I just got this in the mail, and it was just like Christmas. But I am dragging myself away from it in order to share it with you, because it's just too good to keep to myself. An old friend of mine (thank you, Jeanette!) told me about this cookbook and I was immediately intrigued. This is a brand-new book that just came out a month ago! The Gaza Kitchen was written by two women, Laila el-Haddad and Maggie Smith, and published by Just World Books.
As the name suggests, this book is an in-depth exploration of Gazan food, and it is so much more than a cookbook. It does what I love best, and weaves together story, history, and recipes. Well-written, and beautifully photographed, it captures the spirit of Gaza. Every few pages you turn, the authors take you into another Gaza kitchen, as they focus on one person or family. You hear the story of that person's life, and feel like you watch her prepare her signature dish. There are snippets of information scattered through out- which show the dynamic relationship between the political situation and the food that people live on. I quickly become lost in this world, as I bounced between the current world - fishing limits and food aid and malnourished children - and the past world - descriptions of clay ovens, and rendering fat from sheep tails, and foraging for wild greens. In a word, this book is rich.
“This is exactly what a cookbook should be. It is a guide to knowing a place – its tastes, its ecology, its struggles and its spirit – through the food that people share there.”
- Josh Viertel, President Slow Food USA
Many of the recipes are familiar to me, though of course, but the flavors are different. Gaza, with its love of hot peppers, chilies and dill, intrigues me, and I can't wait to see what those flavors do to the more mild versions of the recipes that I grew up with. There were also many dishes that I had heard of, but had never tried, and others that are really specialties of Gaza. I hope to try out many of these recipes and post some of them here.
The Gaza Kitchen explains how food is prepared in Gaza today, though some recipes also explain the difference between modern preparation and traditional preparation and have recipes for both, which I appreciate. For me, it doesn't go quite far enough into traditional preparations, but I can't imagine that my nerdiness has mass market appeal. Still, this is an excellent book and I have not seen anything else quite like it in print. It is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to learn to cook like a Palestinian, but doesn't have a teta or mother to stand next to her while cooking.
The Gaza Kitchen explains how food is prepared in Gaza today, though some recipes also explain the difference between modern preparation and traditional preparation and have recipes for both, which I appreciate. For me, it doesn't go quite far enough into traditional preparations, but I can't imagine that my nerdiness has mass market appeal. Still, this is an excellent book and I have not seen anything else quite like it in print. It is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to learn to cook like a Palestinian, but doesn't have a teta or mother to stand next to her while cooking.
There are only a handful of books out there on Palestinian food, so I am very excited to welcome this one to the table. Do you have a favorite ethnic cookbook? A favorite Middle Eastern cookbook? Please share!
To Find Out More
Reviews:NPR's Review on The Salt
Time Magazine
The Gaza Kitchen blog:
http://www.gazakitchen.com/press.html
I bought my copy here on Amazon.
Happy reading!
Shared at Simple Lives Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Tasty Traditions, Party Wave Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday .
Found you on Fresh Bites Friday and glad I did! I think I'm going to have to get this! I sort of collect Middle Eastern cookbooks and two of my favorite, go-to ones are Traditional Arabic Cooking by Miriam Al Hashimi, and Arabian Flavours: Recipes and Tales of Arab Life by Salah Jamal.
ReplyDeleteThe one by Jamal is really interesting, too because it was written by a Palestinian man and he weaves alot of stories from his childhood in Palestine into the book.
I found them online and took a look - they look very interesting! Another one that I enjoy is called "A Taste of Palestine" by Aziz Shihab, which sounds similar to your description of the one by Jamal. I always find it interesting when Arab men write books about cooking, since they don't do the cooking in most homes. It seems to really about cultural recording. Good stuff. Thank you so much for your recommendations!
DeleteFantastic review! I just purchased my copy as well, and look forward to read it. As a Palestinian-American (and MidEastern food blogger) this culinary perspective is ever so welcomed.
ReplyDeleteGreat points above about Arabic cookbooks written by Arab men, too! My grandfather is an amazing cook, and yet only in recent years did I realize how counterculture he is, considering his traditional family rearing in Jerusalem.
So nice to meet you, Yasmeen! What fun to meet someone so like me. Wish we could sit down for coffee. I'm looking forward to exploring your blog.
DeleteDid you spend time with your grandfather in the kitchen? I spent time with my mother and grandmother, but my grandfather was never in the kitchen. My uncles do prepare dishes occasionally, but I do think that this is fairly rare.
I discovered your blog on Fat Tuesday, and I think it is lovely. You have inspired me to try Middle Eastern cooking, and tonight I made my first dish--kefta meatballs. I am looking forward to trying your recipes and reading more of your blog. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope that you liked your kefta meatballs. That is such a yummy dish and one of my kids' favorites. Welcome to the world of Arabic cooking!
DeleteWow, it must be fun to pick things out. Decisions, decisions. I've never picked out my own appliances, so I haven't done any research on it. I will say that I really love gas ranges and gas ovens. I've been cooking on gas for five years now and I think I would really have a hard time switching now. When I cook on an electric range now, I burn everything. I just love how quickly your pan heats ups and that you can adjust the heat level accurately and quickly. Other than that, I would just look for something easy to clean!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog while I was searching for recipes that would please the palate of my palestinian husband. So far, I have successfully cooked many palestinian dishes, all because of your great blog! I just ordered this book, and can't wait to try out more recipes. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy! Thank you for letting me know how my blog is having an impact on your family! Happy eating to you and your family, and hope that you enjoy this cookbook!
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