The Gaza Kitchen

The Gaza Kitchen is a richly illustrated cookbook that explores the distinctive cuisine and food heritage of the area known prior to 1948 as the Gaza District--and that of the refugees from elsewhere in Palestine who came to Gaza in 1948 and have been forced to stay there since. In summer 2010, authors Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt traveled the length and breadth of the Gaza Strip to collect the recipes presented in the book. They were also able to build on the extensive knowledge...
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The Gaza Kitchen is a richly illustrated cookbook that explores the distinctive cuisine and food heritage of the area known prior to 1948 as the Gaza District--and that of the refugees from elsewhere in Palestine who came to Gaza in 1948 and have been forced to stay there since. In summer 2010, authors Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt traveled the length and breadth of the Gaza Strip to collect the recipes presented in the book. They were also able to build on the extensive knowledge that Laila, herself a Palestinian from Gaza, had gained from family and friends throughout the years. The 130 recipes presented in this book have all been thoroughly kitchen-tested. Numerous illustrations help readers understand how to perform the listed techniques--and what the finished product should look like. Amounts are presented using U.S.-style measures, though the book has an easy-to-use conversion chart at the end for cooks more accustomed to metric or Imperial measures. The authors also suggest alternative ingredients and recipe adaptations for cooks working in countries where some of the ingredients may not be easy to find. But The Gaza Kitchen is not only a cookbook. A lot of other things happen in kitchens everywhere, in addition to cooking: Conversations, the re-telling of family histories, and the daily drama of surviving and creating spaces for pleasure in an embattled place. In this book, women and men from throughout Gaza tell their stories as they relate to cooking, farming, and the food economy: personal stories, family stories, and descriptions of the broader social and economic system in which they live. Gaza has a rich food tradition and a unique cuisine combining Levantine and Egyptian elements. The history of its population can be traced through its recipes, which reflect the influence of exile from all over Palestine as well as a changing society and customs. A cookbook which brings together these recipes serves as testimony to this heritage and history. What is more, today's kitchens can tell us much about the difficult and paradoxical realities of Gaza after three years of unrelenting siege.