Food. Finally!

I learned (by watching) how to make my first dish – although I don’t know the details. I did learn a bunch of important vocab, however. Like cardamom (hill) and almonds (louz), both of which are integral components of ouzi, currently my favorite, maybe second favorite, Jordanian dish. Picture a huge mound of rice and shi’iriyyah (short noodley things), topped generously with ground meat sautéed with onions, garlic, and peas (and something like pounds of cardamom), then that topped with chicken cooked in cardamom, and all that topped with just a few handfuls sprinkling of toasted shelled almonds. Zaki kateer jiddan! Serve with a side of salata (guess) – cucumbers (khayaar), tomatoes (bandura), parsley (ba’adunis), salt (malaH), lemon (limon), and oil (zayt) – and I challenge you to find me a better meal anywhere.

Oh, and I forgot that iftaar always begins with dates (tamar) and soup. Now that’s a challenge.

Nearing the end...

It's almost the end of Ramadan and I have yet to get any awesome recipes. I really need to get on that... Mansaf itself is basically worth the trip to Jordan, and I really want to be able to cook all of this stuff when I get home. Then, of course, you all will benefit, too.

Iftaar Rocks My Socks

Definitely some of the best food I've eaten and some of the craziest iftaars I've experienced. Thursday night iftaar in Irbid with the host family's extended family. I ate sheep tongue AND sheep eyeball. Gross, but actually, the eye socket was pretty decent. I wish I had a picture of the ouzi, though, because it was a sight. A huge mound of rice with almonds, meat, lamb, and the crown jewel, the SHEEP'S HEAD. Ahh, Jordan.

Ramadan, Part Two: Ahh, Saving Grace

Thank God (or Allah?) for Books@Café. It is the American/British ex-pat haven and is the only place I have yet found who both sells, serves, and permits consumption of food and beverage on its premises. Not only that, but it’s darn good, too. From Friday breakfast (a 7.5 JD prix-fixe meal that feeds three) and Saturday lunch (a traditional Jordanian offering) to the super-thin crust pizzas, Green Mountain (New England, baby!) coffee, and juices (when in Jordan, do as the Jordanians do and get a Lemon with Mint), anything and everything here is worth the price.

Especially the free wireless. And the bookstore downstairs. But mostly the free wireless. And the outdoor patio, and two bars (with alcohol. Duh. Ex-pats.). But, obviously, I really just came for the wireless. And the food, because Ramadan makes you hungry.

Ramadan, Part One; End of the First Week

I’ve now done a week of iftaars, a week of fasting (…or not), and a week of not getting up for suhuur in the morning. Seriously, 4:30 am? I don’t think so. Although I will have to do it at some point; I told my host sister to surprise me one time by waking me up for it, so we’ll see when that happens.

Ramadan in Jordan is tough. Not going to lie, I’m not that good at fasting, and when it’s pushing 40 C and sunny, not drinking water is just not happening. Finding food and beverage for sale is difficult, and a place to consume said contraband even more so. It’s been a week of sneaking into corners, elevators, empty rooms, and dark alley ways for a mere sip or snack.

That said, iftaar kind of makes up for all the difficulties. Begin with three dates, then some soup, then a generous portion of a main course, followed by some sort of dessert and, of course, tea. But that’s just the beginning. A couple hours after iftaar, you get hungry again and go in search of fruit, leftovers, or even better, a cocktail from Lubnani Snack (think smoothie or fruit juice, no alcohol involved). Sleep a few hours, wake up before dawn, eat, sleep more, watch TV, then do it all again. That, in a nut shell, is Ramadan.

Some beginning's end

The end of the semester is always so gastronomically frustrating. You can't buy anything new to cook, there's nothing in the fridge, it's raining and delivery options are usually limited to shitty pizza or overpriced crap. I finished my peanut butter, my almonds, cashews, raisins, fruit, vegetables, had eggs for lunch, and Gia doesn't deliver. When you're stuck with campusfood.com, what's a girl to do?
After eliminating the 23 pizza choices out of 56 total, and the 6 chinese, and the 5 indian because I had that two days ago, and all the other bad choices and closed restaurants, you're left with basically nothing to choose from.
So of course, despite the fact that I kind of wanted a salad (and I had two yesterday...I guess my body might be trying to tell me something?), I opted for Phoebe's Bar-B-Q, a South Street mainstay. I've had it once before, but didn't have the meat (long story) so tonight I got one of their combo plates: 2 sides, 2 meats, and a piece of cornbread. I'm currently anxiously awaiting my mashed potatoes, sneaky spicy greens, brisket, ribs, and cornbread. And contemplating running over to Greek Lady for a salad as an appetizer. Crazy? Might be. I'll let you know how it is.

Cheers.

Just Like My Mother Used to Make

What could be better in the middle of finals week than a home-cooked meal?
I'll tell you: nothing.

I and several others were invited to the home of a prestigious campus figure for Friday night dinner. Food and conversation (and wine?) were all delicious. Yes, conversation can be delicious, but that is besides the point.

You can get good food a lot of places, especially in a city, but nothing says "good meal" like, well, a good meal. Cooked in a real kitchen by real people, and eaten around a table in a totally relaxed atmosphere, there's really nothing like it. This is especially true for college students (and particularly during finals), when the majority of our meals are shitty and more than most of the time in a disposable container. Not to mention the harm this does for the world, it is neither socially for gastronomically satisfying.

So close to the end of the year and so close to mom's cooking you can almost taste it, there's nothing like a sit-down, laugh-out-loud, home-cooked meal. Find a few friends and a few hours and try it yourself. Trust me, you'll love it.