Mona Zahed's Tabkha: The Palestinian cookbook written from a tent during the Gaza genocide

Before October 2023, Palestinian chef and mother, Mona Zahed ran a successful catering business, putting her skills and passions to practice. But as Israel's genocide erupted, she was displaced from her home in Al-Mina, the seaport of Gaza, with her four children and husband Osama Khateeb.

Israeli airstrikes devastated homes and buildings, driving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to evacuate their neighbourhoods, with nearly 90 percent of Gaza's population being displaced.

But not all hope was lost. From her tent in Gaza, Mona wrote Tabkha: Recipes from Under the Rubble, which will be published in March this year.

Tabkha includes 20 of Mona’s Palestinian recipes, each of them with a colourful illustration by a different artist. Her book also contains recipes for different occasions and celebrations in Palestine. 

The New Arab speaks with her to find out more about her journey, resilience and inspiration to bring Tabkha to light: 

The New Arab: How did you live before the genocide in Gaza, and how has it changed?

Mona Zahed: I ran my home-based catering business, Rosemary, which I marketed through social media and I ran a teaching centre. Alhamdulillah, (praise be to God), my days were full and I was busy and happy despite the stress of work.

After October 7, everything changed.

We have been displaced eight times since the beginning of the war. My house has been hit, my teaching centre has been destroyed and my cooking business has completely stopped. My husband’s pharmacy has been destroyed and the only thing that remains from it are the keys that were kept safe in his pocket.

How did the idea for your cookbook, Tabkha, come up?

We no longer had any income to help us compensate for what had been destroyed. I created a GoFundMe link in hopes of collecting enough to leave Gaza. Through it, I was able to make friends from all over the world online.

I met Akko online, a chef from Japan, who suggested that I write down my recipes in a booklet that she would market for sale to help me with my fundraiser campaign.

And so, amid all the bombings and attacks, I would try and note down my recipes on my phone, which was always a struggle to charge. 

In the beginning, the booklet started with 15 recipes and was printed in English and sold in Germany and Japan. After that, my friend Luciana from the Coffees for Gaza team suggested that I develop the idea of the book further and write more including unique parts of the culture. I started writing again and translating it into English with the help of my sister and brother-in-law.

What are the challenges you faced while writing Tabkha during this brutal genocide?

While I was writing the book, we were forcibly displaced and moved into a tent and life became completely different there. I was living with 30 other people in a small space, we were unable to charge our devices, or struggle with lighting; life became very primitive here, so it took me some time to complete my project.

But I was adamant about finishing the cookbook every time I saw my children suffer living in a place like this, and I needed any source of income to get the amount of money I needed to get out of there.

What is the significance of Tabkha to you?

I view my cookbook Tabkha as a miracle that will help me get out of this hardship. I am trying not to get attached to the idea of it being a success because I do not want to become shocked and disappointed (if it does not). But if the book succeeds, it will be Allah’s compensation for all my suffering Inshallah (God willing).

What challenges are families in Gaza facing to cook meals?

We face many challenges; there is not one place to stay that remains safe, so we are always on the go, being displaced from one place to another. 

Also, we do not always have cooking gas, so we need to use a wood fire to cook, which is one of the hardest things to do daily and requires a lot of time and effort.

What is the importance of sharing recipes from Gaza with the world?

Our recipes tell the world stories of our history, cause, and that we exist. Maqlouba, Maftool, and Sumaqiyaa are all dishes that represent our people. Each time Palestinian food becomes a trend online and I see people from all over the world making it, I feel proud that the world knows Gaza and that we are not forgotten.

What message do you want to tell the world through Tabkha?

I, Mona Zahed and my children deserve to live. My children deserve a better future than what awaits them. We the Palestinian people are peaceful and we love life and we have a will to live. We are not just numbers, we are humans with lives and ambitions.

You can order Mona’s book Tabkha: Recipes from Under the Rubble here.

Lama Obeid is a Palestinian writer and trainer based in Ramallah, Palestine. She writes about culture, gastronomy, politics, and travel. She advocates for the Palestinian cause wherever she goes and is a third-generation Palestinian refugee displaced from the town of Ein Karem in West Jerusalem

Follow her on X: @Lama_writes4u