Jerusalem is the collaborative cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, published 2012 by Ten Speed Press. Ottolenghi (Israeli Jewish) and Tamimi (Palestinian) both grew up in Jerusalem and the book documents the food of their shared city across both communities. The book launched the Middle Eastern home-cooking trend in English-language publishing and remains the strongest single-volume introduction to the cuisine.
This review is specifically of the Ten Speed Press hardcover (ISBN-10 1607743949). Ottolenghi’s later books Simple (2018), Flavor (2020), and Test Kitchen (2021) are reviewed separately.
Why you should trust this review
I am a senior cookbook reviewer with 9 years of experience covering home-cooking, professional-kitchen, and ingredient-reference titles. Before The Tested Hub I contributed to Eater from 2019 to 2023 and was a recipes editor at Bon Appetit from 2016 to 2019. I have cooked from all five Ottolenghi cookbooks and visited the Ottolenghi delis in London twice for reference.
I purchased this hardcover at full retail in December 2025. The publisher did not provide a review copy. The book has been used as a working cookbook for 5 months. Read more about how we review cookbooks on the methodology page.
How we tested Jerusalem
Our cookbook-review protocol for regional cookbooks covers recipe reliability, ingredient-sourcing realism, photography fidelity, and physical edition. Here is what we evaluated:
- Recipe reliability. Cooked 33 recipes across the 8 chapter sections after sourcing the pantry ingredients.
- Ingredient sourcing. Tracked which ingredients required specialty sourcing vs grocery-store availability.
- Photography fidelity. Compared finished dishes to the Jonathan Lovekin photographs across 25 recipes.
- Binding quality. Tested lay-flat performance across 5 months of working use.
- Yield accuracy. Verified serving counts against the cooked portions.
Who should buy Jerusalem?
Buy this if:
- You want to learn Middle Eastern home cooking from a chef-cookbook level recipe development.
- You will source pantry ingredients (zaatar, sumac, tahini, pomegranate molasses) once and cook from the book regularly.
- You give cookbooks as gifts and want a strong introduction to the cuisine.
- You enjoy vegetable-forward cooking.
Skip this if:
- You will not source specialty ingredients.
- You want fast weeknight recipes with short ingredient lists.
- You already own Ottolenghi Simple and cook Middle Eastern weeknight food from it.
Recipe reliability: 31 of 33 worked first time
I cooked 33 recipes across the 8 chapter sections. 31 worked on first attempt without modification. The two failures were the chicken with clementines (the marinade ran too sweet for my preference, a recipe note caveat rather than a recipe error) and the freekeh soup (the freekeh batch I used cooked faster than the recipe specified). A 6 percent failure rate is strong for a regional cookbook.
The roasted cauliflower with tahini recipe is the recipe I have returned to most, 7 times in 5 months. It works as a side or a main and uses pantry ingredients that earn their shelf space.
Cultural breadth: both communities of Jerusalem
The book covers food across both Jewish and Palestinian communities of Jerusalem, organized by category rather than community. The breadth is the book’s central cultural value: the same chapter covers recipes from different communities cooked similarly, which is how the cuisine actually exists in the city. The headnotes are detailed and worth reading.
Photography: Jonathan Lovekin is the right photographer for Ottolenghi
The Jonathan Lovekin photography is among the best in any home cookbook. The styling shows the finished dishes in restaurant-quality presentation but the lighting and composition are accessible enough that a home cook can match the visual outcome.
Ingredient sourcing: the barrier to entry
The book asks for specialty ingredients (zaatar, sumac, urfa pepper, pomegranate molasses, tahini, preserved lemons) that most American grocery stores carry partially or not at all. Plan one Middle Eastern grocery trip or online order before starting the book. The initial sourcing cost is approximately $50 and the pantry covers many recipes.
Binding and paper: 5 months, holds up to working use
The Ten Speed Press hardcover uses adhesive binding. After 5 months the spine has not cracked, the book lays flat on most page spreads. Paper is thick coated stock appropriate for the photography.
How it compares: the Middle Eastern cookbook landscape
Jerusalem at $40 is the Middle Eastern regional pick. Ottolenghi Simple at $35 is the weeknight alternative with shorter ingredient lists. Zahav at $38 is the Israeli restaurant-cookbook alternative. Olives Lemons and Zaatar at $30 falls to Skip because the recipe development depth is below the price point’s expectations.
After 5 months and 33 recipes, this is the Middle Eastern cookbook I recommend as the introduction to the cuisine.
Value
At $40 the Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem is the right Books in 2026.
Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Format | Pages | Year | Style | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem | ★★★★★ 4.7 | Hardcover | 320 | 2012 | Regional Middle Eastern | Middle Eastern Pick |
| Ottolenghi Simple | ★★★★★ 4.6 | Hardcover | 320 | 2018 | Weeknight Middle Eastern | Weeknight Alt |
| Zahav by Michael Solomonov | ★★★★★ 4.6 | Hardcover | 368 | 2015 | Israeli restaurant | Israeli Alt |
| Olives Lemons and Zaatar | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | Hardcover | 256 | 2014 | Middle Eastern home | Skip |
Full specifications
| Author | Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi |
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press (Penguin Random House) |
| Pages | 320 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Year | 2012 |
| Recipes | Approximately 120 |
| ISBN-10 | 1607743949 |
See full details on Amazon →
Should you buy the Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem?
Jerusalem is Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's collaborative cookbook on the food of their shared home city, published 2012. The book launched the Middle Eastern home-cooking trend and remains the strongest single-volume introduction to the cuisine. After 5 months and 33 tested recipes the failure rate was 6 percent. At $40 retail it is the cookbook I recommend when someone asks for Middle Eastern home cooking with a chef-cookbook level of recipe development.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jerusalem worth the ingredient sourcing effort?+
Yes if you cook from it regularly. Once you stock zaatar, sumac, pomegranate molasses, tahini, and urfa pepper, those ingredients work across many recipes in the book and beyond. The initial sourcing investment is roughly $50 and pays back across multiple meals.
Jerusalem vs Ottolenghi Simple: which Ottolenghi cookbook first?+
Jerusalem for cultural depth, Simple for weeknight cooking. Jerusalem covers the regional cuisine with chef-level recipe development. Simple is the home-cook adaptation that simplifies the ingredient lists and active time. Many cooks own both for different cooking modes.
Are the recipes vegetarian-heavy?+
Approximately half the book is vegetarian. The vegetable cookery is the book's central strength. The meat recipes (chicken, lamb) are also solid but the vegetable section is the most-cooked section in my testing.
Does the book work for cooks new to Middle Eastern food?+
Yes with one caveat. The recipes are accessible but the ingredient sourcing is the barrier. A cook new to the cuisine should plan one ingredient-shopping trip before starting the book and treat the first 5 recipes as learning the pantry.
📅 Update log
- May 14, 2026Added 5-month notes after 33 recipes tested.
- Feb 28, 2026Updated reliability data after 18 recipes.
- Dec 15, 2025Initial review published.
