By SAMI TAMIMI & TARA WIGLEY

I've been looking forward to this book since its announcement! Palästina - by Sami Tamimi, friend of Yotam Ottolenghi and co-author of his cookbook "Jerusalem". (They also founded the restaurant chain Ottolenghi in London together.) Palästina was written by Sami Tamimi with Tara Wigley and it tells the story of Palestine through wonderful recipes and portraits of people who live there. Attention was paid to easy-to-cook dishes that are neither super complex nor require extremely exotic ingredients.

The recipes are divided into nine categories:

• Breakfast

• Snacks, dips & sauces

• Vegetable side dishes & salads

• Soups

• Main courses with vegetables

• Fish

• Meat

• Bread & baked goods

• Sweets

I especially like the fact that there are a lot of recipes with vegetables!

The recipe section is completed by really interesting stories, such as about some Bethlehem women who make yogurt and thus support the whole family and supply the surrounding villages with milk products, or about the city of Nablus, which is famous for Pastries soaked in icing.

The portrait of Vivien Sansour, a Palestinian scientist who creates a seed library and thus saves old crops from extinction, is also very exciting.

All of these stories tell of everyday life in Palestine, of family, great hospitality and strong cohesion.

The glossary is also extensive and contains not only very good tips such as how to roast eggplants, but also some facts you should know about politics in Palestine.

As I leaf through the pages, I really get the overwhelming desire to dip a piece of pita bread in warm hummus or drink a cup of strong coffee with a piece of Knafeh!

I recooked the following recipes for my review:

• Hummus with eggplant topping (Page 36)

• Arabic salad (Page 92)

• Sesame bagels from Jerusalem (Page 282)

My conclusion: a book that keeps all promises and makes you want to cook!

The book Palästina was published by Dorling Kindersley Verlag.