The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey by Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt

Reviewed in the Washington Report on Middle East AffairsMost Americans, if they know anything about Gaza at all, are aware only of its refugee camps, Hamas, rocket attacks, and frequent Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invasions. While Gaza is certainly no stranger to conflict and devastation, Gaza City and its environs have a rich history stretching back 3,000 years. A number of authors have taken on the challenge of introducing Western audiences to the macro and micro narratives of Gaza and the Palestinians who live there. Works such as Gerald Butt's Life at the Crossroads, and Sara Roy's books, Failing Peace and Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza, have expertly captured larger historical, political and economic stories, while a number of powerful memoirs (I Shall Not Hate, and Eyes in Gaza) have reflected the personal experiences of life in Gaza (all are available from Middle East Books and More). Yet, no book has managed to capture the full picture of the Gazan experience as thoroughly as