It is the first Monday of July which means that it is time for the Secret recipe club […]
Author: Sawsan Abu Farha @ Chef in disguise
The part I love the most about exploring any cuisine is trying recipes that I would have never tried or would have never associated with that particular cuisine had it not been for this whole blogging adventure.
Today’s recipe is a great example of that.
Some call it Saudi Pizza, others called aysh abu laham (which literally means meat bread,you see, aysh is bread in the Saudi dialect and laham means meat). A recipe popular in the Hijaz area of Saudi Arabia, particularly in Mecca. This recipe was our Arabic flavor assignment for the month of June.
When Salma (this month’s host ) revealed the recipe, I honestly had my doubts. Pizza and the traditional Saudi cuisine seemed like an odd mix (I expected a rice based main meal or a date based dessert or a cardamom scented drink) But it turns out that there is so much more to the Saudi cuisine than that just like there is so much more than pizza and pasta in the Italian cuisine
When I was a kid, before globalization and the internet (yes , that statement does make my kids giggle and makes me feel old) whenever we had a special occasion and we wanted to buy desserts for it, the options were simple: Baklava, muhalabia, layali lobnana, eish al saraya , awwameh or another item from a long list of traditional Arabic desserts. These desserts were sold by specialty stores who displayed them in the most tempting ways. Sure they sold the occasional cake and some cookies but these were never that fancy nor tempting when compared to the extravaganza of Arabic delicacies on display.
My favorite dessert, as a child was these little white rolls you see in the next picture. They are , velvety and almost melt in your mouth. Delicately flavored with orange blossom water, the creaminess from the filling is beautifully balanced by the nuttiness of the pistachios. They are little clouds of bless. There weren’t that many places that sold these little beauties, so whenever we passed by one of the stores that did, my dad would buy me some
When I posted the batheeth recipe, I promised you more recipes from the UAE and the Arabic peninsula and this is the first in a series coming your way over the next few weeks.
I have to admit that the popular Emirati recipes are growing on me, be it batheeth, Masoub, karrak tea or the long list of rice and spice dishes that are so popular here.
Today’s recipe is one that my kids got me to try. After a cultural day at school they came home super excited about masoub, logaimat and khameer bread (I know this sounds like gibberish now but I promise to dedicate a post to each and every one of these recipes)
Maqluba, Makloobeh, Maklouba,Maaluba , Magluba , maqlouba, makloubeh No, a 2 year old did not gain access to […]
Soft and chewy bagel bites that are ready in 20 minutes, you can top them with cinnamon sugar or everything bagel topping. They are addictive both ways
It has been ages since my last daring kitchen challenge.The past few months have been crazy busy with […]
A family recipe that has been handed down for years. This is the ultimate banana bread recipe and you have to try it
What do you pack when you’re an expat at the end of your vacation back home and you’re getting ready for another year away from your family and friends?
How do you capture the precious warmth and joy that you feel in their company? what can you take to help you get through the months of nostalgia?
Whenever we go back home for a visit, my mum prepares a love package for me and the kids, there are always new books and DVDs for the kids,a few props for my blog, her signature cookies, maamoul, Zaatar, nabulsi cheese and this apricot jam. My son loves jam but in his book, no store-bought could ever come close to his teta’s homemade apricot jam (teta is Arabic for grandma).
For the first few months after the vacation, I am fine, I miss everyone, but I manage to keep busy and keep my mind off it. But as the year rolls by and we get to the last couple of months before the summer break I struggle with longing and little details like opening a jar of my mum’s jam, tracing her handwriting on the lovely notes she sticks to the lids can drive me to tears.
Quick and easy to assemble, this potato casserole is a great way to
enjoy winter comfort food like potatoes in a healthier leaner way.
You can prepare the casserole the night before and store it in the
fridge, all you have to do the next day is pop it in the oven.
My kids love Nature valley oat bars! They are on my shopping list every single week. My kids usually take them to school in their lunch boxes or enjoy them for breakfast, crumbled over a bowl of honey vanilla Greek yogurt. I love how they are the perfect portable snack on a road trip or when we go for a walk by the sea.
Chef in disguise 