The Palestinian Table Hardcover – October 23, 2017 by Reem Kassis (Phaidon Press) (IBRCookBooks)

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What's Palestinian food? Think you don't know? In fact, you do. Kibbeh, flatbreads, tabbouleh and za'atar are all dishes and ingredients found across the Fertile Crescent. Born in Jerusalem and educated in the West, Reem Kassis faced a familiar predicament: What would happen to her family's culinary legacy in a generation or two, as the family's women left the kitchen? Like so many others before her, Kassis decided to court posterity with a cookbook. Here are the stuffed grape leaves, shakshuka, fenugreek semolina cake and labneh and cabbage rolls of her family, and much more. Those with the patience for stuffing, chopping and kneading will find this book richly rewarding. Everyone else? Wait for an easy weekend, and take your time – thanks to one more daughter's labor of love, these recipes aren't going anywhere.

Palestinian food is not just found on the streets with the ka'ak (sesame) bread sellers and stalls selling za'atar chicken and mana eesh (za'atar and sesame bread), but in the home too; in the kitchens all across the country, where families cook and eat together every day, in a way that generations before them have always done. Palestine on a Plate is a tribute to family, cooking, and home--old recipes created with love that brings people together in appreciation of the beauty of this rich heritage. Immerse yourself in the stories and culture of Palestine through the food in this book.

This is a celebration of real Palestinian food, cooked with the ingredients that Joudie's mother and grandmother use, and their grandmothers used before them. Experience the wonderful flavors of Palestine through zingy fattet hummus (tangy yoghurt, chickpeas and hummus, served over toasted pita bread and drizzled in buttered pine nuts), satisfyingly spiced makloubeh (an upside down spiced rice dish with lamb neck and fried eggplant), eggplant and zucchini stuffed full with spiced and herbed lamb, and sublimely decadent awameh (honey dumplings) all accompanied by fresh mint tea and white coffee (not actually coffee at all, but a refreshing mix of water, orange blossom water and sugar).

Colorful, stunning photography evoking the vibrancy and romance of the country will bring Palestine into your home and make you fall in love with this wonderful way to cook and enjoy food.