This book owes so much to so many people: to the backers who supported the initial Kickstarter campaign which funded our fieldwork; to Laila’s parents, Moussa and Maii, for covering child care and more while we raced all over Gaza, as well as for many later consultations and fact-checking errands; to all the many NGO workers, farmers, and professionals in Gaza who facilitated contacts and interviews; to the friends who helped with the transcription and translation of hundreds of hours of interviews. We also thank our publisher, Helena Cobban, for taking a chance on us, the reviewers who took the time to look into this obscure little publication, and the notable figures in the food world—Claudia Roden, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Yotam Ottolenghi, Èdouard Cointreau, and others—who very graciously have promoted this book and helped it along. Many thanks also to Yassine and Juan for their continual enthusiasm and support for this project at every step of the way.
Above all, our gratitude goes to all the women who invited us into their homes and their lives, so generously sharing their stories and their tables with us. They are the heroines of this book.