Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen
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- Create Date：2021-04-01 10:52:55
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Yasmin Khan
- ISBN：132400262X
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Summary
Yasmin Khan unlocks the flavors and fragrances of modern Palestine， from the sun-kissed pomegranate stalls of Akka， on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea， through evergreen oases of date plantations in the Jordan Valley， to the fading fish markets of Gaza City。
Palestinian food is winningly fresh and bright， centered around colorful mezze dishes that feature the region’s bountiful eggplants， peppers， artichokes， and green beans; slow-cooked stews of chicken and lamb flavored with Palestinian barahat spice blends; and the marriage of local olive oil with earthy za’atar， served in small bowls to accompany toasted breads。 It has evolved over several millennia through the influences of Arabic， Jewish， Armenian， Persian， Turkish， and Bedouin cultures and civilizations that have ruled over， or lived in， the area known as ancient Palestine。
In each place she visits， Khan enters the kitchens of Palestinians of all ages and backgrounds， discovering the secrets of their cuisine and sharing heartlifting stories。
Palestinian food is winningly fresh and bright， centered around colorful mezze dishes that feature the region’s bountiful eggplants， peppers， artichokes， and green beans; slow-cooked stews of chicken and lamb flavored with Palestinian barahat spice blends; and the marriage of local olive oil with earthy za’atar， served in small bowls to accompany toasted breads。 It has evolved over several millennia through the influences of Arabic， Jewish， Armenian， Persian， Turkish， and Bedouin cultures and civilizations that have ruled over， or lived in， the area known as ancient Palestine。
In each place she visits， Khan enters the kitchens of Palestinians of all ages and backgrounds， discovering the secrets of their cuisine and sharing heartlifting stories。
Reviews
Ragnar Egilsson
，
I have revisited this one numerous time。 Excellent book！
Kaitlyn
，
I’m not going to rate this because it was part cookbook part exploration of Palestinian culture。 I thought the author did an amazing job telling human stories and shedding light in a very empathetic way on the conflicts in this region and how they affect every day life。 The book ended a bit abruptly and I wish there was some kind of conclusion written。 But overall， I thought this was lovely and important。 Can’t wait to try some of the recipes。
Beth Jusino
，
A celebration of a place， a people， and a food culture that's often overlooked or stereotyped。 This beautiful collection of recipes and essays explores the diversity of Palestinian cooking and food traditions。 I picked it up to explore a new way to cook （and so far， the recipes have been great）， and discovered a much deeper story of preservation and survival。 A celebration of a place， a people， and a food culture that's often overlooked or stereotyped。 This beautiful collection of recipes and essays explores the diversity of Palestinian cooking and food traditions。 I picked it up to explore a new way to cook （and so far， the recipes have been great）， and discovered a much deeper story of preservation and survival。 。。。more
Ekeim
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Yasmin Kahn does a good job of exposing herself as an outsider looking in and showcasing all the different perspectives from Palestinian people， local and in the diaspora alike。 All the food sounds amazing， with helpful menu planning tips and allergy and intolerance instructions in the index。 Can't wait to cook from this。 Yasmin Kahn does a good job of exposing herself as an outsider looking in and showcasing all the different perspectives from Palestinian people， local and in the diaspora alike。 All the food sounds amazing， with helpful menu planning tips and allergy and intolerance instructions in the index。 Can't wait to cook from this。 。。。more
Kylara Jensen
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Review to come
Melissa Sargis
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Delicious recipes that were very user friendly。 The recipes and the food are extremely healthy （Mediterranean diet at its best） but the food is so good that no one would even notice！ I like how Ms Khan travels through the region and shows the slight variations among the food depending which area of Palestine was visited。 She did a great job。
Sarah
