I really liked this cookbook. I found the recipes so flavorful. Spiced but not spicy. Very well written instructions with mostly easily accessible ingredients. Some ingredients may need to be special ordered.

This is an interesting book on the food and culture of Israel and Palestine. It brings together culture, people and food and that is what makes in interesting and enjoyable to read. The recipes are pretty straight-forward and easy to make and they all sound so tasty. Some I have heard of, some I have tried and some I will be experimenting with soon.

A great cookbook and one for anyone who loves to learn about the food and culture of different countries. Well presented and great photos too.

Thank you NetGlley and Aurora Metro | Aurora Metro Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a fascinating book. I love to cook and bake foods from all nationalities and countries. From Breakfast
with Nina’s Breakfast, Light meals with Tahini Dip, Main Course with Noah’s Goulash and all the delicious desserts, there is something that will please anyone’s pallet. The beginning tells why the book was written and the back has a short diary followed by an index. For the beginner cook and baker to the experienced this book is a great addition to any cookbook collection. The photos are mouthwatering and the recipes are well written and easy to follow.

This was a great cookbook. Very easy-to-follow recipes. I can't wait to try these recipes. I would highly recommend this book.

Really enjoyed this book. It had lots of information and history in there. Some lovely receipes i would love to try. Especialy the ghoraybeh. would recomend this cookery book

This is a very nice cookbook with recipes for every occasion. I think that some of the meals are very suitable for everyday use and even for the office as they can be prepared in advance.

The book contains recipes for breakfast (which was my favorite category), light meals - like snacks and salads, main courses with meat, fish and veggies, desserts (the honey cake looks very good) and drinks. There are even some curiosities mentioned, goat‘s testicles for example.

What I also liked is the anecdote about a visit to a bedouin.

I think the pictures could be nicer, but I will definitely try some of the recipes.

I read a lot of cookbooks and they are quite similar in nature. Recipes with step by step directions. Some may have stories, others, have pictures, but they all have that one unique quality about them. In the Arab-Israeli Cookbook we get unique pictures of every day people who offered up unique recipes for this cookbook. Where I’m confused is some recipes have step by step instructions, where others have none. I’m not the kind of cook who can wing my cooking and it turn out ok. I need those directions to help guide me, even for something simple like a dressing. Otherwise this is a cookbook I will use quite often thanks to the recipes approachability and every day dishes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this cookbook in lieu of my honest opinions.

#TheArabIsraeliCookbookrecipes #NetGalley

The Arab-Israeli Cookbook recipes by Robin Soans and Claudia Roden I really enjoy creating and trying new food from around the world, it was a treasure to read and create some new dishes. However, this book maybe small but it was packed with beautiful photos, how to create great dishes and the best of all feature was people’s experiences of being in Israel and its history.

The Arab-Israeli Cookbook recipes would make a perfect gift for someone special.

I was honestly worried about which line this book would take, but I was equally intrigued and encouraged by the title.
The foreword and the background Claudia provided is on point and as politically correct as it can get.
Food is part of our identity, and unfortunately, a lot of foods are being appropriated and their heritage ruined and stolen by people who don't do their research.

I loved how personal the book was. How recipes were "someone's breakfast, someone's salad, someone's "name" meal).
It really gives the book the authenticity and inclusivity it intends.

Some recipes were at a big scale (ex: tahina dip), I think the reader would appreciate a smaller scale alternative as well (so have both).

While in some places I would have suggested adding which variation of the recipe is being done (ex: taboule is widely known as Lebanese, but the recipe in the book is extremely different, and is probably a variation from other countries, specifying that will help readers who will credit this book when they're making the food).

As for the drinks, not featuring non-alcoholic drinks especially when there are so many delicious variations in Arab countries, and featuring an alcoholic beverage that is also not originating from the region is just an odd and wrong choice.

The cookbook is more of the author's journey in this culture rather than an account of recipes and cooking guides that are more technical.

