Egypt Everlasting

Small World Saturday #10: Colors

2009-10-03T00:01:00.000+02:00

Small World Saturday #9: Entertainment

2009-09-26T00:01:00.000+02:00

Small World Saturday #8: Eating Out

2009-09-18T23:01:00.000+02:00

Food on Friday: Egypt's Food Crisis

2009-09-18T06:46:00.000+02:00

Today's Scribe:

While surfing around YouTube for a new weekly video to post, I came across this fantastic short documentary that aired on Al-Jazeerah English last summer. It may be a year old, but the problems with food and inflation in Egypt that it discusses still exist.

For anyone who isn't familiar with fool (pronounced foo-wil), the dish made from beans that is spotlighted in the first part, just think of Hannibal Lecter -- he claimed to have eaten someone's liver with fava beans and a glass of chianti. Fool and fava beans are one and the same. Honestly, they are incredibly versatile; Egyptians say that you can prepare them differently every single day for a year.

I hope that you will enjoy this brief look at food in Egypt!

Part 1

Part 2

Thursday Thirteen: Egyptian Proverbs

2009-09-16T23:34:00.001+02:00

Header from Samulli.
To learn more about Thursday Thirteen, to play along, or to see other entries, click here.

Today's Scribe:

1. 'Elle 3ala rasoh batha ye-hasses 3aleha
Literal translation: A person with a wound on his head keeps touching it.
Hidden meaning: A person is likely to point to his/her own weaknesses.
Applicability: When somebody's acts expose what he/she is trying to hide.

2. 3ala kad lehafak med regleak
Literal translation: Stretch your legs as far as your quilt (blanket) goes.
Hidden meaning: Live within your means, or make do with what you have.
Applicability: When extravagancy is unaffordable.

3. 'Elle fat kadimoh tah
Literal translation: Lost is the person who forgets his/her past.
Hidden meaning: Remember what you were before bragging about what you became.
Applicability: Criticizing those who want to be disassociated from their roots.

4. Labbes 'el bousa tebka 3arousa
Literal translation: Dress-up a stick and you get a doll.
Hidden meaning: Make up (cosmetics) can make the ugly quite pretty.
Applicability: Don't be fooled by appearances.

5. Kalil el-bakht yelaki el-3adm fi el-fatta
Literal translation: The unlucky finds bones in his/her "fatta" (a dish made with rice, bread, meat, and tomato sauce)
Hidden meaning: A person with a little luck expects anything to happen to him. Bad luck sticks!
Applicability: Complain about one's bad luck.

6. 'En kan habibak 3asal ma-telhasoush kolloh
Literal translation: If your friend is like honey, then don't lick all of it!
Hidden meaning: Do not take advantage of the sweetness of a dear friend!
Applicability: Criticizing a person who abuses the generosity of a friend.

7. Makedroush 3al Homar kedrom 3al barda3a
Literal transalation: They couldn't beat the donkey so they beat the saddle.
Hidden meaning: Be fair. Blame the source of the problem.
Applicability: Inability to see the real problem and the real evil.

8. Malekyoush fi 'elward 3eib kalom ya 'aHmar el-khaddein
Literal translation: They found no wrong with the roses, so they complained that they were red!
Hidden meaning: People will disagree with you no matter how perfect you are.
Applicability: When people criticize just for the sake of criticizing.

9. El kalb elle beddak tegorroh 3al-said, la feeh wa la f'saidoh
Literal translation: If you have to drag a dog to the hunt, neither he nor his hunting is any good.
Hidden meaning: Someone who unwillingly does what he should will never do it well.
Applicability: Criticizing someone who has to be forced to do what he's supposed to do.

10. Gebna el-aqra3 la'y wannesna, kachaf qar3etoh w'khawwafna
Translation: We invited the bald man to keep us company; he uncovered his baldness and scared us.
Hidden meaning: Criticizing those who act in a manner opposite to what had been expected.
Applicability: When someone behaves in such a way as to provoke a negative reaction where a positive one had been expected.

11. Khonfesa shafet weladha 3al Hait 'alet da 3okD mesalsel
Literal translation: A beetle saw her children on the wall, she said they look like a string of pearls Meaning: To the biased eye, the ugliest can look beautiful.
Usage: To criticize people with clearly biased opinions.

12. Ya me'amen el regaal ya me'amen el mayya fel ghorbal
Literal translation: Trusting men is trusting the water in a sieve
Hidden meaning: A feminist proverb that makes the analogy of trusting men to water being kept in a sieve
Applicability: To wives betrayed or cheated by their husbands (mainly)

13. TabbaKH el-sim dawa'uh
Literal translation: A cook tastes his own cooking, even if it's poison.
Hidden meaning: One gets the results of one's own actions
Applicability: To comment on somebody who suffers from his/her wrong acts

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Aiga with Recipe

2009-09-16T15:35:00.005+02:00

Today's Scribe:

A few days ago, neither Ali nor I was especially interested in cooking something for iftar (that means breakfast and since it's still Ramadan, the first meal of the day that we eat, even though it's around 7 PM, is called breakfast); it had been a long a tiring day, and cooking was the last thing on our minds. But since we needed to eat, we brainstormed, trying to come up with something tasty that could be made quickly. Finally, I had the brilliant idea to cook aiga (pronounced egg + ah), something we hadn't made or eaten for a few years. It's fast, easy, and tastes wonderful.

