What Are the Chapters in Delights from the Garden of Eden?

Updated

The chapter list on the book's official site (iraqicookbook.com) runs from an introduction on Iraqi food in perspective through sixteen numbered chapters, ending with desserts. The chapters are grouped by course and main ingredient, so you can go straight to the section that matches what you want to cook. Note that this list is the table of contents shown on the site; the site also states that the new abridged edition (440 pp.) differs from the original complete edition (572 pp.), so chapter contents and numbering may not match exactly between the two.

Chapter List in Order

Section Topic
Introduction Iraqi Food in Perspective
Chapter One Breads
Chapter Two Dairy Products
Chapter Three Vegetarian Appetizers and Salads
Chapter Four Soups
Chapter Five Snacks, Sandwiches, and Side Dishes (with Meat)
Chapter Six Snacks, Sandwiches, and Side Dishes (Vegetarian)
Chapter Seven Stews
Chapter Eight Rice
Chapter Nine Other Grains and Beans
Chapter Ten Lamb and Beef
Chapter Eleven Stuffed Foods
Chapter Twelve Poultry
Chapter Thirteen Fish
Chapter Fourteen Savory Pastries
Chapter Fifteen Desserts: Puddings and Ice Creams
Chapter Sixteen Desserts with Syrup

The site's excerpt cuts off partway through a "Chapter Seventeen" entry, so the list above is complete only through Chapter Sixteen as published there.

How the Chapters Are Organized

The structure follows the way an Iraqi meal is built rather than a strict A–Z of ingredients:

  • Foundations first. Breads and dairy open the book, reflecting how central both are to the cuisine.
  • Meat and vegetarian versions sit side by side. Chapters Five and Six cover the same category of snacks and side dishes, one with meat and one without, so you can pick by diet.
  • Staples before centerpieces. Stews, rice, and other grains and beans (Chapters Seven to Nine) come before the lamb, beef, poultry, and fish chapters.
  • Special categories get their own chapters. Stuffed foods (Chapter Eleven) and savory pastries (Chapter Fourteen) are treated as distinct groups.
  • Desserts are split by type. Puddings and ice creams are separated from syrup-based desserts.

To find a dish, start with its main component: a rice dish in Chapter Eight, a stuffed vegetable in Chapter Eleven, a syrup dessert in Chapter Sixteen.

Where to Confirm Details

The site offers a downloadable table of contents and indexes of foods and ingredients (ancient, medieval, and present), plus a complete list of 145 "By-Ways and Asides." These are the most reliable way to check whether a specific recipe appears in the edition you own, since the abridged and complete editions are not identical. The book is by Nawal Nasrallah; the new abridged edition is listed as available through amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, ISD (US distributor), and Equinox Publishing (UK publisher), and the original complete edition is listed as an e-book on iBooks.