The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World
Price AUD$49.95 Price CAD$49.95 Price €34.95 Price £24.95 Price T39.95 Price USD$39.95
"The Arabesque Table is full to the brim with dishes which are rooted in tradition and at the same time creatively (and deliciously!) transcend it. It is wonderful!" - Yotam Ottolenghi
“Refreshing is …the best word to describe Ms. Kassis’s book… The Arabesque Table zooms out, examining both the history and the evolution of Arab dishes, suggesting another, richer approach to understanding food.” - Wall Street Journal
Acclaimed author Reem Kassis returns with a one-of-a-kind collection of original contemporary recipes tracing the rich history of Arab cuisine.
The Arabesque Table takes inspiration from the traditional food of the Arab world, weaving Reem Kassis's historic research and cultural knowledge with her contemporary interpretations of an ancient, remarkably diverse cuisine.
In her personal, engaging voice, Reem bridges past and present to open up the world of Arabic cooking today, showcasing a mosaic of 130 delicious, accessible home recipes. Organized by primary ingredient, the recipes and vivid photographs bring the dishes to life while her narrative offers not only a sense of taste, but a sense of time and place as well.
More than just a compilation of modern Arabic recipes, The Arabesque Table celebrates the evolution of Arab cuisine and the stories of cross-cultural connection it recounts, paying tribute to the history and journey that have led to this point.
With the past on full display in this heavily researched and exciting book, you will find dishes from the Golden Age of Islam: like Narjissiya (a fava bean and egg hash) and Makmoora (a layered chicken, onion and pine nut pot pie), as well as contemporary and globally inspired interpretations: like Tahini Cheesecake and Caramelized Butternut Squash Fatteh with Za'atar, revealing a cuisine that is vibrant, nourishing, and exciting, but above all, reminding us of how powerful food is in defining the relationship between people, place and identity.
- Format: Hardback
- Size: 246 x 189 mm (9 3/4 x 7 1/2 in)
- Pages: 256 pp
- Illustrations: 129 illustrations
- ISBN: 9781838662516
Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food with culture, history, and politics. She is the author of Phaidon's acclaimed cookbook The Palestinian Table, which won the Guild of Food Writers First Book award and a Gourmand World Cookbook award and was a James Beard Best International Cookbook award finalist and NPR Best Book. Her second book, The Arabesque Table is a one-of-a-kind collection of contemporary recipes tracing the rich history of Arab cuisine. She grew up in Jerusalem, then lived in the US, France, Germany, Jordan, and the UK. She now lives in Philadelphia.
"Reem Kassis's cookbooks tell of her Palestinian family, while giving a modern twist to such dishes as fatteh, lentil soup and pistaschio cake." - Observer Food Monthly
"130 historically-traced, contemporary recipes from the Arab culture, beautifully bolstered with personal anecdotes and a fusing of the past and present." - Forbes
"Reem Kassis's latest book weaves together history, memoir and recipes to bring the diverse food cultures of the contemporary Arab world to life." - National Geographic Traveller FOOD
"The Arabesque Table uses the traditional, diverse cuisine of the Arab world as a starting point, and offers a modern interpretation of the recipes for every table." - Fine Dining Lovers
"This book is as historically informative as it is useful for recipe inspiration... If hospitality is about creating memories and stories, there are enough tales in here to keep readers entertained and educated." - The Caterer
"Following the success of The Palestinian Table, writer Reem Kassis has gone back in time to explore the untold tapestries of Arab food in her second cookbook" - BA High Life
"This new release from Reem Kassis has been on my must-read list for a while, which should come as no surprise given how obsessed I am with "The Palestinian Table." - Oset Babür, Food & Wine
"... takes a much broader look at contemporary cooking from across the Arab world." - Philadelphia Inquirer
"[a] unique offering, combining detailed research of Arab foodways with approachable dishes that reflect both her formative years in Palestine and her expat family kitchen" - Booklist
"Recommended for home cooks who will marvel at the historical and cultural connections Kassis points out as they prepare her unintimidating, forward-thinking recipes." - Library Journal
"Explore the beauty and bounty of Arabic cooking... Kassis flex[s] her deep knowledge of the ancient cuisine while also offering her takes on classics." - Time Out
"A dazzling set of recipes from Reem Kassis" - Nigel Slater
"Like the intricate patterns of arabesque tapestry, the recipes blend colorful threads from ancient history as well as from her own life story into something exciting and new." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"This cookbook finally restores 'fusion' cuisine to a place of dignity." - Los Angeles Times