A true representation of the cuisine of Israel and Palestine from the local people who make the best of the best. Worth every penny to add it to your collection.

There's something very poignant about reviewing 'The Arab-Israeli Cookbook' by Robin Soans (Aurora Metro, Sep 2005) during Pesach while the news is filled with the latest conflict. And yet, it's also precisely the right time for this small, gentle book.

I haven't seen the show that this book accompanies, and wouldn't have normally opted to read something that would likely heavily reference something I hadn't watched, but adding Claudia Roden's name to the cover cinched it, and I'm glad I took the chance.

This sits somewhere between a travelogue, a cookbook, and a series of mini autobiographies. The author's writing is comfortably reined in: you can feel the moments when Soans really wants to wax poetic but doesn't, and instead allows his interviewees' words to center his prose. It strikes the right balance, I think; given a larger canvas, perhaps his prose would have become overbearing, but tightly wrapped around descriptions of people, locations, and tastes, the relative restraint works.

As a travelogue, it's very brief, but edited skillfully - each little snippet brings you into a home, or a restaurant, or a not-quite-tent, and into a place that for many feels distant and unknowable.

The interviewees are a diverse as the reality of this restive slip of earth: the observant Muslim who smokes, the gay couple who host Shabbat, the Amazigh partiarch who longs for the pastoral freedom that the current situation can't allow. And between the hurt and the worry, you get a glimpse of the reality: of the everyday people, Arab and Jewish, observant and atheist, who just do their best to coexist in an increasingly fragile peace.

As a cookbook, it's somewhat niche: these are recipes as told by the cooks, and so some feed 400, some are from a restaurant, and some are from home. A confident cook will find lots here to enjoy, and have no trouble adapting the recipes to their needs. I certainly wouldn't recommend most of the recipes for anyone new to cooking or not used to tasting, adjusting, and making a recipe their own, but those that do will find plenty of inspiration.

This is a lovely little book, and a balanced representation of society & politics, which doesn't try to reach beyond presenting the interviewees as genuine, warm, and real. Very much worth the read.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC for my unbiased review.

A wide variety of recipes with some nice pictures. I personally prefer when recipe steps are numbered instead of in paragraph form like in this book, but still easy enough to follow.

What a wonderful, and timely collection. I cannot wait to dive in to some of the dishes described herein. A great addition to a growing shelf

I think this is exactly the cookbook we need right now. Arab-Israeli cuisine has such rich heritage and echoes of it can be found across the world. I've attempted a hummus recipe more than once over the years with questionable success, but I can safely say it's one of my favourite foods.

A quote right at the beginning really resonated with me, "If you have shared food with someone, you can never betray him as you have sealed your relationship before God". I am not particularly religious but food is incredibly important to me and my family heritage (Mediterranean), we absolutely show love and respect through food and I get the feeling this is also at the heart of this book.

I love the personal touches throughout the book, stories of making things like hummus, or people's individual touches to dishes and what they mean to them makes this different and so important during the current atrocities.

My only complaint is that sometimes the recipes aren't clear and/or refer to recipes elsewhere in the book without clear page guidance and I found it quite hard to follow.

This book of stories and photos and food will warm your heart and fill your stomach. Lots of recipes from Middle Eastern culture in this award-winning cookbook.

I like the photos of real people, interesting meals, and backdrops of friendship and neighborly relationships. In this season of war and conflicts, this book is a timely reminder that people are people. Whether someone in power is trying to disrupt, common decency brings us together around the table.

The recipes are organized by type and named for their creators. Made me smile - and hopeful that peace will be rebuilt and prevail through hospitality among Arabs and Israelis (and the rest of us, too.)

It was rather confusing. I thought it was just ok. I love to read cookbooks and this was a bit odd. I did learn a little which is the best part.

An older book, but still relevant today. This is less a cookbook and more a travel diary interspersed with stories and recipes. The photos of the food are lacking, but an interesting read nonetheless.

