 | |
| Author | Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Cookbook |
| Published | 2012 |
| Publisher | Ebury Press |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| ISBN | 9780091943745 |
Jerusalem: A Cookbook is a 2012 cookbook by Jewish-Israeli Yotam Ottolenghi and Palestinian Sami Tamimi about food in Jerusalem. [1] [2] [3] [4] The book explores cuisine and traditions in the authors' shared hometown. [5]
The authors, both expatriate chefs in London, present in their book an idealized vision of the Middle East and "a modification of the Israeli versus Palestinian nationalist narrative," as the authors see the food they discuss as part of "a shared regional food culture, not an antagonistic one." [6] [7]
The book is not oriented toward an audience local to where the food discussed comes from—as of 2016 it hadn't been translated into Hebrew or Arabic—but rather it is a commentary on Jerusalem to be exported and consumed elsewhere, in London and throughout the world. [6] [8] The book was well received in anglophone markets. The New York Times described the impact of the book using the term "Jerusalem fever." [4]
While Jerusalem: A Cookbook recognizes and acknowledges the existence of "a Palestinian other" by acknowledging Palestinian dishes, and demonstrates a consciousness of the political nature of the subject, in the analysis of Ilan Zvi Baron it contributes to the "foodwashing" of the political reality in the region by presenting a normative vision of the appropriation. [7] Baron writes that this normalizing narrative treats past injustices as having little current relevance, which inhibits the possibility of engaging with the consequences of the injustices. [7]
In 2013, in discussion with authors of The Gaza Kitchen Laila el-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt, Ottolenghi noted that if he were to rewrite the introduction of Jerusalem: A Cookbook, he would do so differently:
I would have taken the whole aspect of appropriation and ownership more seriously. I probably would have made the point that it's very hard to say who is the originator of each dish, but it's also overwhelmingly true that some of those dishes are the symbols of the Palestinian culture, and as such they just cannot become everybody's sign of culture or identity. [5]
Hummus, also spelled hommus or houmous, is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. The standard garnish in the Middle East includes olive oil, a few whole chickpeas, parsley, and paprika.
Cholent or Schalet is a traditional slow-simmering Sabbath stew in Jewish cuisine that was developed by Ashkenazi Jews first in France and later Germany, and is first mentioned in the 12th century. It is related to and is thought to have been derived from hamin, a similar Sabbath stew that emerged in Spain among Sephardic Jews and made its way to France by way of Provence.
Maqluba is a traditional Levantine dish that is popular across Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. It consists of meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot which is flipped upside down when served, hence the name.
Sahawiqzhoug or zhug, is a hot sauce originating in Yemeni cuisine. In other countries of the Arabian Peninsula it is also called mabooj.
Sephardic Jewish cuisine, belonging to the Sephardic Jews—descendants of the Jewish population of the Iberian Peninsula until their expulsion in 1492—encompassing traditional dishes developed as they resettled in the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, including Jewish communities in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Syria, as well as the Sephardic community in the Land of Israel. It may also refer to the culinary traditions of the Western Sephardim, who settled in Holland, England, and from these places elsewhere. The cuisine of Jerusalem, in particular, is considered predominantly Sephardic.
Dan Schueftan is an Israeli academic and chairman of the National Security Studies Center at the University of Haifa. He also serves as a senior lecturer at Haifa University's School of Political Sciences. He has taught at the Israel Defense Force's National Security College and the IDF's Command and Staff College.
Nabi Salih is a small Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank, located 20 kilometers northwest of Ramallah. It had a population of 522 in 2017. It is noted for the weekly marches to protest the occupation undertaken since 2010, a practice suspended in 2016, after 350 villagers were estimated to have suffered injuries in clashes with Israeli troops over that period.
Yotam Assaf Ottolenghi is an Israeli-born British chef, restaurateur, and food writer. Alongside Sami Tamimi, he is the co-owner of nine delis and restaurants in London and Bicester Village and the author of several bestselling cookery books, including Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (2008), Plenty (2010), Jerusalem (2012) and Simple (2018).
Giora Eiland is a retired Major General of the Israel Defense Forces and a former head of the Israeli National Security Council. After his retirement from the public sector, he was a senior research associate at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
Janna Gur is an Israeli food writer, editor, translator and cook book author and an expert on Israeli and Jewish cuisine. She was the chief editor and the publisher along with her husband Ilan Gur of "Al Hashulchan" culinary magazine for 27 years.
Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer and author who holds Israeli citizenship.
Fried cauliflower is a popular dish in many cuisines of the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. It may start from raw or cooked cauliflower; it may be dipped in batter or breading; it may be fried in oil, butter, or other fats. It can be served on its own, as a mezze or side dish, or in a sandwich. It is often seasoned with salt, spices, and a variety of sauces, in the Middle East often based on tahini or strained yogurt.
Sami Tamimi is a Palestinian chef and author living in London. He is the co-owner of six delis and restaurants in London. Tamimi is also the co-author of several bestselling cookbooks, including Ottolenghi (2008), Jerusalem (2012) and Falastin (2020).
Pilpelchuma, also spelled pilpelshuma, is a chilli-garlic paste similar to a hot sauce originating from the Libyan Jews and commonly used in Israeli cuisine.
Tatbila is a condiment that is similar to a hot sauce and is typically served as a topping for hummus, and also as a sauce for falafel, shawarma, and other dishes popular in Palestinian cuisine.
Israeli feta cheese or, also known as Israeli-style feta cheese or simply Israeli cheese, is a type of white cheese made from sheep's milk, cow's milk, or a combination of both. It is similar to Greek feta cheese, but has a milder flavor and a creamier texture.
Foods such as falafel and hummus, which originated in the Middle East, have been used as political symbols as part of a general gastronationalistic movement in the region. Israel has used food, including Levantine cuisine and dishes of the Jewish diaspora, to develop a national cuisine and national identity. The inclusion of foods traditionally seen as Arab in that strategy has prompted accusations of colonization of Arab and Middle Eastern culture and cultural appropriation by Israel.
The cuisine of Jerusalem reflects the long history of Jerusalem as a crossroads of cultures and religions. Millennia of trade, conquest, and migration have resulted in a unique fusion of culinary traditions, with significant influences from Jewish and Levantine Arab cuisine.
Izzeldin Bukhari is a Palestinian chef from Jerusalem. In 2017, he founded Sacred Cuisine, which organizes food tours, supper clubs, cooking classes, and other events to promote vegetarian Palestinian cuisine.