Update

I'm kind of over this blog at the moment. Meh.
Went to the monastery for Easter, God bless you. The nun in residence made a batch of apple vinegar from some of last year's fruit from their orchard, and gave me a little bottle. Amazingly delicious stuff, perfect for this April salad weather.
Oh and I fried myself an egg this morning and this is what came out when I broke the shell.
Two yolks. Which I think definitely means I'm pregnant. Jokes!

Update

Yeah I haven't been doing anything, and I haven't been writing about it because my laptop is broken. It literally broke in two. If I want to surf porn on the internet I now have to borrow the boyfriend's laptop, which I hate doing because he makes me ask for permission and say things like 'please' and 'thank you'. What a freaking nightmare, it's true that a friend in need is a friend indeed, and you don't really find out somebody's character until you're in dire straights.

It's really a generational thing, for Gen Y, like me, speed is a priority. For Gen X, like the boyfriend, everything has to be a bloody procedure. Ooof.

Fakhida bil forn

Maybe its all of the Masterchef I've been watching, but I kind of lost my cooking mojo. The last couple of weeks have been a greasy blur of takeaways and microwaves. Bad girl.

Anyway, here I am, so get over it. It is what it is.

Maria Kahlife's book on Middle Eastern food, is pretty much my favorite source. My employer is Iranian and I've had the most amazing food at her house, I suppose part of the appeal is the fact that unlike good old Spain or Mexico you can't just jump of a plane and pootle off to get the real stuff, I can't imagine traveling there for a holiday. The situation in the region is uneasier than ever, and it almost seems trite to mention that the political and social unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Libya and inevitably others, will hopefully improve the way of life and how the West perceives the Middle East. Lets hope so. Nobody likes change, but as the anarchist Bakunin put it, the urge to destroy is a creative urge.

Fakhida bil forn is pretty much a Lebanese meat and two veg. You marinade a leg of lamb in garlic, oil, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice, then roast for a hour before throwing a few shallots and carrots into the pan. I's sliced and served on a bed of rice, which is made with more cinnamon and allspice, as well as lamb mince, onions and nuts. It's all very fragrant, spicy, a little greasy, and very satisfying.

I served it with Foul Medammas, a delicious Egyptian broad bean dish, and Naaz Khaatoon, a very herby Iranian aubergine dip.

Oh, and here is an amazing blog I've been reading, written by an American student in Egypt - he travels through the region making it seem so accessible, and above all, relevant.

http://foodjihad.com/