This is a wonderful book full of stories to go with each recipe. I love learning about new cultures and thoroughly enjoyed reading this cookbook. (yes I read cookbooks). There are so many wonderful sounding recipes to try here, from breakfast to dinner and everything in between. I will enjoy cooking my way through this book.

The Arab-Israeli Cookbook features recipes, interviews, and history. There are photos of the food and people in their daily life. The cookbook is written in a very storyline way with the different inclusions of photos and quotes.

The sections are breakfasts, light meals, main courses, desserts, and dairy. The recipes are incorporated from different groups of people, so it is a good combination of a bunch of different peoples recipes which is nice. Due to this some recipes have the ingredients listed without specific measurement while others do have measurements.

The history and interviews of the cookbook have a bigger presence than the recipes in some of the sections. The metric system is the International System of Units (SI), so that is something to take note of. Overall, there are a lot of recipes I have not tried before so it will be very interesting to cook some.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Aran-Israeli Cookbook is a great collection of Middle Eastern recipes. The stories attached to each recipe is unique. With everything that is going in the middle east right now, it gives you hope for some unity

Such a great handy cookbook!! I am so glad I found this Arab-Israeli cookbook with plenty of yummy recipes to choose from. I, for one really appreciates different types of cuisine to make for my family. This particular book has a blend of tasty dishes to experience and share among groups of people. I highly recommend this cookbook, for it presents s combination of hearty meals.snacks and appetizers for all kinds of gatherings.

Wow!
I had no idea what to expect from this recipe book. This book!
I had not watched the docudrama that it is based on. The descriptions and the people’s experiences of being in Israel, and then the heartwarming recipes that come from such history.. Just wow!
Indulge your senses and embark on a culinary journey like no other with this remarkable recipe book!
From the moment you crack open its pages, you’re transported to the vibrant streets of Israel, where rich history and mouthwatering cuisine converge in a symphony of flavors and stories. I had travelled there many years ago and finally have the answer on how to replicate so many of tte dushes I had tried there!

Even if you haven’t seen the docudrama that inspired this culinary masterpiece, fear not, for every page is infused with the essence of Israel’s diverse culture and the heartfelt experiences of its people.

Each recipe is a treasure of tradition, offering a taste of the past while embracing the present.
And let’s not forget the stunning photos on every page, transporting you to bustling markets, cozy kitchens, and scenic landscapes.

My heartfelt thanks to Aurora Metro Books and Netgalley for granting me the privilege to savor this culinary gem.
Bon appétit!

Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext

This is a wonderful cookbook - but it is also SO much more than a cookbook - stories lie behind the recipes, and this makes it the perfect book to have lying haphazardly on a coffee table in the lounge - just sit back and enjoy guests being utterly unable to resist browsing through its many charms!

While there is a story or 2 to be enjoyed from reading this book, it was ultimately the cuisine that drew me in, (being a huge fan of food from this part of the world), this book did NOT disappoint! Somewhat predictably I started with the chocolate cake - (I justify this to myself on the basis that a family birthday coincided with my acquisition of this delightful book!) I can testify that this was hands down the tastiest chocolate cake I have eaten in my 45 years of actively pursuing and indulging in cake at any given opportunity! (I may have added a little more sugar to the filling to even out the butter for my European tastes) but seriously - Wow!!! This book sets the bar high for other chocolate cakes!! Make this cake and hear the compliments fly in my friends!!

From the delectable chocolate cake I revisited more everyday recipes, and I was gratified to see that all my Middle Eastern favourites were there, and kept company by recipes that were new to me, they by no means new to this world (given that this book was originally penned many years ago) I will whet the appetite with reference to goulash, falafel and of course hummus! This book features these and SO much more! Following the fascinating introduction comes 'breakfast', followed by sections: 'light meals', 'main courses', 'desserts' and interestingly 'diary' in which we return to the more narrative aspect of the book.

Measurements for the recipes are given in grams and ml, the gold standard for us Europeans and as such I found the recipes easy to follow. Sourcing the ingredients was not an issue either.

