Podcast appearances and mentions of Reem Kassis

The Author Events Series presents Laurie Woolever | Care and Feeding: A Memoir  REGISTER In Conversation with Reem Kassis In this moving, hilarious, and insightful memoir, Laurie Woolever traces her path from a small-town childhood to working at revered restaurants and food publications, alternately bolstered and overshadowed by two of the most powerful men in the business. But there's more to the story than the two bold-faced names on her resume: Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. Behind the scenes, Laurie's life is frequently chaotic, an often pleasurable buffet of bad decisions at which she frequently overstays her welcome. Acerbic and wryly self-deprecating, Laurie attempts to carve her own space as a woman in this world that is by turns toxic and intoxicating. Laurie seeks to try it all--from a seedy Atlantic City strip club to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, from a hippie vegetarian co-op to the legendary El Bulli--while balancing her consuming work with her sometimes ambivalent relationship to marriage and motherhood. As the food world careens toward an overdue reckoning and Laurie's mentors face their own high-profile descents, she is confronted with the questions of where she belongs and how to hold on to the parts of her life's work that she truly values: care and feeding. Laurie Woolever has written about food and travel for the New York Times, GQ, Saveur, and many others. Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer and author of the best-selling and award-winning cookbooks The Palestinian Table (2017) and The Arabesque Table (2021) and the children's book We Are Palestinian (2023). Her writing regularly appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post in addition to various news outlets, magazines and academic journals. She grew up in Jerusalem, then obtained her undergraduate and MBA degrees from UPenn and Wharton and her MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics. She now lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and three daughters. The 2024/25 Author Events Series is presented by Comcast. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! All tickets are non-refundable. (recorded 3/18/2025)

The Author Events Series presents Laurie Woolever | Care and Feeding: A Memoir  REGISTER In Conversation with Reem Kassis In this moving, hilarious, and insightful memoir, Laurie Woolever traces her path from a small-town childhood to working at revered restaurants and food publications, alternately bolstered and overshadowed by two of the most powerful men in the business. But there's more to the story than the two bold-faced names on her resume: Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. Behind the scenes, Laurie's life is frequently chaotic, an often pleasurable buffet of bad decisions at which she frequently overstays her welcome. Acerbic and wryly self-deprecating, Laurie attempts to carve her own space as a woman in this world that is by turns toxic and intoxicating. Laurie seeks to try it all--from a seedy Atlantic City strip club to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, from a hippie vegetarian co-op to the legendary El Bulli--while balancing her consuming work with her sometimes ambivalent relationship to marriage and motherhood. As the food world careens toward an overdue reckoning and Laurie's mentors face their own high-profile descents, she is confronted with the questions of where she belongs and how to hold on to the parts of her life's work that she truly values: care and feeding. Laurie Woolever has written about food and travel for the New York Times, GQ, Saveur, and many others. Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer and author of the best-selling and award-winning cookbooks The Palestinian Table (2017) and The Arabesque Table (2021) and the children's book We Are Palestinian (2023). Her writing regularly appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post in addition to various news outlets, magazines and academic journals. She grew up in Jerusalem, then obtained her undergraduate and MBA degrees from UPenn and Wharton and her MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics. She now lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and three daughters. The 2024/25 Author Events Series is presented by Comcast. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians. Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night! All tickets are non-refundable. (recorded 3/18/2025)

In conversation with Reem Kassis A chef, writer, video producer, and community advocate, Sohla El-Waylly hosts Mystery Menu for The New York Times Cooking YouTube channel and The History Channel's Ancient Recipes with Sohla, and serves as a judge on HBO Max's The Big Brunch. She formerly worked as an assistant food editor at Bon Appétit, where she frequently appeared in the magazine's cooking videos, and she has also been featured on Food52, Serious Eats, and on the popular Babish Culinary Universe YouTube channel. A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, El-Waylly trained at various New York City restaurants, including Del Posto, Atera, and Battersby, before opening a restaurant in Brooklyn with her husband. In Start Here, the recipe developer serves up a transformative guide to the fundamentals of good cooking alongside a mix-and-match batch of recipe variations. Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer and author of the award winning cookbooks The Palestinian Table (2017) and The Arabesque Table (2021) and the children's book We Are Palestinian (2023). Her writing regularly appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She grew up in Jerusalem, then obtained her undergraduate and MBA degrees from UPenn and Wharton and her MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics. She now lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three daughters. Because you love Author Events, please make a donation to keep our podcasts free for everyone. THANK YOU! (recorded 12/5/2023)

I flip, you flip, we all flip for…pancakes!  Join Spoonie as she explores different types of pancakes from all over the world. Spoonie is all ready to make super fluffy buttermilk pancakes - yum!- but will friend and fellow utensil, Spatty the spatula be able to get over his nerves in time to flip Spoonie's pancakes for “The Big Taste”? Special guest Reem Kassis joins and tells us about qatayef asafiri, stuffed pancakes eaten during the month of Ramadan, and kid guest, Anoushka, who shares her favorite appam pancakes from Kerala, India too!   Reem Kassis is a Palestinian food and culture writer and author of the best-selling and award-winning cookbooks, The Palestinian Table (2017), The Arabesque Table (2021) and the children's book, We Are Palestinian (2023). Her writing regularly appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post in addition to various news outlets, magazines and academic journals. She grew up in Jerusalem, obtained her undergraduate and MBA degrees from UPenn and Wharton and her MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three daughters. 

In this exhilarating episode of Money Therapy, we unveil the transformative concept of "Micro Actions," inspired by insights from some of the most influential thought leaders in the field. These are the small but mighty steps that can bridge the gap between your biggest dreams and their actualization. Simon Sinek once said, "Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start." This is the essence of the Micro Action philosophy. It's about conquering the immense by focusing on the tiny, consistent actions that lead to extraordinary results. Malcolm Gladwell sheds light on the power of incremental progress. He suggests that by embracing small actions and nurturing them over time, you can turn the impossible into the inevitable. It's about flipping the switch from feeling overwhelmed to achieving the extraordinary. Carl Richards emphasizes that rather than being paralyzed by fear and doubt, we can make remarkable progress by simply concentrating on the next smallest action. It's a philosophy that creates a bridge between aspirations and achievements. In this episode, we explore the scientific foundation of Micro Actions, supported by compelling statistical data. We unveil how this concept empowers you to progress from the daily financial noise to the larger, more significant financial picture. It's about practicality, progress, and results. Our narrative features the incredible journey of Reem Kassis, a former consultant who ventured into the world of cookbook authorship, despite no prior experience in writing or the culinary arts. Her story illustrates the transformative power of setting realistic, manageable goals that accumulate into remarkable achievements. Get ready for a profound exploration of the concept of "Micro Actions" and how incremental progress can set you on the path to realizing your grandest goals. "Micro Actions: The Secret Sauce for Achieving BIG Goals" is packed with practical wisdom, actionable advice, and inspiring stories. Discover the secrets to harnessing the magic of Micro Actions, and learn how these small steps can propel you toward your grandest goals. Join us on Money Therapy and embark on a transformative journey to make your wildest dreams a reality through the profound concept of "Micro Actions." Tune in, get inspired, and unlock your full potential. Your aspirations are closer than you think, and we're here to guide you every step of the way. Listen now and start your journey to success! Subscribe now to Money Therapy!

In our final episode of the season, we talk to guests Philip Gleissner, Harry Eli Kashdan, and Reem Kassis about their book of essays and recipes called Resilient Kitchens: American Immigrant Cooking in a Time of Crisis, Essays and Recipes.

