“The first time I ate at Zahav, I was a student at Wharton,” remembers Kassis, who grew up in a Palestinian family in Jerusalem. “There was freekeh on the menu, something I missed from home. I remember feeling frustrated that the best Palestinian dish I ate in the U.S. was at an Israeli restaurant.” When she released her cookbook last fall, she sent Solomonov a copy with a note about the freekeh....Solomonov received her book the night before he was set to deliver a speech about Israeli cuisine, and it changed his perspective. “I could not look at this person and say, ‘It’s OK for me to have independence as an Israeli, but you cannot,’” he says. From there, something took root. Not diplomacy. Friendship.

“The Palestinian Table” is a fitting title for a cookbook which captures the essence of Palestinian culinary heritage, culture and reality. It is what ties all Palestinians together in spite of their political circumstances and global dispersion. But it stands for “more than just food."

The James Beard Foundation announced this morning the 2018 James Beard Award nominees in its Restaurant and Chef, Media, and Restaurant Design categories. The Palestinian Table (Phaidon, 2017), by Reem Kassis is nominated for Best International Cookbook category. 

THE NEW YORK TIMES

You've heard the one about the consultant who hung it all up to write a cookbook, right? No, really. She well understood the power of micro-steps.  

THE BOOK SELLER

Shortlisted is The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis (Phaidon) which unveils more than 100 recipes and provides a "rare insight" into the heart of the Palestinian family kitchen

THE BOOKSELLER

Edward Stanford award shortlists reveal 'broad scope' of travel writing. 

MILK STREET

“Reem Kassis makes you feel as if she lives around the corner and you hope she invites you for dinner. If you don’t get a call, however, you can just buy her book.”

THE GUARDIAN

Having grown up in Jerusalem and moved to the US, here Kassis rediscovers her culture and identity through her mother’s za’atar-filled flatbreads and crisp rice-stuffed chicken. A celebration of the flavours of Palestinian food, as well as the inspirational women in the author’s family.

THE INDEPENDENT

Born in Jerusalem to a Palestinian family, Reem Kassis grew up in the kitchen surrounded by strong women who taught her how to cook. In The Palestinian Table she shares their recipes from the simplest tahini sauce (with a dollop of yoghurt to cut through the richness), to chicken, onion and sumac flatbread, inspired by her formidable grandmother, Teta Fatmeh.

NPR

Born in Jerusalem and educated in the West, Reem Kassis faced a familiar predicament: What would happen to her family's culinary legacy in a generation or two, as the family's women left the kitchen?...thanks to one daughter's labor of love, these recipes aren't going anywhere.

THE BOOKSELLER

Reading The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis was a Proustian experience for me...This is home cooking, inspired by the women of her family... But it’s also about how food connects us to home, even when we are far away from it—and in that sense, it seems to be very much a book for the times.

PALESTINE SQUARE

The Palestinian Table is an indispensable guide for all those eager to taste Palestine...Those recipes will warm every heart this chilly season, but another distinguishing feature of The Palestinian Table is that Kassis doesn’t sacrifice the joy of traditional cooking for the modern day by-the-book gastronomy...Kassis understands that food is not a mash of ingredients...anyone who has truly tasted the Levant can sympathize with her sigh at the unimaginative presentation of the region’s culinary heritage. But, there’s also more to food than skilled preparation. Food is attached to identity, family, and history. The Palestinian Table is a “bridge to better understand Palestinian culture, food, and a way of life.”

THE INDEPENDENT

Cook and writer Reem Kassis, who was born in Jerusalem to a Palestinian family renowned for its culinary skill, has sought to share the lesser known dishes of the region in her new book The Palestinian Table. The book documents almost 150 dishes from flatbread to za’atar, interspersed with notes on the beleaguered state and its rich food history.

TRAVEL & LEISURE

Jerusalem native Reem Kassis documents almost 150 recipes from her home country in her meticulously researched debut cookbook, each interspersed with essays and historical context.

LYONS SAVEURS

The Palestinian Table wins "Jury Favorite" at the Eugenie Brazier Awards

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

For our latest installment, we asked a dozen prominent cookbook authors to tell us the cookbook they’d be most excited to get this holiday season.

BUZZ FEED

A gorgeous book for anyone who wants to explore Palestinian cuisine and add lots of delicious recipes to their arsenal.

DAVID LEBOVITZ

One of David Lebovitz's favorite cookbooks of the year. 

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

This year’s collection of cookbooks proves that great food writing can be — and should be — about so much more than food.

THE NATIONAL POST

'There’s no better way to get to know a person than to share a plate of food with them,' the cook and writer says.

HUFFPOST

Vegetable-forward and resourceful, it's (Palestinian cuisine) a good one to add to any sustainable cook's repertoire. Here's your cheat sheet on how it's done from Reem Kassis, the Palestinian born, US-living author of 'The Palestinian Table. 

THE NATIONAL POST

In revealing its generous culinary tradition, Kassis extends “a truer narrative about Palestinians.” 

SAVEUR MAGAZINE

 It’s been over ten years since I’ve last stood on that street where first-time author Reem Kassis’ cookbook is taking me. It’s an ode to her culinary heritage and family, covering the cornerstones of home cooking, street food, and celebrations—from rice dishes and lamb to yoghurt sauces, kubbehs, pies and salads. 