Without question this a cookery book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend .

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

I love Middle Eastern food and was excited to learn about the Arab-Israeli Cookbook recipes by Robin Soans. I’ve spent a lot of time in Israel and the re-release of this cookbook is very timely considering today’s political climate. The interviews are very meaningful, and the photographs are impactful. I definitely appreciate the recipes (except for the goat testicles) and the instructions are easy to follow. I’ll be trying the borekas recipe very soon. Warning to readers in the United States: You will need to have Google readily accessible to look up metric system measurements and the U.S. equivalent of some of the items, i.e. aubergine = eggplant.

With the latest problems in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine, most of us are curious about the people in these countries. Robin Soans interviewed dozens of residents of these areas in 2004, and released them in a popular docudrama. That’s why the book containing the recipes from the docudrama, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook - recipes: The Recipes, has been re-released and is enjoying a new surge of readers and cooks. This cookbook, while only 96 pages, is fascinating, and contains not only the recipes of those interviewed, but also glimpses into their lifestyles and what it is like to live there.

The recipes are very appealing, and readers will definitely want to prepare them at home. It may necessitate a trip to a Middle Eastern grocery store, but it will be worth it. Many of the ingredients are actually available in larger grocery stores nowadays, however. The recipes are easy to follow and are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions. The recipes range from an incredibly delicious Fattoush, to Falafel, to Borekas, to chicken and beef dishes (a recipe for Goat’s Testicles is also included, but most of us won’t be interested). There are also some mouthwatering desserts that are definitely worth making. Another plus to the cookbook is that there are photographs, beautiful professional photographs of the recipes and of the people.

All told, this is an interesting study of the people and culture of Israel and Palestine. It is fascinating to read and fun to cook from.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This is a book that was published some time ago and is more interesting to read than to use as a cookbook. American readers may have trouble following recipes in the imperial measurements and with some of the terms for the ingredients. But there is no doubt that this is a timely topic so many will want to take a look.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's relevant.

The Arab-Israeli Cookbook is a well (and sensitively) written culturally diverse cookbook with recipes curated by Robin Soans. Originally published as a collection to go with the documentary series of the same name from 2005, this volume collects the actual recipes from the show. This reprint (due to the current political climate) from Aurora Metro Books is 96 pages and is available in paperback format.

The cultural aspects of hospitality, food, and gathering to eat together are so inextricably tied to our actual humanity that they can't be separated. Our climates, the areas we grow up, the foods which can be grown there, and how we gather to nourish ourselves are fundamental aspects of our existences. This book (and the associated TV series) are erudite and accessible, and important if we're ever going to move to a place of peace and stability.

It's well photographed throughout. This isn't an updated/new edition, and most of the photos are still shots from the original 2005 series. As such, they're somewhat dated. The recipes are all perfectly usable and accessible, but this is an indie published book which was originally to coordinate with a TV docudrama, and graphically, it looks like it. For what it's worth, in a lot of ways, aesthetically, it *adds* to the authenticity and vulnerability of the situation.These recipes, many of which are personal family recipes, are appealing on an emotional level.The story about a village hummus recipe, and the maker, is direct and honest and told well.

The included recipes, and they are myriad, are written cleanly and without embellishment. Recipe ingredients are written in a bullet list. Measurements are given in imperial (American) units, without metric equivalents. Most of the directions are written sequentially with conversational details added as asides. They're usable as they are, but are more like the result you'd get if you asked a family member for a traditional recipe from your own family than a polished commercially available recipe. Many of the ingredients will need to be sourced at international/Middle Eastern grocery stores or online.

Five stars. This would be a good choice for foodies, public and school library acquisition, and home use.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This cookbook is an incredible way to bring together people, in today's political climate. As an Israeli from a family with people of all backgrounds, food is something that brings us together regularly. We share dishes from our roots, and blend our families and recipes at the same time. I think that it is incredible what food can do to bring together people.