Yeah, no kidding. I've been a vegetarian for the past 10 years.

There are a lot of vegetable dishes, though.

And grains. Can't tell you how many different ways you can prepare rice and broken wheat.

At the same French restaurant that I had the frog legs at, I also used to eat their calamari dore. It was sooooo good.
It's basically a squid "steak" and they cooked it in some kind of butter and garlic sauce. Just divine.
I also used to eat the liver there (with bacon on top). I actually liked it, but I probably wouldn't eat it plain.

LOL Ooooooooo no Algerians are in a class all their own As I am sure several ladies here can attest to. But generally Maghrebin (North Africans) are more similar to the naked eye then Mashreq (Middle Easterners) And as far as weddings are concerned they are way over the top (esp the dresses, which we actually had a thread about not too long ago).

Algerians believe that: spending the most money you can, being the noisiest and loudest, having ultimately worst singer at the female wedding party and serving the sweetest sweets are keys to a successful wedding and marriage and in essence something the family can be proud of.

Mother of the groom will "investigate" the family of the woman of her son's choice, to see if she suitable. If she is of good characher, the family will approached the woman's family to propose the union.

The groom has to walk with his familly members in the front (only men) and with his friends and relatives and they have to walk all of them to the house of the bride to ask for her hand ... and then you see a crowd of people walking together talking having nice chats and when they come to the door of the bride's house ... (In my case he walked from his cousin's house where he was stays until our wedding, to his house where I was with his aunts guarded me. LOL The fact that the groom comes walking from a certain place to another place (Bride's house) with the most closed people to him ( family, relatives, friends ) show's how much the bride means for him .. i believe that something like in US/Europe the act when the man goes on his knee for the Bride ... or when the father of the bride gives away his daughter in the church to her groom ...This begins the marriage process.

Then they will approach a imam, who will in turn "speak" with the couple about being married. And the imam will decide to marry them or not. The act d'mariage being signed weeks, months in some cases year in advance. After this the "engagement" begins. When the engagement is agreed upon, there will be a party to announce it. This is the first opportunity to celebrate publicly, and that means that a lot of people are invited to participate. TThe couple are allowed to speak, sit together (not alone of course) and to know each other. The shoura being gathered. The bridal dresses hand-stitched.

The traditional band playing in back of truck, leading the way for the caravan of brightly decorated (with flowers) cars, to collect the bride... horning all the way there, to inform the village/city that someone was getting married! Incidently all traffic stops, people cheer and look at throngs of horning Peugeots lined the roads as traffic made way for the bride's entourage! She sits in a car, with someone video taping her every move until she arrives. She is escorted to the salon (living room) which is so decorted with flowers, gold sparkly things... and whatever she requested.
The nikah and the Fatiha. And also the mahr is decided and given. After this they are basically considered married. Even if they had the act d'mariage before. My husband and I were separated for most of it and I had no clue what was going on. Until I suddenly heard you-yous and received rounds of mabrouks.Then I knew we were married. LOL

The older women weeks in advance (before the arrousa, wedding party) baking off tons and tons of baklava and makroud. A wedding meal is prepared. Usually couscous is served. Cakes, tea and coffee also. Large portions are given to the masjid (mosque) and peoples unable to attend. The meal is cooked in super-sized pots on burners hooked to gas on the floor. Usually a whole mutton is used or more depending on how many attend. At mine, there was 250, of which I knew 3. LOL And behind all that loud people, background noise and music there often are a number of little fights going on because someone got served before the other or because someone sat closer to the bride and groom. The bride is beautifully dressed in her best wedding dress, excesssive in my humble opinion, make-up, all her jewelery she was given she wears, also all her female relatives will give their own for her to wear (the more the better they say) and she is hennad designs on her hands and feet. A throne was set up for the newly weds in his houseand everyone offered their best wishes. She seats a decorated chair, basically honoured like a queen ... The groom sits next to her like some innocent bystanders in awe of his bride. LOL

The next day, the bride will wake up early to go to the hammam, to be pampered for the morning by her new female relatives. Usually they call this fête de henna. She will get her body scrubbed, body all waxed (to remove all of the bride's body hair before the wedding), her hair done and dressed up.I know my hairdo involved a hair piece and 70 pins. ((By the 4th day I just said FK no more)And in most cases this party lasts for days ... the is a party for the women, where the bride parades around in a succession of dresses. Mininum of seven, but as they say the more the better. The men usually have something set up outside, where they smoke and drink. Also many indulge in an afternoon at the hammam, telling nasty pre-wedding night stories my husband said.LOL More she has, the more the groom loves her.

