Setting a Place for Us by Hawa Hassan

Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War is another book listed on Epicurious’ Best Cookbooks of 2025 list. (I am focusing on quite a few of these cookbooks this summer.)

About the book:

An enthralling, intimate collection of essays and over 75 recipes exploring the history of eight countries to understand the impact of geopolitical conflict and its outcomes on cuisine and food system, from Somali refugee and James Beard Award-winning author of In Bibi’s Kitchen.

Countries dealing with major conflict are rarely portrayed in a well-rounded light by the media. Images of disarray and decline saturate their narratives, ignoring the strength, resourcefulness, and ingenuity that arise from having to navigate conflict. With empathy, curiosity, and an insistence on sharing different aspects of human survival, Hawa Hassan gathers singular, multifaceted narratives for eight countries from around the world.

Each chapter is devoted to a different country and opens with an informative essay on the culture and its history. Recipes follow highlighting indigenous ingredients and share intimate portraits of the people preserving food culture, including food from:

• Afghanistan, such as Bolani (Stuffed Flatbread) and Borani Banjan (Stewed Eggplant with Garlic Yogurt)
• Democratic Republic of Congo, such as Chikwanga (Cassava Flour Cake) and Pondu (Cassava Leaf Stew)
• Egypt, such as Ta’ameya (Fava Bean Fritters) and Ghorayeba (Shortbread Cookies)
• El Salvador, such as Sopa de Res (Beef Shank Soup) and Pupusas con Curtido (Filled Masa Flatbreads with Cabbage Slaw)
• Iraq, such as Shorbat Adas (Lentil Soup) and Bamia (Lamb and Okra Stew)
• Lebanon, such as Malfouf (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) and Mouhamara (Spicy Walnut and Red Pepper dip)
• Liberia, such as Ground Peanut Soup and Kala (Sweet Fried Dough)
• Yemen, such as Saltah (Lamb Stew with Fenugreek Fruth) and Sahawiq

An original and groundbreaking work, Setting a Place for Us returns agency to the people whose stories, up until now, have been ignored in the media. It sheds light on the important work of preserving recipes and food traditions in places of conflict and migration. (Taken from the Penguin Random House site.)

About the author:

Hawa Hassan is James Beard Award winner, host of Food Network’s Hawa at Home and Cooking Channel’s Spice of Life, acclaimed author of In Bibi’s Kitchen, and founder and CEO of Basbaas, makers of African-inspired sauces and condiments. An acclaimed speaker and presenter, Hawa has been covered by major international media including The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, The Seattle Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Thrillist, Ebony, The Ringer, San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine. (Photo and author blurb taken from the Penguin Random House site.)

What I thought….

No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. (Somali British Poet Warsan Shire as quoted by Hassan in the opening of her book.)

Setting a Place for Us is a book I think I needed to read. And I would classify this cookbook more as a book of essays and history of conflict with a few recipes thrown in.

I was not very familiar with Hassan and I learned a lot about her from the introduction: the devastation and civil war in her home country of Somalia, living in a refugee camp in Kenya with her mother and four siblings, moving at the age of seven to live with family friends in Seattle, as an adult being reunited with her mother in Norway, and finally moving to New York. She writes this book to explore the abandonment she felt and the feeling of being forgotten and focuses on her own experiences as a refugee and displaced person. In 2014, she had the vision for this book: “I will tell these big stories, and I will tell them through food, which is a perfect Trojan horse and a welcoming gateway into culture” (11). In 2025, the book came to be.

In each country’s section, Hassan begins by telling about her journey (when she was able to travel there) along with the country’s background. There is a short essay about a native or descendent before the recipes begin. I’m structuring this review in a little different way by country and I wanted to highlight each person who was featured.

Afghanistan

Ali Zaman is a native of Queens and owns a coffee shop in NYC. During COVID, Zaman decided to delve into the culinary traditions of Afghan cooking. “Home isn’t merely a place on the map; it’s a feeling that transcends borders” (33). I tried one of the recipes from the section, Doogh, a yogurt drink.

Hassan writes that this drink needs to be served ice-cold in a chilled glass for a “refreshing afternoon pick-me-up” (37).

We whipped this up one afternoon when I was at my sister’s. The nephew said it tasted like ranch dressing. 🙁 My sister said that on a hot day, she could appreciate this drink. I thought it was way too salty and might have used a bit of honey. It is a good way to use up cucumbers.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Hassan visited here in 2022 and describes her travel as hectic and chaotic. Her fixer and her family did swoop in to provide some balance with the bustle of DRC. The country, whether called Zaire, Congo Free State or other names from history and colonization, has a chaotic history. Hassan writes:

The DRC has the largest UN Peacekeeping mission and hosts over 500,000 refugees, with about 450,000 Congolese refugees in neighboring countries. It also has the largest internally displaced population in Africa. (60).

Delayla (Emily) Ndelela is highlighted and could be called the Beignet/Mikate queen of the DRC. French is the national language but Lingala is one of the four national languages. Mikate is Lingalese for donut. Her donut franchises, Coin de Mikate to Le Coin D-Emikate (donut corner) is an empire. She guards her recipe for mikate well. (It is not shared in the book.) Most of the recipes shared are street food (Kamundelle—beef/goat skewers) or stews or stewed things (like amaranth). Pili Pili (hot chile sauce) is the final recipe in the chapters and Hassan suggests it could be stirred into any of the recipes in this chapter (albeit in small doses). 

Egypt

Hassan was not able to travel to Egypt but a photographer based in New York traveled there to capture Egypt’s beauty. Her family comes from Alexandria, Egypt. Rana Abdelhamid is the featured personality for this chapter. She lives in Little Egypt in Queens and is the founder and director of Malikah. Malikah’s purpose is to empower women and girls through education (self-defense, healing practices, community organizing, and financial literacy). Her favorite representative meal? Chicken over rice.

