The Aleppo Cookbook by Marlene Matar (Interlink, 2017)

We know, through horrifying photographs and reporting and an army of refugees, what war has done to the ‘second capital’ of Syria. A book that reminds us of Aleppo’s culinary prominence, its fertile landscape, and the pride its people take in its food history, diversity and culture feels very timely indeed. Given Aleppo’s devastation, this dense collection of recipes (there are more than 200), the author hopes, can serve as one small contribution to its recovery and renewal.