The guests wore a diverse variety of clothing. We all had a "mechmoum" of jasmin behind our ears. The female guests usually arrive in their cover-up abayas and hijebs like some rich movie star escaping the paparazzi. Some of the older women wore outfits which covered their entire arms, and headscarves tucked tightly around the face to cover their hair.Weddings are also an opportunity to get ready for the next wedding season and fill up it's schedule, so girls put on all the makeup they have, wear as gaudy and many times little clothes as possible, show as much cleavage and thighs as they can and dance until they drop in an attempt to hook-up with one of the single (or married but ripe for divorce) perverts at the wedding. :lol:Yes, even thou the party is all-female guys (brothers, cousins, etc) do seem to show up for some reason or another.And even if none or not many show up, fotos are surely taken and passed around.. so they are seen. And maybe just maybe someone will find them attractive and approach them later on for marriage.

These parties typically last a few days, like a non-stop rave. Tea and various cakes are served.I know at mine, there are women making and serving coffee in shifts around the clock,so we all stayed up. There is much dancing involved and you-yous.Parading, caffeine from coffee and tea, high sugared sweets, adrendine, dancing, beating of duffs and drums, Andulz and many times Rai music... all spells trouble. LOL. Also there seems to be always a girl with the most make-up, the most peacockish outfit singing horribly, you would assume she was drunk (but of course being Muslim country no alochol was served)
On the last day, usually 4th or 5th, most important day of the wedding, the bride was to be given away to the groom, after maghreb they prepare to say farewell. The bride is dressed in the traditional Constantine or Kabliye dress, that does have weigh to it with all the metal-work and decorations. The bride was seen to represent a boat, sailing a bountiful load of happiness, wealth and health into the groom's family. It was a highly emotional ceremony as the womenfolk of the family cried as they 'gave away' the bride's hand in marriage. (but I didnt) I was so tiredThe womenfolk lined up to adorned the bride with jewellery, a truly emotionally charged moment.

The groom with then approach his bride and walk they shall walk out, husband and wife, whilst surrounded by cheering family members and friends. The couple will be photographed (traditions varied) by the groom's younger brother or cousin. Then the groom nervously awaits as the bride is dressed in her wedding night gown (also very extrangant) ... her make-up and hair retouch ed. The grooms enters, another set of fotos snapped (by the trusted male member). Then the couple begin their life together. The women thou stand outside of the door, waiting for any noises (like they did me) so they can make their you-yous ... The next morning, the women of the house greet the new wife with breakfast. Usually she is pampered for a few weeks afterwards. Soubhan'Allah (strange) yet so beautiful! I will never forget it! (And of course I cannot, fotos and videosThat is an (my) Algerian wedding)

Marocain and Tunezian weddings are somewhat like this too! Some wilder then others. But in Tunis huge mahrs and the multiple dresses are in fashion. The families rather put up the money for the couple's future, then the wedding.

Dee: Your wedding sounds lovely. I am so happy for you! I know how crazy-fun they can be. Mine was ummm... something like that

Waw that was totally OFF TOPIC and LONG... but anyway loved to relive that LOL

thank you henia for posting that! a very interesting and informative read
now for the dumb questions:
remove all of the bride's body hair? and i thought just a brazilian wax job sounded painful
about henia - what exactly does it signify? is there a set design or just at the whim of the one putting it on? and who puts on the henia? and why on the hands and feet? more details on that please

lol at you-you's
there often are a number of little fights going on because someone got served before the other or because someone sat closer to the bride and groom - sounds an awful lot like some american weddings there

