About the Book
The cuisine of Gaza is a vibrant reflection of its rich heritage, blending bold flavours, fresh ingredients and time-honoured techniques. Spicy stews, tangy dips, fragrant fish dishes and honey-soaked desserts embody a culinary tradition shaped by history and sustained through adversity. Each dish tells the story of a people whose connection to their land and culture endures despite immense challenges, showcasing the power of food as a cultural anchor.
The Gaza Kitchen brings new life to this cuisine with more than one hundred recipes collected first-hand by Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt. It offers an intimate portrait of Gazan life through hundreds of photographs of Gazan cooks, farmers and fresh-produce merchants at work, and in-kitchen interviews in which these women and men tell the stories of their food, their heritage and their families.
This new edition of this much loved, award-winning cookbook stands as both a celebration of Palestinian cultural identity and a powerful testament to the resilience of the Gaza community.
About the Author
Laila El-Haddad is a Palestinian writer, journalist and social activist, and the author of Gaza Mom and co-editor of Gaza Unsilenced. A leading voice on Gaza and the intersection of food and politics, she has written for the Washington Post, International Herald Tribune and Le Monde diplomatique, and appeared on NPR and CNN. She was formerly Al Jazeera English’s Gaza correspondent and co-directed two documentaries, including the award-winning Tunnel Trade. El-Haddad also featured in CNN’s ‘Parts Unknown’ as Anthony Bourdain’s guide in Gaza. Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents from Gaza, she lectures globally and lives in Maryland with her family.
Maggie Schmitt is a writer, researcher, translator, educator and social activist. She holds a BA from Harvard and has conducted advanced graduate studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Schmitt works in various media exploring the daily practices of ordinary people as a way of understanding political and social realities in the Mediterranean region.
Reviews
‘Not just a superb cookbook, a collection of vital recipes from a delicious yet often overlooked cuisine, but an argument for understanding. A classic of world food.’ Anthony Bourdain
‘The recipes and stories are magically woven together, inspiring to read, to cook, and to eat.’ Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
‘These recipes are distinctively Palestinian and many also uniquely of Gaza – with more pronounced flavours, more herby, spicy, peppery, lemony than those of their regional neighbours. We also get from this very special book a rare insight into the intimate everyday lives of engaging people.’ Claudia Roden
‘Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt share the stories of the women, men and children of Gaza in a way that illuminates their humanity, their dignity, their strength.’ José Andrés, chef and founder of World Central Kitchen