Reading this book at this time seems like a commitment to something important.

“Our host Dinu is a photographer who was born in Romania…His greatest fear is that the terrorists will perpetrate a large scale act of carnage… “It would be a terrible mistake,” he said, “because it would trigger the sort of response that would make everything so far look like a joke.” “

The prescience of this quote is chilling considering the last 15 months.

This book doesn’t aim to take sides, merely to show them through the unifying and universal theme of food. As the author states, these aren’t recipes that will earn Michelin stars but they are authentic and humanise the misinformation we are constantly fed about this region. These are real people trying to live their lives and feed their families.

If you are looking for a coffee table book, this isn’t it. The production values are low and won’t satisfy the Taschen crowd at all. However if you are more like me, drawn to cookery books with a narrative and where you learn something about the writer and the subject as well as the recipes, this makes a very interesting read.

The idea behind this cookbooks is fascinating. The subject matter is so timely, and it had so much potential to be something great! But unfortunately, in so many ways, it fell short.

Overall the cookbook was very disjointed, falling somewhere between an inconsistent personal diary and a church fundraising cookbook from the 80s. As a cookbook it’s impractical, as a narrative it’s incomplete. And rather than being illuminating, the mentions of some sort of play the author was involved in just made everything more confusing.

I loved this book! The concept and the stories and the heart behind this! Many books try to achieve what this cook has finally achieved.. I will most definitely buy this and share it family and friends

This was an interesting and informative book that had some good recipes, but I found it to be very informative about current events in the Middle East.

This book shares classic recipes of this culturally diverse region facing destruction and division. It sensitively shares stories of its peoples and hopes for peace. It is a good introduction if you have never tried cooking the regional cuisine for yourself. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aurora Metro Press for an ARC of this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The photography in the cookbook is gorgeous, and I love that it shows how beautiful life is. I enjoyed the faded Polaroid feel of them.

The recipes were simple and healthy, but incredibly flavorful. I have quite a few added to my list of things to make soon. They are very authentic as well.

Most of the ingredients are fairly easy to get, and so many recipes use fresh produce. Many of the recipes would be wonderful for vegans and vegetarians, and gluten free folks too.

This is a cookbook that I would love to keep in my collection, and I think I would use it often. It would be a great gift for someone at any level of cooking skill.

Lovely cookbook with beautiful pictures and stories. I probably won’t make many of the recipes, as they are authentic and thus have a lot of ingredients and techniques I’m not familiar with. But the book is nice as a book!

Very interesting and insightful with recipes, images and stories. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC digital copy of this book for review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The photographs in this book, on the scenery, food and people, are beautiful. It shows a great blending of the two cultures and is split up in a great way with breakfast, light meals, main courses and desserts all having their own chapter. The recipes themselves are easy enough to follow as well.

I have a shelf full of Israeli and Palestinian cookbooks in my dining room, and there has never been a better time to cook from them and read the stories and histories they contain. The Arab-Israeli Cookbook has straightforward recipes with easily-accessible ingredients. My favorite parts of the book are the narrative discussions that proceed the recipes. I'm glad to see this book not only still in print but receiving new attention.

Robin Soans’ The Arab-Israeli Cookbook: The Recipes is so much more than a cookbook—it’s a bridge between cultures, told through the universal language of food. Born from interviews with people across Israel and Palestine, this collection brings together heartfelt stories and authentic recipes ranging from falafels and tabbouleh to gefilte fish and carrot cake.

What makes this book special isn’t just the recipes (although they’re fantastic)—it’s the people behind them. Each dish feels like an invitation to sit at someone’s table and hear their story. The stunning color photos add another layer of richness, capturing the vibrancy of the region and its cuisine.

Award-winning and deeply meaningful, this book isn’t just about food; it’s about cultural equity and finding common ground through something as simple—and powerful—as a shared meal. Whether you’re here for the recipes or the stories, this is one cookbook that will nourish your kitchen and your heart.