Well hopefully only my husband puts on HENIA ... but henna also known by its Latin name, Lawsonia Inermis, is also found in India, Asia and Australia. For centuries, a dye that is made from the leaves of this plant has been used to color nails, hands and feet, as well as other items such as cloth and leather goods. Today, henna is also a marketable ingredient in women's shampoo.
However, although the use of henna has branched out since its discovery in North Africa, its most popular use is still beautification. And although it was made famous by the Prophet Mohammad (saws), the artful use of the dye is largely a female affair. In some Islamic countries, the use of henna is reserved for the celebrations of Eid, weddings, pregnancy and birth, while in others it is used as an everyday beautification (Muhammad, p.4). In modern America it is a trendy "thing to do" among teenage girls. Further reading, see the source for the above: http://www.islamonline.net/english/Science.../article3.shtml

but Henia signifies the name my parents gave me.

MENA traditionally (also per the Hadiths) women completely go hairless, while men go hairless in the arm pits and privates.

Yes you-yous... Oook sleepy ... reason for short rely. Bonne nuit!

thanks henia for the info, i learned something today

Omigod, a COEXIST sticker! Well why didn’t you say so! That means you can make as many asinine statements as you want and never have to be called on it. It’s just as effective as “I can’t possibly be a racist, I have friends that are black”. Exactly what does yr former husband’s nationality have to do with anything discussed here? Why would you even bring it up? Are you trying to say there was something inherently wrong with him, something inferior about him because he was American? Arabic culture’s no cooler or less cool than any others. Culture seems a pretty strange thing to play “more or less” ratings games with, or at least it seems so to me. I guess that’s because I’m not a cultural elitist, consciously or not. Asserting the virtues of Arabic culture does not come at the cost of denouncing your own or any others.

“Yeah...Arab men don't play with the whole "stamina" bit” = “Yeah....black men sure can play basketball” = “Yeah...Asians sure don’t play around when it comes to math scores”.
Gross. Not cool. When I heard a colleague at work, who had recently been dating an African-American man, announce that “once you go black, you never go back” I was just as repulsed. Reducing individuals, human beings to such a small component as their skin colour or the ethnic group they happened to be born into and as such has a rather insignificant impact on their individual character is inherently wrong.

Waooow oooooooooook... does anyone have chill pills to pass around?

Well, you gotta admit, they are making a good point.
I also kinda cringed when the other poster made mention of their Coexist sticker.


But back to MENA foods!!!!


My favourite dish ever, is tabouleh. YUM. With all sortsa lettuce and that garlicy yogurt stuff with cucumbers in it.

Very true Raspberry ... I find those stickers sooo annoying Ye having one of them does not automatically make you PC!

Off topic, but ... Asuman huh? Interesting name... what is orginally? Sounds Turkis for some reason.

Back to topic: Has anyone ever heard of Pismaniye (floss halwa) ?

I agree... but not with YOU.. why dont you chill out.. !??
No one was denouncing anybody!!!

de·nounce
–verb (used with object), -nounced, -nounc·ing.
1. to condemn or censure openly or publicly: to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.
2. to make a formal accusation against, as to the police or in a court.
3. to give formal notice of the termination or denial of (a treaty, pact, agreement, or the like).
4. Archaic. to announce or proclaim, esp. as something evil or calamitous.
5. Obsolete. to portend.

She first started talking about HER HUSBAND (arab) and MIL (arab)'s conversation.. AND their talk about "stamina".. We all just agreed!

"People" wanna be all PC but no real Insults were being tossed around..

And I dont know about you... But you ask ANY ARAB MAN.. and they'd easily agree...


I stick to my original post

fyi folks this is the woman with the same ISP as that annoying guy who was banned....actually they were both banned but apparently both their lives are so miserable they can't stop coming here and bashing everyone. Just report them to Ewok.

Yeah, it's Turkish (Old Persian name, I think). My parents were immigrants from Turkey and moved to Belgium when they were younger. I was born there.


I LOVE Pismaniye!!! OMG can't believe you mentioned it. That stuff is so sweet though but I miss it.
Mom used to run her own little deli/grocery shops with all sorts of Middle Eastern food stuffs.
I miss her cooking. /cry

Ewok knows she isn't the same as aqoul, which is why she isn't banned anymore. FYI, doodle, smarty pants, whatever you go by these days. What are you gong to report her for? Having a different opinion than the sheeple?