Aiga is basically a vegetable omelette that is baked rather than cooked in a pan on the stovetop. A friend taught me how to make it many years ago, which means that I don't have a recipe -- I just make it. But I'm going to try to make a recipe to share. Here goes nothing!

Ingredients:

6 eggs
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, grated or chopped very finely
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Optional ingredients:

1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Sautee the onions in about 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine. When the onions are clear, add the rest of the vegetables to the pan. Sautee just until they are warmed through. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, flour, salt, and pepper until there are no flour lumps and eggs are light yellow and frothy. Gently fold in the sauteed vegetables and feta cheese (optional).

Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday: Gabbar by Abdel Halim Hafez

2009-09-14T13:50:00.003+02:00

Thanks to Jori and Diane for hosting this fun meme!

Today's Scribe:

Choosing a singer for this week's theme of heartbreakers was a no-brainer. Abdel Halim Hafez was, hands down, Egypt's crooning king of heartbreak songs. Choosing just one gut-wrenching tune from a man whose catalogue is 98% songs that break your heart, however, is just a bit tougher! In the end, I selected a song for which I was lucky enough to find an excellent translation of the lyrics so that English speakers would be able to get feel for the torture Abdel Halim is singing about. Enjoy!

Part I

Part II

Lyrics Translation:

Ruthless, ruthless
Ruthless in her gentleness
Ruthless, ruthless!
Ruthless in her cruelty
Her laugh deceived me
And her tears betrayed me

And I didn't know before today
That those eyes knew how to betray in this way
And I didn't believe before today
That compassion could be this way
Ruthless, ruthless!

I knew her, yet as much as I knew her,
I didn't know her
And I saw her, yet as much as I saw her,
Never did I understand her
She used to say I love you, yes she used to say
And I, from the pining of my heart, believed her all the way
I used to see, hear and feel her heart
I was living not for my sake but for hers, for hers

And I didn't know before today
That those eyes knew how to betray in this way
And I didn't believe before today
That compassion could be this way
Ruthless, ruthless!

The one who taught me love I wish,
I just wish you weren't the one who taught me
and wish I never saw it.
Why did you deceive me, why did you make me
make me forget the world and live in its sweetness?
There wasn't any two like us that saw what we saw in our love.
The dream we were dreaming and supposed to fulfill together.
Why? Why?
Why did you awake me in the middle of heaven with fire and tears?
Why didn't you have mercy on me and leave me living deceived? Living deceived.

And I didn't know before today
That those eyes knew how to betray in this way
And I didn't believe before today
That compassion could be this way
Ruthless, ruthless!

Small World Saturday #7: Sweets

2009-09-11T23:01:00.000+02:00

Thursday Thirteen: You Know You're Egyptian When ...

2009-09-09T23:13:00.000+02:00

Header from Samulli.To learn more about this meme, to play along, or to see other participants' entries, click here.

Today's Scribe:

1. You know that 1 minute = 1 hour

2. You say "estubid" and "owet" for stupid and out

3. You have billions of cousins

4. You call every person you've never met before "uncle," "ammo," or "khalu"

5. You love to laugh and smile

6. You have ten different foods at your dinner table

7. Your middle name is your father's first name, whether you are male or female

8. You're probably the loudest in your circle of friends

9. Your mom says things like, "Put za sings in za sing"

10. You ask your dad a simple question and he tells you a lengthy story about how he had to walk miles just to get to school and forgets to answer the question that you asked

11. You pronounce the letter B as P so that you say Bebsi, bolice, and bubby instead of Pepsi, police, and puppy

12. When you fly back home after a trip, you find 20 or more people waiting for you at the airport

13. You fight over who pays the dinner bill

Musical Monday: Shik Shak Shok

2009-09-07T09:57:00.004+02:00

Thanks to Jori and Diane for hosting this fun meme!

Today's Scribe:

Egyptian music is known for the rhythmic beat of the tabla, or drum, and that makes it really easy to want to dance to just about every song you hear. Even if you don't know a single word that comes out of the singer's mouth, that tabla will get your feet tapping, your hips swaying, and your fingers snapping in no time. Who needs lyrics when you've got a tabla?

Small World Saturday #6: Transportation

2009-09-05T17:00:00.003+02:00

Small World Saturday #5: Gatherings

2009-08-29T12:59:00.006+02:00

This blog is about everything Egyptian and although Egypt’s history is long and her culture fascinating, she is but one nation in this world of ours that grows smaller with each day. Every Saturday, we’ll post a theme. Participants will post a picture, story, song, poem, recipe, craft project, piece of art – anything, really – that tells us something about your city/town, state/province, or country for that week's topic. Our hope is that through this weekly meme, we’ll learn more about our countries and cultures.

