Reem Kassis, author of The Arabesque Table

The Palestinian Table wins Stanford Travel Writing Award

Reem Kassis's cookbook beat Ghanaian, Peruvian and Indian offerings to clinch the travel cookery book award

The little-known gastronomic delights of Palestine might be overshadowed by the better-known cuisines of the Middle East and the Levant. However, Palestinian cookery received fresh recognition in London last night, when Reem Kassis' book The Palestinian Table won an Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award. 

 

Dips and Small Bites: clockwise from left: Taboon Bread; Parsley or Cilantro (Coriander) Tahini Spread; Walnut and Garlic Labaneh; Deep-Fried Cheese and Za’atar Parcels; Garlic and Cucumber Labaneh; Avocado, Labaneh, and Preserved Lemon Spread; Labaneh And Bulgur Spread.
Dips and Small Bites: clockwise from left: Taboon Bread; Parsley or Cilantro (Coriander) Tahini Spread; Walnut and Garlic Labaneh; Deep-Fried Cheese and Za’atar Parcels; Garlic and Cucumber Labaneh; Avocado, Labaneh, and Preserved Lemon Spread; Labaneh And Bulgur Spread.

The awards, organised by London's leading travel bookshop, Stanfords, recognises great travel writing; previous winners include Billy Bryson and Michael Palin. Reem's book, The Palestinian Table, won in the Food and Travel Magazine Travel Cookery Book of the Year, beating other titles that examined Peruvian, Ghanaian and Indian food. 

 

Olives and pickles vendor in the Old City of Jerusalem
Olives and pickles vendor in the Old City of Jerusalem

Of course, we feel Reem's book truly deserves the Stanford trophy, shaped like an antique globe. It not only lists novel, tasty recipes, but also describes evocative, biographical details, capturing life in this heavily contested part of the world, not from a political point of view, but from a far more humane, gastronomic and familial perspective.

To buy this award-winning book, go here; to view more of our wordly wise cookbooks go here.