AMEX ESSENTIALS

Cookbooks are a singular literary genre - they're as much about the storytelling, about the journey, as they are the recipes. A good cookbook educates, inspires, makes our stomachs rumble, and stokes our wanderlust. In this beautifully wrought tome, first-time cookbook author Reem Kassis invites us into her home, to join her in the kitchen and to travel together to Palestine.

UPROXX

Kassis’ delightful The Palestinian Table takes you deep below the surface of the region to explore the sidelined technique, traditions, and recipes of the Palestinian kitchen. The recipes are lush and very easy to follow and are accompanied by engaging historical snippets of a food culture that’s far too often lost in the shuffle.

THE FINANCIAL TIMES

A list of hidden gems (used by the locals) in Palestinian towns in the Galilee

UNIDIVERS

Pour Reem Kassis, utiliser la cuisine pour préserver la culture et l’identité d’un pays malgré l’éloignement est le propos de ce livre La table Palestinienne.

THE GUARDIAN

RECIPE: Chicken, Onion and Sumac Casserole - Mhammar

FATHOM

Capturing three generations of one family's traditional cooking techniques, Reem Kassis promises easy, fail-proof recipes. The cultural anecdotes make for a wider appreciation of Middle Eastern culinary history. The book looks beautiful on the counter alongside homemade meals from its pages.

FOOD52

Fried kubbeh is delicious but requires time and effort to make—and then it still has to be fried. Here, The Palestinian Table author Reem Kassis shares a delightful alternative, which she learned while growing up in Jerusalem.

THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH

While we're all rather au fait with Middle Eastern cuisine these days, thanks to the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi, Sabrina Ghayour, and Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer of Honey & Co, how much do you really know about Palestinian food?

Well, Reem Kassis' new cookbook The Palestinian Table is set to fill that gap, with recipes inspired by three generations of her family's cooking traditions. Here's what we think of it...

DEPARTURES MAGAZINE

Drawing on three generations of recipes and culinary wisdom from her own Palestinian family, Kassis expertly weaves this diaspora together in her debut cookbook.

DISHMAG

Reading this wonderful book is like getting a passport to a distant land where aromatic spices and traditions dating back centuries reign supreme in the kitchen. Peppered throughout with gorgeous color photographs this is more than a cookbook: it’s also a history lesson and an introduction to an inspiring culture of indescribably delicious flavors that many of us have barely even heard about, let alone tasted for ourselves.

PHAIDON

Reem Kassis, author of The Palestinian Table, tell us how family ties and national borders shaped this cuisine.

PHAIDON

We launched our latest food book in a beautiful house, once owned by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, last night...During an emotional speech, author Reem Kassis told the story of how the book came into being. She spoke eloquently about growing up in Jerusalem, surrounded by the love of her family and the communal experience of eating and enjoying good food with them. 

THE GALILEE FOUNDATION

On the 10th of October, The Galilee Foundation held a reception to celebrate the book launch of Reem Kassis’s book, The Palestinian Table. The book is published by Phaidon, and the author kindly donated 100 books with all proceeds going to the Galilee Foundation. 

REFINERY 29

Chef Reem Kassis' new book The Palestinian Table is all about bringing warmth to your kitchen and forgetting the grey outside. These easy-to-follow recipes from her extended Middle Eastern family are perfect for everything from an indulgent brekkie for one to a feast for all your loved ones to enjoy. 

Kassis, who was born in Jerusalem, but lives in the U.S., learned to cook from her grandmothers, mother, and aunts. In this photo-filled cookbook, she writes about food and family and the culinary traditions passed down to her. “We’ve had other Palestinian cookbooks, but this book is unique and physically amazing. It’s like a treasure trove of memories, hopes, and wishes, and an offering into the heart of the Palestinian culture.”

GREAT FOOD IRELAND

If this is the year you decide to take a break from cooking turkey, cook this instead! From Reem Kassis’ new book ‘The Palestinian Table'. Authentic Modern Middle Eastern Home Cooking – 150 delicious, easy-to-follow recipes inspired by three generations of family tradition’ published by Phaidon.

AL-MONITOR

Daughter of a Muslim mother and Christian father, Kassis was born in Jerusalem to a Palestinian family revered for both its cooking and its highly educated women. Kassis had a fast-paced corporate career before she started writing about Palestine’s culinary heritage. “I think my entire childhood is a series of ‘scenes’ of collective cooking. It’s ironic because this is both why I wanted to stay away from the kitchen as much as possible and pursue a professional career but also the very reason I ended up finding my way back to the kitchen today” 
 

A LITTLE BIRD: An Insider's Guide to London

Reem Kassis, who left her her Palestinian family to study and then work in America, the food of her homeland was set so deep in her psyche that she gave up her successful career as a business consultant to turn food writer. 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Reem Kassis shares family recipes and offers a peek into what it was like to cook in a Palestinian kitchen when she was growing up...This book highlights a cuisine and culture that many of us are still learning about.

D2 MAGAZINE

Med sin første kokebok vil Reem Kassis få det palestinske kjøkkenet frem i lyset.

Le livre de Reem Kassis est l’occasion de découvrir la cuisine palestinienne qui transcende les clivages et invite à un banquet fraternel.