Nothing like cultural relativism and exoticizing arabs for Saturday night entertainment!



Why don't you go away? I don't agree with most of what you say, so should I tell you to go away from now on? Since that seems to be your only m.o., are you suggesting that's how we go forward?



I find your ignorance of the meaning of your own words repugnant and distasteful. You don't even see how ridiculous your generalizations are so of course you would think a COEXIST sticker on your car makes you all liberal and stuff.

here we go again.

Whatever I go by these days? I have never had any other name than doodlebug . I have no need to go around making up names since I am not so cowardly as to post behind a fake name.

I never said she was the same as aqoul, just that she had the same ip address which he publically confirmed. I would report her for coming on here after being banned. If she isn't banned anymore why does she not have the same username or at least the same account?

And just for sh!ts and giggles, why do you only come on here to spew hatred? Is your life THAT miserable?

Let's see, because Ewok told her to choose which username she wanted and she chose the one she is now posting with. But you would know that since you seem to be keeping track of the administration of this board, right?

good god, if you think this is hatred, I'd **hate** to see you encounter something really bad, like someone flipping you off in traffic. Relativism is the name of the game tonight, I guess.

From wiki:

Floss halva

Pişmaniye (Turkish) or floss halva is a traditional sweetmeat, prepared in Kocaeli, Turkey, made by flossing thin strands of halva into a light confection. Made primarily of wheat flour and sugar, the strands are continuously wrapped into a ball shape and then compressed. The result is a halva with a light consistency, similar to cotton candy. Floss halva can be found in regular and pistachio flavors, and there are brands with kosher or halal certifications.


Turkey

The term helva is used by Turkish people, to describe tahin (crushed sesame seeds), flour, or semolina halva, called "tahin helvası", "un helvası", and "irmik helvası", respectively. Yaz helvası is the one made of almond or walnut. Semolina halva (garnished with pine nuts) has a cultural significance in Turkish folk religion and is the most common type. Traditionally, halva prepared with flour un helvası is cooked and served upon the death of a person. In addition, some sweets and desserts are also called helva such as pamuk helva or Kos helva, a sweet like dessert which is widespread in Turkey. In Safranbolu kos helva is also called "leaf-halva".

[edit] Cultural references

In Turkey, after the burial ceremony, on the seventh and fortieth day following the death, as well as at the first anniversary, flour helva is cooked and offered to visitors and neighbours at the home of dead person. For this reason, it is also called "ölü helvası" meaning helva of a dead person. Likewise "roasting the helva of someone" suggests that he died and a period of time has already elapsed.

There is a Greek saying Ante re halva! ("Άντε ρε χαλβά!" or "get lost halva"), which is used when the speaker wants to offend a man by calling him effeminate.

well my bad then and if she's here on invite from ewok she's certainly off to a brilliant start. She might not have aquol's literacy abilities but she sure does have his endearing nature.

And if what you historically post is not hatred then I would hate to see what you spew out when you really want to tick someone off.

**inserts chill pill**


back on topic... FOOD! ~drools~

Aaaaaand you're wrong. Good try though!

Cheesecake!


Oh wait, this is MENA.


Halva!

Actually, I don't like halva that much >.<

Ummm...


OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH I know!

Ok ok, I remember in this Morroccan shop, around Ramadan time. They'd have these fried sweet pastries. I mean, there was just honey or syrup or something drooling off of this stuff. And it had like weird shapes. Like it was all folded and stuff. It was so good.

Anyone have any clue what I'm talking about?

>.>

beignets?

Unless any of you know someone else on this board personally...and I mean, you spend time with them and you know their history, then how can you pass judgment on someone calling them a racist or a bigot. You don't know me, you don't know how I treat people on a day to day basis, so how can you even make comments about what kind of person I am? Based on a paragraph that I've typed?

Not sure why anyone would want to troll a thread about food to bash someone. Previous suggestion is correct...CHILL OUT!!!

We're all here to help each other, please be respectful of that.

No, those are like fried dough roll thingies, right?

This was crunchy and crumbled in your mouth. It was dipped in some sort of honey syrup stuff.

Was it sort of crescent shaped? Did they have an almond flavor to them?