Reem Kassis is an award-winning Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food, history, and politics. Her cookbook, “The Arabesque Table,” has received rave reviews and was listed on the New York Times' Best Cookbooks of 2021. Reem talks about how she was able to overcome cultural taboos around money talks, and why she is teaching her daughters the importance of self-worth. Reem Kassis's website: https://www.reemkassis.com/

This week guest host Robin is joined by Nora Lester Murad, author of Ida In the Middle, and Susan Muaddi Darraj, author of Farah Rocks Fifth Grade, to talk about their books, writing authentic portrayals of Palestinian life and joy, and why representation in media is so important for everyone. During The Last Chapter they discuss: Do you have a memory of a book you were required to read over the summer and why has that title stayed with you? Podcast disclaimer Like what you hear? Rate and review Down Time on Apple Podcasts or your podcast player of choice! If you'd like to submit a topic for The Last Chapter you can send your suggestions to downtime@cranstonlibrary.org. Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes. Thanks for listening! Books Ida in the Middle by Nora Lester Murad Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj and Ruaida Mannaa Big Tune by Alliah L. Agostini and Shamar Knight-Justice Salim's Soccer Ball by Tala El-fahmawi and Neveen Abu Saleem The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Rest In My Shade by Nora Lester Murad and Danna Masad, featuring illustrations by Palestinian artists Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye We Are Palestinian by Reem Kassis and Noha Eilouti Love In the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Yas Imamura Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy When We Were Arabs: A Jewish Family's Forgotten History by Massoud Hayoun AV Anne With an E (2017-2019) Mo (2022- ) The Year Earth Changes (2021)  Tell Me Who I Am (2019) Shrinking (2023- ) Other Nora Lester Murad Ida In the Middle (website) Susan Muaddi Darraj Scholastic, and a Faustian Bargain by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (April 11. 2023)

Palestinian cookbook author Reem Kassis discusses her latest cookbook, “The Arabesque Table,” which takes a fresh look at defining Arab cooking. Plus, we learn how food is used to create Hollywood sound effects, discover what people 80 years ago thought food would look like today and make pasta sauce out of tomato paste. (Originally aired on April 9th, 2021.)Get the recipe for Pasta with Tomato, Garlic and Basil here.Take the Milk Street Listener Survey here.We want to hear your culinary tips! Share your cooking hacks, secret ingredients or unexpected techniques with us for a chance to hear yourself on Milk Street Radio! Here's how: https://www.177milkstreet.com/radiotipsListen to Milk Street Radio on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reem Kassis much awaited new cookbook just released and it is brimming with a beautiful collection of contemporary recipes that trace the rich history of Arab cuisine. We are celebrating the culture and glory of The Arabesque Table. And, the uber talented New York Times bestseller Odette Williams shares cakes within reach from Simple Cake. Plus, I am dishing on homemade ginger applesauce, my sons favorite.

I love gathering with y'all each week in our HER Living Room and this week we are gathering around the table for a conversation on food and Arab culture with award-winning Palestinian author and writer Reem Kassis. I only wish we could have eaten the food Reem features in her latest book, The Arabesque Table! Listen in as Reem talks with me about the finding home and the power of preserving and discovering culture through food. Make sure you get The Arabesque Table at your favorite bookseller and follow Reem on Instagram @reem.kassis. Please enjoy this episode from the HER Archives.    To get transcripts, links, and details from each episode, check out the show notes. To continue your support of the podcast and my work, become a member of my Patreon community where you can get access to archived episodes, bonus episodes, and behind the scenes content. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, for podcast clips, poetry quotes and random quips. For information on how to book me to speak or perform at an event, visit amenabrown.com. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reem Kassis talked about her work on the intersection of food, culture, and politics, notably in Palestine.Reem Kassis' debut cookbook, The Palestinian Table (2017), won The Guild of Food Writers Award and Gourmand World Cookbook award, was nominated for a James Beard Award, was short-listed for the Andre Simon Award and the Edward Stanford Award, and was picked as one of NPR's best books of 2017. Her second cookbook is The Arabesque Table (2021). You can find some of her writings in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times.Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi RammanTheme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/About Matbakh:Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp   FollowYoutube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/supportAbout afikra:‎afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on  afikra.com

This week, we're excited to welcome Reem Kassis to Salt + Spine, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.Born in Jerusalem, Reem moved to the United States at 17 to attend university—and she was determined not to end up in the kitchen. After receiving an MBA from Wharton Business School and a Master's in cultural psychology from the London School of Economics, Reem spent time working at major corporations from McKinsey to The World Economic Forum.But when Reem had her first daughter, Yasneem, she took the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the legacy that she would leave her children. And that’s when Reem pivoted. In 2017, Reem published her first, incredibly successful cookbook, The Palestinian Table.‍Despite her first book’s success, Reem didn’t expect to write a second cookbook—but her passion for sharing the complicated history of Arab cuisine pushed her to begin researching her latest book, The Arabesque Table. The Arabesque Table is a rich history of Arab food. Reem brings her cultural knowledge and the tireless research she’s done to bear on the recipes within the book, bridging the past and present with classic recipes and contemporary interpretations of favorites.START COOKING TODAY: Bookshop | IndieBoundReem joined us remotely for this week’s episode to #TalkCookbooks. Stick around to hear some of Reem’s thoughts on how to thoughtfully credit and research a recipe, her path to cookbook authorship, and how she thinks food media could improve. Get full access to Salt + Spine at saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we're excited to welcome Reem Kassis to Salt + Spine, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.Born in Jerusalem, Reem moved to the United States at 17 to attend university—and she was determined not to end up in the kitchen. After receiving an MBA from Wharton Business School and an Master's in cultural psychology from the London School of Economics, Reem spent time working at major corporations from McKinsey to The World Economic Forum.But when Reem had her first daughter, Yasneem, she took the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the legacy that she would leave her children. And that's when Reem pivoted. In 2017, Reem published her first, incredibly successful cookbook, The Palestinian Table,‍Despite her first book's success, Reem didn't expect to write a second cookbook—but her passion for sharing the complicated history of Arab cuisine pushed her to begin researching her latest book, The Arabesque Table. The Arabesque Table is a rich history of Arab food. Reem brings her cultural knowledge and the tireless research she's done to bear on the recipes within the book, bridging the past and present with classic recipes and contemporary interpretations of favorites.Reem joined us remotely for this week's episode to #TalkCookbooks. Stick around to hear some of Reem's thoughts on how to thoughtfully credit and research a recipe, her path to cookbook authorship, and how she thinks food media could improve. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The pandemic sparked a return to cooking at home, and with that, sales of cookbooks spiked. As home cooks search for new ways to spice up everyday meals, what are the new trends emerging? Cookbook fans unite! In this segment from Under The Radar, Callie Crossley and our food contributor Amy Traverso each pick three of their current favorite cookbooks — and dish on why they love them! Guest: Amy Traverso, food editor at Yankee Magazine, co-host of GBH's “Weekends with Yankee,” and the author of recently updated “The Apple Lovers Cookbook." Featured Cookbooks: "Super Natural Simple: Whole-food, Vegetarian Recipes for Real Life" by Heidi Swanson "Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes, and Stories" by Nigella Lawson "See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends" "How To Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetable Over Live Fire" by Steven Raichlen "Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes" by Bryant Terry "The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World" by Reem Kassis

On this week's episode of Special Sauce, we're joined by Reem Kassis, the thought provoking author of The Palestinian Table and her new book, The Arabesque Table. Plus, Kenji gives us some helpful tips of making falafel at home, courtesy of the chef Einat Admony.  Kenji's falafel recipe video on youtube can be found here:  https://www.youtube.com/kenjisfalafelrecipe

Reem Kassis, author of The Palestinian Table and The Arabesque Table, in conversation with Julia Turshen. Reem is an award-winning Palestinian writer who focuses on the intersection of food with culture, history and politics. Follow-up links:For more about Reem, her books, and all of her work, head here.For more episodes of Keep Calm and Cook On, head here.To order a signed copy of Julia's latest book Simply Julia from Oblong Books, her local bookstore, head here.For more about Julia, head here.For more about MoFAD, head here.

