Beiroet cookbook by Merijn Tol

Beiroet – stories and recipes from a Mediterranean city is the first solo cookbook by Merijn Tol and published by Nijgh & Van Ditmar.

The book, which is written in Dutch, doubles as an address book and city guide simultaneously. It tells various stories from the city through people, anecdotes and—of course—recipes.

Steering away from near-orientalist clichés for the cover, both visually and typographically, was a conscious decision. A parsley/cilantro motif in a fresh green takes centre stage. Unsung heroes and staples in the Lebanese kitchen, both herbs are used with abundant generosity.

The letterforms of BEIROET evoke the rich vernacular of the city whilst celebrating the contemporary design scene of the Arab world. The Latin version of the title is set in Gothic Bold, and the Arabic counterpart uses Safwat, a 2016 display font designed by Ghalia Elsrakbi & Haytham Nawar for Khotout West El-Balad (Downtown Cairo Typefaces Project).

You can grab a copy of Beiroet in most bookshops in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

Merijn Tol is a food writer, author, and culinary consultant. Nijgh & Van Ditmar is one of the oldest publishing houses in the Netherlands.

Creative direction and cover design by Richard Kahwagi
Design by Annelies Dollekamp
Food photography by Tanya Traboulsi
Food styling by Maaike Koorman
Published by Nijgh & Van Ditmar
Book shots by Charbel Saade