Anyone who has tried to cook an authentic Middle Eastern meal knows that many obstacles, such as finding ingredients or an authentic recipe often come up. Many restaurants that claim they serve Middle Eastern food, actually serve Americanized versions of these foods, using ingredients more common to the area. The biggest obstacle seems to be finding recipes that stick to tradition. Many of the recipes substitute exotic ingredients with more everyday ingredients that may make the meal more accessible but may also make it less unique.
With this blog, I plan to create a useful resource for people who may enjoy cooking and also for those who may just enjoy trying new things. I will not only provide recipes, but also general information about Middle Eastern cuisine, such as where to get the best ingredients, solutions to common problems faced, and helpful tips learned from hands on experience.
There has been a lot of hype in recent years about the Mediterranean diet, which generally includes foods from Italy, Greece, Spain and parts of the Middle East. This blog, however, will be focused solely on Middle Eastern food. As an Arab, I have been eating Middle Eastern food my entire life. As an Arab American, who has lived in America my entire life, I know the problems we face when it comes to making authentic and delicious Middle Eastern food.
I plan to combine my knowledge of Middle Eastern food with any knowledge gained from other Arabs in the community who know even more than I, to create a reputable source of information to help people have a truly satisfying and traditional Middle Eastern meal.
I agree with you about the Americanized food. All these restaurants says “authentic” Mexican, Middle Eastern, Asian, etc. cuisine but they are all tweaked to fit American business. One thing I know is that Coke-Cola tastes better in Mexico because they use real sugar cane. I will let you know my sister loves to find new places to eat or new recipes to try so I will gladly show her your blog because I know she would like it. I have a friend who said she thought she had tasted curry before, but realized it was not as good as her new roommates make it.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty excited about this blog. I have many Middle Eastern friends and every now and then, we go out to eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I'm not sure if those places are "Americanized" as you put it, but the food was still very exotic at first. I did eventually get used to the taste and has now become a total fan. I really hope you write a post about a tikka masala dish because it is my absolute favorite. There are only a few things that I can eat constantly even after being full, and tikka masala is one of them. Anyway, I am eager to see more of your posts and learn a few recipes.
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