Like the intricate pattern of intersecting lines of an ornamental Arabesque pattern, so are the roots of the Arab cuisine intertwined. Reem Kassis has researched Arabic food for many years and wrote her first book, The Palestinian Table, about the classic dishes. As her research continued she studied how the cuisine has evolved over the course of history with so many influences of the everchanging region. Her new book, The Arabesque Table, presents a more modern take on many of the dishes that are rooted in the historic origins of the food of the Arab world and still represent a national cuisine.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support A Taste of the Past by becoming a member!A Taste of the Past is Powered by Simplecast.

Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food with culture, history and politics. She grew up in Jerusalem, obtained her undergraduate and MBA degrees from UPenn and Wharton and her MSc in social psychology from the London School of Economics. She is the author of the best-selling and award-winning cookbooks The Palestinian Table and The Arabesque Table. In this episode we discuss her childhood, why she decided to come to the US, the topic of culinary appropriation and how she continually gives back to her community. Enjoy this episode as we go Beyond the Plate… with Reem Kassis. This episode is brought to you by Cirio Tomatoes.  This episode is brought to you by Falksalt. Check out our #BtPlatePodcast Merch at www.BeyondthePlateMerch.com  Follow Beyond the Plate on Facebook and Twitter Follow Kappy on Instagram and Twitter

Our guest today is a wildly successful food writer who’s fresh off an appearance on Fresh Air—and who never “should” have written a cookbook at all. (Read on for a recipe.) Here’s her bio, in her own words:I grew up a Palestinian in Israel. I went to an American missionary school and by the grace of whatever gods were looking down on me and sheer grit, I came to UPenn for undergrad, where I struggled initially, but kept going until I graduated in the top of my class and went on straight to do my MBA at Wharton. From there, McKinsey, The London School of Economics, The World Economic Forum and, by any measure, a fast track, prestigious career. But I felt disillusioned when I realized I was following the herd and living someone else’s version of success, not mine. So I turned my back on the whole thing and decided to write a cookbook. But she did (The Palestinian Table) and now she’s written another (The Arabesque Table). We talk about the nitty gritty of cookbook publishing along with the things she didn’t know (and how that helped), why you should just ask and how to convince yourself—and others—that you know what you need to know to make this happen.#AmReadingReem: Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore by Darra GoldsteinThe Mountains Sing by Mai Phan Que NguyenYour Turn: How to Be an Adult by Julie Lythcott-HaimsKJ: My Kitchen Year : 136 Recipes That Saved My Life: a Cookbook by Ruth ReichlCook’s Illustrated Chinese Recipes Sarina: Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook by Kristen MigloreFind Reem on Instagram: Reem.kassisRECIPE!Quick and Easy Bseeseh (Nut and Date Snacks)Makes 25-30 ballsIngredients1 cup (51/4 oz/150 g) unhulled sesame seeds14 oz (400 g) date paste (see Note)2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (choose one whose flavor you like)1/4 cup (1 oz / 30 g) pistachios (or any other nut you like), coarsely ground1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonMethod1. Line a large plate with parchment or wax (greaseproof) paper and set aside.2. In a large frying pan, dry-roast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until aromatic and toasted, 7–10 minutes. You’ll know they are toasted when you start to hear some seeds popping and smell the nutty aroma of sesame and notice the color darken slightly. Remove from the heat, transfer to a plate, and set aside to cool completely. 3. In a large bowl, combine the date paste, olive oil, pistachios, cinnamon, and cooled sesame seeds. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Wearing disposable food gloves is the easiest way to do this. 4. Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll between your palms to form a ball, then place on the lined plate. Repeat to make 25–30 balls. 5. Store the balls in an airtight container, with layers of parchment beneath and between. Although they will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of weeks, I recommend storing them in the fridge. They taste just as delicious when firmer and cooler.Note from Reem: Date paste can be found in any Middle Eastern grocery shop. You could also buy very soft Medjool dates and work them into a paste with your hands. If you do, I recommend wearing gloves and using some oil, otherwise it can get quite sticky. To get 14 ounces (400 g) of date paste you will need roughly 25 large Medjool dates. Addendum from KJ: There are lots of recipes for date paste online, and most seem to involve soaking the dates first overnight then popping them in a food processor or blender. I’m guessing that’s probably because your dates are unlikely to be “very soft.”And—hello, your dream job is calling! Click here to revel in some success stories from Author Accelerator’s book coach certification program and imagine where you could be next year—if you sign up now. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

I love gathering with y'all each week in our HER Living Room and this week we are gathering around the table for a conversation on food and Arab culture with award-winning Palestinian author and writer Reem Kassis. I only wish we could have eaten the food Reem features in her latest book, The Arabesque Table! Listen in as Reem talks with me about the finding home and the power of preserving and discovering culture through food. Make sure you get The Arabesque Table at your favorite bookseller and follow Reem on Instagram @reem.kassis.  To get transcripts, links, and details from each episode, check out the show notes. To continue your support of the podcast and my work, become a member of my Patreon community where you can get access to archived episodes, bonus episodes, my writing, and behind the scenes performance footage. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, for podcast clips, poetry quotes and random quips. For information on how to book me to speak or perform at a virtual event, visit amenabrown.com. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We delve into Eastern Mediterranean border cuisine with Yasmin Khan and talk to Reem Kassis about her work with modern Arab food.

Reem Kassis on what united the cooking of the Arab world, how Dubai is trying to reinvent itself as a global hub for coffee culture and Daniel Calvert’s new restaurant in Tokyo.

Ramadan began Monday and lasts through May 11. Reem Kassis, a Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food, history and politics, joins us to discuss Ramadan food and share recipes from her books, The Palestinian Table, which won The Guild of Food Writers Award, and The Arabesque Table, published last week. We also take listener calls.

