This book accompanies us through 50 years in Hamburg of the restaurateur, the sailor, the man Elias Hanna Saliba, whose life is equally rooted in his homeland Syria and Hamburg.
Syrian from Hamburg? Syrian hamburger? Saliba is both. He guides us through his Hamburg and even long-time residents discover many things they didn't know. He shows us places that are important to him and introduces us to good friends. He lets us share in his life, which is characterized by hospitality and good food. 22 recipes illustrate his journey from self-taught cook to Hamburg's "gastronomic flagship".
Making of
The idea for this book was born back in 2015, when Elias Hanna Saliba and his best friend, photographer Jacques Toffi, decided to capture Hanna's life and favorite places from 50 years in Hamburg in pictures. Hanna told the stories about these places and people to the freelance copywriter Günter Herrmann, who put them down on paper as short episodes. Roger Zscheile (Studio SIGN), Hanna's advertising consultant and designer from the very beginning, then added a few more texts and put the whole thing into a layout. The book was actually finished.
The plan was to have the book printed and self-published. It was originally intended as a gift for dear guests and friends visiting the Saliba Alsterarkaden - at that time, there were no plans to distribute it through bookshops. This changed abruptly when Hanna showed the manuscript to his neighbors at Felix Jud & Co, a book and art shop in the Mellinpassage. They were enthusiastic and said that the book absolutely belonged in bookshops - but that you need a publisher for that.
Coincidentally, Hanna's friend, the light artist and author Michael Batz, had just had his book "Speicherstadt Story" published by Koehler Books, a TammMedia publishing house. The contact was made. And they actually wanted to publish the book. However, with the request for an extension: there could be no Saliba book without recipes!
Hanna first had to get used to the idea - after all, it wasn't supposed to be a cookbook. So recipes were developed with reference to the stories. Jakob Touba took the food photos, the text was written and designed ... another four months passed before everything was ready for printing.
About the author: Elias Hanna Saliba, born in 1950, is a Christian Syrian from Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. He first came to Hamburg 50 years ago to take his captain's license "on a long voyage". His love for his wife Bea and his passion for cooking and enjoyment led him to drop anchor in this city 15 years later. Under the motto "The fine cuisine of Syria", he opened his first restaurant, which was to be followed by thirteen more.
Elias Hanna Saliba has been a sought-after top restaurateur ever since, and his restaurants are among the best in Hamburg. Today, he spoils the people of Hamburg at the Alsterarkaden.
Article details:
Author: Elias Hanna Saliba Title: Moin and Salam.
Subtitle: Elias Hanna Saliba - Syrian, sailor and Hamburg restaurateur. A biographical city guide and culinary logbook. Number of pages: 152 pages
Format: 17 x 21 cm
Illustrations: numerous black-and-white and color photos Cover: hardcover
Language: German Publication date: July 14, 2021
ISBN/Artikelnummer: 978-3-7822-1387-5
