DINNER IN MENA LAND

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

Good Bakeries are something I wish the US had more of. Though there was a gourmet meals market I used to frequent in New Orleans called Foodies that had the best bread I've ever had stateside. I'd always buy the olive bread, blue cheese & walnut bread and chocolate bon bon bread.

[caybee 21]

My husband will eat Chinese food once or twice a month, usually lo mein. The takeout near us makes a great General Tso's tofu, but he doesn't think tofu is food.

Tofu is supposed to be food?

Hmm...wonder if I could get away with vegetarian "ground beef".....and if he'd notice the difference...

He would notice the difference if I served it to him. He would identify the difference if my mom or sister did. He's always watching out for the hidden "fake meat" in their cooking.

[caybee 21]

We had really good Moroccan food in Charlotte, NC yesterday. It was just a storefront type restaurant in a shopping center, nothing fancy at all, but the food was the real thing at a good price -- big glasses of hot mint tea, big bowls of harira, and most of the other Moroccan standards. If we lived in Charlotte, we'd be living on the harira. It was a little salty but really, really good. My husband hated to leave, especially because the closest thing we have to Moroccan here thinks couscous should be topped with tomato sauce and meatballs.

Here's the link with the menu in case you're in the area:

Casablanca Cafe

Edited March 8, 2009 by caybee

[M_n_M 1]

My husband says he doesn't like Chinese food either, so you are not alone.

Funny. Mine loves Chinese and Pizza and Waffles with maple syrup. He's obsessed with waffles with maple syrup. He's quite upset they don't have that here in Turkey. They just don't sell maple syrup here or any kind of pancake/waffle syrup. There is actually a waffle house but they only serve one kind of waffle and it's topped with nutella and fruit. He loves nutella...and fruit. Just not on his waffles. He wants to run away to a place that has Eggos and maple syrup. When he saw a waffle maker in a store he wanted me to buy it. I mentioned the lack of syrup and he asked if I could make some home-made maple syrup. I had to explain the fact that I doubted the ability to locate any maple trees in Istanbul and even if I did find some the problem would arise of how was I to tap them and then carry the sap back to our apartment to make syrup from. He decided it was a waste to buy a waffle maker if he couldn't have it with the syrup. The first place we'll go when we touch down on American soil is waffle house.

loooooool, my husband likes pancakes with maple syrup...LOVES them. I'm visiting him in Iran, so every once in a while I make him pancakes... there are no waffles here so I have yet to introduce him to the phenomena of waffles, but i'm darn sure he'd like them. But they do have maple syrup in Iran, it's surprising to me that they don't have it in Turkey. There are stores here that sell Foreign brand foods, like american, or chinese, and they definitely have bettycrocker pancakes and syrup. (actually i think the syrup is "americanfare" brand, but i'm not sure.) Anyhow, I hope you find some!

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

loooooool, my husband likes pancakes with maple syrup...LOVES them. I'm visiting him in Iran, so every once in a while I make him pancakes... there are no waffles here so I have yet to introduce him to the phenomena of waffles, but i'm darn sure he'd like them. But they do have maple syrup in Iran, it's surprising to me that they don't have it in Turkey. There are stores here that sell Foreign brand foods, like american, or chinese, and they definitely have bettycrocker pancakes and syrup. (actually i think the syrup is "americanfare" brand, but i'm not sure.) Anyhow, I hope you find some!

I've tried Americanfare products in Europe and didn't usually care for them. Turkey has protectionist trade policies so they don't import much compared to other countries and what they do have in the way of imports at the grocery stores is expensive. A box of granola bars or a jar of peanut butter would cost you about $6 here when you could get it stateside for around $3. So sometimes even if you can find what you want it's too expensive to be worth it except for on occasion. I can survive on the good Turkish stuff since I know I'll go back to the states eventually. Whenever we make trips abroad we will look for the syrup and then I'll just buy a waffle maker here to make him happy. They do have American fast food restaurants here but I'd rather have kabab. But I do notice young Iranians are a lot more into buying western products just to give the regime the middle finger.

[chaishai 1]

loooooool, my husband likes pancakes with maple syrup...LOVES them. I'm visiting him in Iran, so every once in a while I make him pancakes... there are no waffles here so I have yet to introduce him to the phenomena of waffles, but i'm darn sure he'd like them. But they do have maple syrup in Iran, it's surprising to me that they don't have it in Turkey. There are stores here that sell Foreign brand foods, like american, or chinese, and they definitely have bettycrocker pancakes and syrup. (actually i think the syrup is "americanfare" brand, but i'm not sure.) Anyhow, I hope you find some!

I've tried Americanfare products in Europe and didn't usually care for them. Turkey has protectionist trade policies so they don't import much compared to other countries and what they do have in the way of imports at the grocery stores is expensive. A box of granola bars or a jar of peanut butter would cost you about $6 here when you could get it stateside for around $3. So sometimes even if you can find what you want it's too expensive to be worth it except for on occasion. I can survive on the good Turkish stuff since I know I'll go back to the states eventually. Whenever we make trips abroad we will look for the syrup and then I'll just buy a waffle maker here to make him happy. They do have American fast food restaurants here but I'd rather have kabab. But I do notice young Iranians are a lot more into buying western products just to give the regime the middle finger.

kebab in turkey soooo good

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

kebab in turkey soooo good

Yes. It was good in Dubai too at the Lebanese Restaurants. The Indian food is good there as well. I also like the Persian dishes that my father in law made when he came for a visit as well. Himself is now required to fix me Fesenjan like his dad makes at least once a month since it's my favorite.

[Sandrila 1]

Well we did have Chinese a couple of times cuz me and the kids just love it!

He liked it. There isnt much that he absolutely loves except...brocolli, of all things.