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Was eager to get this home because it has such a beautiful appearance。 I'm a vegetarian， and I have found that middle eastern foods and spices are a great way to go。 I flipped through this book and saw many many recipes that I was very interested in。 Then I made one。 The semolina and rose water slice。 （p 225） It turned out horribly。 In my defense， I'm an experienced cook and baker， and I had all the proper ingredients。 But everything was off。 The dough was way too dry， and and the syrup was not Was eager to get this home because it has such a beautiful appearance。 I'm a vegetarian， and I have found that middle eastern foods and spices are a great way to go。 I flipped through this book and saw many many recipes that I was very interested in。 Then I made one。 The semolina and rose water slice。 （p 225） It turned out horribly。 In my defense， I'm an experienced cook and baker， and I had all the proper ingredients。 But everything was off。 The dough was way too dry， and and the syrup was not right or not in the right proportion either。 It sort of tasted OK， but the "bars" were rubbery and thick - but certainly not anything I could serve anyone。 It goes in the trash。 Now I'm afraid to waste ingredients trying another recipe。 Quite glad I got this from library and didn't purchase。 。。。more
Liquidlasagna
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This is the best kind of cookbook， one which tells you about people through the stories of their food。 Compelling reading， gorgeous pictures—and the most delicious recipes。 I can’t wait to start cooking。Ruth ReichlThis is a politically engaged and hungry travelogue， and it is also an inspirational recipe book， and one that anyone who loves food will want to cook from， will need to cook from。Nigella Lawson
Jamie is
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Somewhat of an ethnographic take on a cookbook， the author includes recipes and context from various places （and sub-cultures） within Palestine。 Happy to see that she includes a description and recipe inspired by a visit to the most famous Palestinian restaurant in the North， Douzan in Haifa。 （Not touched on is that the owner of this restaurant， Fadi Najir， has set milestones in many ways for the Palestinian gay community and I think could have been an interesting angle to touch on in this book。 Somewhat of an ethnographic take on a cookbook， the author includes recipes and context from various places （and sub-cultures） within Palestine。 Happy to see that she includes a description and recipe inspired by a visit to the most famous Palestinian restaurant in the North， Douzan in Haifa。 （Not touched on is that the owner of this restaurant， Fadi Najir， has set milestones in many ways for the Palestinian gay community and I think could have been an interesting angle to touch on in this book。） This and other examples elevated the book beyond an account of recipes you could get from your teta （grandmother） and into more modern Palestinian cuisine。 Beautiful pictures throughout and I loved the texture of the paper and covers。 。。。more
Jo Child
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Love this book
Mary
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Part cookbook， part travelogue， Zaitoun is the perfect introduction to Palestinian food and culture。 Yasmine Khan’s has chosen the best from a Palestinian kitchen with foolproof recipes， written for the American kitchen。 She offers reasonable substitutions for the cook who has other responsibilities besides waiting for plum tomatoes to grow， and her ratio of spices in a dish is spot on。 This book was so interesting and easy to follow （without being insulting） that I can’t wait to try her Persian Part cookbook， part travelogue， Zaitoun is the perfect introduction to Palestinian food and culture。 Yasmine Khan’s has chosen the best from a Palestinian kitchen with foolproof recipes， written for the American kitchen。 She offers reasonable substitutions for the cook who has other responsibilities besides waiting for plum tomatoes to grow， and her ratio of spices in a dish is spot on。 This book was so interesting and easy to follow （without being insulting） that I can’t wait to try her Persian cookbook through which she presents us with recipes from her own culture。 。。。more
Angie Johnson
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Beautiful recipes and a wide variety of non meat options。 Healthy and different！
Stephen Baird
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This is a first for me， a review of a cook book。 And I have loads！I usually just use them and forget I own them really， but this is a special book。 I've used it so regularly now that several of the recipes are memorised and we still have dozens we want to try。The most recent recipe we made was the Spicy prawn and tomato stew， rich and deep with an almost sweet and sour taste， went really well with fruited couscous。What makes this recipe books so special is that there are very， very few pencilled This is a first for me， a review of a cook book。 And I have loads！I usually just use them and forget I own them really， but this is a special book。 I've used it so regularly now that several of the recipes are memorised and we still have dozens we want to try。The most recent recipe we made was the Spicy prawn and tomato stew， rich and deep with an almost sweet and sour taste， went really well with fruited couscous。What makes this recipe books so special is that there are very， very few pencilled in notes to adapt the recipe。 This is almost a miracle in cook books。There are foolproof recipes for labneh， za'atar， flatbreads， and some absolutely stunning Semolina and rose water slices， I think we may have made about a third of the recipes so far because they work first time。A couple of the recipes that we're going to try next are the Spinach and feta parcels， and the Aubergine and feta kefte， both sound scrumptious。Looking forward to making so many more recipes from here in the future。 。。。more
