ItwaswhentravelingonassignmentinIndiathatjournalistStephenHendersonfirstlearnedofsoupkitchensoperatedbySikhhousesofworship(orgurudwaras).AftervolunteeringforaweekattheGurudwaraBanglaSahibinDelhi--whichfeeds20,000men,women,andchildreneveryday--Hendersonbecamecurioustoresearchglobalgastrophilanthropy,ortheverydifferentwaysinwhichhungrypeopleareservedfreemealsaroundtheworld.WhennewspaperandmagazineworkdispatchedhimtoplacesacrossAmericaandabroad,Hendersonwouldadddaystohisitinerariestolearnaboutlocalcustomsofcharitablecookery.Thisintriguingseriesoffieldreportsrevealstheclamor,chaos,andcompassionofkitchensinplacessuchasIran,Israel,andSouthKorea,aswellasthoseinAustin,LosAngelesandPittsburgh.Whiletherecipes,culinarymethods,andclientelemayvary,allthesoul-stirringexperiencesshareacommontheme:agreatwaytoshowlovetotheneedyisthroughthegiftoffood.Writtenwithahugeheart,andanevenbiggerappetite,thesechapters--sadandfunny,sometimesboth--mayinspireyoutoembarkonyourownactsofgastrophilanthropy.Afterall,someone,somewhere,isalwayshungry.
