Book Review: Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Jerusalem: A Cookbook
Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi

Release Date: January 1, 2012

Book Description:
A collection of 120 recipes exploring the flavors of Jerusalem from the New York Times bestselling author of Plenty, one of the most lauded cookbooks of 2011.

In Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore  the vibrant cuisine of their home city—with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year—Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the Jewish west. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective, from inventive vegetable dishes to sweet, rich desserts. With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet.

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Review:
Absolutely fantastic!



Gorgeous and inspirational, this is one of those cookbooks you want to add to your bookshelf, and indeed I’m going to order my own copy as soon as I’m done gushing about it. The copy I read was borrowed from the library and my only regret is not getting it sooner, it would’ve been perfect for the summer.

Boasting 120 dishes I’m sure this cookbook could please even the pickiest of eaters. I enjoyed the variety of recipes from many vegetable variations, meats, fish, to sweet and savory desserts and pastries. But, besides the many ideas and inspirations found here, I feel I learned a great deal about the culture and history of this fascinating city. I’ve traveled to Jerusalem long time ago and being young did not appreciate the complicated history and beauty of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem in particular. So, having a chance to experience and grasp the often complex history and the number of cultures and subcultures that culminate in Jerusalem and allow for a creation of such intricate and colorful variety of cuisines is an experience in itself.

I would most certainly like to recommend this cookbook to many of you, however, [and this is in no way a negative comment] prepare to find some complex dishes, calling for a variety of often hard to find ingredients and exotic spices, but trust that big flavor is guaranteed with execution of these dishes. [And, any cookbook offering up a new idea on zucchini use is a great cookbook in my book!]