This dish is not only delicious but also symbolic of the Egyptian working-class street-vending community in New York City. It’s a blend of both New York and Egyptian culinary traditions, reflecting the diverse and dynamic nature of Egyptian Culture. (89)

I wish there had been a recipe for chicken over rice included. The recipes in the Egyptian section were perhaps the most delicious sounding. Some highlights were Ta’ameya (Fava Bean Fritters), Fil Fil Mahshi (Stuffed peppers), Om Ali (Bread Pudding), and Ghorayeba (shortbread cookies). 

El Salvador

El Salvador is the first country Hassan visited when she first conceptualized this book. It became her touchstone for research.

I was met with warmth, good food, and inclusion at every cafe and restaurant and even among the surfers at the beach. This was in direct conflict with what I had been told about the country. I think back to the dangers of single-origin stories. Who gets to shape your stories? And why are ones like El Salvador peppered with words like dangerous, gangsters, and violence? (111)

Francisco Martinez started as a maintenance man on a coffee farm. He now is the administrator of the Marina Cumbre coffee farm, an operation in the highest mountains on the western coast. He has the expertise and the passion for coffee growing. 

I found the El Salvador recipes to be vibrant: Fresco de Melon (with or without rum), Ceviche de Pescado y Camaron, and Chimol (radish salsa). 

Iraq

Hassan draws parallels to the “complexities of Iraq” and her own “beloved Somalia” (145). I believe that Hassan relied on Aline Deschamps, a photographer, as her surrogate traveler for Iraq. Ayad Asha’s story is featured. He has lived in the U.S. for ten years, working as a brewer. I found it sad that he left Baghdad only to have to leave his home twice in the U.S. for fear for his safety. The dish that he feels represents his country is Masgouf, a grilled fish dish in a tamarind marinade. (The recipe is included in this section.) In addition to the fish recipe, I was intrigued by Salatet Summaq (Sumac Salad) and Shorbat Adas (Lentil Soup with cumin, curry, turmeric, parsley and lemons),

Lebanon

Hassan visited Lebanon in 2022 and had lots of connections and lots on her “Lebanon List.” The history of Lebanon includes very diverse religions and truly is an “intricate tapestry of complexities that defines the essences of Lebanon” (177). Mikey Muhanna is the founder of an organization that promotes curiosity and connection with the Arab world. Home “represents a place in which unfiltered community thrives” (181) whether that is in Lebanon with his biological family or with his “chosen family.”

There is a recipe for the traditional Malfouf (cabbage rolls). Other recipes that sounded delicious were Arnabeet Mekleh (Fried Cauliflower with Tahini) and Harak Osbao (Lentils with Crispy Pita and Pomegranate).

Liberia

Hassan ventured here after her trip to the DRC in 2022. The official language of Liberia is English (so no translations needed on the recipe titles here.) Liberia relies on natural resources (iron ore, rubber, timber, palm oil). Tanya Ansahta Garnett is a restaurateur, chef, professor and singer-songwriter. She has lived in Boston, New Orleans and Liberia. It was her time in New Orleans that helped draw parallels with history, legacy and culture between African and African American communities. Her goal is to share and showcase the richness and diversity of Liberian foods. (Again, I wish the recipes in this section had been shared by Garnett.)

Pineapple Ginger Juice contains fresh ginger, a whole fresh pineapple, lemon juice, allspice, cloves and sugar. I want to try this (served over “lots of ice.”) I also want to try Chicken Gravy (Spicy Chicken and Tomato Stew) which also includes shrimp. The most interesting recipe was Rubbed Potato Greens using the greens of sweet potatoes.

Yemen

Yemen was one of the countries that Hassan was not able to visit so she relied on her friend (and acclaimed coffee roaster) Moktar Alkhanshali. Alkhansali comes from a Yemen coffee growing family, generations back. He also spends time in Brooklyn and San Francisco. He was motivated to help in revitalizing Yemen’s coffee industry which has been struggling. In 2020, he helped establish Mokha. Its mission: “aid Yemen’s recovery from the devastation of war by utilizing coffee to foster employment opportunities and community empowerment” (245).

The most unusual recipe (to me) was Qishr (Ginger Coffee Husk Drink). It sounds delicious with fresh ginger, sugar and cinnamon (and coffee husks). The Yemen version of Shakshouka is different than what I have seen. Here the eggs are scrambled into the sauce.

What I appreciated about this book:

• A reminder that, as Hassan writes, “People are still living in wartime conditions, and as my family did all those years ago, they’re still leaving their homes and crossing borders. Through it all, they continue to hold their families, friends and memories together with food” (11).
• While some of the pantry ingredients Hassan lists are familiar, I appreciated her discussing how different cultures use them.
• Hassan includes a QR code that offers pronunciations for each of the recipes in this book.
• It was great to see recipes for spice blends and condiments included for every country.
• The photos of the people (from the opening essays) and the country are beautiful.
• The informative timeline in the back of the book was great to tie the countries and their plights together and draw parallels with history.

Critiques:

• I wanted more pictures of the food.
• Why did Hassan not include Somali, her home country, in this book?
• I wanted more of a correlation between the people highlighted in the essays with the food. Were these recipes they recommended? Cooked at home? Remembered fondly? What were the stories of the recipes?

I am glad I checked this book out of the library and read it. As I mentioned at the beginning, Setting a Place for Us is more of a commentary with recipes thrown in. I really do wish that each person that was interviewed for each country’s opening section had included a recipe with an explanation.

I’m linking up with Foodies Read for July.