Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen

Food writer Khan (The Saffron Tales) celebrates the vibrant flavors of Palestinian cuisine in this excellent new work. She provides a marvelous array of mazzeh (Palestinian mezze), including different varieties of hummus and falafel, as well as asparagus with eggs and za’atar, and spinach and feta parcels. Salads, a staple in the Palestinian diet, are unfussy, with such offerings as fattoush and tabbouleh. Soups—including a roast pumpkin, sage, and maftool soup and a lentil soup with walnut and cilantro paste—are tantalizing, rich, and comforting. Main course dishes include roasted eggplant with spiced chickpeas and tomatoes; a spicy shrimp and tomato stew; and lemon, cumin, and green chili sea bass. Desserts are also superb; there’s a pomegranate passion cake and banana and tahini ice cream with date syrup. Khan also provides a helpful list of pantry staples to keep on hand (dried fruit, nuts, yogurt, za’atar). Throughout, she includes photos of Palestinian people and landscapes, giving the reader a deeper and welcome glimpse into life there. (Palestinians, for instance, are urged not to buy herbs grown in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as it “gives the settlements a sense of viability and permanence.”) Khan’s cookbook is a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the region’s food and culture. (Feb.)