Ker
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A very few missteps but otherwise a truly， beautiful， inspiring work that has certainly raised my consciousness about the Palestinian palette--and people， places， and culture。 I am at once enchanted and wistful at the same time。 Beautiful work。
Cristina
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Delightful through and through。 I can’t wait to try these recipes out。
Beth Read
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“WOW” is all I can say。 I checked this book out from the library， and this is the first cookbook I’ve actually read cover to cover。 The stories intertwined with the recipes create a beautiful experience that pulls at your heart and your taste buds。 Some of the stories pierced my core， and made me feel so thankful for all that I have in my life。 It made me re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about the Middle East， all the while aiding me in my kitchen， cooking the most flavorful meals I think “WOW” is all I can say。 I checked this book out from the library， and this is the first cookbook I’ve actually read cover to cover。 The stories intertwined with the recipes create a beautiful experience that pulls at your heart and your taste buds。 Some of the stories pierced my core， and made me feel so thankful for all that I have in my life。 It made me re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about the Middle East， all the while aiding me in my kitchen， cooking the most flavorful meals I think I’ve ever made！ So far I have tried four recipes and every single one was a home run。 I am purchasing more ingredients so that I can make at least one recipe for each day next week。 I can’t get enough of this food！ Well done， Yasmin。 Well written。 Well researched。 Pictures are gorgeous。 Food is delicious。 I will most likely be purchasing this book。 It’s worth it！ 。。。more
Aja Marsh
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lovely insight into Palestinian recipes with many stories interspersed！ Lovely photos， too。
Kendrick
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Beautiful。 Opens my mind into some wonderful Palestinian recipes。
Jenn Adams
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Reading as many Goodreads Choice Noms as I can。Really liked this one。 As a fan of Anthony Bourdain and Youtube travel vlogs， I enjoyed the interludes about different cities/regions。 The author took care to address the struggles of the Palestinians， while predominantly celebrating the richness of their cuisine/culture。 Lots of gorgeous recipes and pictures。Bonuses: meal plans at the back explain dishes that might best be served together; index of which recipes are dairy free/gluten free/vegan; Go Reading as many Goodreads Choice Noms as I can。Really liked this one。 As a fan of Anthony Bourdain and Youtube travel vlogs， I enjoyed the interludes about different cities/regions。 The author took care to address the struggles of the Palestinians， while predominantly celebrating the richness of their cuisine/culture。 Lots of gorgeous recipes and pictures。Bonuses: meal plans at the back explain dishes that might best be served together; index of which recipes are dairy free/gluten free/vegan; Gorgeous cover 。。。more
Ashley
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Best for:Those looking for a cookbook filled with gorgeous photos as well as stories from the people who prepare the recipes。In a nutshell:Travel and food writer Khan visits cities throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories， meeting with Palestinians to learn about their food， as well as their lives under occupation。Worth quoting:‘I stay hopeful because I believe apartheid will eventually be defeated。’‘I understand that you want to share our culture， but you can’t discuss Palestinian food w Best for:Those looking for a cookbook filled with gorgeous photos as well as stories from the people who prepare the recipes。In a nutshell:Travel and food writer Khan visits cities throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories， meeting with Palestinians to learn about their food， as well as their lives under occupation。Worth quoting:‘I stay hopeful because I believe apartheid will eventually be defeated。’‘I understand that you want to share our culture， but you can’t discuss Palestinian food without talking about the Occupation。’Why I chose it:We spent Christmas at the home of a friend’s mother， who kindly gifted us this book， with the only knowledge that we were vegetarian and liked to cook。 While the book itself does have some meat recipes， it is primarily full of delicious vegetarian fare。Review:This cookbook is unlike any I’ve ever read before。 In addition to being filled with recipes that I cannot wait to try out， the author focuses on the lives of the people who create this delicious food。 