Eatdrink #43 September/October 2013

58 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 43 | September/October 2013
cookbooks
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Review and Recipe Selections by Janice Zolf
It’s safe to say that while politics may
divide Israel, it is the food that brings
it together. That theme pervades
Jerusalem: A Cookbook, which won
international cookbook of the year in 2012. The
richly illustrated book, written by Israeli chef
Yotam Ottolenghi and Palestinian chef Sami
Tamimi, celebrates the delicious collision of
cultures found in the kitchens of Jerusalem.
The cookbook partners are the same age,
but never knew each other growing up in
the biblical city. Thirty years later they met
in London England, and began their food
collaboration, fusing their rich memories
in a series of restaurants, delis and an
award-winning cookbook. Colourful street
food inspired by the great Suk (market)
jumps off the page in this gorgeous ode
to Jerusalem, like the Tunisian inspired
Shakshuka, a breakfast staple made with
ripe tomatoes and eggs — delicious with
fresh pita bread. There’s a spin on risotto,
a lower fat and
healthier version
of the Arborio rice
version, made
with barley. This
one features
diced tomatoes,
marinated feta
cheese and
vegetable stock,
a flavourful twist
on a traditional
meal found in
many Jerusalem
Yotam Ottolenghi
restaurants.
Jerusalem, both the book and the city,
celebrates the bounty of the area: figs,
pomegranates, dates and award winning
olive oil, thanks to the rich soil and
temperate climate.
The key to hummus, according to
Canadian chef Bonnie Stern, is at least
10 minutes of
pureeing in the
food processor.
Ottolenghi
concurs in
Jerusalem; the
goal is a thick, creamy paste, rich in
tahini and an “exciting centerpiece” in
many Jerusalem restaurants. Everyone in
the Middle East lays claim to hummus.
Ottolenghi says hummus wars have caused
“even the best of friends to turn against each
other if they find themselves in opposite
hummus camps.” But there’s love amongst
competitors, ensuring some of the best
hummus joints in the world. Jerusalem’s
no-fail recipe uses chickpeas sautéed
in baking soda, a trick to penetrate the
skins. This traditional Palestinian recipe
was handed down from Sami Tamimi’s
grandmother. Make this version and you’ll
never buy the plastic tub, grocery store
hummus again.
Yotam’s
mother Ruth
can also claim
a few pages of
recipes including
Romano peppers
stuffed with
Basmati rice,
tomatoes,
ground lamb,
dill, mint and
Sami Tamimi
cardamom.
Mouth-watering
roasted red
pepper and baked egg galette garnished
with cumin and cilantro are stunning
staples in Arab restaurants in Jerusalem;
the cookbook’s illustration will make you
want to drop everything and cook.
The French may be known for baguettes
but in Jerusalem it’s the challah that people