Middle East
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 [...]
Guest/Turkish Baklava
Welcome to our Guest Contributors, Karen and Valerie, of Globetrotter Diaries! These two best friends, intrepid travelers, and wonderful cooks dazzle readers every week with a culinary celebration of a different place around the world. Their photos will make you drool and their stories will inspire you learn more. Thanks, Globetrotter Diaries, we hope to [...]
Teas of the World
Whilst on a call with Belinda and Patty last week I had the bright idea of writing a post about my favourite beverage after coffee, tea! We haven’t really written about tea much on Zomppa and I felt it merited some long overdue attention. Little did I realize at this stage the magnitude of the [...]
Upside Down Rice
This dish was always fun in our house because we got to flip a big pot upside down and if we averted disaster there was a nice golden shell afterwards. It’s also fragrant, filling and colorful. Maqluba, (مقلوبة) which in Arabic means “upside down,” is a Palestinian/ Jordanian dish traditionally made with lamb and eggplant. Other [...]
Photo of the Day: Best Baklava. Ever.
I’ve had my share of baklava. But this, this is the best I’ve ever had. The owner and pastry chef pulled the best from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa to host them at the Sausalito Bakery & Cafe in Sausalito, CA.
Persian Khoresht Bodemjoon – Eggplant and Lamb Stew
For about a week, I have had a hankering for one of my favourite Persian dishes – eggplant and lamb stew, pronounced in Farsi as ‘khoresht bodemjoon’. It’s a staple for any aspiring Persian cook. This dish is so good that the thought of it makes my mouth water. Unfortunately, as I have espoused before, [...]
Mast-esfenaj (Yoghurt with Spinach)
I am, by no means, a good cook. There are, however, just a couple of dishes I can do well, including the following dip (which I usually over-eat with bread, because I just love it!). It’s a Persian recipe, and there are variations, but this is the version my very-excellent-cook-of-a-mother taught me. Now, every Iranian [...]
Hookah Time Baklava
From the marketplaces of Cairo and tea houses of Shiraz, to the sidewalk cafes of Dubai and London, you’ll find the perfumed smoke of the hookah, (otherwise known as sheesha, water pipe, narghilla, and hubbly bubbly) resonate with young and old alike. To many Middle Easterners it is a cultural past time, to sit with [...]
Project Food Blog #2: ‘Merhaba (Hello) Lover’: Lamb Kafta and Bazlama
For challenge #2, Foodbuzz asked participants to cook a classic ethnic
Guest/From the Near East: Stuffed Zucchini in Yoghurt Sauce
We are excited to welcome our newest guest contributor, Lena.
