The thought of Ramadan brings me back to so many great childhood memories especially of my favorite dessert Umm Ali :) Ramadan to me is a month when my family and family friends would join nearly every day for Iftar and continue the night with loads of sweet mint tea onto suhoor in tents and fun gatherings. There's nothing I enjoy more with food than to share it with others, especially during Ramadan when you learn not to take food for granted.
It was such a peaceful yet fun month; despite the painful stomaches during the day, we had such a wonderful time at night, with delicious food and great company. Always breaking our fast with a couple juicy dates and a small glass of qamardeen (dried apricot juice). The fattoush was always so fresh and my favorite soup to follow would be lentil. The meals always differed but were relatively similar and absolutely delicious. Then again, not much would taste bad after a days of fast so all of these offerings did spoil us!
I have always loved to cook, mainly when I'm surrounded by people who eat a lot and who enjoy cooking as well. The one recipe book I would not be able to live without for the Middle Eastern dishes I love is The Arab Table by My Bsisu. You will find ALL the treasured recipes for foods, savory and sweet, you love and will not be able to put it down this month. There are 3 copies in my immediate family and we all refer to it religiously. If you don't have time to order the book but want any specific recipes just let me know and I'll forward them to you!
This year I found out that my favorite, Wholefoods Market, is going to be preparing Iftar this month, offering all the traditional types of food that are found during Ramadan. It will be the first chain in the USA to celebrate Ramadan. Check out the article "Wholefoods Celebrates, Monetizes Ramadan." Not only will they make a lot of people happy, but they'll be gaining big bucks. The most important point to note is all of their food will be halal. This just makes me love WFs even more as they are really making a difference. Eating there makes me extremely happy generally, and to be able to eat the meals I love during Ramadan there would make me feel like I'm home away from home.
This article by Yvonne Maffei is a great way for anyone who is preparing Ramadan and getting ready to cook for their family and friends. I enjoyed looking at her blog, my halal kitchen, especially sinc she is collaborating with WholeFoods during this month. It's quite impressive for a Sicilian/Puerto Rican to be so knowledgable and able to cook all these meals I'm used to here in the Middle East. Check out my halal kitchen and her 5 simple steps for preparing Ramadan Meals.
********
Dear All, I hope that this time not only purifies you on all levels, but gives you perspective. I hope you enjoy and appreciate every single meal you eat and that you find the time to share your favorite dishes with the less fortunate.
********
Aah, this post made me smile, May. I like the sound of the Arab Table, I've been looking around for a good book on Middle Eastern cuisine. I hope Ramadan is treating you well xx
ReplyDeleteThank you so much :) It really is good, and has character to it. If there is any recipe you'd like me to check for please let me know xx
ReplyDelete