This week's theme is GATHERINGS, so tell us something about how you get together to spend time with family, friends, and neighbors in your part of the world.

Next week's (9-5) theme: TRANSPORTATION

Here are the rules:

1. Please keep your posts family friendly.

2. Enter the link to your specific Small World Saturday post ONLY in Mr. Linky, as this makes it easier for us all to find the posts.

3. We reserve the right to remove any links that are not from Small World Saturday participants and are not linked directly to the weekly post.

Today's Scribe: Ali

We Egyptians live for gatherings. It's not often that you will find just two or three people in a "group" in Egypt because we think that whatever would be fun for 5 people would be even better with 20 people. We love large gatherings, especially when they are made up of our family, friends, and neighbors.

Ramadan is a time for gatherings of all kinds in Egypt. During this month, our homes are filled with family, friends, and neighbors every day. We visit each other and break our fast together all through the month. We gather to eat, pray, laugh, joke, and watch the special Ramadan serial (soap opera) together. While the adults watch the soap opera, which usually addresses an important social or political issue, the kids gather together to play.

Ramadan is also a special gathering time for people who might not have families. Each day, someone will sponsor a charity iftar (iftar is the Arabic word for breakfast and although it seems strange to say that you eat breakfast at 7:30 in the evening, that's the first meal of the day for us so it is breakfast -- breaking the fast). Tables are set up in the street and a full meal is prepared for anybody who is hungry. You can see these tables in every neighborhood all over the country. Nobody tells who sponsored the iftar -- it is always done anonymously because we believe that the best charity is that which is given without expectation of recognition or reward.

After iftar, another kind of gathering happens. This one is called taraweeh, which is a special prayer that happens only during Ramadan. Each night, 1/30th of the Qur'an is read so that by the time the month has ended, the whole book has been read during the prayer. So many people gather each day for this special prayer that they don't fit inside the mosques. As you can see in the picture, they spill out into the streets where they form the same kind of neatly organized rows that they would inside the mosque.

Ramadan is a time of gatherings, and Egyptians love gatherings of all kinds.

Small World Saturday #4: Shopping

2009-08-22T15:54:00.002+02:00

Small World Saturday #3: School

2009-08-15T07:56:00.002+03:00

Today's Scribe: Carleen

Ali will be posting on this topic but since I wanted to get this up as early as possible for those participants in Europe and on the east coast, he won't get the post done until tomorrow. Friday evenings are his "boys night out,"and I don't expect him to be home until long after I've gone to sleep.

Small World Saturday #2: Water

2009-08-08T11:47:00.009+03:00

This blog is about everything Egyptian and although Egypt’s history is long and her culture fascinating, she is but one nation in this world of ours that grows smaller with each day. Every Saturday, we’ll post a theme. Participants will post a picture, story, song, poem, recipe, craft project, piece of art – anything, really – that tells us something about your city/town, state/province, or country for that week's topic. Our hope is that through this weekly meme, we’ll learn more about our countries and cultures.

This week's theme is WATER, so share something about an ocean, lake, river, pool, waterfall, the rain, water of any kind in your part of the world.

Next week's (8-15) theme: SCHOOL

Here are the rules:

1. Please keep your posts family friendly.

2. Enter the link to your specific Small World Saturday post ONLY in Mr. Linky, as this makes it easier for us all to find the posts.

3. We reserve the right to remove any links that are not from Small World Saturday participants and are not linked directly to the weekly post.

Today's Scribe: Iman

**Click on the photos to enlarge.

My dad told me once about an old Egyptian proverb that says that anyone who drinks from the River Nile is destined to return to Egypt. There's a magic in Egypt that comes from the Nile, a magic that probably started that old proverb.

Without the River Nile, there would be no Egypt. The Nile is the life-blood of the entire country. Since the days of the pharaohs, Egyptians have relied on the Nile for farming and fishing. Egyptians eat LOTS of fish!

In the south, the area that Egyptians call Upper Egypt because that part is closer to the source of the river, the banks of the Nile are dotted with villages and farms. Cotton is Egypt's main export, and the best cotton in the world is fed by the water of the Nile River. If you've never slept on sheets made of Egyptian cotton, you don't know what you're missing!

The city of Cairo is built on both sides of the Nile, and there are several bridges across it so that you can get from one side to the other.

Unfortunately, rapid urbanization has turned Cairo into one of the smoggiest cities in the world. The photo above shows the city, on both banks of the Nile with a bridge in the distance, and what appears to be fog hanging overhead. Nope, that fog is actually smog. But that's a topic for another post!

