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Phaidon Global Cookbooks
The Palestinian Table
While interest in Middle Eastern cuisines has blossomed, the nuances and subtleties of Palestinian food are still relatively unexplored. In The Palestinian Table, Reem Kassis weaves together a tapestry of personal anecdotes, local traditions, and historical context, sharing with home cooks her collection of delicious, easy-to-follow recipes that range from simple breakfasts and speedy salads to celebratory dishes fit for a feast - giving rare insight into the heart and hearth of the Palestinian family kitchen.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 23, 2017
38 people are currently reading
1419 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 21, 2022
What an enjoyable read!
This was a gift from a Palestinian co-foodie, and I am assured that these dishes are authentic. I enjoyed Kassis' stories about her family and her ties to the recipes. The photos are lovely, and the recipes seem clear. While I have not yet made any of these dishes, I have drooled over the photos and descriptions.
Creating some of these treasures will be a future adventure once I get to the Middle Eastern market and get some necessary ingredients.
This was a gift from a Palestinian co-foodie, and I am assured that these dishes are authentic. I enjoyed Kassis' stories about her family and her ties to the recipes. The photos are lovely, and the recipes seem clear. While I have not yet made any of these dishes, I have drooled over the photos and descriptions.
Creating some of these treasures will be a future adventure once I get to the Middle Eastern market and get some necessary ingredients.
December 31, 2017
I judge any book by how well it transports me to the setting regardless of it is fiction, a biography or in this case, a Cookbook. I felt as if I was walking the streets and selecting my ingredients and then eating them with her family at their table. If you enjoy learning about other cultures I highly recommend this as a must read. If you enjoy cooking you will really appreciate the unique recipes.
January 18, 2022
A beautiful collection of Palestinian food filled with tradition, memory and love and woven together by the connections found in those same foods and dishes, Kassis has written more than a culturally specific cookbook, but a memoir of family through food. With background stories and snapshots for nearly all entries and with simple and clean photos of prepared dishes to vivid images from markets in Jerusalem, this “cookbook” is exceptional. I can’t wait to try my hand at some labaneh, some kafta and tomato bake and Teta Asma’s tabuleh.
October 3, 2025
Love this cook book. I’ve now made at least 10 of the recipes. The recipes are authentic and delicious!
March 25, 2020
I loved reading Reem's book. It reminded me of my upbringing and I'm thrilled to dive in. She writes in a casual, inviting way with clear recipes and room for variation. She also asserts the Palestinian influence in what's often called "Israeli" cuisine. That's an important and crucial statement to make. Follow my Instagram at @jonnysfood to see what I'm up to.
June 15, 2018
After a couple Ottolenghi books, one of us chose a Palestinian cookbook for balance in the universe. She collected the food that her family eats everyday, so it's not quite apples to apples in comparison since Ottolenghi did more showy dishes. But I do think the flavors were just as interesting and tasty. I learned some things to keep in mind if I ever make pita bread again (watch for the puff and then only a little more after that, otherwise they won't deflate back to flexible bread scoopers) and the ease of draining yogurt for labaneh.
March 25, 2021
Perfect if you need cooking for a Palestinian!
Every recipe I've followed exactly, verbatim, has gotten very high complements from my Palestinian Jordanian husband who was raised on this beautiful traditional delicious food. By my mother in law aiding me in learning this way of cooking, this book has put many of her words in English in a way that I can use and understand. Nothing can replace my wonderful mother in laws teachings, this book is a real aid of genuine traditional recipes that give delightful memories life. This book works in the states and in the Levant, having used the book for cooking in both locations. This is the number one book. I've tried other books on Palestinian cooking that were all cross cultured and disingenuine this is the only true to culture and tradition book or three that is user friendly.eat to follow and read. Easy explanation of unfamiliar ingredients and substitutes for what's not available when outside the Levant. And it still tastes like home. Easy recipe is to its traditional preserved style unaltered by author preference. Some books have author preferences that aren't in the traditional cooking and shows thought the book in all recipes which is awful... The Palestinian table it's free of this error. I can easily find myself lost pin what to cook for dinner the next day, pick up this book and have a answer that pleases everyone tastebuds and appetites easily the next day. I made 'idreh (qidreh/kidreh) Palestinians don't pronounce the qaw sound. My husband didn't give it a 10, he gave it a "PERFECT"! Best purchase ever! Every recipe is a winner and my husband is easy going but happily communicates to me and I wonderfully appreciate his feedback since I wasn't raised on this cooking. Satain! ( bon appetit ) (I'm still not sure what this is in English, but I wish you all good cooking!)
