Our common nature is a musical journey with Yo-Yo Ma and me, Ana Gonzalez, through this

complicated country.

We go into caves, onto boats, and up mountain trails to meet people, hear their stories,

their poetry, and of course, play some music, all to reconnect to nature and get closer to the things we're missing.

Listen to Our Common Nature from WNYC, wherever you get podcasts.

I'm Frances Lamb, and this is The Splendid Table from APM, the show for curious cooks and eaters.

This week, we're going from California to West Africa to the Middle East and all the way

to the lunch you may have eaten at your desk yesterday.

We've got the most powerful family in burritos, the flavors of suya spice.

And America's Test Kitchen wonders, what's up with bowls?

But first, what comes in mind when you hear the phrase Israeli food?

Pomegranates, Zatar, grilled meats, great stuff, right?

But what if you hear the words, Palestinian food?

For a lot of people, their mind goes blank.

And Yasmin Khan wants to fill in that picture with phenomenal dishes like spiced, roasted

eggplant balls with cheese.

So she went to Israel and Palestine and talked to cooks.

And she wrote a book, Zaytune, that's driven by joyful deliciousness, but built on the

complex emotions of life in conflict and occupation.

She's here with us to talk about what writing that was like.

Yasmin, thanks so much for joining us today.

Thank you for having me.

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