Well-Read + Well-Fed Club: Arabiyya

WR + WF Club Butter

Welcome to this month's installment of Well-Read + Well-Fed Club, a collaborative series from Reading in Public and the Culinary Annex! RinP picks a cookbook and Culinary Annex crafts a cooking class around it for the community to enjoy!

For our seventh WR + WF Club series, 4 recipes from the cookbook Arabiyya Reem Assil with Chef Cass and Linzi!

We are very excited to cook some delicious food from Arabiyya! If you have never heard of pomegranate syrup and sumac, you need to come to this class! Try some new flavors that are hard to find in the Des Moines area.

Arabiyya celebrates the alluring aromas and flavors of Arab food and the welcoming spirit with which they are shared. Written from her point of view as an Arab in diaspora, Reem takes readers on a journey through her Palestinian and Syrian roots, showing how her heritage has inspired her recipes for flatbreads, dips, snacks, platters to share, and more. With a section specializing in breads of the Arab bakery, plus recipes for favorites such as Salatet Fattoush, Falafel Mahshi, Mujaddarra, and Hummus Bil Awarma, Arabiyya showcases the origins and evolution of Arab cuisine and opens a whole new world of flavor.

No experience necessary — just come hungry for new flavors and knowledge!

Also on offer: a thoughtfully selected fiction and nonfiction book pairing to get in the spirit for this month’s class.

THIS MONTH'S BOOKS

COOKBOOK: Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora 

NONFICTION: Our Arab 

FICTION: Bread on Uncle Milad's Table

The (cook)books will be available for pre-purchase ahead of the class and during the class itself. Receive 10% off when you purchase with your ticket as an add-on.

Menu:

-Yeasted Dough Flatbread (Dough from scratch)

-A variety of flatbreads!

• Crispy, Spiced-Meat Flatbreads

• Tomato & Cheese

• Spicy Red Pepper Paste

• Toum-Tangy Garlic Spread

• Za'Atar - Wild Thyme, Sumac, and Sesame Mix

-Sumac-Spiced Chicken Wraps

Cooking Class Highlights:

-Fundamental Knife Skills

-Explore Essential Ingredients for These Dishes

-Fully Hands-On Cooking Experience

-Master Professional Techniques

-Create and Plate Your Own Composed Dishes  

-Chef-Guided Instruction 

-Conversations about the books

Other Info:

-Please bring containers to take home your leftovers :)

-There is free parking on 5th St. 

-The Annex can be found to the left of the building, along the charming alleyway adorned with black benches.

-BYOB