The first half of Laila and Maggie‘s time in New York has been busy. They (and their entourage) have been zipping from event to event to present key aspects of The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey to a wide range of different audiences. And New York City is loving them!
Starting off the tour on Sunday, the authors visited Brooklyn’s renowned Book Court:
Here’s to the beginning of a great tour!
The authors and the babies at a private event on Sunday evening.
On Day Two, the East Village restaurant Porsena hosted an absolutely fabulous dinner event: Chef/owner Sara Jenkins and her team cooked a menu for all patrons that was exclusively from Gaza Kitchen recipes! There were four courses including eight dishes, and it was delicious from start to finish. That night it was proved beyond a doubt that Laila and Maggie have written a cookbook that is accessible around the world: even in the heart of NYC, we got a little taste of Gazan cuisine!
A beautiful spread, a beautiful night!
Could not be recommended more highly: stop in if you’re in the area!
On Tuesday, Day Three of the NYC tour, the ladies had a particularly busy day, visiting both the All Souls Unitarian Church on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and the NYU Food Studies Center to deliver talks to their respective audiences. The ladies presented together spectacularly, answering questions on anything from the politics of food to the minute subtleties of Gazan cuisine.
Sad you missed out on any of these? No worries, there’s more to come! Maggie and Laila will be giving another talk this Friday night, 7pm, at CUNY Grad Center. (Details here.) And on Saturday, the Bay Ridge restaurant Tanoreen is offering another Gaza Kitchen-themed meal (a brunch), 12:30-3:00 pm. The authors will be there– along with their babies!– at both events. So will copies of The Gaza Kitchen, and of Laila’a fabulous earlier Gaza Mom book, for you to buy and get signed.
The Gaza Kitchen 