Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Cookbooks for Spring 2015 Pomegranates and pistachios. Floral waters and cinnamon. Bulgur wheat, lentils, and succulent lamb. These were the lush ingredients of Maureen Abood's childhood, growing up as a Lebanese-American in Northern Michigan. As an adult, Maureen was able to use her culinary expertise to revisit the recipes she was reared on, and give them a contemporary American take. She first chronicled her riffs on traditional cuisine in her popular blog, Rose Water and Orange Blossoms. She now shares more than 100 of her innovative and classic Lebanese recipes.