Yallah Middle East 2.0

[Aymerlu 3]

Hi Aymerlu

I'm not really terrible when it comes to cooking, I'm just not experienced at all... Since I'm in school and working I'm almost always eating out or just making sandwiches, or grabbing ensure or slim fast.. But now that school is out for the summer, I'm working on my inventive side! Yeah the noodle soup was an easy start but I want to be able to cook once I'm in Algeria.. Maybe his mom can teach me some things ? lol... But the thing is that I have to use items that can be purchased in Algeria so I have to stick to the fresh, natural fruits, vegetables and meats.

I do cook every now and then, but I was wondering if anyone here has an East meets West style of cooking? Because I do know some lebanese families that will cook a traditional american platter, and the next day a traditional arabic platter.. I tend to mix things up..

For example, I'll get halal bone in chicken from the meat market, coat it with shake and bake, then I'll bake it for 45 minutes.. and use cous cous with chick peas as a side dish, with steamed asparagus as a vegetable.

Or I'll chop up pieces of halal lamb and sautée it with snap peas, brocoli and green paper.. with olive oil and serve it over some arabic rice with pine nuts and light seasoning.. etc..

Then to add to those meals I'll cook lentil soup, and/or prepare a caesar salad..

Am I weird or what? lol

oh....I AM terrible, I admit it. Thank God Khallid tells me he is not that into food.

Now I have a question........I have been trying to plan our wedding and what music will be played before the wedding and during the reception. I have a lot of the normal wedding songs, but I am wanting some really cool romantic arabic songs also. I also want a nice arabic wedding song during the ceremony. I would ask Khallid, but I want it to be a surprise. Any ideas? I have some Amr Diab songs, only problem is I have no idea what the songs mean.

[iceyspots 0]

Ehab Toufiq is my favorite Egyptian singer !!

[honeyblonde 0]

Icey you sound like me. I tend to mix things up a lot. When Abdel tells me he wishes we had met in our twenties so we could have had all of our lives together, I tell him I was a terrible cook and sortof a witch too. It's a miracle my kids' father is still alive with some of the stuff I served him.

For the first 25 years I cooked I only used recipes. At some point I learned to actually look to see how many the recipe served (I think that was after I cooked sukiyaki for 12 and we ate it for 6 days straight). It seemed like I could cook great as long as I had a recipe, but until I started growing some of my own herbs, and really getting to know which seasonings were needed to make which cuisines I just wasn't that good at throwing things together. In fact, I hadn't really even tried to just wing it much until Abdel got here. I guess part of that was because eating was the same here as it is for you - whatever I could stuff in my mouth on the run between work and school.

My biggest cooking problem now is learning to cook less. I just came through feeding two teenage boys, so the rule then was "whatever you cook, make a whole lot." Now I have to learn to not buy the big roast or we'll be eating it for a week.

[iceyspots 0]

lol... I'm going to be stuck with this soup allllllll week... I didn't mean to make that much.. but.. its all good

[noura 0]

Hey Aymerlu,

Look into Oum Kalthoum.... she's the voice of Egypt and is known throughout the Arab world. She's no longer w/ us, but her legacy will never be forgotten. A couple of my favorites are El Houb Kholloh & Laylet Houb (I've probably murdered the spellings, but they are well known. I can refer you to some sites for her cds, but if you can get classic Arabic music anywhere near you, she's in it. Truly beautiful music Also, Hakim is one of my fave pop singers as well as Amr Diab. I have *tons* of Arabic music... really.... **tons**

Let me know if you want more rec's...

Noura

Oh yea! Iceyspots, yes, Sainour is my Rajli... and your soup/stew looks delish! Can you send some my way? Have a nice night....

Noura

[amal 4]

oh....I AM terrible, I admit it. Thank God Khallid tells me he is not that into food.

Now I have a question........I have been trying to plan our wedding and what music will be played before the wedding and during the reception. I have a lot of the normal wedding songs, but I am wanting some really cool romantic arabic songs also. I also want a nice arabic wedding song during the ceremony. I would ask Khallid, but I want it to be a surprise. Any ideas? I have some Amr Diab songs, only problem is I have no idea what the songs mean.

Hisham Abbas qalaty nafsak is a very romantic song

I LOVE HISHAM!!!

[jordanianprincess 0]

Hello Ladies...Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was ok, spend my whole Satruday at my niece's Dance Competition, she is 6 but she won first place! We were so excited, those kids are so cute.

BUT, now its Monday and I have had such a frustrating start! I have been e-mailing the embassy in Amman to see if they got my case yet since it has been almost 1 month since it was shipped (yeah right!) Finally after 2 weeks I got a response from them, but guess what, its an automated response saying they need 2 more weeks to answer my question So I called the NVC, and they said well it shiped and thats all the info we have. I asked them to track it, they said if I can proved them with an email from the embassy saying that they dont' have it then they will track it.

I checked the DHL website and nothing has gone out to Amman, so my case is somewhere in limbo and its so frustrating since the embassy is scheduling interviews for 2007 now! It just feels like everyday that goes by means another week out for the interview.

I figured I'm gonna try to call them, but they have specific times to call and in california time that would be between 3:30am - 6:00am., I guess I won't be getting any sleep tonight.

[~Jackie~ 30]

JP, i feel your frustration while waiting for an interview date. The whole process comes down to finally getting that date to look forward to. Know that your VJ friends are here for support while you wait.

Jackie

[jordanianprincess 0]

JP, i feel your frustration while waiting for an interview date. The whole process comes down to finally getting that date to look forward to. Know that your VJ friends are here for support while you wait.

Jackie

Thanks Jackie

[MaryandMian 1]

JP do not lose hope. Your case once it completes in the states it is sent electronically to the embassy. Then the hardcopy goes out via DHL or other shippers. Your file could of shipped already and does not show at the embassy yet. The electronic files and the hard copies have to be matched and then it will show up as being in the system at the embassy. Good luck and hopefully you will have your interview date before too much longer.

Mary

I checked the DHL website and nothing has gone out to Amman, so my case is somewhere in limbo and its so frustrating since the embassy is scheduling interviews for 2007 now! crying.gif crying.gif crying.gif It just feels like everyday that goes by means another week out for the interview. sad.gif

Edited May 1, 2006 by mianishqsrose

[iceyspots 0]

Hang in there JP, it'll get there

[honeyblonde 0]

Well ladies, this will be my last post for a few hours. We're leaving for a romantic night in Charleston, followed by a morning of fingerprints. I'm going to miss VJ since I'm terribly addicted!

[LebaneseMama 1]

JP, be concerned very concerned. My case and yours left NVC around the same time, and got packet 4 a long time ago. There is something going on, and it doesn't sound good. Keep on it girl, work hard till you get some ansewrs.

Good Luck !

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Well ladies, this will be my last post for a few hours. We're leaving for a romantic night in Charleston, followed by a morning of fingerprints. I'm going to miss VJ since I'm terribly addicted!

Liz... I hope you guys have a very safe... and very romantic trip... with a very successful morning!

Lynne

[MaryandMian 1]

Well ladies, this will be my last post for a few hours. We're leaving for a romantic night in Charleston, followed by a morning of fingerprints. I'm going to miss VJ since I'm terribly addicted!

Good luck and have a wonderful outing together.

Mary