The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab WorldBy Reem Kassis Intro: Welcome to the number one cookbook podcast, Cookery by the Book with Suzy Chase. She's just a home cook in New York City sitting at her dining room table, talking to cookbook authors.Reem Kassis: My name is Reem Kassis and I'm the author of The Palestinian Table and more recently The Arabesque Table.Suzy Chase: I'm so happy you're back. So the last time you were on the cookbook podcast was 2017 with The Palestinian Table where you use the power of food and storytelling to share the Palestinian narrative with the world. Today, I'm thrilled to chat with you about your second cookbook, The Arabesque Table, all about the evolving cross-cultural food of the Arab world. Let's start off with you talking a little bit about doing three years of recipe research for this cookbook.Reem Kassis: You're right. It was very long, you know, the process of from getting the idea to researching it, to ultimately the end product but it was also fascinating because what I started out with was very different from the book that I ended up with. Um, you know, initially I think my desire was to capture this modern Arab table that was inspired by how we ate at home and all the cross-cultural interaction that I was seeing. But then it became clear to me as I started working on this, that you cannot understand this modern table with any kind of integrity, if you don't know the past on which it's based. And that kind of got me into the rabbit hole of the research you're talking about, which involves a lot of digging through archival materials through medieval Arabic cookbooks. It also involved a lot of academic texts and research articles, but at the end, I had this picture in my mind that is so much richer and more fascinating than I ever imagined our history to be. I don't know where to start and where to end telling you about it because it is so vast, but it's extremely interesting and only a portion of it made it into the book, Suzy, because as you know, it's a 250 page cookbook, so if I were to run with it and make it the thousand page tomes that I was aiming for, nobody would buy it. It would be too heavy and probably too boring so you ended up with the very interesting bits in the book that you have.Suzy Chase: I want to start with the cover. So when I think of the word arabesque, my mind immediately goes to the ballet move the other definition of arabesque is, and I looked it up in ornamental design. So you had a long journey coming up with the title for this cookbook and the cover. Can you take us back to your childhood garden when you were drinking lemonade, talking about the title with your mom?Reem Kassis: It's actually funny that you mentioned the arabesque ballet move because it was also in the back of my mind when I was picking the title, even though I picked it more for the ornamental design and you're referring to something I talked about in the introduction, which is I had submitted my first and then that draft went through edits and I submitted the second and final one. And we were doing the photo shoot at my parents' home in Jerusalem. And still we did not have a title for the book. So naturally I'm stressed out. I'm talking to my mother, to my father, to my brother, you know, what is the title of this book going to be? And it really only hit me towards the very end after we spoke so much about what the book is, what the main topic of the book is, what I'm trying to convey. And one of the tables in our backyard, it has this ornamental design on it and Arabic pattern. And just seeing how those designs fit together, they're woven, they're infinitely woven in a way, you know, you can't tell where one starts and one ends, you can see each one individually, but taken together as a whole. They formed this beautiful image in front of you. And I thought that's what our cuisine is at the end of the day. It's intertwined. It's, cross-cultural, it's stretches infinitely through time from the start of civilization to the present day. And national cuisines are like those individual patterns that you can point to, but you also cannot see where they begin and where they end because cuisine is regional. And it has been evolving since the start of civilization. So Arabic to me was the word that conveyed that the most. Um, but also the Arabic ballet moved to me was about having one foot firmly rooted in the past with your hand reaching for the future. So in order to reach for that future in front of you and understand the evolution and the excitement that can come from your dishes, evolving and changing, you also need to still be firmly rooted in the ground. That is the base of everything that you're doing.Suzy Chase: And it also kind of goes back to what you just said. You started out with an idea for this book, but it ended up something completely different.Reem Kassis: Which is probably the case with many cookbooks and books in general. I mean, when I started out, I was looking at how we were eating at home. I have two young kids and our dinner table on a regular basis was just as likely to have a Palestinian dish on it as it was to have an Indian or Japanese or Korean one. And my pantry similarly had all different kinds of ingredients from across the globe. And it reminded me of my grandmother's and my mother's pantry, which were very uniform. It was just the Arab ingredients that we were used to cooking with. And I thought, Oh, this is great. This is fun. I want to capture this. I want to show how food evolves and how it can be exciting and how it can interact with other cultures. But as I started working on it, inevitably have to change because any dish that I wanted to talk about or explain, I realized there was so much more backstory to it than just, this is a mishmash of A and B you know, yes, it's mixing those two things together, but where did those two things come from to begin with? And what ended up happening was most of that exploration often took me back to ingredients and crops, and that's why the book ended up being also split by ingredient or ingredient group, because those are the things that tell that story of evolution in the neatest way.Suzy Chase: So you celebrate the contemporary Arabic kitchen, but what are a couple differences between your grandmother's pantry and Galilee and your modern pantry?Reem Kassis: Well, for starters, hers was probably mostly made by hand. You know, every ingredient she had was probably one that she had grown in her garden and herself preserved or dried or fermented or what not. Mine unfortunately is mostly store-bought at this point, there are still a few things like za'atar, that, which my parents send me from back home and pomegranate molasses, which are handmade by family members, but mine is a lot more convenient, but also it's a lot more global. So I have all different kinds of soy sauce and vinegar and, you know, different kinds of tins fishes from Europe. And it's just, it's a mishmash of things. And I have Indian pulses, you know, different lentils that are used for making Indian dishes and different kinds of pastas from Italy. And it's just, so it's almost like looking at this microcosm of the whole world in a very small space.Suzy Chase: I'm curious to hear about the pomegranate molasses.Reem Kassis: So pomegranate molasses really it's just pomegranate juice that has been reduced to a syrupy consistency and the balance of sweet versus sour depends actually on the variety of pomegranates you use, unfortunately, what ends up happening with what you buy in stores is that, you know, it's thickened with starch, it's sweetened with sugar and you're really don't have that much pomegranate in there. My father does our own pomegranate molasses at home because we have a few trees in our backyard and he, every August we'll pick them and he will spend weeks and weeks peeling them and then juicing them. And, you know, the kitchen becomes a factory. And my mother basically does not even want to go in there. It's a nightmare for her. But at the end of the season, once you have all these bottles and they're labeled and you're giving everyone the bounty of the season, you suddenly remember why you do this every year and why it's, it's fun. And it's useful. I mean, it's a wonderful sour flavor that adds a little kick to different things. You know, we use it in certain traditional applications, but you could use it in place of lemon and place a vinegar in any dish that you do, whether it's a salad dressing or a sauce for fish, it's I find the balance of sweet and sour to be a lot more, they have a lot more dimensions than just vinegar or just lemon juice.Suzy Chase: So with the recent spring cookbook releases, I've been hearing so many stories of authors making do during the pandemic and creating a cookbook in the middle of the lockdown. I'd love to hear your story of how this cookbook came to life during the pandemic.Reem Kassis: You know, Suzy books are a very long process from start to finish. So when it first started out, everything was great and fine. And you know, you're meeting with your publisher in person and you're speaking to people in person. And I wrote majority of the book before the pandemic hit, but the photo shoot was supposed to start in March and we were supposed to fly out on Friday. And I think it was on a Wednesday or a Thursday that they enforced lockdown. So literally 24 hours before flying back to Jerusalem, we have to cancel our flights and stay in Philadelphia. And we had no idea like, would the photo shoot ever happen in time for a spring release? Would I ever be able to go back this year? Luckily enough, we were able to go back in may and we did do the photo shoot there. But the flip side of that coin is we got stuck there for three months and couldn't come back. So, you know, it was an exciting journey, but it'll definitely be a memorable one down the line. When I think about all the craziness that happened to bring this book to life.Suzy Chase: Did you and your mom take the photos or did you just make the food that was in the photos?Reem Kassis: No, no. We just cook the food. So there's a photographer and it's actually the same photographer who did the first book. And part of the reason I wanted to do the photo shoot back home is he's such a phenomenal photographer that I really wanted him to photograph this one. And you almost cannot tell it's the same one because of how different the two books are. And it just goes to show how, you know, when you set a certain brief for how you want it to look, you really can bring it to life. And my mother and I, we cooked all the dishes. We didn't have a prop stylist. We didn't have a food stylist. We didn't have really anything. It was a very skeleton crew photographer, me and my mother. I love it.Suzy Chase: How simple the photos are. You really focus just on the food?Reem Kassis: Yeah, there's no prompts. I mean, there's no rusty spoons and thank goodness as you remember the first time around, I was like, is this normal? There's nothing on this picture other than the food. And then I realized it's actually good. You see the food, you know,Suzy Chase: Really good. As you tell the story of a cuisine that emerges from what are now 22 countries between the Atlantic ocean and the Arabian sea. You put the focus on key ingredients. You mentioned a little bit of that, but can you talk a little bit more about why you focused on key ingredients in the country?Reem Kassis: So, one thing when I'm writing that I'm always conscious of is I want to make this as easy and as accessible as possible to the person reading it. And chances are, if you pick up a book, you're not looking to cook based on an ingredient, or you're looking to cook based on an occasion, right? Is it breakfast? Is it dinner? Is it lunch? Is it a large gathering? Do I want meat? Do I want chicken? So I hesitated to break it up by ingredient. But then I thought back to the greater mission of the book, which was to tell a story and a history traced throughout time and ingredients were the best way to do that. Because at the beginning of every chapter, there's an introduction which discusses the ingredient, but also tells you how it came to the position that it's in, in our cuisine, whether it's even native to our region or not, and how it's used in cooking. So by looking at these ingredients, you start to form a more complete picture in your mind of what that history looks like from the middle ages cause that's how far back really I go in the book from the middle ages up to the present day.Suzy Chase: You had a bit of an epiphany during the pandemic you wrote suddenly. "I understood why my father loved these two dishes so much. It wasn't the dishes themselves. It was the memories they kept alive for him." I spend an inordinate amount of time pondering the meaning of home. Can you talk about those two dishes and home and what home means to you?Reem Kassis: It's funny home is such an elusive concept that I think you really start to appreciate and understand when you're moved from it. So for me, I never thought of what home meant until I found myself living abroad and eventually realizing this is where my life was going to be. I am not going to be able to go back home. And I mentioned in the book by the time that it is published, I will have spent more years living abroad than I did in Jerusalem. And when I think of my father, you know, I wrote about the two dishes that you're referencing. They were dishes that when I tasted them, I said, okay, they're fine, but they're not something to be wowed by. And yet to him, they were the best thing in the world. And it was only when I couldn't go home and I couldn't visit my parents. I couldn't eat the food that I had been promised and had been craving for awhile that I realized it really is this entire sensory experience from the flavors, the smells, the sounds, the sights, just the physical touch of being close to the people that you care about. All of that together forms this thing that is home. And part of the reason we love certain dishes is not because they are objectively very good, but because those dishes are the ones that we enjoy during periods of our lives that were extremely meaningful. And for me, you know, my childhood up until the age of 17, when I left home, those are the years that I look back on. And I think that's home. Those were the years, my formative years, the years that I spent in a place that has become so crucial to my identity. And so when I look back now, there are, they're not the same two dishes, but there are definitely dishes that for me, speak of home dishes that I don't even make in my kitchen, because no matter how well I can execute them, the experience around them and the flavor as a result will not be the same as when I eat it.Suzy Chase: Wow. So you don't even attempt because it's not even going to get close to itReem Kassis: Because there are times when I really miss those, you know, to give you a concrete example, the primary dish I'm referencing is stuffed chicken. It's so simple. It's just a whole chicken that you stuffed with a mixture of rice and beef that has already been cooked with pine nuts and spices. And it it's an easy dish to make. But to me, it's the dish that reminds me of Fridays and my childhood. It's the Fridays you went to my grandmother. It's the dish that my mother makes whenever I would go home to visit from university. She still does every time that I go back and I've tried to make it here, I just don't enjoy it as much. I even joked in front of my husband. One time he goes, do you want me to make it for you? Will it tastes better if I do? And I was like, no, it just tastes better when my mom makes it. It's not that I don't know how make it, it's just different when I'm eating it with her, with old family, uh, it could be small touches here and there. You know, maybe her oven is different from mine or the rice she uses there is different from the one I use here. But yeah, I try to avoid making that dish. She also served, you know, coincidentally avoids making it when I'm not there either.Suzy Chase: So to understand this modern way of eating one had to understand the culinary history of the Arab world. You wrote in the book. Food is a regional and ethnic artifact. Often more closely tied to language and religion than it is to an arbitrary political boundary. Could you talk a little bit about national cuisine?Reem Kassis: Of course. So national cuisine is the implication behind it is a cuisine of a specific nation. So Palestinian, Italian, Indian, et cetera, but the idea of a nation state is a relatively recent construct that came about at the end of the 18th, early 19th century and national cuisine itself is often traced back to the end of the French revolution. When the cuisine of the Versailles palace was nationalized and everyone had access to it, peasants and rich people alike. So if you look at food prior to that, but also even to this day, you notice it's regional and let's just take what I know the most about Palestinian cuisine. And if you look at the