The Cookbook is officially called Comptoir Libanais – feasts from the Middle East (translated in Dutch to ‘Comptoir Libanais Feest! – Feestelijke recepten uit de Libanees Mediterrane keuken’). The book is filled with recipes to make a party from every meal. It’s really inviting to ask your friends over and have a food party. This wouldn't be a Middle Eastern recipe without heaps of fresh herbs. Forget the sad little supermarket bundles and try to find yourself a proper market stall bouquet, if possible. Parsley is popular, used by everyone but Helou, but so is coriander, which makes its way into all the recipes. I like a combination of the two - the sharp, pepperiness of parsley and the aromatic freshness of coriander, both in sufficient quantity to turn the mixture a bold green colour.

And. whilst his London restaurants Levant, Pasha and Kenza put glamour into Middle Eastern cuisine, it is Comptoir Libanais that has begun introducing Lebanese food to the high street, providing relaxed canteen style dining with light Arabic cooking, served in the friendly and accessible way demanded by many customers today. Recognising the popularity and wide availability of Italian food in the UK, Tony’s aim was and is to establish Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine in the UK in a similar way – creating consciousness and understanding amongst UK customers. Of course, there is a very long way to go before this can be achieved, but Comptoir Libanais has been taking successful strides along the way. The first Comptoir Libanais opened at Westfield Shopping Centre in November 2008, with four more following in London. Further openings include Duke of York Square in Chelsea (pictured below), Bluewater in Kent, and in the London airports – with more to come. Look, I am not a chef and I don’t want to pretend that I am. I’m a self-taught, passionate home cook who adores Lebanese food. My love of Lebanese food is very simple. I enjoy sharing good food: food that’s healthy, delicious, and above all, simple and honest. And that’s what this book is about. I wanted to share my passion, and I honestly believe that once you get close to Lebanese food, you’ll want to share it with your family and friends, and you’ll get hooked on it too. Salt is also extremely important in a dish that, badly seasoned, can tend towards the dull, which is why it's a good idea to fry up a little to test the mixture before shaping. Chilling, shaping and cooking

Festive Feasting at Comptoir Libanais

Some recipes also use dried mint, too, but its more aniseedy flavour spoils the fresh flavour of the other kind as far as most testers are concerned, with one likening it to their grandma’s mint sauce in a not entirely complimentary way. They do fast food properly in the Middle East: chargrilled meaty wraps; crisp, wafer-thin pastries; and, of course, the almost ubiquitous falafel fritter. Once almost exclusively the preserve of the vegetarian in the kebab shop, more authentic versions, heaped with nutty tahini sauce and punchy salads, are increasingly charming British punters away from the burger van. Hot and crunchy on the outside, fluffy and herby within, it's no wonder so many countries want to claim the falafel as their own.

Most of the recipes I try contain lettuce in varying quantities, either little gem, or the larger version, cos – but the recipe in Jerusalem (passed down from Tamimi’s mum) omits it, as does Claudia Roden. Fattoush is, I believe, rather a moveable feast – Anissa Helou writes in her book Lebanese Cuisine that “you can make it with whatever salad ingredients you have available as long as you use sumac” (and, presumably, bread). Heat 5cm oil in a deep pan to 180C/350F, then fry the falafel in batches and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with tahini sauce, toasted flatbreads and plenty of salad.

Comptoir Libanais

Ground coriander and cumin are also pretty much a given, and I like the fiery sweetness of Helou's Lebanese seven-spice powder, with its ginger, cinnamon and allspice, which balances beautifully with the savoury garlic and peppery herbs. Some recipes use cayenne pepper, paprika or chilli flakes too - I find the warmth of the ginger sufficient for a dish that is rarely hot as opposed to spicy, but if you feel the need, add a shake to taste. By the time the pomegranates are in season, tomatoes won’t be, and tomatoes are( in my opinion, at least) key here. I like the idea of using a variety of colours and sizes, chopped “two or three different ways … to give the salad some texture”, as Honey & Co recommends, but go with whatever looks best if you don’t have a big choice; cherry tomatoes are usually the safest bet, but everything should be decent in midsummer. There’s no need to peel them as Roden does but, if they seem watery, rather than solid, you might be advised to core them, as in Baxter’s recipe. The success of Comptoir Libanais restaurants centres on an easy, relaxed cafe-style of food: light Arabic home cooking mixed with familiar bistro flavours and techniques. Tony Kitous’ recipes combine fresh vibrant vegetable dishes with simple grills, flat breads, grains, herb salads and dips. Pastries are richly flavoured and delicate, made with syrups and spices. Absolutely the menu for today and adaptable for the home cook.

Ottolenghi and Tamini roll their falafel in sesame seeds to coat, which looks handsome and makes the exteriors extra crunchy. Like tabbouleh, this is a dish that requires a generous hand with the herbs, as Helou reminds us. The usual suspects, parsley and mint, are the most popular choices, although Honey & Co go for the rather intriguing oregano, which I love, but which tastes dangerously uncanonical. Roden’s coriander is similarly daring – I think it works, but others aren’t convinced. In any case, parsley and mint just taste right; and if it ain’t broke …Kitous’ first foray into the restaurant business came at the age of 22 and in 1993, when he opened his first restaurant, Baboon. He drew on his cultural heritage to create Levant in 2000, the restaurant which raised the profile of Middle Eastern restaurant culture in the London scene, and in 2004 he opened Levantine. Toss the dressing with the salad, then, just before serving, cut the radishes into quarters and use to top the salad, along with the bread and a final flourish of sumac. Deep-frying proves, sadly, the best option; Comptoir Libanais does give a shallow-fried variation, but it is disappointing enough that I can't recommend it. Remember, if you put enough salad on top, it's basically health food anyway.