Photo by Jenny Zarins
I was sent the unbound pages of Falastin last year and when I responded with the words “This is a beautiful book, and I want to cook every single recipe in it” I knew that was a blurb-quote cliche, but the thing is, it is absolutely true.
I’ve got the book now, new, properly bound, and I am happy to see it, poring over it afresh with undimmed enthusiasm. In fact, my appreciation is all the greater. It is a vibrant collection of recipes that reflect Palestinian traditions and yet is utterly contemporary.
As I said, I really want to cook everything in this — and may well do! — but let me highlight some of the recipes for you quickly: hummus with meatballs, falafel with sumac onion, roasted squash and courgettes with whipped feta and pistachios, yogurt-roasted cauliflower with quick-pickled chillies, golden raisins and red onions, mashed turnip with greens, caramelised onions and feta, baked fish in tahini sauce — I really could name every recipe in the book — and there’s a Palestinian take on a Bakewell tart with halva that draws me in. Hard to choose which recipe to share with you, but in the end it just had to be this, the baked kofta with aubergine and tomato. I couldn’t turn away from these flavoursome meatballs in their intense tomato sauce: the most uplifting kind of comfort food.