Northern part of the country, it is very different. What they eat there from what they eat in the center and the South of the country, and what informs those differences is the geography and the landscape, the proximity to other countries, uh, religion, socioeconomic status that for example affects whether traditionally you ate whole wheat or white flour bread, whether you ate rice or whether you ate vulgar grains, religion, you know, that affects whether you ate pork or beef or lamb, whether you drank alcohol or not. And as a result, did you eat messy platters with your alcohol, or did you eat big dishes that did not sit well with, you know, sipping alcohol as you ate them? So national cuisine is very important in the sense that it helps people form a collective identity around their culinary history, but it's also important to recognize the trajectory that food has been on from the past to the present day and how it has adapted and also adopted ideas and ingredients from other places and other cultures. And the point that I try to get across often with this book, and when I'm speaking to people is that those two things are not mutually exclusive. You know, your food can be important to you as a nation, but you can also recognize that that food has evolved and in all likelihood will continue to evolve down the line and that you don't need to be one or the other. You can be both as long as you recognize the origins of the things that you're eating and also recognize the importance that they hold for you as a member of a specific nationality.Suzy Chase: So would you say a good example of this would be the bagel, the bagel,Reem Kassis: More complicated history than that but we can get into it if you want, but I would say a good example of that be a dish like Maqlubeh for Palestinians. You know, Maqlubeh means inverted. It's a dish of rice and eggplants often layered with tomatoes at the bottom as well, or served with tomato based stew. Tomatoes did not make their way to the Arab world until the 19th century. Rice was not a staple until the 20th century. It was reserved for the ultra wealthy and everyone else just ate the ensuing wheat products, you know, bulgur and freekeh and the like. And yet, if you ask Palestinians today, what is your national dish? A huge portion will reference Maqlubeh as the national dish of Palestine. So you see that the ingredients that make it up are not native or not. You know, they weren't staples in that country. They were not common in that country 200 years ago. And yet today they have become together as a dish, something very symbolic of Palestinian cuisine. So that kind of points to how things can come from the outside. They can evolve and then that ensuing product becomes very relevant to national identity, but the bagel, if you want to touch on it, it's very relevant to Jewish identity. You know, when people think of Jewish foods, one of the first things I'll say is, Oh, a bagel and lox bagels. As I found out while doing the research for this book, actually the very first mention of a boiled and baked ring of dough is in a 13th century Arabic cookbook. And I, you know, I wrote this article that traced the history and how, you know, the Arabs when they took over Bari in the eighth century and from there, a lady from Bari went into Poland, married into the Royal family. They started making this bagel like pastry called obwarzanek or I'm butchering the pronunciation. And then Jews and 16th century Poland started making it. You see how through time it has traveled from one place to the next, you might be able to see how it's changed. Uh, and yes, you can trace it back to Arab origins. Does that detract from its position as a very important or iconic food for Jewish people? No, it doesn't. So also points to that thing you were saying where it is important to you as your nationality, but it has evolved through time.Suzy Chase: I'm so fascinated by that 13th century Arabic cookbook that you found. So where did you find that to do the research? And can you say the name of it? I have it written down, but I will butcher it.Reem Kassis: No, don't worry. So actually, luckily that particular one that I'm referencing has an English translation. The English translation is Sense and Flavors. It was translated only a couple of years ago. The literal translation of the Arabic name is the book with which to reach your loved one's heart via their stomachSuzy Chase: Does K I T A B mean book?Reem Kassis: It means books. So Kitab al Wusla ila al Habib, which means the book for reaching your loved one. And then it continues. I didn't put the full name in the, in the Arabic table because it would be like a full sentence. If I was going to name the entire thing from start to finish every time I love it.Suzy Chase: So where did you find this cookbook?Reem Kassis: You know, one book leads you to another book and another book. And a lot of these books, I first came across while reading academic articles. You know, you spend half your time reading the article itself and the other half sifting through the bibliography and the footnotes. And there you see what sources those academics have used. And then from there, you know, a lot of them might've done the research primary research right there on the ground. They're looking through ancient texts and libraries like Yale, for example, had the Babylon tablets, which are the oldest recipe in the world, or the oldest recipes in the world. They're the carvings on clay tablets, that date back to the Mesopotamian era. But the book that I use even more than this one was attempt century one called Kitab, and that's considered the first Arabic cookbook on record. And that one also has an English translation. Actually, people are interested. It's called angels of the caliphs kitchen. That was very well known. So it wasn't a surprise to come across. It it's from any Arabs, they reference it on the regular. They know about it.Suzy Chase: Do you have any recipes out of that cookbook in The Arabesque Table?Reem Kassis: I do. There's a couple actually. So there's one called Narjissiyeh. I don't know, off the top of my head, what page number it's on, but it's in the eggs and dairy chapter. Narjissiyeh means of narcissists, which nurses? This is the scientific name for the daffodil flower and the daffodil as we can all see outside right now is a white and yellow flower with a green stem. So the thought is it was all the dishes that are made with sunny side up eggs in that book are referred to as such. And that thought is like the narcissist, like the daffodil flower, you know, eggs are yellow and white. So that's why all that class of dishes have that name.Suzy Chase: Culinary appropriation is front and center for a lot of Palestinians. I'd love to give you some space to elaborate on that and the word authentic. What does that word really mean in terms of a cuisine?Reem Kassis: So let's start with the easier one, the word authentic. I find that word slightly problematic. I mean, it's good in the sense that it might convey something. When I say authentic Palestinian, I'm referring to dishes that to Palestinians have been enjoyed and cooked for a couple of centuries, at least. But if by authentic, you mean dishes that are free are void of outside influence. Then those dishes do not exist. And just to give you examples, tomatoes, they did not come to Italy until the 18th century. So all those quote, unquote, authentic Italian dishes like Spaghetti bolognese and you know, Pizza al Pomodoro and all these dishes that are tomato based did not exist in Italy 200 years ago, chilies did not come to Thailand or India also until after the Columbian exchange. And yet, can you fathom any kind of Curry that doesn't have chilies in it? No. When we talk about chocolates and or Belgium, the cocoa bean also did not come to Europe until after the Colombian exchange. So if by authentic people mean something that has not been influenced by outside culture or has not evolved through time, then no such thing exists. It's a, it's a fiction. If by authentic, what you mean is a dish that is meaningful to your people, to your nationality, a dish that has been enjoyed for at least a couple of centuries or several generations fine, but it's important to be clear about what you mean by authentic, because if you want to go by the dictionary definition, then it's, you know, it's hard to find really, really authentic foods as her culinary appropriation for Palestinians. I've written quite a bit about this, which, you know, it's difficult to summarize it in one or two sentences, but I think the important takeaway from the entire topic is, especially as someone who's writing about how food evolves and food is adaptive and adoptive and how fusions the history of cuisine in general is there's a big difference between culinary diffusion, which is how food changes through time, how it learns from other cultures, adapts and adopts, and between appropriation, which is taking something from another culture and willfully denying or ignoring that culture is contribution to what you're cooking. And I think that's the issue for Palestinians. And obviously when you say it's relevant to Palestinians, you're referring to the issue of Israel, appropriating Palestinian dishes and marketing them abroad as Israeli. And the primary issue there is that it's a willful denial of the Palestinian contribution, which is seen by most Palestinians as an attempt to rewrite the past and make it a past in which we do not exist.Suzy Chase: The other evening, I made your Spiced Kebabs with Preserved Lemon Dill Yogurt, and Orzo Rice for dinner. Can you describe these recipes?Reem Kassis: So Orzo Rice is really simple? It's basically plain white rice, but it has orzo in it. And the thought process behind it was we normally make it with a very short vermicelli type of noodle, which I don't easily find here in Western supermarkets. You can find it in middle Eastern grocers. You can buy angel hair pasta and chop it up very thin, but that's too time consuming. So I started using orzo in its place and it's delicious. And it serves the same function, which is, you know, a bulks up the rice, but the, it gives it a nutty flavor because you're toasting it first. But the primary reason that supposedly people cooked rice that way was it prevented the brains from sticking together. And they would say, you know, Arabs would joke that the more vermicelli noodles you had in your rice, the worse of a cook you were because you couldn't get your rice not to clump together without using it. I mean, I'm not a terrible cook, but I definitely use a lot of the noodles and the orzo in my rice just because I like the nutty flavor, but it's simple. That's all it is. It's just, you know, rice with some slightly toasted orzo or vermicelli noodles.Suzy Chase: So describe the Spiced Kebabs with Preserved Lemon Dill Yogurt.Reem Kassis: So this is that's a very simple dish. It's ground meat. You can use lamb or beef for a combination, and the spices are pretty simple. I think, you know, primarily it's black pepper and cumin. And then I think there's onion in the mixture as well, just to add flavor, possibly garlic. You know, I don't have the book in front of me, but it's a minced meat mixture that's flavored with different aromatics and then shaped into kebabs and fried. You could also, it's the same one that we use for our kafta dishes. So it can be baked in the oven. It can be turned into me, balls, whatever you want. And then the yogurt you're talking about is mixed just with preserved lemon and dill, some salt, you know, yogurt is great and it's very common in the Arab world to eat rice with cold yogurt. So most of our rice dishes are served with cold yogurt on the side, but I felt that the addition of preserved lemon and dill just kind of amped up the flavor. And it's a dish that I often make on weeknights when I don't know what to make, because who doesn't like, you know, for all intents and purposes, I meatball because just in the shape of a kebab basically, and the rice is, you know, an easy starch to make and the yogurt just makes it very fresh. So even if you don't have a salad on the side, it still feels like a very fresh light meal.Suzy Chase: So the preserved lemon comes up in another 13th century Syrian cookbook. Did I read that?Reem Kassis: Yeah, it's the same book we were talking about before the one with the bagel recipes. And I think it was common back then to preserve any and everything because there was no refrigeration, there's no freezing. So if you and everything was seasonal. So if you had something in season, you had to find a way to preserve it. Herbs were often dried, yogurt was fermented and dried, lemons were preserved themselves. That was how fermentation started in general, in all cultures across the world. It was a way to make things last from one season to the next, uh, preserved lemons tend to be an ingredient that features heavily in North African cuisine, less so in Levantine cuisine. Obviously now it has made its way into our kitchens as well. And it's made its way into kitchens here because it really is a very, I dunno, I like to call it a flavor booster, right? It's like lemon, which adds freshness. It's kind of like salt, which enhances flavor, but it is, it has multiple layers of flavor to it, I think because you have the acidity from the lemon, but you also have a bit of bitterness from having preserved it for so long. And I think together those two things give you this like umami combination of flavors that works wonderfully with many dishes. I often put it in my pasta sauces as well. I'll put a spoon in soups if I want to bring out a citrusy note. It's great. You know, if you're doing tuna salads, it's a wonderful combinationSuzy Chase: In that 13th century cookbook. It said something like this recipe is so well-known, it need not be described.Reem Kassis: True. And it says that about quite a few things as well. Oh really? Yeah. Because the way these books were written back then most of them were written with a certain audience in mind. Namely, the Royal courts are very wealthy people, I guess, with two goals in mind, on the one hand, it was written for its humoral properties or like its medicinal benefits. So if you look at the 10th century cookbook and to a lesser extent, the 13th century one, it will tell you, you know, this ingredient is good for this medical issue or for this body organ or for this bodily function. So it wasn't written the way books are today for mass consumption. It was written more to tell you which foods are good for what, but it was also a way with which to pass on recipes to the cooks in these Royal courts or Royal palaces. So again, if it's a recipe that's super common. I assume the thought process was why bother mentioning it, any cook who comes here will know how to do it. Let's just get into the bits and pieces that might need explanation.Suzy Chase: Now to my segment called Last Night's dinner, where I asked you what you had last night for dinner.Reem Kassis: It's funny, actually, you asked me about what we had last night for dinner. My memory is not great, but with that said, I do have a running list or what I plan to cook every night that goes back to 2014. So if you could pick out any day of the year and be like, what did you eat that day? I could tell you what, yeah, it's crazy. So the way it started was in London, I was ordering groceries online and I needed to figure out what to order for the weeks. I would plan out what I was going to cook every day. And this especially became relevant when I was recipe testing. I started writing, you know, Monday, this Tuesday, this Wednesday, that, and I just got into the habit of doing it. And now we're 2021. And so I guess I have seven years worth of what we ate every day.Suzy Chase: You could be on some game show or something. You could make a lot of money off this skill.Reem Kassis: Think so, actually we are what today, Tuesday. So Monday, Monday we had mahshy, which is stuffed zucchini and eggplants and grape leaves. And it's not exactly a weeknight dish, but we often have it on Mondays because I'm home Sunday. You know, everyone's home Sunday. It's an easy date to spend a couple hours prepping a dish that requires as much preparation. So oftentimes I will stuff and roll in all of that the night before. And then Monday I just have to cook it.Suzy Chase: Where can we find you on the web and social media?Reem Kassis: On the web? It's my website, just my first name, last name.com. So ReemKassis.com. On social media. I'm mostly active on Instagram and again, Reem.Kassis or Reem underscore Kassis, but you'll find it, you'll see the pictures of my books.Suzy Chase: No cuisine is a straight line stretching infinitely back in time. Rather it's just like an arabesque pattern flowing and intertwined. Thanks so much Reem, for coming on Cookery by the Book Podcast.Reem Kassis: Thank you, Suzy. It's been a pleasure.Outro: Subscribe over on CookerybytheBook.com and thanks for listening to the number one cookbook podcast, Cookery by the Book.

