Zaitoun

Gorgeous cookbook: beautiful stories and writing along with the recipes and photos. She’s a fantastic storyteller and I love that it connects to the food and cultures. Because of her writing, I’m using this and Saffron Tales as reading books to my niece and nephews as part of the home economics and cultural lessons at-home.

This is one of the best cookbooks I've ever encountered. We got this as part of a cook-book-club and tasted probably two dozen recipes from the book and only one out of all of those we tried wasn't an absolute slam dunk.

I have never written a review before but this book hands down deserves one. As someone who enjoys to cook I do not often spend money on recipe books as I think it is silly to spend £20 or so pounds on a book from which you will find one or two recipes which you will make repeatedly and prefer, most of the time to simply find new things to try out online. This book though is a whole other story.Middle Eastern food is a cuisine which I enjoy anyway but this book has provided some really eye opening recipes as well as beautiful extracts of the authors travels in Palestine and the history of the dishes and the people who make them. We have tried five or six recipes now and all of them have been DELICIOUS. We mostly eat vegetarian/vegan and this book caters for that brilliantly as well as offering some meaty options. Even my sister who is a pretty fussy eater and tends to enjoy plainer food has liked all of the dishes we have made - a sure sign that this book is quality! The hummus recipe is OUT OF THIS WORLD and I eat it by the spoonful. I have had to go out and buy some special ingredients such as pomegranate molasses and sumac but my gosh has it been worth it. The only recipe which did not win all out praise was the little date cookies but that was due only to the fact that they were heavily rosy which is not a flavour that we all love however, my mum who does like it, loved them and I can't wait to try out more of the sweeter dishes.I cannot sing this books praises enough - if you are looking for some new cooking inspiration please try this book! It will liven up your dinner times and introduce you to a beautiful new world of flavours!

What a beautiful cookbook and the stories are so heartfelt, as a Palestinian I am so proud to see our food represented so beautifully and although I haven’t tried all the recipes yet I can tell from the traditional ones that they are spot on!

I bought this book on the bases of the author's last book which has some very tasty recipes in it, l have cooked from that book many times and many of her recipes have now become part of my repertoire. I have not cooked anything from her new book yet (as l have just purchased it today) but l am positive that the recipes will be equally delightful. Not only is this a cookbook but a very interesting insight into that part of the World. Fascinating reading and wonderful photography throughout. I highly recommend it.

Just love this cook book. It's more than just a collection of recipes, it brings a society alive giving a glimpse of their lives through the dishes they share.Palestine with the Israeli occupation such a difficult oppressive place to live ....yet their dishes are vibrant full of life and colours. Cooked to be shared and enjoyed with friends and loved ones ....Don't hesitate to buy, delicious and easy to cook recipes that will bring your table alive.

This is really up there as one of the best cookbooks ever, in my opinion. The recipes are so wonderful and have revolutionised the way my family eats. The dishes we have made (especially the hummus which is worth its weight in gold) have been so vibrant and delicious. Even my daughter, who usually prefers plain foods, really enjoyed the aromatic and delicately spiced meals. This food really brings people together and celebrates under appreciated ingredients, all while being surprisingly straightforward to make. I really enjoyed following the authors stories of her travels which led to the recipes. I have learnt so much from this book- I cannot recommend it enough.