In the wake of the devastating onslaught against the people of Gaza four years ago, Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt undertook a mission of recovery and honor by setting out to explore and record Gaza’s traditional foods. The women tested recipes across the strip and have now gathered them in a book titled The Gaza Kitchen, A Palestinian Culinary Tour, lately published by Just World.
El-Haddad, who is of course from Gaza, and Schmitt are in New York; and if you have a chance, you should hear them speak tonight or tomorrow. Tomorrow’s event is at the legendary Brooklyn restaurant Tanoreen — a gala lunch, at a great price.
First, from the description of the book:
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.
Tonight the authors will be speaking at the CUNY-Grad Center, Room C197, 365 Fifth Ave., Manhattan. At 7 p.m.
And tomorrow, they’ll be at Tanoreen. We’re planning to have a report from this happy event; here’s the invitation:
Tanoreen restaurant of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn invites you to a Gala FamilyBrunch to celebrate the distinctive cuisine of Palestine’s Gaza District– and the publication of The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey, by Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt
Saturday, March 16, 12:30pm – 3:00pm at Tanoreen, 7523 Third Ave (at 76th) Brooklyn, NY.
Tanoreen will present a prix-fixe tasting menu featuring dishes from The Gaza Kitchen.
The book’s talented authors, Maggie Schmitt and Laila El-Haddad, will be on hand to discuss the recipes, the distinctive features of the Gaza District’s cuisine (spicy! lemon-y! great seafood!)… and to share some of what they learned about Gaza’s food heritage during their four years of work on this informative and richly illustrated volume.
You can also buy copies of the book in paperback ($29) or hardcover ($43) — and have the authors sign them to create a keepsake to treasure forever! Just World Books will donate $2 from the sale of each book to the wonderful relief organization Anera, which has many great programs in Gaza.
The prix-fixe Gala Brunch menu is priced at $30 (tip, tax, and beverage not included.) To reserve your seat or seats, call Tanoreen at 718-748-5600, and mention the book!
Seafood?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwoAupDWUaU
How very wonderful– great strides in restoring history.
I’m quite sure there will be olives, olive oil, dates, pine nuts, raisins, grapes, bread (pita), rice, chickpeas, sesame, salad, lamb, chicken, yogurt………………and lovely apricots and citrus. In my dreams, there will be plenty of milk for the children and grandmothers and grandfathers and for all of those in between.
“Yes to Israel.” 64% of Americans support Israel over the Palestinians – a survey of the Institute “Gallup” published on the eve of the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama Middle East. U.S. support for Israel is that three years but over 60% support in the latest poll is the highest surveys recorded the “Gallup” in 25 years.
Tanoreen is an amazing restaurant. It’s far out in Bay Ridge, but well worth the visit. It’s a destination.
In particular, you can order fresh knafeh done well as a desert.
(The Gaza recipe sounds like a great idea – sharing Palestinian culture is a great way to advance understanding.)
Obsidian, it just so happens that people in other parts of the world don’t share “our” Westernised sentimentality towards animals…