Six-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile got her start onstage as a kid, singing backup for an Elvis impersonator. Her new memoir, 'Broken Horses,' is about her early life and the family of misfits she's built. "I think I'm starting to really feel sort of solid and loved in my world. Like maybe I've kind of finally found my place," she says.Maureen Corrigan reviews Kaitlyn Greenidge's novel 'Libertie.' Palestinian cookbook author Reem Kassis began gathering family recipes after the birth of her first child. The recipes, she says, "could be the story of any and every Palestinian family." Her new cookbook is 'The Arabesque Table.'

Palestinian cookbook author Reem Kassis discusses her latest cookbook, “The Arabesque Table,” which takes a fresh look at defining Arab cooking. Plus, we learn how food is used to create Hollywood sound effects, discover what people 80 years ago thought food would look like today and make pasta sauce out of tomato paste. Get this week's recipe for Pasta With Tomato, Garlic and Basil: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/tomato-garlic-basil-pastaThis week's sponsor:Visit Sitka Salmon Shares dot com slash MILK for $25 off the first month of a Premium Sitka Seafood Share. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reem Kassis began gathering family recipes after the birth of her first child. The recipes, she says, "could be the story of any and every Palestinian family." We talk about her favorite fried egg recipe, the importance of za'atar seasoning, and her unlikely friendship with Israeli chef Michael Solomonov. Her new cookbook is 'The Arabesque Table.'

