THE TIMES FOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018

'An important cuisine and culinary tradition that needs to be understood, celebrated, and enjoyed.' Anthony Bourdain

'This book goes to the heart of the relationship between food and identity, and conveys a sense of belonging through beautiful, compelling and, yes, joyous recipes. I just want to eat everything in it.' Nigella Lawson

Joudie Kalla , author of the bestselling Palestine on a Plate , introduces readers to more of the Middle East's best-kept secret - Palestinian cuisine .

`Baladi' means `my home , my land , my country' , and Joudie once again pays homage to her homeland of Palestine by showcasing the wide-ranging , vibrant and truly delicious dishes of this country .

Baladi features recipes that are broadly categorized according to the differing environments they primarily hail from , such as the land , the sea , the forest , the orchard . Experience the wonderful flavours of Palestine through daoud basha ( lamb meatballs cooked in a tamarind and tomato sauce served with caramelized onions and vermicelli rice ), fatayer sabanekh ( spinach , sumac and onion patties ), samak makli ( fried fish selection with courgette , mint and yoghurt dip ), atayef ( soft pancakes filled with cream , cheese or nuts in an orange blossom sugar syrup ), and many more sensational recipes .

Dishes are designed to complement one another , and Joudie explains which work well together as a meal , as well as the varied and diverse origins of the recipes . At the end of the day she takes an entirely flexible approach , using influences from her homeland to create new dishes , and bringing her own twist to more traditional recipes .