The author of this cookbook/memoir remembers life as she lived it as a girl in Beirut, particularly at the family summer house in Bekaa Valley, one of the world`s most fertile agricultural areas. Recalling both hard work and blissful idleness, she uses her own background to enhance the recipes, which are culled from a long tradition of Arab cooking. They include the classics, such as kibbeh and roast lamb, and more unusual dishes: Baked Fish with Walnut Stuffing, Semolina Pudding with Cheese, and a red pepper paste that is supposed to be dried on the roof in the sun for five days (but can be done in the oven if necessary).