In conversation with Deb Perelman Reem Kassis is the author of The Palestinian Table, a guide to Middle Eastern cooking woven together through recipes, regional history, and three generations of family traditions. Praised by fellow Philadelphian Michael Solomonov as ''an incredible cookbook,'' The Palestinian Table won the 2018 Guild of Food Writers First Book Award and was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Cookbook Award. Born and raised in Jerusalem, Kassis is a graduate of the Wharton School and a former business consultant, and has contributed to periodicals such as the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. In The Arabesque Table, she returns with a collection of recipes that celebrates Arab cuisine's diverse history and dynamic present. Deb Perelman is the creator of the long-running Smitten Kitchen blog, a no-fuss cooking resource that has spawned legions of followers and two bestselling cookbooks. She has also appeared in Martha Stewart Living, Parenting, and NPR, among other places. Signed books will be available through the Joseph Fox Bookshop (recorded 4/5/2021)

On this episode India explores the cuisine from Palestine, specifically from West and East Jerusalem in Chicago, Illinois. India meets the co-owners of the iconic restaurant Al Bawadi Grill in Bridgeview, IL also known as Little Palestinian which is located 15 miles southwest from central Chicago. Kal Ismail, the owner serves India an assortment of their favorites, each dish holding deep meaning to Palestine's history and identity. Reem Kassis, the Palestinian James Beard award winning writer and cookbook author chats with India about Palestinian dishes, cuisine and her take on the rise and popularity of "Israeli food." The episodes discusses the Arab-Israeli conflict through the lens of food, arguably the best way to approach a very controversial and complicated issue. Follow Al Bawadi Grill on Instagram and check out their website. Follow Reem Kassis on Instagram and pre-order her book, The Arabesque Table here. It will become available in the US starting April 1st and will be available in the rest of the world starting March 1st. Order her first award winning book, The Palestinian Table. Learn more about Queer Food Foundation here and donate to their Queer Food Fund here.Enter EatingAmerica at checkout on GoodUncle.Go to eatingamericawithindia.com to see exclusive recipes, food reviews and photographs from my culinary adventures. Follow Eating America with India on Instagram. Subscribe to the Eating America with India newsletter.Created and produced by India Witkin @spicymasalamamaOriginal composition and sound mixing by Kilcool @kilcoolbeatsCover art by Suzanne Borderies @art_bysuzConsulting edited and written by Susannah Gruder @suegru Consulting produced by Dylan GansSupport the show Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=8CYUK3HB9XYAQ)

This week we share stories about indigenous foods and food sovereignty, here in the U.S. and across the globe. We’ll explore the richness of indigenous ingredients, the power of small-holder farms, and the importance of representation. First, we explore the lasting impact of settler colonialism on the food sovereignty of indigenous people in the U.S. Then, we look to Yolélé Foods to understand how they are expanding the market for fonio while benefiting farmers in West Africa, where the grain originates. We hear from The Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman about his foray into the world of indigenous culinary history and look at battle to identify Palestinian cuisine as just that, Palestinian. Further reading:Sioux Chef: sioux-chef.comNorth American Traditional Food Systems: www.natifs.orgReem Kassis: reemkassis.comReem Assil: reemscalifornia.comValerie Segrest’s TedTalk: tedxseattle.com/talks/food-sovereigntyIn March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast. 

