Laila El-Haddad

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Maryland-based journalist Laila El-Haddad (www.LailaHaddad.com) is the author of The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey (Just World Books, 2013). She frequently writes on the intersection of food and politics and is currently working on a book about the history of Islam in America, as told through food. Follow her on Facebook, or on Twitter @Gazamom.

Articles by Laila El-Haddad

Iftar Potluck Baltimore

Iftar Potluck Baltimore

In a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, 15 families with origins across the world gather in the author’s backyard for iftar, the evening meal breaking the day-long fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It’s an American-style potluck, and each family brings not only food from homelands and traditions, but also stories and recipes. “Iftars are to me very much a party,” says Francesca Pagan, who has prepared an Italian stew of escarole and beans. “Food is one of those things that you do without during the day so you can get spiritually closer to God, but the reward of enjoying it after the sunset takes it to a whole new level.”
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