Small World Saturday #1: Home Sweet Home

2009-08-01T12:34:00.004+03:00

This blog is about everything Egyptian and although Egypt’s history is long and her culture fascinating, she is but one nation in this world of ours that grows smaller with each day. Every Saturday, we’ll post a theme. Participants will post a picture, story, song, poem, recipe, craft project, piece of art – anything, really – that tells us something about your city/town, state/province, or country for that week's topic. Our hope is that through this weekly meme, we’ll learn more about our countries and cultures.

This week's theme is HOME SWEET HOME, so share something about the place you live.

Here are the rules:

1. Please keep your posts family friendly.

2. Enter the link to your specific Small World Saturday post ONLY in Mr. Linky, as this makes it easier for us all to find the posts.

3. We reserve the right to remove any links that are not from Small World Saturday participants and are not linked directly to the weekly post.

Today's Scribe: Carleen

Our "home sweet home" is also our "home away from home." It's our business, which is located in Fullerton, California. The Amazing Egyptian Dude's family has been in the hookah manufacturing business for four generations now and when the craze hit the U.S. a few years ago, we decided to import them here. Over the years, we've added lots of other Egyptian products, and The Amazing Egyptian Dude and his sister even started a Widow's Co-Op to help poor widows with children earn a living with dignity (we supply them with craft materials, they make macrame bracelets and hand beaded belly dance belts that we buy from them for resale).

So here's how our "home away from home" works and looks.

It all starts with the arrival of one of these 40-foot containers in the Port of Los Angeles. After it clears U.S. Customs, we pay the very high import duties on the products inside, and they release it to us, the container is delivered to our warehouses in Fullerton.

Once the container is delivered to us, we have 24 hours to get it unloaded. If it takes us longer than that, we are charged $100 for every day that it takes us to get the boxes out. This is the reason that our business becomes our "home away from home" because, as you will see in the next photo, this 40-foot container is packed from floor-to-ceiling with more than 2,000 boxes, large and small, that we have to remove, open, inventory, and organize in our warehouses within 24 hours! During these times, we live at our business.

Can you see how tightly packed that sucker is? And notice, too, the different sizes of the boxes just in the front of the container? We get 3 or 4 of these containers each year.

When the boxes have been unloaded, opened, and the contents checked, we then shelf some of the items -- like the glass vases that you see here -- and label the boxes with a description of the contents before stacking them on the shelves.

This shot is of The Amazing Egyptian Dude during our first expansion when we combined our original warehouse with the one next door. That was another example of the business becoming our home away from home because we spent way too much time there then, too!

So what does your home sweet home look like?

Thursday Thirteen: Famous Egyptians

2009-07-23T09:44:00.014+03:00

Header from samulli.
To play Thursday Thirteen or see other entries, click here.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Today's Scribes: Carleen and Iman

When we think of famous Egyptians, our minds typically travel back in time to the days of the pharaohs. It doesn't take long to conjur up a few famous names from the days of old: King Tut, Cleopatra, Nefertiti. It's as if science, culture, and the arts in Egypt ended with the last pharaoh. Not so! Egypt has produced some internationally famous people, so our list this week will highlight some of them. And if these thirteen are just enough to pique your interest, you'll find more famous Egyptians here.

Famous Egyptians

Omar Sharif (b. 1932)

Before he became known in the West, Omar Sharif was already a big star in his native Egypt. He married Egypt's version of Sandra Dee, a beautiful startlet named Faten Hamama. They divorced in 1974, and Sharif never remarried, saying that he married only once because he loved only once.

Umm Kalthoum (1904-1975)

No Egyptian celebrity is as much beloved as Kawkab el-Sharq, the Star of the East. When Umm Kalthoum died in 1975, more than 4 million Egyptians took to the streets to join in her funeral procession; it remains one of the largest gatherings in history. Upon her death, biographer Virginia Danielson, in an attempt to help Americans understand the depth of the mourning that Egyptians specifically and Arabs in general felt, wrote in Harvard Magazine, "Imagine a singer with the virtuosity of Joan Sutherland or Ella Fitzgerald, the public persona of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis and you have Umm Kulthum, the most accomplished singer of her century in the Arab world."

Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006)

Nobel Laureate for Literature in 1988, Naguib Mahfouz was born and grew up in the same district of Cairo as The Amazing Egyptian Dude. His early novels were made into films starring some of Egypt's most popular actors, among them Omar Sharif and his wife, Faten Hamama. He is one of my (Carleen) favorite authors.

Asaad Kelada

You might not recognize his name or his face, but if you were watching television in the 80's, you know Asaad Kelada. His long term directing credits include: Rhoda, WKRP in Cincinnati, Facts of Life, Who's the Boss?, In the House, Sister Sister, Dharma & Greg. He also directed the pilot episode of Family Ties, the show that catapulted Michael J. Fox to fame. His resume is quite long! More of his credits are available here.

Raya and Sakina

The subject of countless films, plays and miniseries, the brutal and gruesome murders carried out by a group of Egyptian thieves headed by two sisters — Raya and Sakina — in British-ruled Egypt during the years following World War I, has enthralled generations of Egyptians and Arabs. Egypt's first reported serial killers were also the first women in Egypt to receive a death sentence.