As evidenced by the quotes above， which come from people Khan met with in her travels across the OPT， it is great to share these recipes with the world， but the stories of the Palestinian people need to be shared。 And that includes the stories of the challenges they face under occupation in keeping their way of life。 Khan visits Palestinians living in Haifa， Akka， Jerusalem， Nablus， Jenin， Gaza， Bethlehem， Nazareth and The Galilee， and shares recipes for mazzeh， salads， soups mains， and desserts。 There are so many that I want to eat right now， from roast red peppers with olives and capers， to seared halloumi， to lentils with chard and tahini to pomegranate passion cake。 I plan to get started on making them this weekend。Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:Keep it 。。。more
Michelle
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I loved the combination of recipes， photos， and stories from Palestine。 Lots of really lovely looking recipes - and many vegan or easily veganizable options from the collection。 There aren't many cookbooks I read through cover to cover， but this was one of them。 I loved the combination of recipes， photos， and stories from Palestine。 Lots of really lovely looking recipes - and many vegan or easily veganizable options from the collection。 There aren't many cookbooks I read through cover to cover， but this was one of them。 。。。more
سارا
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I loved this book。 Loved reading it; loved cooking from it！
Dean
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Vegetables do not have to be boring。"It's very interesting to me that the concept of talking about equality and human rights for a people - somehow in the U。S。A。 this issue is seen to be controversial， whereas in Europe it isn't。 That's something I really wanted to do with the book。 Food is such a great way to start a conversation， to bring people in over something and connect with， like， beautiful breads and olives and pickles and sensory things that make you feel happy and alive。 And from that Vegetables do not have to be boring。"It's very interesting to me that the concept of talking about equality and human rights for a people - somehow in the U。S。A。 this issue is seen to be controversial， whereas in Europe it isn't。 That's something I really wanted to do with the book。 Food is such a great way to start a conversation， to bring people in over something and connect with， like， beautiful breads and olives and pickles and sensory things that make you feel happy and alive。 And from that start kind of weaving in some of the backstory。 Because I think America needs to have this conversation。"Vegetables are a key point in Palestinian cooking and if you are a Vegetarian you would eat well in this Culture。 With the clever way many vegetables are cooked even resolute meat-eaters would have their mouth water reading the recipes and noting the clever way many foods normally considered boring are displayed for best effect。The book has quite a cadre of interesting ingredients I was able to learn more about。 Freekeh （a smoked grain integral to middle eastern cooking）， Fruit Molasses （date or Pomegranate）， Za'atar （a favorite spice blend of mine that I have started to use a lot in my weekly cooking）， Yogurt （very underrated in our culture， but very versatile I've been finding）。 Bulgur， Flour waters and other things I've been finding lately in local markets。Hummus features here in the Mezzeh section of the book and there are some versions where I have smacked my head and thought "Why didn't I think of that！" the Hummus with spiced Lamb （pg 25） and something I want to try very soon。 Hummus with lemon and green chili chickpeas （pg 26）could well be a hit at the next potluck you attend。 Labneh， a Yogurt cheese that is easy to make I've made it in the past and have started making it again。 There are three versions of this easy to use staple （pg 30）that would be something that could have you viewed as a culinary god in your household。 The Labneh with Peach， thyme， and Pistachio looks lovely and very much delicious。 （Pg 31）Salads and Pickles are among a few of the recipes featured here that had surprising inclusions。 Turnip pickles， Avocado pickles among others were here as well as the colorful Freekeh with butternut squash and kale （not dissimilar to the buddha bowl but better looking）， Red pepper， lentil， and tomato salad something that while it would be easy to put together looks stunning at the finish。Flatbreads with za'atar are something that may look hard to make but are very easy and something you could get your family making。 Try this wonderful flatbread with oil and spices and you may find it slowly becomes a weekly part of your family's meals。 Recipes like the simple yet elegant Roast red peppers with olives and capers that takes very few ingredients and makes them look like something fit for royalty。 Lemon and chili roast potatoes take a lowly tuber and turns it fancy for a side dish that you could eat as a main dish。