Hey! We have a CHURCH'S and I can see if from my window at work...never been there.

Anything good?

Hubby is not big on breakfast, which I noticed both in Morocco and in India. It just doesnt exist.

He does however love sweets. I mean I have been so concerned with him trying everything and anything

that he has put on alot of weight being here!

He told me yesterday...DUNKIN DONUTS is dangerous..dont give me anymore! lol

So breakfast would consitute something sweet..loves yogurt....probably reminds him of Raib (spelling?)

or maybe my banana bread, or tasty cake or anything sweet....

i tried bagels with him...he wont make it

I tried cereal...just doesnt want it, or oatmeal and most times, not even eggs

i guess eggs is just too easy and something he could easily have back home.

So guys I am really trying to step it up in the kitchen and have more full meals for my hubby.

I guess as the old saying goes....the way to a man's heart is through his stomach

[Sandrila 1]

I have made pancakes thinking that he would like this because it reminds us of something we used to eat in Moroco that is like Rife....but it is more spongy with lil holes in it and it is totally like a pancake.

anyway the pancake thing and french toast seem to be rejected also, I swear I am good cook I swear

but to each his own I guess...breakfast happens to be my favorite meal and the most important!

There are so many choices.

As far as Indian, I would cook that and eat it every night!

LOVEEEEEEEEE IT!

Hubby, I dont know, I think he would like it but dont know if he would appreciate me making it since he is MOROCCAN.

[MrsAmera 41]

Have you tried muffins? I usually make a dozen or so a weekend for hubby during the week, and get the yogurt drink stuff - and he's good with that. He likes French Toast sticks, and cereal now. But he hated them before. The first year was rough esp. food wise for us. Since working the same shift here he's had to fend for himself!

[caybee 21]

I have made pancakes thinking that he would like this because it reminds us of something we used to eat in Moroco that is like Rife....but it is more spongy with lil holes in it and it is totally like a pancake.

anyway the pancake thing and french toast seem to be rejected also, I swear I am good cook I swear

but to each his own I guess...breakfast happens to be my favorite meal and the most important!

There are so many choices.

As far as Indian, I would cook that and eat it every night!

LOVEEEEEEEEE IT!

Hubby, I dont know, I think he would like it but dont know if he would appreciate me making it since he is MOROCCAN.

The biggest difference I've noticed with the pancakes here and in Morocco is they don't turn them over in Morocco, so they end up full of the holes on one side. My husband will eat pancakes, waffles, and French toast for breakfast, but only a couple of pieces with honey. He's not a big breakfast eater and doesn't think of eggs as breakfast food. He does like a yogurt cup and some instant coffee made only with boiled milk and sugar, no water, for breakfast. He also makes smoothies in the morning or at any time of the day -- usually milk, sugar, and bananas, a little yogurt if we have it, sometimes strawberries and sometime avocados. He likes melwi (layered, square-shaped, fried flat bread made from semolina -- I think it goes by different names) with honey for breakfast, but although I've got some good recipes for it, I'm still intimidated and put off making it thinking it will take too much time and that I'll get it wrong in the end.

My husband was cautious about Chinese and Indian food when he arrived. He'd never encountered it in Morocco and probably had some unfair preconceptions, but he has come to really appreciate both, especially Indian food.

[doodlebugg 10]

My husband doesn't eat a lot of breakfast. He gets up, goes outside to smoke, comes back in to get his tea and 2 or 3 Oreo cookies and he's good to go.

[ya falaha! 0]

Anyone ever buy those Pepperidge Farms Apple Turnovers that you bake? Delicious! My husband loves those so I bake them for breakfast on the weekends a lot. He likes pancakes and waffles but doesn't like eating them in the traditional manner. He puts cream cheese on them. Hell he puts cream cheese on everything.

[Aymsgirl 0]

Anyone ever buy those Pepperidge Farms Apple Turnovers that you bake? Delicious! My husband loves those so I bake them for breakfast on the weekends a lot. He likes pancakes and waffles but doesn't like eating them in the traditional manner. He puts cream cheese on them. Hell he puts cream cheese on everything.

K, Aym too!!! Cream cheese or honey on everything!!! I haven't tried those yet.

[morocco4ever 63]

I have made pancakes thinking that he would like this because it reminds us of something we used to eat in Moroco that is like Rife....but it is more spongy with lil holes in it and it is totally like a pancake.

anyway the pancake thing and french toast seem to be rejected also, I swear I am good cook I swear

but to each his own I guess...breakfast happens to be my favorite meal and the most important!

There are so many choices.

As far as Indian, I would cook that and eat it every night!

LOVEEEEEEEEE IT!

Hubby, I dont know, I think he would like it but dont know if he would appreciate me making it since he is MOROCCAN.

The biggest difference I've noticed with the pancakes here and in Morocco is they don't turn them over in Morocco, so they end up full of the holes on one side. My husband will eat pancakes, waffles, and French toast for breakfast, but only a couple of pieces with honey. He's not a big breakfast eater and doesn't think of eggs as breakfast food. He does like a yogurt cup and some instant coffee made only with boiled milk and sugar, no water, for breakfast. He also makes smoothies in the morning or at any time of the day -- usually milk, sugar, and bananas, a little yogurt if we have it, sometimes strawberries and sometime avocados. He likes melwi (layered, square-shaped, fried flat bread made from semolina -- I think it goes by different names) with honey for breakfast, but although I've got some good recipes for it, I'm still intimidated and put off making it thinking it will take too much time and that I'll get it wrong in the end.

My husband was cautious about Chinese and Indian food when he arrived. He'd never encountered it in Morocco and probably had some unfair preconceptions, but he has come to really appreciate both, especially Indian food.

I make a double batch of Melwi every 2 weeks and freeze them. They are a bit time consuming, but not difficult in the least.