Abdel Halim Hafez (1929-1977)

One of the four "greats" of Egyptian and Arabic music, Abdel Halim Hafez rose to fame in the Fifties. Called el-Andaleeb el-Asmar, the Dark Nightingale, Abdel Halim's life story is as haunting and tragic as his music. His mother died after giving birth to him, and his father died five months later leaving four orphaned children to be cared for by an aunt. Abdel Halim never married because, after fighting for four years to win her parents' approval and her hand in marriage and finally winning, his Juliet died of a chronic illness shortly before the wedding. He mourned her loss for the remainder of his life and dedicated many of his saddest songs to the memory of her that he held onto until his own death at the age of 47 from complications of Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis). When he died, the number of mourners at his funeral was surpassed in number only by the funerals of Gamal Abdel Nasser and Umm Kalthoum.

Isaac Mizrahi (b. 1961)

Although he was born in Brooklyn, New York, Isaac Mizrahi is of Egyptian Jewish heritage.

Fayrouz

This singing and dancing sensation was the Shirley Temple of Egyptian film. Like many child stars, fame eluded her once she became a teenager. She gave up the whole movie scene in her early 20s by marrying the actor Badr Eddin Gamgom and became a happy housewife.

Dr. Ahmed Zewail (b. 1946)

In 1999, Dr. Zewail was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering
developments in femtoscience, which made it possible to observe atoms in motion, the transition states of molecular transformations. Dr. Zewail has been nominated and will participate in President Barack Obama's Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The council will talk about education, science, defense, energy, the economy, and technology.

Anwar Sadat (1918-1981)

Americans know Sadat as the "Abraham Lincoln of Egypt," but most Egyptians have a very different view of this highly controversial leader. While Westerners blame his assassination on the 1978 Camp David Accords that brought peace between Egypt and Israel, the average Egyptian will tell you that it was Sadat's oppressive regime, corruption, and domestic policies that led to his death.

Taha Hussein (1889-1973)

Nicknamed the "Dean of Arabic Literature," Taha Hussein was blinded at the age of three after a botched treatment for a simple eye infection. With hard work and a little help from friends and family, he went on to become a writer, philosopher, sociologist, and reformer. His quest to bring about social and intellectual reform in Egypt was met with a great deal of resistance from conservatives, but Gamal Abdel Nasser bestowed on him the highest Egyptian decoration, normally, reserved for heads of the states.

Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970)

Nasser was a pivotal figure in the recent history of the Middle East and played a highly prominent role in the 1956 Suez Crisis. Nasser has been described as the first leader of an Arab nation who challenged what was perceived as the western dominance of the Middle East. Nasser remains a highly revered figure in both Egypt and the Arab world. His funeral remains the largest gathering in history. Said K. Aburish writes that

the world is unlikely to see anything like it again. … Five million mourners followed his cortege, and, like participants in an Irish wake, they told his life story in improvised, memorable chants. … Covering the story for CBS from Cairo, the greatest American broadcaster of the time, Walter Cronkite, was infected by the sense of the occasion, and for a moment he faltered. King Hussein of Jordan sobbed like a baby. Muammar Qaddafi of Libya fainted twice. Arafat shed silent tears while his trembling lips prayed.

Moses

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Egyptian Papyrus

2009-07-22T14:35:00.003+03:00

For details and a list of participants, click here.

The Amazing Egyptian Dude and Wife?

Today's Scribe: Carleen

This papyrus is framed and hanging in a section of our house that I call the Egypt room. The papyrus painting shows Horus, the god of the sky, and his wife Isis.

Wordless Wednesday: Paper of the Nile

2009-07-21T19:47:00.003+03:00

To see other entries or to play along, click here.

Blog Hop: Favorite Recipe, Egyptian Falafel

2009-07-21T17:07:00.008+03:00

So much of Egypt's culture of hospitality involves food that it was hard to choose a single recipe for this week's Blog Hop! Add to the fact that when we cook a recipe is seldom involved, and the challenge becomes even more difficult to meet.

Egyptians eat falafel for breakfast, as do the people in other Middle Eastern countries. I'm not sure how it became a lunch or dinner food in the U.S., unless it has something to do with its sandwich shape.

While it is possible to find a powdered mix to make falafel, nothing beats the real, fresh, deal. So, here's a great recipe to make fresh falafel!

Alfa hana wa shifa (God bless your hands / Bon apetit)

Egyptian Falafel

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups dried chickpeas or 1 24-ounce (750g) can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Method:

1. If using dried chickpeas, cover with plenty of cold water and leave overnight. Drain well. If using canned beans, drain and rinse with cold water before use.

2. Combine the chickpeas, green onions, garlic, parsley, mint, cilantro, cayenne pepper, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, baking powder, salt, and the cornstarch mixture. Process in a food processor in batches for 30 to 40 seconds, or until finely chopped and the mixture is sticky and holds together. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours.