Every recipe I've followed exactly, verbatim, has gotten very high complements from my Palestinian Jordanian husband who was raised on this beautiful traditional delicious food. By my mother in law aiding me in learning this way of cooking, this book has put many of her words in English in a way that I can use and understand. Nothing can replace my wonderful mother in laws teachings, this book is a real aid of genuine traditional recipes that give delightful memories life. This book works in the states and in the Levant, having used the book for cooking in both locations. This is the number one book. I've tried other books on Palestinian cooking that were all cross cultured and disingenuine this is the only true to culture and tradition book or three that is user friendly.eat to follow and read. Easy explanation of unfamiliar ingredients and substitutes for what's not available when outside the Levant. And it still tastes like home. Easy recipe is to its traditional preserved style unaltered by author preference. Some books have author preferences that aren't in the traditional cooking and shows thought the book in all recipes which is awful... The Palestinian table it's free of this error. I can easily find myself lost pin what to cook for dinner the next day, pick up this book and have a answer that pleases everyone tastebuds and appetites easily the next day. I made 'idreh (qidreh/kidreh) Palestinians don't pronounce the qaw sound. My husband didn't give it a 10, he gave it a "PERFECT"! Best purchase ever! Every recipe is a winner and my husband is easy going but happily communicates to me and I wonderfully appreciate his feedback since I wasn't raised on this cooking. Satain! ( bon appetit ) (I'm still not sure what this is in English, but I wish you all good cooking!)
December 12, 2020
Made me sad to not be able to be travelling right now! I love the personal stories and narrative woven into the cokbook format. I've made a few of the recipes while working through this, looking forward to trying more.
July 1, 2024
Too meat-focused, not enough pictures
I was disappointed to notice that precious few recipes were vegetarian , let alone vegan or vegan-adaptable. I realize this may be the reality in Palestine, but for a book that claims to represent a more modern type of home cooking, I was hoping for more. Some things were interesting, like the adding of coffee to the walnut spread — very sophisticated. There weren’t pictures for all the recipes, including ones that weren’t just some kind of purée. That was unfortunate. I also disliked the fact that the Arabic names of the dishes were not indicated in large type and with romanized transliterations. I can read the Arabic script only barely, since it’s in tiny font and not vowelized, that’s a problem for me, not being Arabic-fluent. I always like to know the original names of a dish in whatever language it is. For omnivores, and people who don’t attach much importance to pictures or readable names in the original language or if they are perfectly fluent in Arabic, this book probably contains several interesting details here and there, but I didn’t see any eye-popping, revealing surprises. Most of the recipes are easily found in other books.
I was disappointed to notice that precious few recipes were vegetarian , let alone vegan or vegan-adaptable. I realize this may be the reality in Palestine, but for a book that claims to represent a more modern type of home cooking, I was hoping for more. Some things were interesting, like the adding of coffee to the walnut spread — very sophisticated. There weren’t pictures for all the recipes, including ones that weren’t just some kind of purée. That was unfortunate. I also disliked the fact that the Arabic names of the dishes were not indicated in large type and with romanized transliterations. I can read the Arabic script only barely, since it’s in tiny font and not vowelized, that’s a problem for me, not being Arabic-fluent. I always like to know the original names of a dish in whatever language it is. For omnivores, and people who don’t attach much importance to pictures or readable names in the original language or if they are perfectly fluent in Arabic, this book probably contains several interesting details here and there, but I didn’t see any eye-popping, revealing surprises. Most of the recipes are easily found in other books.
July 10, 2018
This is a magnificent book, up to Phaidon, the publisher's high standards,
The text is clear and the anecdotes are charming and interesting. Kassis definitely knows her way around the kitchen.
So why only three stars? First, the size of the type listing the ingredients is SMALL! I needed a magnifying glass to read them. When cooking, it was simply inconvenient to refer to. One might want to copy out the ingredients by hand. And then there is the color of this small font. It seems pale; one; a bold typeface seems more logical.