Both delicious and delightful to look at Seared halloumi with orange， dates， and pomegranate （pg 53） is just something I have to try， and Gazan Smashed Avocadoes is again， simple and elegant and taking something that I take for granted in Calfornia and make it international。 Even eggplant something I normally hate is made tempting by its treatment in these pages。 Several of the Eggplant recipes in this cookbook serve the vegetable much better than I have seen elsewhere。 Soups and Salads are everywhere in these cookbooks and some are very elegant and again simple。 the Roast pumpkin， sage， and maftool（a type of pasta） soup is earthy and simple but also elegant and majestic with it's orange and red and green contrasting for the perfect fall dinner。 Roast cauliflower soup sounds staid in its American inception， but in a Palestinian kitchen is given star status worthy of a show-stopping main dish。 Cauliflower paired with Garlic， cumin， coriander turmeric， and almonds is just divinely inspired。Meats are not ignored， and Lamb， Chicken， and Fish all get star treatment。 Sea Bream with tahini sauce， Lemon cumin， and green chili sea bass （pg 162）are just two examples of incredible fish dishes， as well as Chicken dishes like Warm Maftool salad with za'atar chicken， Roast chicken stuffed with raisins and pine nuts。 （Pg 172）Desserts are not ignored。 Pomegranate Passion cake （pg 209）is both delicious to look at as it is to eat， and Apricot and rosewater rice pudding （pg 210） are among a host of wonderful ends to any meal。Recipes like the ones in this book are a wonder and make one look at how they cook， shop and plan meals for the future。 I know that this cookbook will influence the way I cook for my family in the coming year and possibly the rest of my life。 I am so gobsmacked by this book that it's just been an obsession。If I have not yet made it abundantly clear。。I am madly in love with this cookbook。 If I were not already married I would marry this cookbook as Pee Wee herman would say。 "If you like it so much， why don't you marry it！"Run， don't walk to get your copy of this cookbook today。 I'm already at this very moment cooking dinner based on three recipes。 Yes， it's that good！！ 。。。more
Jean
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A Gorgeous Book。 In order to compliment the book A Women is No Man， I borrowed this book from my local library。 I used some of the recipes to make some Palestinian dishes to serve to my book club。 I used the labneh， Almost Za'atar'， Falafel， Fattoush and the Mujaddara recipes。 The recipes were easy to follow and turned out well。 As a bonus， there were lots of vegetarian recipes for non-meat eaters to enjoy。 Not only is this book packed full of interesting recipes it is also a travelogue with lot A Gorgeous Book。 In order to compliment the book A Women is No Man， I borrowed this book from my local library。 I used some of the recipes to make some Palestinian dishes to serve to my book club。 I used the labneh， Almost Za'atar'， Falafel， Fattoush and the Mujaddara recipes。 The recipes were easy to follow and turned out well。 As a bonus， there were lots of vegetarian recipes for non-meat eaters to enjoy。 Not only is this book packed full of interesting recipes it is also a travelogue with lots of insightful stories and history of the region。 It is well written and beautifully illustrated。 。。。more
Diann
，
Beautiful photos。 Have tried at least 10 recipes and they have been easy to make and taste great！
Offbalance
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Like The Saffron Tales， this is an incredible collection of recipes from a region that could use a fairer， and more accurate examination。 It's full of beautiful photographs and amazing stories， and the recipes gave the reader a very detailed look at the Palestinian people。 Still， I was not sure I felt up to trying some of these at home （although I am hoping I cross paths with a good Palestinian restaurant， and soon！） Like The Saffron Tales， this is an incredible collection of recipes from a region that could use a fairer， and more accurate examination。 It's full of beautiful photographs and amazing stories， and the recipes gave the reader a very detailed look at the Palestinian people。 Still， I was not sure I felt up to trying some of these at home （although I am hoping I cross paths with a good Palestinian restaurant， and soon！） 。。。more
Jbondandrews
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Fantastic cookbook。 Can't wait to try some of the recipes。 Fantastic cookbook。 Can't wait to try some of the recipes。 。。。more
Ambur Taft
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All food I want to eat all of the time， most of it I won’t make。。。。I would have to order ingredients online or drive a couple hours to the city， and then I might as well go where they are going to make it for me 。。。。 very pretty cookbook though and great for someone with the ambition and a local store with some diversity。
L。C。
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Fantastic recipes！ I loved the narrative provided with each recipe。 We only cook game meat and the lamb recipes were great for it！ Delicious！
Liz
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