3. Moisten your hands and press 2 tablespoons of the mixture together in your palm to form into a patty. Fill a deep pan one-third full of vegetable oil, and heat until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds.

4. Test fry one patty to make sure it holds together. It should be firm, but not too hard. If it is too solid and hard, soften the mixture by stirring in small amounts of water, a tablespoon at a time. Form the patties and, in batches, fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until well browned. Drain on paper towels. Keep the cooked batches in a warm oven until all are cooked and ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Egyptians eat falafel in a pita bread sandwich. There are two ways to do this:

Lay the pita bread flat like a tortilla, place the falafel and condiments in the center, then roll the ends like a burrito.
Cut the pita bread in half to find the pocket. Fill the pocket with the falafel and condiments.

Suggested Condiments:

Tahini (ground sesame seed sauce)
Yogurt and cucumber sauce
Diced tomatoes
Diced cucumbers
Chopped or sliced olives
Fresh parsley
Thinly sliced onion
Pickled turnips

Music Monday / Musical Monday: Ali

2009-07-21T06:22:00.004+03:00

To see other entries or to play along, click here.

To play along or to see entries from more participants, click here.

Today's scribe: Carleen

How could I not choose a song with the same name as The Amazing Egyptian Dude? It's got a great rhythm, some nice "scenery," and ought to inspire everyone to put on a hip scarf and start shaking that belly!

We're so Official Now!

2009-07-19T00:58:00.002+03:00

Carleen is chiseling today.

Thanks to the awesome and helpful folks at GoDaddy.com, our blog now has its own official domain name! You can still find us through Blogger, but it would be better if you changed your links to point to www.egypteverlasting.com so that my euphoric feeling of being official continues for a few more days!

Shisha Mixes: Pomegranate Pleasures!

2009-07-18T23:31:00.002+03:00

Carleen here. I have the most amazingly scented Pomegranate and Mango shower gel, and it got me to thinking about shisha mixes. To balance the tanginess of the pomegranate, I played around with a few different mixes and came up with a couple that I really liked and hope that you will, too. Although I don't typically smoke tobacco in the hookah (I prefer herbal shisha so that I don't cough a lot), this time I used Layalina tobacco. Here's what I came up with:

1 part Pomegranate with 2 parts Mango -- This one turned out to be my favorite. The sweetness of the mango provided a really nice balance to the tanginess of the pomegranate.
1 part Pomegranate, 1 part Coconut, 1 part Pineapple -- I enjoyed the tropical taste of this mix, and the flavors blended together well. The dominant taste in this mix, even though I put them together in equal parts, was coconut.
1 part Pomegranate, 2 parts Eskandarani Apple, 1/2 part Mint -- First, I have to admit that because I prefer the flavor of Saalaam Herbal Shisha's mint to anything I've tasted in the tobacco brands, I used Saalaam's Breeze O'Mint for this mix. This flavor started out sweet from the apple, took on a tang from the pomegranate, and ended with a subtle hint of cool, cool mint. Of all the mixes I made using pomegranate, this is the one that I would most likely smoke regularly.

Anybody else like pomegranate and have a good mix to share?

Thursday Thirteen: Things to Do in Egypt

2009-07-16T08:30:00.008+03:00

Header from samulli.

To play Thursday Thirteen or see other entries, click here.

13 Things to Do in Egypt

1. Snorkel or dive in the Red Sea.

Did you know that

the Red Sea is the world's northernmost tropical sea?
the Red Sea is one of the most saline bodies of water in the world?
there are several, mostly dormant, volcanic islands in the Red Sea?
of the more than 1200 species of fish that live in the Red Sea, approximately 10% are found nowhere else in the world?
of the 9 countries that border the Red Sea, only Egypt and Eritrea have borders on more than one shore? Egypt has borders on the northern and western shores; Eritrea has borders on the southern and western shores.

2. Shop in Khan El-Khalili.

Did you know that

the souk (market) in Khan El-Khalili has existed since 1382? I guess you could say it's a 14th century outdoor mall!
Naguib Mahfouz's novel, Midaq Alley, is set in a section of Khan El-Khalili?
Bayn el-Qasrayn, in English, Palace Walk (Cairo Trilogy), the first book in Naguib Mahfouz's award winning Cairo Trilogy, is located in Khan El-Khalili?
shopkeepers expect customers to bargain with them?
shops in Khan El-Khalili are organized and grouped together by product?

3. Ride a camel or a horse around the pyramids.

Did you know that

Egyptians call camels the ships of the desert?
before you take the ride, you should bargain with the animal handler for the fee?
you can take a short ride in the desert just beyond the pyramids which is even more cool than riding around them?

4. Drink mint tea at Cafe Fishawy in El Gamaleyya.

Did you know that

Egyptians are serious tea drinkers? It's a holdover from the days of the British Occupation, I think.
Egyptians drink tea from glasses instead of cups?
like the Brits, Egyptians prefer loose tea to bags?
Egyptian tea is served with plenty of sugar?