While this book is definitely worth owning as an addition to Levantine cuisine (Aside: The Levant is an older and simpler way to refer to Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. The local regional differences in cuisine are interesting, but minor.), Helen Corey's 1962 book, "The Art of Syrian Cooking" is (IMHO) still the "Bible" of Levantine cuisine.
The text is clear and the anecdotes are charming and interesting. Kassis definitely knows her way around the kitchen.
So why only three stars? First, the size of the type listing the ingredients is SMALL! I needed a magnifying glass to read them. When cooking, it was simply inconvenient to refer to. One might want to copy out the ingredients by hand. And then there is the color of this small font. It seems pale; one; a bold typeface seems more logical.
While this book is definitely worth owning as an addition to Levantine cuisine (Aside: The Levant is an older and simpler way to refer to Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. The local regional differences in cuisine are interesting, but minor.), Helen Corey's 1962 book, "The Art of Syrian Cooking" is (IMHO) still the "Bible" of Levantine cuisine.
August 9, 2022
This cookbook is much much more than just a cookbook. It really highlights the importance of food and cooking in Arab culture. It's the centre of social gatherings and most, if not all, family events. I really enjoyed the introduction in the beginning where the author, Reem Kassis, gives us a little insight into her life back home in Palestine and where her passion for cooking began. I especially resonated with the story of her mother explaining to her that her grandma's secret for making amazing food was simply love. Overall, definitely a must read if you enjoy cooking and if you want to feel more connected to your Arab roots.
March 11, 2020
A breakthrough book that is about more than just recipes. There is so much misunderstanding about the Palestinian culture, and Middle East peoples in general. Reem Kassis has done a splendid job of explaining how these traditional foods are part of her family history, and culture in this part of the world. I bought the book after hearing the author discuss it on a business podcast.
The photos are stunningly beautiful, and the recipes range from ultra simple to moderate complexity. As a family and cultural history, you would be hard pressed to find a better book.
Highly recommended.
The photos are stunningly beautiful, and the recipes range from ultra simple to moderate complexity. As a family and cultural history, you would be hard pressed to find a better book.
Highly recommended.
April 30, 2018
A cookbook featuring Palestinian recipes charts not only the history of the author's family but her own personal history. The recipes feature fresh Mediterranean ingredients making for delicious food.
January 25, 2019
This cookbook has quickly become one of my favorites. It shares the stories of resilience among the Palestinian people and the many ways that food brings them together for comfort and strength.
Every recipe I have made thus far has been added to my "Cook Again" list.
Every recipe I have made thus far has been added to my "Cook Again" list.
December 28, 2025
One of the type of books tha you feel you must own. So many enticing recipes I’d love to try and make and since my copy is borrowed from the library, I may miss out trying them until I get my own copy.
September 8, 2018
Beautiful book. Many recipes that I am eager to try.
December 27, 2023
Everything I've made has been great - made the okra stew last night and I'm still thinking about it A+
January 22, 2024
Despite not being vegetarian, I really loved this cookbook. The way it is written is lovely, with great descriptions, great explanations before the recipes. Will try several of these recipes! Yum!
August 16, 2024
A lovely cookbook. On par with Hiakai. Hope to maybe try some recipes from this cookbook.
February 20, 2025
Eggs with Za’atar & Sumac
Chicken Pine Nut Rolls
Gaza Salsa
46 others to try!!!
Chicken Pine Nut Rolls
Gaza Salsa
46 others to try!!!
February 6, 2018
A lovely book in every way. The recipes are simple and unpretentious, with small ingredient lists, and I can see myself actually cooking them. They look delicious yet attainable in the beautiful photographs by Dan Perez. Reem Kassis weaves in anecdotes of her Palestinian family and their excursions during her childhood to pick ingredients in the mountains near Jerusalem. We feel the warmth and love of family, but she never stoops to using the book as a political platform.
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May 13, 2024an absolutely gorgeous and beautifully written cookbook that gives a glimpse into Palestinian heritage, history, and culture through the lens of ingredients and food.
September 28, 2025
I wish more of the recipes were vegan, but they can be adapted. Still a beautiful cookbook.
November 5, 2019
Many of the recipes in here are slightly different than my own family makes and they're always delicious. Love!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews