Rockin' dinner tables

In Egypt, there seems to be a trend among restaurants to have on the outdoor patios large wooden rocking chairs for the whole family to eat dinner on. A fun way to keep kids interested in sitting down at the dinner table. Nice romantic dinner or drinks for a new couple. Just fabulous way of making great use of Egypt's year-round wonderful outdoor weather.

Qatayef

Qatayef (pronouned in Egypt like aht-ei-f) is a crescent-shaped dessert specialty eaten during Ramadan. A yummy fried batter stuffed with cheese or a mixture of nuts, then coated in honey-syrup. It is a delicious treat to feast on after breaking one's fast. There are other more savory versions also, not coated with sugar, stuffed with white cheese mixtures or minced meat (something like a thick perogie, minus the potatoes and sour cream).

Qatayef, just waiting to be eaten, yum!

The nut mixture that is stuffed into the Qatayef

Art tables for kids

A nice feature at a lot of cafe and restaurant areas are art tables set up for your kids to do nice activities and paint pictures they can take home with them (sometimes on stickers, sometimes on large posters, sometimes on clay sculptures, etc etc) with bright colors and sparkles.

This table is set up during Ramadan in the cafe area in Al Rehab
The company running it is called Artoon and is based in Heliopolis.
where they provide art classes and music lessons.

Tangled

Birthday, fish and Jasmine

The best things in life are free

Today I went shopping, and I went to a fruit and vegetable stand and wanted to pay for a handful of cilantro. The guy kindly laughed and told me I could take it for free (I guess 2 big batches of herbs is sold for about a quarter of a pound). Anyhow, Egypt has overall been a country that has taught me how the best things in life are for free. Not just the thrill of getting a freebee, but somehow a deeper lesson in simplicity that separates monetary value from value.
Despite poverty, despite hardships, the Egyptians laugh and love with such big hearts and compassion, proving that even amongst the poorest people, the greatest light can shine -- with a vitality that can spice up life and color it with fabulous flavors.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dates

Dates are eaten all year in Egypt, however during Ramadan they take on special significance as they are used to break one's fast. Muslims believe that dates have special health benefits, this stems from the Quran. In one of the "Chapters" (Suras) of the Quran called Maryam (the Virgin Mary), there is a description of Mary experiencing the pangs of giving birth to Jesus. A voice calls out to her, "Do not grieve! Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm towards you and fresh, ripe dates will drop down onto you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes…" (Qur'an, 19:23-26)

The health benefits of eating dates while pregnant have been proposed in other places as well, however the benefits of eating dates extend beyond pregnant women, reputed as a good way to lose weight, a laxative, good for the nervous system and fighting melancholy and stress, good for lowering cholesterol, a great source of dietary fibers and antioxidants, rich in iron, potassium and minerals like calcium, copper and magnesium, chock full of vitamins, and fabulously delicious to boot. (They make for really healthy ingredients in cookies and desserts, avoiding excessive use of sugars in cooking)

Travel to Egypt During Ramadan

Ramadan is a great time to come to Egypt. This video is oriented towards tourists from the Arab world, however it shows a glimpse into how special a time it can be to be in Egypt for all tourists. In 2011 Egypt needs your support.

The people who stand at the side of the road to help people break their fast during Ramadan

In Egypt during Ramadan, right as the sun is about to set, you will find lots of helpful souls trying to collect their good deed points (hassanat in Arabic) by standing outside and offering bottles of cold water and dates to the unfortunate people who find themselves stuck on the roadways in traffic, or late for arriving at their final destination of food with family and friends. This considerate act is but one example of the many kind acts you find in Egypt on a frequent basis.

Blurry shot - but this is table ready with water to distribute