5. Look down on Cairo from the heights of the Citadel.

Did you know that

the Citadel was built by Saladdin?
other than the Pyramids, nothing in the Cairo landscape is as striking or easily identified in the air as the Citadel?
the Citadel is one of Cairo's most popular tourist destinations?
within the walls of the Citadel, you'll find several different museums?

6. Visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Did you know that

the Egyptian Museum houses more than 120,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt?
some, but not all, of the treasures of King Tut are housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo?
only 9 of the 27 royal mummies of antiquity are on display at one time in the museum?
it's best to plan more than one day to see all of the treasures in the museum?
two of King Tut's coffins and the famous gold death mask are on display in this museum?

7. Eat shawarma.

Did you know that

shawarma can be made from beef, lamb, goat, or chicken?
shawarma is very similar to a Greek gyro?
shawarma is the most popular fast food in Egypt?

8. Drink karkaday.

Did you know that

karkaday, made from red hibiscus flowers, is served both hot and cold?
karkaday is more popular in Egypt than Western sodas?
hot karkaday tea has been used for centures in Egypt as a natural aid for reducing high blood pressure?

9. Protect yourself from the evil eye.

Did you know that

the Bible mentions the power of the evil eye in Proverbs 23:6 and Mark 7:21-22?
if you've ever heard the age old phrase "If looks could kill," you're familiar with the belief in the power of the evil eye, even if you didn't realize it?
for centuries, people in the Mediterranean basin and the area known as the Fertile Crescent have believed that some envious, covetous, or jealous people have the power to cause sickness and disaster, bring bad luck, and even cause death with their "evil eye"?

10. Take a walking tour of Old Cairo.

Did you know that

Old Cairo, also called Coptic Cairo, is home to the oldest church in Egypt?
the Hanging Church (shown in the photo) was built on top of the gate of a Roman fortress?
the Romans built a fort in Old Cairo that is known as Babylon, and that some of its walls still exist today?
Old Cairo is home to the oldest synagogue in Egypt?
it is believed that during their flight into Egypt, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in this part of Cairo and a church exists on the site?

11. Observe a wedding procession.

Did you know that

if you see a wedding procession in the street, "crashing" the party is perfectly acceptable?
it is the custom for the wedding procession to lead the bride and groom from the bride's parents' home to the new home she will share with her husband?

12. Shop at the Tentmaker's Bazaar.

Did you know that

it is customary for the brightly colored tents made in this section of medieval Cairo to be used for the celebration of life's major events: birth, marriage, and death?
technology is rapidly edging out the craftsmen who make these tents by hand as their carefully hand sewn designs are often stolen by textile manufacturers and run off on a single piece of fabric?
if you see a tent pavillion set up in the street, chances are that a funeral is being held there?
Naguib Mahfouz's novel, Children of the Alley: A Novel, is set in the Tentmaker's Bazaar?

13. Visit Al-Azhar.

Did you know that

Al-Azhar University is the world's second oldest surviving degree granting university?
since its founding in 975, Al-Azhar has been the center of Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning in the world?
Al-Azhar was the meeting place for the opponents of the French occupation of Egypt and the seat of the revolution?
its scholars are seen as the highest scholars in the Muslim world?
the Al-Azhar Mosque, begun in 971, was completed in two years?

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: The Oldest Street in Cairo

2009-07-15T23:09:00.004+03:00

For details and a list of participants, click here.

The most famous street in medieval Cairo is al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Street. This is the street where Ali, the Amazing Egyptian Dude (aka, AED) was born, where his family lives, and where the family business is located. For the hundreds of years that Cairo was the capital of the Islamic Empire, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Street was the spine of the city.

To get to the quarter, you have to pass through one of the medieval gates located in the walls that surround it. Bab al-Futuh, located at the top of the map, is the gate (bab is door in Arabic) closest to the family buildings. Unmatched in wealth, power, and glamour, in its hey-day, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah Street was the Rodeo Drive or Park Avenue or Champs-Élysées of medieval Cairo. Remember that just a couple of days ago the AED posted that his mom was born in a palace? I circled it on the map.

One of the most fascinating things for me about this quarter is the juxtaposition of old and new, rich and poor, young and old. Don't let old buildings, some of which look like they may crumble at any minute, fool you! A neglected building does not imply poverty in this quarter! Because much of this quarter is controlled by the Ministry of Antiquities, buying even an old and neglected building is unbelievably expensive and nearly impossible to do. And why wouldn't it be considering the area's rich history?

The street is home to a variety of historical monuments. Mosques, tombs, schools, mansions, warehouses, coffee shops, and fountains line Mu'izz Street as it twists for roughly a mile from Bab Zuweila to Bab al-Futuh, or Gate of Conquests, in the northern wall.

