Jerusalem: A Cookbook

This wonderful cookbook has reconnected me with food and cooking, something I've fallen away from a bit in recent years. It takes me back to my time in Israel and the Palestinian territories, where I learned that I could have olives and turkish coffee for breakfast. While the recipes recall those meals, they take those familiar culinary ideas to a different place. The recipes are easy but terribly fuss-, usually involving many steps. I've found an odd solace in these high maintenance dishes. They get me out of my head and produce some beautiful meals. I thank David Ravel and Polly Morris for recommending it.

I wouldn't normally "pad" my statistics with a cookbook, but in fact I did spend a lot of time reading this book. Each section and almost every recipe includes a description of the food, culture and history of Jerusalem, providing detailed context. The different cultures of Jerusalem often share similar dishes and cuisines, with small adaptations, and Ottolenghi also describes many instances in which each culture (Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Israeli, Syrian, Iraqi, etc.) claims ownership of a particular tradition, but in fact the origins are very murky. This is a beautiful book, and many of the recipes are very accessible, but I took one star away because many more recipes are what I would describe as "varsity-level," not for the amateur show more or the faint of heart. I'm not an expert cook, but I do prefer to follow recipes, so I intend to tackle a few of these, including pickles and condiments, so we'll see how it goes! show less

In lieu of a proper review, I just wanted to point out that I have never previously considered myself a cook at all. This book makes me want to cook. Why? Well that's obviously because the dishes are so amazingly delicious.

I lived in Israel for some seven years during the 1990s and have never really come to terms with the fact that where I live now I can't easily get hold of burekas, or a plate of winter warming phool (fava beans), or a satisfying bowl of fresh hummus scooped up with a hunk of tasty challah. So I realised that I'd have to make it myself, and after seeing Ottolenghi's recent TV series in the UK on Mediterranean food I realised that this book might be a good place to start.

So far I've made felafel, tehini sauce, harissa show more paste, tehini (halva) cookies, and a supremely satisfying pearl barley risotto with a caraway marinated feta topping. ALL of them have been delicious - even if I say so myself - with the possible exception of the cookies being too sweet for my taste (easily remedied next time!).

The instructions are clear, the photography is stunningly colourful and beautiful, and the more in-depth explorative passages on the cultural histories or significances of various foods are both fascinating and really well written. All in all an excellent cookbook I will return to again and again. show less

A lot of people love this cookbook, but although it's good, I don't consider it great. The book design seems a disappointment when compared to the other 10 Speed Press cookbooks that I have loved. Perhaps they had a different editor. Different size, different style of layout) I find the photography disappointing: a salad with uncooked grain, for example, or a picture of the dish without a sense of where it fits in the whole meal or plate. I enjoyed their zucchini turkey meatballs, cardamom chicken and rice, preserved lemons. Have tried a few other recipes that were not reliable or enjoyed.

Recipes easy to follow and the results packed with flavour - encouraging me to use up all that zaatar and sumac in my spice cupboard - plus fabulous photography and fascinating background stories. Eating my way through this (and so glad I found it in my favourite second-hand bookshop). It might even encourage me to give beetroot a chance.

This beautiful cookbook has history, culture, beauty, and recipes I wish someone would come and cook for me. Tahini, hummus and many others I can do, but these make one want to be in Jerusalem to eat them, and to get to know that Middle Eastern person in your neighborhood to be invited over for some of this.

Attractive and informative look at the cuisines of the co-authors' home city. Ottolenghi and Tamimi do a good job presenting the text -- I found I understood the instructions, even if many are too complicated for me to ever try -- and providing background for both the recipes and the cultures of Jerusalem in general (and how the intersection of those cultures make it difficult, if not impossible, to pin down the origin or authentic form of a given dish). My major criticism concerns the pictures; though they are uniformly gorgeous, they're not always useful, as many are of street scenes rather than food and arent accompanied by captions. And there is one photo of a meat market (in both senses) that is in rather poor taste -- not show more offensive enough to make me stop reading the book entirely, but certainly enough to give me pause, and glad I didn't buy it for my coffee table. show less