“If somebody calls hummus a dip again, I'm going to scream!” Fadi Kattan on why food is so central to his celebrating his Palestinian heritage and on the magical powers of oral history.

The Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser

Hashem catches up with chef, hotelier, and author, Fadi Kattan in Bethlehem. Chef Fadi talks about his newly published cookbook, Bethlehem, which is essentially a celebration of Palestinian Food. It is a beautiful homage to Palestine’s food culture conveyed via Fadi’s memories. Snippets of oral history are prominently featured including his grandmother’s recipes, his twists on traditional Palestinian dishes and the concept of ‘loqma’, breaking a dish down to its essence of a single bite. He also highlights the local farmers who inspired him to bring his culinary vision to life.

Links

• Mohamad Orfali on his sensational pivot from TV chef to award-winning restauranteur
• Bethlehem: A celebration of Palestinian Food
• Teta’s Kitchen on YouTube
• The Markaz Review: An Oral History of Mulukhiya from Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia and Japan
• The Maria’s Review: Desire and the Palestinian Kitchen
• The Markaz Review: Sacred fire, Profane fire: From Ritual to Barbecue