Don’t Call It Israeli: A Palestinian Cookbook Stakes Its Culinary Claim

When it comes to Israel and Palestine, even the food is fraught. Now, as Israeli chefs gain prominence—both Shaya in New Orleans and Zahav in Philadelphia took home James Beard Awards this year—Palestinian cuisine is getting some of its own well-deserved time in the sun. London chef Joudie Kalla's beautiful new volume, Palestine on a Plate: Memories From My Mother’s Kitchen, is equal parts cookbook, history and cri de coeur.

For years, Kalla was the chef and owner of Baity Kitchen. This vibrant, delicious collection, published late last year, is part of the latest iteration of her career. It reflects generations of tradition across continents, innovates and shows how far a few well-chosen spices can go. (We're looking at you, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.) It's also a reminder that while debates over, say, the true provenance of falafel will persist, some things are beyond dispute, like how the dish should be eaten: still warm from the fryer.