Food
Imagine, if you will, Christmas Day. Not too difficult I suppose as it should be lingering in recent memory. Now, picture Christmas dinner. The flavour, the variety and the massive quantities. Got it?
Now remember how you felt after enjoying that feast. Satisfied? Maybe. A little uncomfortable in those non-elasticated pants? Probably. Slightly sick after overindulging? Almost definitely.
And finally, try to envision a world where this kind of meal is served to you three times a day. Every day. Even at breakfast.
Welcome to Iraq.
At every mealtime I was treated to at least four different dishes. This is not including the salads, the assortment of breads, or even dessert. Of which there are also many types.
It is the sheer scale of the operation that amazes me. I struggle to put together a spaghetti bolognese without getting bored of cooking halfway through, and yet the women who cook in Iraq (for it is always the women who cook), manage to turn out these banquets on a daily basis. Not to give them all the credit however, ordering food to be delivered is a regular occurence, but the take-away is only as a supplement to the food mountain they’ve been busy preparing.
And oh! The flavour! The tastes, the absolute unconditional deliciousness of it all! The plates put in front of you are so divine, it would be impossible to resist just another small little mouthful of something or other. Yes, I know your belt is straining and you can actually feel the last bite you took waiting in line to enter your stomach, but go on, just one more little tiny morsel…
A word of warning. DO NOT CLEAR YOUR PLATE. This signals that you enjoyed the meal, that you are clearly still hungry, and that more food should be placed in front of you. Take this from one who has made this mistake repeatedly (and sometimes it wasn’t on purpose).
You’ve probably already tasted something very similar to the food I was eating, as most dishes in the Middle East are not unique to one single country. If you’ve ever eaten at a Lebanese restaurant, or had the privilege of sampling my mothers (Iranian) cooking, then you’ll understand the flavours that are used in Iraqi dishes. Beautifully spiced (but not hot spices like in Indian food) and aromatic, it all tastes like more.
If you fancy recreating a few of the delicacies I got to sample (several times - often over the course of the same meal), below are a few traditional Iraqi dishes with links to the recipes. If, at any point you wish to try cooking any of these dishes, please give me a call and I would be more than happy to come and sample them, just to let you know if they’ve turned out the way they should have. You know, because I’m nice like that.
Ouzi
Bamia
Masgouf
Maqluba
And for those with a stronger constitution than me - Pacheh
And with that, I think I might just have to go and get something to eat.
Bon Appetit!
Imagine, if you will, Christmas Day. Not too difficult I suppose as it should be lingering in recent memory. Now, picture Christmas dinner. The flavour, the variety and the massive quantities. Got it?
Now remember how you felt after enjoying that feast. Satisfied? Maybe. A little uncomfortable in those non-elasticated pants? Probably. Slightly sick after overindulging? Almost definitely.
And finally, try to envision a world where this kind of meal is served to you three times a day. Every day. Even at breakfast.
Welcome to Iraq.
At every mealtime I was treated to at least four different dishes. This is not including the salads, the assortment of breads, or even dessert. Of which there are also many types.
It is the sheer scale of the operation that amazes me. I struggle to put together a spaghetti bolognese without getting bored of cooking halfway through, and yet the women who cook in Iraq (for it is always the women who cook), manage to turn out these banquets on a daily basis. Not to give them all the credit however, ordering food to be delivered is a regular occurence, but the take-away is only as a supplement to the food mountain they’ve been busy preparing.
And oh! The flavour! The tastes, the absolute unconditional deliciousness of it all! The plates put in front of you are so divine, it would be impossible to resist just another small little mouthful of something or other. Yes, I know your belt is straining and you can actually feel the last bite you took waiting in line to enter your stomach, but go on, just one more little tiny morsel…
A word of warning. DO NOT CLEAR YOUR PLATE. This signals that you enjoyed the meal, that you are clearly still hungry, and that more food should be placed in front of you. Take this from one who has made this mistake repeatedly (and sometimes it wasn’t on purpose).
You’ve probably already tasted something very similar to the food I was eating, as most dishes in the Middle East are not unique to one single country. If you’ve ever eaten at a Lebanese restaurant, or had the privilege of sampling my mothers (Iranian) cooking, then you’ll understand the flavours that are used in Iraqi dishes. Beautifully spiced (but not hot spices like in Indian food) and aromatic, it all tastes like more.
If you fancy recreating a few of the delicacies I got to sample (several times - often over the course of the same meal), below are a few traditional Iraqi dishes with links to the recipes. If, at any point you wish to try cooking any of these dishes, please give me a call and I would be more than happy to come and sample them, just to let you know if they’ve turned out the way they should have. You know, because I’m nice like that.
Ouzi
Bamia
Masgouf
Maqluba
And for those with a stronger constitution than me - Pacheh
And with that, I think I might just have to go and get something to eat.
Bon Appetit!
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