbara Massaad directly connects us with a people in dire need of our help.  Just holding this book is nourishment for the soul.”
—Jim Clancy, former CNN Correspondent and Anchor, awarded A.H. Boerma medal for coverage of food and hunger issues by F.A.O. (U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization)

A BEAUTIFUL COOKBOOK TO BE CHERISHED FOR ITS LOOK, ITS CONTENT, AND THE CAUSE IT SUPPORTS

The world has failed Syria's refugees and some of the world's wealthiest countries have turned their backs on this humanitarian disaster. Syria's neighbors-Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq-have together absorbed more that 3.8 million refugees. The need for food relief is great and growing.

Acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors the world over have come together to help food relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees. Each has contributed a recipe to this beautifully illustrated cookbook of delicious soups from around the world. Contributors include: Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Anthony Bourdain, Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Paula Wolfert, Ana Sortiun, Sally Butcher, Claudia Roden, Greg Malouf, Alexis Coquelet, Chris Borunda,  Alexandra Stratou, Necibe Dogru, Aglaia Kremenzi, and many others.

• Celebrity chefs contribute favorite recipes to help feed Syrian refugees
• Fabulous soups from around the world-from hearty winter warmers to chilled summer soups
• Easy-to-follow instructions with stunning color photos throughout
• Recipes made with no-fuss ingredients found in your local supermarket

All profits from the sales of the cookbook will be donated to help fund food relief efforts through various nonprofit organizations. Most Syrians hope that one day they will be able to return to their country and rebuild their lives. For now, though, what we can do is listen to their pleas. Be part of this vital work of saving lives and help us deliver essential food items to the displaced refugees.

Alice Waters

I met Alice Waters a few years ago in Puebla Mexico at a Slow Food event. I had heard of her vaguely before my trip and read her profile hours before heading to the airport. I was captured by the essence of her work. One night, as we were treated to a lavish dinner, I came up to her and handed her my book. I told her that I came from Beirut and would like to give her a token of my appreciation. When one meets Alice, you are immediately mesmerized by her charm, her smile, and her way of speaking. I walked back to my table. The next day, running to a conference, I bumped into her again. I asked her what she thought of my book, no words came out of her mouth, she simply came up to me and gave me a huge hug, then she said, "I really loved it!" Since then, I have become a fervent follower of Alice and her work. She has left a trace, both in my heart and in my mind. I intend to use her experience as a base to work on tracing my own path, the journey I am actually living each day in Lebanon. I intend to make a difference in my country for our children - for the future generation who will become the parents of tomorrow. I intend to feed many spiritually and physically in the process.

Please take the time to view Alice's video. You can follow her work on Facebook on the Alice Waters fan page!

http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2009/08/24/sbiz_hwgs_alice_waters.smb/

A photo I took of Alice the night we all ate and danced in Mexico - What an unforgettable evening!

"To me, food is the one central thing about human experience which can open up both our senses and our consciences to our place in the world. Consider this: Eating is something we all have in common. It’s something we all have to do every day and it’s something we can all share. Food and nourishment are right at the point where human rights and the environment intersect. Everyone should have the right to wholesome, affordable food." 

  "What could be a more delicious revolution than to start committing our best resources to teaching this to children?—by feeding them and giving them pleasure; by teaching them how to grow food responsibly; and by teaching them how to cook it and eat it, together, around the table? When you start to open up a child’s senses—when you invite children to engage, physically, with gardening and food—there is a set of values that is instilled effortlessly, that just washes over them, as part of the process of offering good food to other people. Children become so rapt—so enraptured, even—by being engaged in learning in a sensual, kinesthetic way. And food seduces you by its very nature—the sme smell of baking, for example: It makes you hungry! Who could
resist the aroma of fresh bread, or the smell of warm tortillas coming off the comál?"