Camp Pendleton Welcomes Its First Arabic Food Stand

There's not a lot of warm fuzzy stories when you talk about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and even fewer ones about food. But here's one with both from the Wall Street Journal.

It tells of how in nearby Camp Pendleton, they just set up a shawarma stand in the base due to popular demand. That's right. A shawarma stand. It turns out "marines returning from Iraq and the Persian Gulf were pining for pita, according to focus-group surveys conducted on the base."

As the article states, "in the Middle East, shared meals are often a key part of forming bonds and winning trust."

So last month Ms. Denise Hazime, a Muslim woman, and her husband, a Marine veteran, opened the first Arabic food stand there.

The story has more than a few accounts of satisfied customers.

Best part of it is? Ms. Hazime is already a semi-celebrity with her YouTube cooking shows, in which she shares the secrets of making good toum, hummus and yes, even shawarma.