This book has a wealth of excellent recipes! In addition to that, it is full of very interesting cultural and historical facts and insights which are peculiar to Gaza and its unique cuisine. It is a vivid testimony to the resilience of Gaza Palestinians, in particular, that they use every conceivable (and inconceivable!) method to brighten and add spark to all aspects of their highly restricted lives, including their celebratory cuisine! I agree with Anthony Bordain, that it "is an egregiously unappreciated, under-reported area of gastronomy.....old school in the best meaning of the term!" I am especially favorably impressed with the authors' efforts to accurately portray the Gaza story without seeming whining, which, for sure they could do! I am convinced that it is through fully human communication of this kind that this troubled world shall one day know peace. Thank you, Laila el-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt for this wonderful contribution!
On the recipes themselves:
This is an awesome, well-compiled collection of authentic Gazan home-cooking. The selections range from drinks and desserts to salads and main courses and include both local specialties and recipes common to all of the Levant. None of the recipes are particularly difficult to make and many of them are actually quite simple. Additionally, the fact that the book shows you how to make / recommends substitutes for the more "exotic" ingredients is incredibly helpful for anyone that doesn't live near a specialty market.
On the rest of it:
The book beautifully summarizes many of the ongoing issues in the Gaza Strip: the struggles of local farmers and fisherman, reliance on the tunnel system for basic goods, and the difference between availability and affordability. Additionally, when it comes to the women of Gaza, the authors largely step out of the picture and let the women present their own stories. The weaving of these narratives in and out of the recipes movingly highlights the role of cooking and the home in Gaza and presents narratives of food and family that will resonate will almost anyone.
Laila El-Haddad is an award-winning writer, public speaker, and social activist. She is the co-editor of Gaza Unsilenced (2015) and the author of Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting, and Everything In Between (2010). Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents from Gaza, she currently lives in Maryland. Maggie Schmitt is a writer, researcher, translator, educator, and social activist. Schmitt works in various media—writing, production, photography, video—exploring the daily practices of ordinary people as a way of understanding political and social realities in the Mediterranean region. Nancy Harmon Jenkins is a food writer and journalist with a passionate interest in Mediterranean cultures and cuisines, sustainable agriculture, and farm-to-market connections.
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