Cookbooks > Middle Eastern & Levantine

Middle Eastern & Levantine

Here you’ll find Lebanese, Palestinian, Israeli, Persian/Iranian and other Middle Eastern titles, along with books by authors from these cultures who feature flavors from those cultures in their recipes. Our collection of recommended titles is a work in progress. We’re in process of adding many more, so please check back often! And drop us a line if there’s something you’d like us to consider including. We have included links to our reviews and other coverage of the books, along with links to purchase them through our affiliates. Buying through Bookshop is a great way to support independent bookstores, as well as our work at Cooks Without Borders.

If you’d like to see all our cookbook reviews in one place, find them here.

Featured
ARABESQUE
ARABESQUE

Award-winning, Cairo-born author Claudia Roden explores the cooking of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon in this beautiful book, published in 2005. Highly recommend.

$45 at Bookshop - buy now

$32 at Amazon - buy now

THE ARABESQUE TABLE
THE ARABESQUE TABLE

From Reem Kassis, author of ‘The Palestinian Table’ comes this attractive and enticing volume, subtitled ‘Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World.’ Read our review.

$37 at Bookshop - buy now

$32 at Amazon - buy now

CLAUDIA RODEN'S MEDITERRANEAN
CLAUDIA RODEN'S MEDITERRANEAN

One of the revered author’s most outstanding works. Read our review.

$37 at Bookshop - buy now

$17 at Amazon - buy now

FALASTIN
FALASTIN

Exuberantly delicious recipes that work brilliantly fill the pages of Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley's book, while illuminating the culture of Palestine. It’s one of our all-time favorite cookbooks. Read our review. Watch our Q & A with Tara Wigley.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$21 at Amazon - buy now

FEAST: FOOD OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD
FEAST: FOOD OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD

Anissa Helou's magnificent volume is a treasure trove of cultural deliciousness. Read our review.

$55 at Bookshop - buy now

$30 at Amazon - buy now

Flavors of the Sun
Flavors of the Sun

At once a reference book and a recipe book, this volume from Brooklyn’s beloved market and gourmet shop is subtitled “The Sahadi’s Guide to Understanding, Buying, and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients.” Story and/or review coming soon.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$26 at Amazon - buy now

FOOD OF LIFE
FOOD OF LIFE

Najmieh Batmanglij is the undisputed queen of Persian and Iranian cooking. The recipes in this mammoth 1986 book, revised in 2020, are astounding in how much they delight — from the moment you start prepping the aromatic, beautiful ingredients, through the inevitably pleasurable cooking, through every last bite. Read more.

$51 at Bookshop - buy now

$42 at Amazon - buy now

JERUSALEM
JERUSALEM

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi share their love for Jerusalem in one of the most compelling cookbooks ever written and photographed.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$20 at Amazon - buy now

THE MEDITERRANEAN DISH
THE MEDITERRANEAN DISH

The highly anticipated debut cookbook from Suzy Karadsheh, founder of the popular website of the same name. One of our Best New Cookbooks of 2022.

$30 at Bookshop - buy now

$23 at Amazon - buy now

MIDDLE EASTERN SWEETS: DESSERTS, PASTRIES, CREAMS & TREATS
MIDDLE EASTERN SWEETS: DESSERTS, PASTRIES, CREAMS & TREATS

This beautiful Phaidon volume by Salma Hage is a must-have for anyone who loves the fragrant desserts, cookies and other treats of the Levantine and other Middle-Eastern cultures. Story and/or review coming soon.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$27 at Amazon - buy now

OTTOLENGHI FLAVOR
OTTOLENGHI FLAVOR

Just when you thought Yotam Ottolenghi must be fresh out of great ideas, he's, um, not. The recipes are vividly delicious.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$15 at Amazon - buy now

OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE
OTTOLENGHI SIMPLE

Like just about everyone else, we are huge Ottolenghi fans, and this is one of our favorite of his titles. Read our review.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$22 at Amazon - buy now

The book that made Yotam Ottolenghi an international superstar. Incredibly imaginative, it is filled with insanely delicious plant-based recipes. $32 at Bookshop - buy now $15 at Amazon - buy now

The book that made Yotam Ottolenghi an international superstar. Incredibly imaginative, it is filled with insanely delicious plant-based recipes.

$32 at Bookshop - buy now

$15 at Amazon - buy now

ZAYTINYA
ZAYTINYA

Subtitled ‘Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon,’ this 2024 title from superhero chef José Andrés is outstanding — one of our favorite new titles in recent years. Read our review.

$42 at Bookshop - buy now

$30 at Amazon - buy now