Chef Fadi Kattan is well aware that it might not be the right time to release a cookbook about Palestinian food – not when people in Gaza are starving.
"But you know my publisher is of Jewish faith," he told Morning Edition host Leila Fadel. "She said, now the book even has more significance."
That's because his book – Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food – is dedicated to preserving part of a culture that's been torn apart by decades of displacement and war. It's a love letter through food to his childhood home in the West Bank.
"I started food tours in Bethlehem, and I would take people along with me to the markets," he said. "In the book, I really wanted to be able to transmit this to people and say, look, you're actually coming on a visit of Bethlehem with me through the recipes."
The dishes are reflective of the diversity of Palestinians in Bethlehem and beyond, from a simple fig salad with olive oil and sumac – to the spiced rice and fish favorite sayadieh samak – to a Christmas fruitcake. With the crisis in Gaza, Kattan implores, "Time is running out. We need to preserve those recipes. We need to share them with people."
To listen to the broadcast version of this story, use the audio player at the top of the page. Below is a recipe from Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food.
LENTIL SOUP
"My mother cooks shorbat adas, a lentil soup, for us as soon as the wind gets chilly in Bethlehem, and often in the days of Lent. Widely regarded as the healthy option to many a fast and as a food of the less fortunate, shorbat adas is in reality the noblest of soups, with its rituals of fresh accompaniments: Palestinian finely chopped salad, radishes, spring onions, and fried bread."
380 g / 13 ounces red lentils
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger 500 ml / 2⅛ cups chicken stock or water
Juice of 2 lemons
2 flatbreads, such as pita, kmaj, or shrak
Green Shatta
SERVES 6
Combine the lentils with cold water to cover in a bowl.
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, and ginger and continue to sauté until the onions become translucent, another 3 minutes.
Drain the lentils and add to the pot. Cover with the stock and decrease the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
Add the lemon juice and blend with a handheld blender until creamy.
In a small pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cut the bread into strips and briefly fry in the hot oil, until lightly browned and crisp.
Serve the soup with fried bread on top and a dash of shatta.
The audio version of this story was produced by Milton Guevara. The digital version was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
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