I think you're referring to the gazelle horns, right? http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/?action...d=949&lg=en
That wasn't it.


Hm, the shape was weird, It had ridges all around and it was like folded.

LOL, I'm trying to find a picture on some recipe websites.

no, those aren't what I was thinking about. A couple of times when I have visited my huband's family before, they had some kind of cookie that was gooey I remember...sort of what you were talking about. But I can't remember the name either. I do remember that they were REALLY good though!

Wewt, I found it!


haloua chebbakia

http://www.travel-in-morocco.com/patisserie4.htm

OK, I also found this website http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette.c...m_recette=34069
where the same thing is referred to as beignets, so maybe you're right
When I think of beignet, though, I think of doughnuts without holes.

Click to view attachment

The cookies in the little cups is what I was thinking of being gooey. But the cookies beside them are the ones I was talking about.

those are good. I thought they had sesame seeds but I couldn't remember exactly what they looked like.

All these cookies...they are so good...especially with tea.

why's she saying ridiculous stuff like this then:
"I think most of us on this site would agree that the Arab culture that we've come to know is far more enchanting than anything we've known. At least it is for me. I was married to a good 'ole boy American and was not anywhere near happy as I am now."
and why is she mentioning the nationality of her ex-husband then? what does it have to do with anything that he was american?
i dig moroccan culture and everything gorgeous and lovely it has to offer. but i'm just as enchanted with looking at andy warhol paintings or listening to jazz or reading truman capote. sorry, i'm just not into the cultural rating game. i don't go for that condescending, exoticizing foulness. or maybe i've just been reading too much edward said...i don't know.
as for stamina-undoubtedly universally applicable to the male gender, whether they're arab or pacific islander, australian aborigine or swedish. nothing exclusive there.

Sad to think that someone has to ruin such a fun thread. Glad to know that one persons opinion doesn't have to be the ONLY opinion.

The absolute best food I ate in Jordan was chicken and rice cooked with veggies and cashews and almonds.
Though I don't eat organ meat, my husbands mother kept dishing chicken livers over to me, I put them in my mouth and swallowed them whole, praying that I didn't choke on them as I did so. LOL I didn't want to offend her, so I ate them.

I agree, there is something mysitcal and magical about the Arab culture. The strength of the family unit there is like stepping back into time. I can think of several lessons we as Americans can learn from them as far as family unity is concerned.

LOL For "stamina" my husband eats banana's every day. He made me eat them too! LOL

I think you're talking about spekie (I don't know how to spell it).

I found a picture, and it's shebbakia or chebbakia:

I like escargot also. First time I had it was from a street vendor in Morocco who was boiling it in a big pot. I wanted to try it but was afraid, so I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, and my fiance dug it out of the shell with a safety pin and fed it to me -- yummy!

Hmm...Doodlebug, my fiance just glanced over, saw your avitar, grinned, and started poking me in the face. He didn't need any ideas

My fiance just glanced over, saw the picture and screamed CHEBBAKIA! in my ear. So either he needs to stop reading over my shoulder or I need to learn to make that. He said it's for Ramadan.

YES! Almonds! You hear that too! Since I'm almost seven months pregnant, and we've been together a little longer, I don't hear him ask me for almonds as much though! hehe!!

Yes, we have it during ramadan, too. Luckily a few of the Arab markets around here sell it, so I don't need to learn how to make it. It seems like it would be difficult, and I'm not much of a baker.

Hicham hates almonds. I looove desserts with almond paste or almond extract but he just can't stand it! He must be the only one from MENA who hates almonds!

Heniaaaaaa- I saw your banner the other day!!!!! When are you going to spill the beans?

lol nope! my hubby despises almonds and almond flavor. I loooove all the christmas cookies & pastries made with almond extract - hey more for me!

Phew, I really thought he was the only one!!!

I have to say that I am not a fan of the chicken or savory dishes with almonds and sugar. But the almond in cookies and cakes is delicious!!!

omg my FAVORITE moroccan dish is chicken bastilla with the almonds and sugar (fes style)! my fiance isn't keen on that one though. but i swoon over a good bastilla!

Ye, me either. Only savoury dish with essentially a sweet spice is bourek. But I cannot do any of the tajines with meat and fruits in them.