Middle East
Wake up with Zat
Harken the words once spoken by Julia Child, “how can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?” She was likely comparing French bakeries to Wonder Bread, an unfair comparison. But tongue and cheek aside, bread is the brick of life and bakeries are integral to the well-being and culinary culture of a [...]
Allo! from Jordan
I adore this land. With all the complexities of a modern nation, Jordan stands out in the Levant as a center of history and a haven for many fleeing political uncertainty. But for me it holds the memories of family and summers, and most certainly of food! Jordan is a country rich in beauty. Petra [...]
Love your Fat-toush!
Everyone seems to be a food expert these days. Not a day goes past when I don’t hear someone talking about a vegetarian – gluten-free – dairy-free – sugar-free – Paleolithic – vegan – omega-rich – Atkins – elimination – wheat-free – detox – juice – halal – macrobiotic – carb-free – caffeine-free – liquid – organic [...]
Limonana, Not Your Average Lemonade
When you spend a lot of time in the scorching summers in the Middle East, you really appreciate those things that cool you down. There are some oxymorons: hot tea on a blazing day; heavy clothing in the middle of the desert; and scantily dressed belly dancers. Head to Palestine, and the contradictions are more [...]
Accuro: Class Act
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is an extremely diverse place. Schools reflect this diversity – there are Asian schools, Arab schools, Western-expat schools, and each school has a different food culture and needs. Accuro has partnered with eight schools (14,000 students) to encourage healthier school lunches, incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetable and reducing [...]
Dip into this
Make a splash with a dip in the near east this summer with three colorfully tasty, easy and healthy dips. We start with Baba Ghanouj, a fusion of roasted eggplant and tahini. Then on to Muhammara, a mix of roasted red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate. And finally, the widely popular Hummus, a blend of chickpeas [...]
Chile y Chocolate
One of the bright sides to growing up as an immigrant in North America is that you’re rarely alone. In no time the U.S. will be majority Hispanic. Growing up on the California-Mexican border that reality has always been real to me. But just below the surface California is a hodgepodge of “minority” immigrants, including [...]
The IRONIC: Sweet Recollections
I escaped Iran alone as a child in 1978—just a few months before the country burst into revolutionary flames. I went on to live in four countries in five years before I landed in the U.S. and reunited with my parents. In many ways my recollections of those early years in Iran and traveling around [...]
A Portion of Pomegranate
The pomegranate. What fruit is more tart, sweet, ruby red, fragrant, and dribble-down-your-chin juicy? Not to mention high in antioxidants and other health benefits. It has stood as a symbol of eternal life in Persia since 600 BC, and has seeped into the artwork, cuisine, horticulture, music and literature of Iran. The great poet Rumi [...]
The bright side of an empty belly
From the Editors: The photos selected for this post come from the website Nineteen Days, an initiative involving talented photographers from all over the world sharing their Baha’i fasting experiences and photographs at dawn and dusk. Few of us want to deprive ourselves of food or drink. But as I write this, some 5 million members of [...]
