Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Lore & Background

The authors, both expatriate chefs in London, present in their book an idealized vision of the Middle East and 'a modification of the Israeli versus Palestinian nationalist narrative,' as the authors see the food they discuss as part of 'a shared regional food culture, not an antagonistic one.' The book is not oriented toward an audience local to where the food discussed comes from—as of 2016 it hadn't been translated into Hebrew or Arabic—but rather it is a commentary on Jerusalem to be exported and consumed elsewhere, in London and throughout the world.

Reader's Guide

Jerusalem: A Cookbook holds significance as a work that explicitly engages with the political nature of food in the Arab–Israeli conflict. While it acknowledges Palestinian dishes and a 'Palestinian other,' scholar Ilan Zvi Baron argues it contributes to 'foodwashing' by presenting a normative vision of appropriation that treats past injustices as having little current relevance, inhibiting engagement with their consequences. In 2013, Ottolenghi noted that if he were to rewrite the introduction, he would take the aspect of appropriation and ownership more seriously, acknowledging that some dishes are symbols of Palestinian culture and cannot become everybody's sign of culture or identity. The book's impact in anglophone markets was described by The New York Times as 'Jerusalem fever.'

Did You Know?

• As of 2016, the book had not been translated into Hebrew or Arabic.
• The New York Times described the book's impact using the term 'Jerusalem fever.'
• In 2013, Ottolenghi said he would rewrite the introduction to take appropriation and ownership more seriously.
• Scholar Ilan Zvi Baron argues the book contributes to 'foodwashing' of the political reality in the region.

The Partnership That Changed British Food

In 1999, Yotam Ottolenghi walked into a London bakery called Baker & Spice and was struck by what he found: walls and counters overflowing with a remarkable blend of Middle Eastern salads, Italian Caprese, rotisserie chickens, and char-grilled broccoli. He called the experience "completely magical." Ottolenghi soon began working alongside Sami Tamimi, who was already running the kitchen. Tamimi oversaw the savory preparations while Ottolenghi handled pastries, and the two developed a genuine friendship built on long conversations about food and shared ambition. By 2002, that friendship had crystallized into a business partnership. Together with Noam Bar, they opened the deli Ottolenghi in Notting Hill, a venture that would grow into a group of six delis and restaurants across London, including the dining rooms Rovi and Nopi. The creative chemistry forged in that small bakery ultimately produced two of the most celebrated cookbooks of the twenty-first century, with Jerusalem (2012) standing as their most ambitious joint effort.

A Cookbook That Redefined the Genre

When Jerusalem: A Cookbook hit shelves in 2012, it arrived as the second major volume from Tamimi and Ottolenghi, following their 2008 debut. The book's reception was nothing short of extraordinary. Within a single year, it swept through nearly every major culinary award circuit in the English-speaking world. The James Beard Foundation named it International Cookbook of the Year in 2013. The Guild of Food Writers, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (with the Dun Gifford Award), the International Association of Culinary Professionals (granting both its International and Best Cookbook honors), and the Observer Food Monthly all bestowed their top cookbook prizes on the same title. Beyond the trophies, Jerusalem is widely credited with igniting a wave of cookbook clubs, where groups of readers would work through its recipes collectively. That cultural ripple effect, combined with the sheer volume of recognition, cemented the book as a landmark in modern cookery writing.

A Palestinian Culinary Voice

Sami Tamimi's relationship with food was forged long before London. He grew up in a Muslim family in the Old City of East Jerusalem, and his earliest professional steps were as a porter at the Mount Zion hotel, where he quickly rose to chef. After stints that included heading the kitchen at Lilith in Tel Aviv, an English customer's job offer sent him to London in 1997 to run the kitchen at Baker & Spice. That Palestinian heritage remains the emotional core of his publishing work. In 2020, he co-authored Falastin with Tara Wigley, and in 2025 he released his first solo volume, Boustany—a word meaning "my garden" in Arabic. Boustany centers on vegetarian cooking and Levantine food preservation. Tamimi has spoken about wanting both Palestinian and non-Palestinian readers to gain a deeper understanding of Palestinian heritage, history, and culture through its cuisine. The book is, in his framing, an act of cultural transmission as much as a recipe collection.

Beyond the Kitchen: A Creative Life

Tamimi's world extends well past the deli counters and restaurant kitchens he co-owns across London. He lives with his partner Jeremy Kelly and channels his creative energy into writing, painting, and composing Arabic poetry—arts that complement his culinary work rather than compete with it. His professional footprint is broad: six delis and restaurants, including the dining rooms Rovi and Nopi, the latter of which earned a 2012 Restaurant and Bar Design Award in the "Identity" category and a 2011 Condé Nast Traveler Innovation and Design Award. His published bibliography spans four cookbooks over seventeen years: Ottolenghi (2008), Jerusalem (2012), Falastin (2020), and Boustany (2025). Each volume marks a distinct phase—partnership, cultural celebration, collaborative exploration, and finally solo authorship. Together they trace a career that began with a porter's uniform in a Jerusalem hotel and has grown into one of London's most recognizable culinary presences, grounded always in the flavors of his Levantine upbringing.