In this episode we have a very special guest, Reem Kassis calling in all the way from Dubai. In this episode, we try to tackle the growing political unrest in America from immigration, to the unrest with corona. Reem has a very extensive background in International Studies and the debate is lively and worth the listen. Tune in to find out what happening between everything and nothing.

Sabah Al Yasmine, the radio show with Chef Fadi Kattan from Bethlehem. This morning, Fadi talks to Reem Kassis, celebrated author of The Palestinian Table. Her journey from the world of finance to Palestinian food, her passion for the cuisine and the people and her insight into the place of Palestinian cuisine globally.   

How do you know when your bread is done proofing? How do you know when your bread is done baking? Why is salt important when you're baking bread?We'll explore the basics of bread making through three classic recipes: baguettes, brioche (8:35), and pita bread (15:36). Enjoy!    See the recipes or Show Notes: Brioche - My personal favorite!  French Bread  Pita Bread - Check out my previous interview with award-winning author Reem Kassis for excellent meals paired with pita bread.

Culinary diplomacy is a form of cultural diplomacy. Reem Kassis, author of the Palestinian Table, shares stories of her people through their food and makes her case one delicious dish at a time. Her approach has won unlikely friends in the American-Israeli community, as well as detractors. On this episode, hear about the challenges of representing a culture, of selling a cookbook when you have no IG following nor previous experience, and of battling your own uncertainty. Want to stay up to date on the latest Speaking Broadly episodes? To hear more conversations with Dana Cowin and her fierce guests, subscribe to Speaking Broadly (it’s free!) on iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate + review us on Apple’s podcast store and follow Dana on Instagram @speakingbroadly and @fwscout. Thanks for tuning in! Image courtesy of Dan Perez. Speaking Broadly is powered by Simplecast.

Reem Kassis decided to write her first cookbook, The Palestinian Table, while she was on maternity leave from her job at an NGO. She had never cooked professionally, but she knew that she wanted to preserve her Palestinian culinary heritage and share it with her children and the rest of the world. She spoke with HRN’s Hannah Fordin about tracing human history through recipes, finding her voice as an author, and explore Reem’s favorite flavors of the Levant. HRN On Tour is powered by Simplecast.

Reem Kassis is best known for her cookbook, The Palestinian Table. In the book she tells stories about her childhood—growing up in Palestine and she shares some fabulous recipes. She never expected to end up cooking professionally. She left Palestine to pursue a degree in business and worked in the industry for years before she decided to take cooking to the next level, which she definitely did. Her cookbook was the Winner of the Guild of Food Writers First Book Award and a James Beard nominee for Best International Cookbook. I should note here that Reem's cookbook is not gluten free but many recipes are naturally gluten free or can be adapted to be gluten free. I often use quinoa or millet in place of wheat grains.    Herbs & Spices: 6:33 Taboon flatbread  10:44  Elements of good cooking 13:37 Desserts 16:59   

Reem Kassis, an alum of Stew’s Total Leadership course at Wharton, is a Palestinian writer and her debut cookbook, The Palestinian Table, was nominated for a James Beard award, short-listed for the Andre Simon Award and the Edward Stanford Award, and won The Guild of Food Writers First Book Award. The book received rave reviews from Anthony Bourdain and Michael Solomonov, was named one of NPR’s best books of 2017, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and The Guardian among others. Born and raised in Jerusalem, Reem holds two undergraduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Wharton, and an MSc in social psychology from The London School of Economics. A former McKinsey consultant, today Reem is using the power of food and storytelling to share the Palestinian narrative with the world. She is currently working on her second cookbook about the evolving, cross-cultural food of the Middle East.In this episode Stew and Reem discuss the courage that it takes to stop “ticking the boxes” in order to follow your own interests, your own values, your own metrics for success as a human being rather than continuing to follow others’ versions of what success might mean. Reem speaks candidly about how scary it was for her to step off the standard track, to confront her own outdated beliefs, to find and listen to those who “are in the ring with you” -- your true supporters -- and to realize the power of taking small steps toward a big idea. For information about her recipes, her moving descriptions of her homeland, and the ways in which food can bridge divides visit www.reemkassis.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

SALT + SPINE is hosted by Brian Hogan Stewart and produced by Alison Sullivan. Today's Episode: Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook This week, we're excited to welcome Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks. Michael and Steve are the duo behind Zahav, Abe Fisher, and other Philadelphia restaurants. Their latest cookbook, Israeli Soul, takes readers on a culinary journey across Israel; their first cookbook, Zahav, won Best Cookbook of the Year from the James Beard Foundation. Plus, we talk with Reem Kassis, author of The Palestinian Table, about her friendship with Michael Solomonov, and we stop by Omnivore Books in San Francisco. And we stop by Omnivore Books in San Francisco to chat with Celia Sack. Read More: Common Threads: Food & Wine Goes Home for the Holidays With Two Chefs: One Palestinian, the Other Israeli // Food & Wine Grief, Smoke and Salvation // New York Times Tips From an Ambassador for Israeli Cuisine // New York Times Bonus SALT + SPINE Features: Recipe: 5-Minute Hummus with Quick Tehina Sauce Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | GooglePlay SALT + SPINE: Our website is SaltAndSpine.com. Shop for Salt + Spine books in our bookstore. Find us on Patreon, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We record Salt + Spine at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen. Thanks to Jen Nurse, Chris Bonomo, and The Civic Kitchen team. Our theme song was produced by Brunch For Lunch. For more music, visit soundcloud.com/BrunchforLunch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When Jerusalem-born Reem Kassis left home at age 17 for university in the United States, she vowed she'd never never end up in the kitchen. After a 10-year career in business, she found herself nostalgic for her country's rich food traditions and decided to write a cookbook, despite not having any professional culinary or writing experience. Tune in to hear Reem Kassis tell the story of The Palestinian Table--a book she created that chronicles her Palestinian upbringing and celebrates the cuisine of her heritage.

Reem Kassis left Jerusalem for the US at the age of 17, gained four graduate degrees and set her sights firmly on a stellar business career. She promised herself she would never end up in the kitchen like previous generations of women in her family, yet Reem found herself appreciating the simple pleasures of cooking for and feeding the people you love. She came to talk to us about her debut cookbook The Palestinian Table, how to define Palestinian food and how to make the best Baba Ghanouj.

"I got out of the car and I looked at the people and they all looked like me… and at that moment I realised where I came from." On the programme: A fourth-generation Chinese American travels to his ancestral village in China; two Chinese adoptees return to their orphanage to help those left behind; Reem Kassis hopes her cookbook 'The Palestinian Table' will help her kids connect to their heritage; some residents of New Mexico have received surprising news about their ancestry; plus a man in California embarks on a dangerous quest to revive Yemeni coffee. (Image: After a long search, 64-year-old Russell Low (left) visited his great-grandfather's ancestral home in Guangdong Province in southern China in May 2016. Credit: Ariana Lai)

Reem Kassis brings us quick and easy weeknight cooking from Palestine; our tip for peeling ginger; we travel to India to try medicinal camel’s milk; and J. Kenji Lopez Alt reveals how to cook beans. (Originally aired 10/12/17)

Reem Kassis brings us quick and easy weeknight cooking from Palestine; our tip for peeling ginger; we travel to India to try medicinal camel’s milk; and J. Kenji Lopez Alt reveals how to cook beans.