February Arabic Authors Book Club

On Thursday we held our Arabic authors book club, where we gathering to discuss a book we had all previously picked as a group and read since the last time we met, six weeks ago. 

I always look forward to this evening on my calendar because of the wonderful conversation and amazing food.  Last night was no exception.

We meet to discuss The Girl with the Tangerine Scarf by Mohja Kahf.

It's always hard trying to decide where to start.

I had read the book when it came out in 2006 and attended a reading by Ms. Kahf at the Elliott Bay Bookstore.  I remember loving the book for its familiar similarity to my growing up Muslim in middle America. 

However, unlike Ms. Kahf, I have never felt the calling to put on a scarf.  There are two exceptions: out of respect when I enter a mosque for prayer, or when I wore one to visit the churches and monasteries of Italy on my honeymoon.

It was fascinating to hear how the stories of Ms. Kahf were transformed by the different women around the room who interpreted them in unique ways.

Our long table was full of women of various ages, some speaking Arabic as our mother tongue, while others had never heard the language because their parents were trying to assimilate at the turn of the century in America. 

It was also a mix of Iraqi, Lebanese, Palestinian, Libya, Egyptian and American women that had their own stories of immigration and their contact with Islam (we had a mixture of Muslim and Christians equally breaking pita bread together).

Because our book was about Syria, our magnificent hostess created Syrain dishes for us, staying up until 1am  to stir the Bolognese, which was devine.  Our main Syrain dishes consisted of .
Harrak Esba3o for the lentil pasta dish
Batersh for the eggplant bolognese dish
Eggplant and cauliflower side dishes
And simply baked chicken and potatoes with chili paste and lemon (not in the photo below because we ran out of room on our table)

A small table full of love and spices.

Leaving the best for last was our dessert, which included pies from a local bakery, sweets from a professional caterer, and a dish made in celebration of our two newest book club members: Dalia and Jenna.  These two beauties were born this past year to our book club members and we welcomed them in the Lebanese tradtion of eating meghli in their honor.

As you can see from the photo below, the dessert is made in individual dishes, then bowls of walnuts, crushed almonds, coconuts, and raisins are passed around to place on top.  If you would like to think in comparisons of American food, the closest combination is yogurt with granola, but meghli is so much more sweeter and even more yummy than you can imagine.

So, if you are expecting, make sure to make some Lebanese friends soon so they can bring you some meghli to celebrate your baby.

Ingredients
1 1/1 cups pounded rice
8 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp caraway seed
1 tbsp anise seed
1/4 tsp powdered ginger

Directions
Mix the ground rice to a smooth paste with some of the cold water.
Add the sugar, aniseed, fennel, caraway and cinnamon.
Bring the remaining water to the boil.
Add the ground rice mixture gradually, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.
Continue stirring until it comes to the boil again, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasion- ally, until cooked, approx 1 hour.
The mixture is cooked when it is thick enough to coat the spoon.
Cool it slightly, pour into individual bowls and refrigerate.
Serve chilled, decorated with some of your favorite nuts, raisins, or other sweet toppings.

Simple Eid Table Frame Decor

I was enjoying a much needed break recently and headed to Pinterest for some fun.  While there, I came across an adorable Christmas frame project and wanted to try it for Eid. 

This is what I came up with and I thought you might enjoy the tutorial so that you can make your own.

Simple Eid Table Frame Decor

I had all the supplies on hand, so I was able to just whip up the entire project in less then 10 minutes.  It might be fun to revisit this project with my daughters, but with different letters, for our 2014 - 30 Day Ramadan Crafty Challenge.

Supplies:
Gold frame
Arabesque paper
Wooden scrabble tiles
Glue

Eid Table Frame Decor Supplies

My frame was a 5x5 frame, so I cut my cardstock to fit inside and glued my letters to the outside.  Wal'lah, it's that easy.

Glue your Eid Saeed scrabble tiles on

Tip: I just used regular Elmer's glue because I want to reuse my frame/glass for later.  If you want your letters to stick on there very well, you'll want to use a hot glue gun or E6000.

Eid Saeed!

If you want to change the color, just spray paint or decoupage your frame.  The possibilities are endless.

Alif Mabrouk to Oscar nominated Omar's Square Wall!

Okay, so I'm making a little play on words of the three movies representing the Arab world at the Oscars, but I'm actually quite besides myself with the news.

Can you imagine my joy at seeing not one, not two, but three films on the short list of Oscar nominations today that actually show people that look like me on the screen?

For many that know me, I love movies.  If you'd like to see what Arab movies I recommend, please visit my Arab movies I ♥ board on Pinterest. 

I see, on average, about ten movies a week.  This week I've watched Soap Dish, Harold, Saving Mr. Banks, Cake, August: Osage County and My Girlfriend's Boyfriend and Tara Road already.  And it's only Thursday. 

I love to go to the theater, and I always have a movie going while I'm making art in my studio.  It inspires me to think about all that people that had to work together to get that one scene on the screen.

I look forward to watching these movies and adding them to my board.  I also can't wait to see them win on Oscar night, so alif mabrouk (1,000 congratulations) to the nominees!

Here is a little more detail about the movies:

Karama Has No Walls
Director: Sara Ishaq

'Karama has no walls' is set amidst Yemen's 2011 uprising. The film illustrates the nature of the Yemeni revolution in stark contrast to the gross violations of human rights that took place on Friday, March 18th 2011. Juma'at El-Karama (Friday of Dignity) marks a turning point in the Yemeni revolution as the tragic events that took place on this day -when pro-government snipers shot dead 53 protestors - shook the nation and propelled hundreds of thousands more to flock to the square in solidarity with their fellow citizens. Through the lenses of two cameramen and the accounts of two fathers, the film retells the story of the people behind the statistics and news reports, encapsulating the tragic events of the day as they unfolded.

Omar
Director: Hany Abu-Assad

Omar is a Palestinian baker who routinely climbs over the separation wall to meet up with his girl Nadja. By night, he's either a freedom fighter or a terrorist -- you decide -- ready to risk his life to strike at the Israeli military with his childhood friends Tarek and Amjad. Arrested after the killing of an Israeli soldier and tricked into an admission of guilt by association, he agrees to work as an informant. So begins a dangerous game-is he playing his Israeli handler, or will he really betray his cause? And who can he trust on either side?

The Square
Director: Jehane Noujaim

The Square is an intimate observational documentary that tells the real story of the ongoing struggle of the Egyptian Revolution through the eyes of six very different protesters. Starting in the tents of Tahrir in the days leading up to the fall of Mubarak, we follow our characters on a life-changing journey through the euphoria of victory into the uncertainties and dangers of the current 'transitional period' under military rule, where everything they fought for is now under threat or in balance.