The charm of the ancient heart of Cairo is not that it's easy to navigate; it is not. Its appeal is found in the glorious architecture of the historical monuments that are found from one end to the other, the narrow alleys that spin off Mu'izz Street, combined with the hustle and bustle of life that make this quarter such a rollicking example of why Cairo was considered the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds for such a long time. The Pyramids and Sphinx are amazing to see, but they are static representatives of a civilization long past. To see current Egyptian civilization, pass through Bab al-Futuh and take a leisurely stroll down Cairo's oldest street.

Bab al-Futuh, the entrance to the quarter of medieval Cairo where the AED and Naguib Mahfouz, the Egyptian Nobel Laureate were born and raised.

A section of Al Mu-izz that has been recently restored, all the way down to the cobblestone street. The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, in cooperation with some German historical agencies, have been steadfastly working to restore the quarter to its former glory.

Blog Hop: Three Things You Didn't Know About Me

2009-07-14T21:35:00.002+03:00

1. I was born and grew up in medieval Cairo, Egypt

2. I am from the same district as Naguib Mahfouz, the Egyptian Nobel Laureate for Literature

3. My mother was born in the Bashtek Palace

REVIEW: Caravan's Grand Washable Hookah Hose

2009-07-13T17:10:00.004+03:00

I don't know how the rest of you are with your hookah hoses, but I've got a favorite and am not really interested in using other kinds. So when the time came to replace my much beloved, and very well used, Fifi hose a few days ago, it was a no brainer for me to grab another one off the shelf. Ali, however, wanted to use a different hose this time around and suggested that I take one of our Grand Washable hoses instead. It was like giving up my binky to choose a different hose style, but I decided to give it a shot. And as much as I like the look and feel of my old favorite, I have to admit that I am compelled to give Ali props for the Grand.

With a larger circumference than the standard hose, the Grand makes smoking easy. Very little effort is required to get a good draw and plenty of thick clouds of smoke. The Grand's unrestricted flow gives credence to the old saying that less is more because you get more flavor and clouds with less work. The longer handle makes the hand-off of the hose much more secure because it's long enough to accommodate two hands comfortably.

But the best thing about the Grand is that it is the first authentic Egyptian hookah hose that is truly washable! Yes, you read correctly -- this is hose can be washed to remove lingering flavors. Now you don't have to keep a separate hose for Double Apple or, if you use only one hose for everything, continue to taste your last flavor long after the bowl is finished. Just run water through the body of the hose, and the problem is solved.

Husbands sometimes have really good ideas!

Musical Monday: Habibi Dah (Nari Narain)

2009-07-13T13:38:00.003+03:00

Click here to play along or to see other entries.

Hisham Abbas is a well-known Egyptian pop singer. "Habibi Dah (Nari Narain)" - translation: That's My Love (My Fire Is Doubled) -- went platinum in Egypt and won the award for the Best Video at the Egyptian Oscars in 2001. His biggest hit by far, Habibi Da (Nari Narain) is unique in that Abbas sings part of the song in Arabic, and Indian singer Jayashri sings part in Hindi.

Enjoy!

Introducting a New Meme: Small World Saturday

2009-07-12T23:43:00.005+03:00

Get Ready! The first theme will be posted on August 1, 2009.

:JOKE: Mubarak in Hell

2009-07-12T05:05:00.003+03:00

President Hosni Mubarak dies and goes to hell where he is greeted by the devil. The devil says to him, “Since you were a leader of a country for many years, I’ll allow you to choose which room you’re tortured in for the rest of eternity.”

Mubarak walks down a corridor with doors on either side, opens the first door and inquires what type of torture he would endure. The man at the door says, “You’re tortured for eight hours with burning flames, eight hours of hot oil and eight hours in boiling water.”

Thinking he should try his luck elsewhere, Mubarak opens each door on the corridor and finds similar replies.

He comes to the final door. The man says he will endure twelve hours of torture on a terrible looking machine, followed by another twelve hours in a burning tub of oil. Mubarak tells him that sounds terrible, and he thinks he’ll just stick with the first door he opened.

The man leans in and whispers, “No sir, this is the Egyptian room, the supplies of oil are never delivered on time and our torture machines never work.”

:JOKE: Adam and Eve Were Egyptians!

2009-06-05T13:25:00.002+03:00

A German, an Englishman, and an Egyptian went to an art museum and were spending some time in front of the painting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After observing the painting for a while an intrigued observer asked the 3 gentlemen where they thought Adam and Eve's origins could be from.

The German said, "Look at the perfection of their bodies. She with her slender and well formed figure and he with that athletic body and bulging muscles. There is no doubt they must be of German origin."

Shaking his head in disagreement, the Englishman comments, "It can't be! Note the serenity on their faces, their delicate poise, the sobriety in their gestures. They could only be English."

After a few more seconds of contemplation, the Egyptian exclaims, "I do NOT agree with ANY of your theories! Look closer: they don't have clothes, they don't have shoes, and they don't even have shelter. ALL they have is ONE apple to eat and to top it all off it is prohibited! They are sad. They don't protest and they STILL think they are in Paradise!?? They are definitely Egyptians."