Kitchens of Hope
Immigrants Share Stories of Resilience and Recipes from Home
A compelling anthology of stories by American immigrants who left behind torture, civil war, disasters, human trafficking, and minority persecution, Kitchens of Hope illuminates the solace and comfort found in traditional recipes.
Representing food culture from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, this book includes recipes alongside immigrant impressions of American life. It treats food as a mode of celebration, a way of sharing heritage, and a symbol of resilience.
Hiba shares her special chicken biryani recipe to show cultural pride alongside memories of attempts on her life in her native Iraq. Somalian war refugee Halima shares her recipe for sambusas, savory beef-filled pastries that she produces in bulk with employees at her new business. Cooks from Belarus, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, and El Salvador relate hardships back home and upon their arrival as immigrants, including attacks and discrimination, but joy imbues their treasured renditions of holodnik, beef stew, pho, and pupusas. Yia, a successful restaurateur, notes that “food is our road map of our people and our culture” and is proud to make use of unique ingredients and flavors. This cultural pride and desire to share it with the larger community echoes throughout the book.
Kitchens of Hope is a delightful sampling of international recipes alongside poignant, reflective essays from immigrants.
Reviewed by
Rachel Jagareski
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
