Reem Kassis (
Arabic: ريم قسيس) (born 1987[1]) is a Palestinian writer and cookbook author who holds Israeli citizenship. Her work focuses on the intersection of food with culture, history and politics.[2][3][4]
Early life
Reem Kassis was born and raised in
Jerusalem, to a father from a Christian family from the
Galilee and a mother from a Muslim family from
Jaljulya.[5]
Prior to her career in writing, Kassis worked as a business consultant at
McKinsey & Company. She also worked with the
World Economic Forum and in executive search.[3] After the birth of her daughters, she decided to leave the business world and pursue a writing career.[4]
Her first book, The Palestinian Table, was published in 2017 and nominated for a
James Beard Award,[7] won the
Guild of Food Writers First Book Award, and was shortlisted for the
Andre Simon Award[8] and the Edward Stanford Award.[9] It was also selected as one of NPRs best books of 2017.[10] Her second book, The Arabesque Table, published in 2022 was hailed as one of the best cookbooks of the year by numerous outlets.[11]
Her debut
cookbook, The Palestinian Table, was published in October 2017 by
Phaidon Press. The volume was aimed at preserving traditional Palestinian dishes and introducing Western readers to Palestinian cuisine and culture. In the preface Kassis wrote: “The Palestinian Table spans our entire geography from the mountains of the Galilee to the valleys of the south, from the coast of Yaffa all the way to the West Bank. It is scattered across the globe and built from memories of a time when most of us lived in the same land.”[12]The Palestinian Table consists of 150 recipes, with photography, personal anecdotes, and origins of the dishes.[13][14]
The reviews for The Palestinian Table were generally positive.
NPR named it one of the best books of the year.[10]The Guardian,[15]The Independent[16],
New York Magazine[17],
Buzzfeed[18],
San Francisco Chronicle[19],
The National Post[20],
Saveur Magazine[21],
Departures[22], and
Milk Street[23] all listed the work in their lists of the best cookbooks published in 2017.[24] A journalist in the
Institute for Palestinian Studies recommended the book for newcomers, calling Kassis “a humble guide who doesn’t dazzle with intimidating recipes”.[12] Tanuahka Marah, the reviewer for the Morning Star described the photography as “stunning”.[24] In her nomination for the
Palestine Book Award, a critic praised the author's anecdotes for providing “valuable cultural insight as well as specifics about how the local dishes are prepared and served”.[25] The late chef Anthony Bourdain praised the book saying, "With The Palestinian Table, Reem Kassis gracefully demonstrates the power of food to transcend the political divisions that are, too often, all we know of a place like Palestine. Reading and cooking from this essential book - a thoughtful collection of great recipes, historical and cultural insights, and beautiful photographs - will move you closer to understanding this complex, fascinating part of the world.[26][4]"
The Arabesque Table was published in 2021 by
Phaidon Press. The volume takes a much broader look at contemporary cooking from across the
Arab world, tracing the evolving and cross cultural food of the region and showcasing the impact of Arab food on global cooking today.[29] The book had good critical reception with The New York Times,[30] Eater,[31] Food & Wine,[32] Wired,[11] CNN,[33] WBUR,[34] SFGATE,[35] The National Post[36] all listing the book as one of the best cookbooks published in 2021. Yotam Ottolenghi praised the book saying, "The Arabesque Table sees food, recipes and stories as part of the on-going conversation (and feast!) between cultures and their cuisines. It sees food, stories and the identities these things are linked to as fluid, receptive; not as static or fixed in one time or place. As a result, the book is full to the brim with dishes which are rooted in tradition and at the same time creatively (and deliciously!) transcend it. I think it is wonderful![37]"
^"Reem Kassis". The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. Archived from
the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2019.