Cooking is an art in itself. Just as a composer creates melodies that delight the ears, and a painter blends colors in paintings that please the eyes, a chef combines ingredients with flavorings to create dishes that are first devoured by the eyes before the mouth. Some may perceive food preparation as a mechanical process, but it is an art that can be mastered by anyone who loves it. Like other arts, it requires knowledge and practice. Mastering this knowledge involves delving into the secrets of techniques, enabling home cooks and culinary enthusiasts to, for example, prepare a succulent piece of meat without losing its juices, or fold whipped eggs into flour without them deflating.

Humans, unlike other creatures, prepare their own food, not just to satisfy hunger, but as a way of self-expression and taste. It is well known that preparing dishes with knowledge is an expression of creativity and a desire to enjoy one of life's pleasures: savoring all that is delicious.

If we consider the saying, "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are," we find it to be the best evidence that food is not just a biological necessity for survival; it is an expression of human nature, a lifestyle, a level of civilization, and a result of the geography and climate of a particular land.

The book "Marilyn's Table: From East and West" is a testament to this, offering a delightful experience for cooking lovers. It contains the culmination of author Marilyn Matar's studies and the result of her many years of experience in both Eastern and Western cuisine. She has selected delectable dishes from both culinary worlds, from all over the globe, and accompanied them with detailed preparation instructions and tips to facilitate their easy preparation well before serving time. The enjoyment of these recipes is enhanced by illustrative photos that showcase plating and presentation techniques to please both the palate and the eye.

Driven by a desire to promote health awareness, the author has prepared the dishes in this book with the finest and most delicious ingredients, trying as much as possible to avoid anything detrimental to good health. The book contains over 400 recipes for Arabic and Western dishes and desserts, presented in a comprehensive, precise, and simplified manner to achieve the best results, along with professional techniques and amazing decoration ideas. It also includes alternative ingredients to reduce calories for those who wish to, and tips for working women to prepare dishes ahead of time.

It is worth noting that Marilyn Matar, the author of this book, is a graduate of the American University in Psychology and Sociology. She holds a diploma from the Le Cordon Bleu institute in Paris (1998) in both cuisine and pastry, and a certificate in food safety from the "Royal Institute of Public Health" (1998). Additionally, she has gained experience from top French chefs at the "Ritz" Hotel (1996), from Chef Benny Poon of the "Professional School of Chinese Cooking" in Canada (2001), and from the Italian Chef Nicholas Ufredi (2003).

• Publishing House: Arab Scientific Publishers/Lebanon
• Number of Pages: 439
• Year of Publication: 2014