Explore the Flavors of Palestine with Falastin: A 240-Page Cookbook

Sam: We love this book! So many delicious homely recipes that seem like they have been given a bit of a modern glow up to make them both more intriguing but still easy-to-do at home. I thought Jerusalem (by the same author) was good but this is even better, every dish is stellar.

United States on Feb 20, 2024

Kay M: This is a wonderful book! Couldn’t say enough good things. Highly recommend!

United States on Jan 23, 2024

Joel T. Yerby: Sami Tamimi tells the beautiful stories of Palestinian family farmers, olive growers and cooks who share traditional Palestinian recipes as Palestinians have prepared them for hundreds of years. More than just a cookbook. Sami opens a window to the beauty, kindness, culture and food of Palestine.

United States on Nov 24, 2023

marta: Le ricette funzionano molto ben. Bel libro

Italy on Dec 03, 2021

Poncho Gj: Es quizás el primer libro que debes comprar para acercarte a la cocina del Medio Oriente. Practica cada receta sin orden, a tu ritmo. Goza cada página

Mexico on Jun 22, 2021

Philip F E Dutton: A wonderful book to skim through or to read from cover to cover. Well laid out with enticing photographs and stories that make you want to cook everything, A super introduction to middle eastern cooking.
Only one downside for Europeans: the English language version seems to have been made for the American market and so uses cups and degrees Farenheit.

Germany on Apr 18, 2021

Melanie: I’ve been eying Falastin for a while and finally broke down and ordered it. As to be expected, it’s a gorgeous book with the sort of photography and biography that one would expect of National Geographic. Truly a love letter to Sami’s home country and a rich account of Palestine. If you are already an Ottolenghi fan and own Jerusalem and Plenty, you’re in for a treat, it will feel like the sequel you’ve been waiting for. With that said, it’s very hard to give this book any less than 5 stars, knowing the labor of love that went into it. However for me, many of the recipes feel fussy and just a lot of work. Long ingredient lists and some involved methods make this more of a weekend project cookbook, or for those with a few extra hours to spare in the kitchen. A lot of repeating themes as well, especially tahini and Greek yogurt, the latter of which I question if that what’s actually being used in Palestine, or more of an American invention. Some of the measurements are also a bit puzzling. The book was clearly written with the metric system in mind, and converting into ounces can be a bit challenging, for example the kofta recipe that calls for 12 1/4 ounces each of...

United States on Apr 17, 2021

Lisia Bello: Amo este livro!! Adoro todas as receitas que vêm de Sami Tamimi e Ottolenghi!!! Livro lindo, ótimos textos e receitas!

Brazil on Feb 25, 2021

Noemia: Gostei muito deste livro, que é muito mais do que uma coletânea de receitas, é um relato de uma viagem e da história de um povo através das receitas. Falestin é uma Palestina mágica, tal como ela é vivida pelas diferentes gerações e pessoas. As ilustrações são belíssimas e o texto primoroso. Algumas das receitas são as mesmas de Jerusalém, que foi escrito por Sami e Otolenghi, mas isso é um detalhe. O livro é precioso.

Brazil on Sep 10, 2020

EhmuhleeEhmuhlee: As soon as Falastin arrived I immediately had no less than 20 recipes marked that I want to make. There are a lot of ingredients that will make a trip to the nearest Middle Eastern grocery, spice shop, or online order necessary, unless you already have spices like sumac and za’atar in your pantry. This is one of my favorite aspects of cooking… connecting with worlds outside of my own and food is the perfect medium for bringing people together.



The recipes I started with are :
• Sweet and spicy seeds and nuts
• Na`ama’s buttermilk fattoush
• Spicy roasted new potatoes with lemon and herbs (Batata bil filfil)
• Chicken musakhan
• Knafeh Nabulseyeh

I love the mix of spices and variety within this book. They have a delicate layering of flavor that makes MIddle Eastern flavors shine. There are so many somewhat familiar or reasonably easy recipes - like the spiced nuts or fattoush, and then there are more specialized like the Knafeh Nabulseyeh. It’s far less work than it appears. Working with filo dough or kataifi pastry seems exotic to the American in me, but it’s very simple and makes a bit impact. It’s a fun texture and the...

United States on Jun 23, 2020