Satisfying International Taste Buds

I love the little reminders I get of the impact living internationally has had on our kids. This week, I observed one example...

I always cook a special meal for our family birthdays. I will ask the birthday person what their special request is and go at it! My son had his 11th birthday this week and I had to chuckle with his request: Red Thai Chicken Curry. Sounded good to me! I chuckled again when I remembered that my daughter had requested Maqlubeh {her favorite Middle Eastern dish} for her birthday meal. 

Thought I'd share the recipes and you can tickle your international taste buds too!

Red Thai Chicken Curry

¼ cup oil

 1 onion, sliced

 3-4 cloves garlic

1 can coconut milk

2 TBS red curry paste

½ cup peanut butter

 1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed

 2 TBS soy sauce

½ red pepper, sliced

1 1/2 cups of broccoli, thawed

1 TBS lemon juice

1 TBS sugar

 2 cups rice

Heat oil in wok or large pan and add onions and garlic. Pour in 1/3 can of coconut milk. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Add curry paste and peanut butter. Simmer. Add chicken and soy sauce. Simmer. Add another 1/3 can of the coconut milk, broccoli and red peppers. Let simmer 5 minutes. Add last 1/3 cup coconut milk and stir. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add sugar and lemon juice to taste. Mix well and serve over rice.

Maqlubeh

2 medium eggplants

4 potatoes

1 onion

1 lb chicken, diced

2 cups rice (uncooked)

2 TBS seven spice 

salt

olive oil

6 oz. tomato paste

Soak rice in water. Peel & slice eggplant, salt each slice & let sit 1 hour to drain. Peel & slice potatoes and onions. Spread olive oil on large baking sheet & bake potato and onion slices for 20 min. @ 350. Bake eggplant slices for 15 min. on large baking sheet. Meanwhile, spice chicken cubes with seven spice & brown in large pot with oil, then add 1 cup chicken broth, bring to boil to cook the chicken. Remove cooked chicken from pot leaving the broth. Layer baked potato & onion slices in bottom of the pot (that has the chicken broth in it). Layer baked eggplant slices on op of potato/onion slices. Place cooked chicken on top. Drain water from rice & spread the rice on top of the chicken layer. Press all down, pour 2 cups water mixed with tomato paste over top. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer 20 min. To serve, tip pot over on large platter (in Arabic, 'maqlubeh' means 'upside down'). Serve with plain (Greek) yogurt.

Iftar in America

We were invited to join some friends at their iftar last weekend and it was quite a night!

First, some definitions {copied right from wikipedia}:

Ramadan {Arabic: رمضان‎} is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon. While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids and sexual relations.

Iftar {Arabic: إفطار‎}, refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib (sunset) time.

Now, the opening scene:

We were invited in and joined the crowd that was already gathering. A few guys were working on setting up a new TV that had recently arrived. One guy introduced them all like this:

I'm Tunisian, that guy is Egyptian, this guy is Syrian, but was raised in Kuwait, this one is Palestinian, that guy is Iraqi, but lived in Jordan and this guy is Jordanian. We have been trying to decide what to watch on TV for the last 15 minutes and can't agree on anything. We may have to call Kofi Annan.

That is when I knew we were in for a fantastic night. 

We waited for the sun to set {which is quite late when Ramadan is during the summer!}. 

And then, dug in to the amazing food!

We lined up and cut into an entire lamb...

accompanied by all the traditional delicious side dishes...

I lost count, but I believe we met around 50 new people. {And a little girl that went 'shopping' in our shoe pile that accumulated by the front door and adopted my daughters flip flops for the remainder of the night.}

After way to much food and wonderful conversations with people from all around the world, we walked away with big smiles and full bellies, having been reminded of all the delightful and quirky things we love about the Middle Eastern culture!

Hamburger or Cheeseburger?

This is an actual conversation we had at Burger King. {I could not make this stuff up!}

BK man boy: Welcome to Burger King. Can I take your order?

Hubby: Yes, I'd like two kids meals.

BK man boy: Do you want hamburgers or cheeseburgers?

Hubby: Hamburgers, please.

BK man boy: We don't have hamburgers.

Hubby: Oh, can I have cheeseburgers then?

BK man boy: No, we have no hamburgers. At all.

Hubby: Oh, then why did you ask if I want hamburgers or cheeseburgers?

BK man boy: {annoyed look}

Hubby: Ok. Do you have chicken?

BK man boy: {annoyed look} Yes, we have chicken. {duh, we are Burger King, of course we have chicken}

Hubby: Then I will have two chicken kids meals.

BK man boy: {annoyed look} Fine.

I guess the next time we want burgers, we'll have to go to KFC.

Bread: The Start of Revolutions?

I have had a bad case of writers block recently. I think it has to do with all the events happening in the Middle East. We watch the news every day, amazed. Revolutions all around us! This is not the right time to put up some funny blog post about a recent cultural blunder or quirky difference I've noticed.

The protests that are spreading through the Middle East are at their very basic a call for a smaller gap between the rich powerful figures and the poor, struggling, common man. Unemployment is high. Food prices are going up. The common people are ready for some real solutions.

I couldn't help but think of all these issues as I was grocery shopping this week. {I have lots of time to think as grocery shopping here is usually a six-stop adventure!} I found it very interesting how much food buying costs and habits say about culture values. Interesting even more is how much of what is going on in the Middle East can be discussed over bread.

Bread

Arabic Bread. Yu-um!

The Venue

The big bakery downtown.

The Process

I walk in with my change. The bakery man weighs out the bread, puts it in a bag, and off I go. They work fast, so in and out takes about 30 seconds. {Which is good because I am usually triple parked with a police man giving me evil looks!}

The Cost

I buy bread according to how much I want to spend - usually 35 fils {50 cents in USD} worth for the week for our family of four. This is WAY less than the average local who probably goes through that much for their family in one day, as bread is a main staple.

Bread: Cultural Lessons

Bread here is viewed as a very basic provision that God gives each day. This has many cultural implications.

Bread is shared. It is important to serve bread when having guests over for a meal, especially for the first time, to express your desire to connect with them. Arabs say if you share bread, you are linked for life.  

Bread is sacred. It doesn't get thrown on the ground. Ever. Half eaten sandwiches can be seen on top of cars, tucked in niches, set on fences or stashed in between bricks, but never on the ground.

Bread is a blessing. So, it is not thrown away. If a bag of bread goes stale, most households hang the bag on the side of the neighborhood trash bin. Everyday, people come through the neighborhoods to collect the stale bread to feed to their livestock. The blessing is passed on, not tossed away.

Bread: The Start of Revolutions?

In a very simplified way, the current revolutions may not be as much about power as they are about life and living. People can't afford to buy bread because a few are taking the resources, power and freedom from the masses. The unemployment and dire economics caused by corruption and lack of free commerce is choking entire civilizations. What we may see as trivial {it's just a slight increase in the cost of bread, just pennies after all!}, they see as obstacles to receiving the blessings God gives for life and living. Perhaps this is what makes them willing to die for this. A blessing from God should not be tossed away.