A simple, frugal, hearty, satisfying, nourishing and comforting Iraqi soup. It fills me with nostalgia not only because its as popular as lentil soup in Iraq, but because there’s something familiar about it’s creaminess and my mother’s addition of a luscious green leaf that makes it all the perfect comfy bowl to behold on cold day. It is more popular in southern Iraq (as far as I know), as I’ve seen some families cook it almost every day.
It’s been exactly a year and two months since we moved to Iraq, and almost two years since my last depressing post. Continue reading
As the weather cools I crave the comfort of roasted vegetables, the kind of vegetables that seem so bland and unappealing by just being steamed or boiled. Roasting does caramelise the natural sugars in any vegetable, and the addition of a few sour, salty and crunchy condiments completes the picturesque of a perfect meal. I’ve eaten enough Mr A’s salad over the summer to keep me happy without it for a while. Continue reading
A few days ago WordPress congratulated me with a “2 year anniversary” notification. Has it really been that long? I’ve hardly posted anything and certainly don’t deserve this electronic celebrations! The thing is, since I’ve started blogging, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for all those committed bloggers out there. The dedicated devotion to the amazing pictures and beautiful words, filling cyberspace, reaching someone, somewhere in this vast expanding world. What’s more, my admiration goes to all working mums who blog regularly sharing their amazing creations and pictures so enticing, they want to make you bite the screen! How do you do it?
Well done everyone! Blogging is no easy job. Continue reading
Dear readers,
The past year has been one of the biggest learning curves in my life.. It consisted of many personal discoveries, improving my social skills, being polite yet assertive, opting for lazy short-cuts in the kitchen, time management (though not very successful with the blogging!), the ability to cook even though utterly exhausted, the ongoing work, studying for a masters in Human Nutrition and very importantly to reference or back a statement with a reliable source. No matter how strong or logical an argument can be, in the world of science and dealing with academics a good reliable source is essential, otherwise all your efforts would go in vain. Many years of intensive research goes into scientific literature, meaning it cannot be ignored, even though some schools of thought think otherwise.
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It’s been a while.. again.. I feel I owe it to myself more than anyone..
So much to say.. Not sure where to start.. Write about what I’ve learnt.. Or just follow the heart.. They say being a female.. I’m supposed to multi-task.. Surely I don’t fit this image.. So what job should I prioritise..?Well leaving the usual cliché to one side, apart from multi-tasking at a leisurely pace in the kitchen, I seem to be absolutely terrible fitting around other tasks. So keeping things simple, I’d like to share my colourful dinner plate.. bursting with flavour, simple to prepare, and utterly delicious. Very filling too I may add.
Jacket Potato, Aubergine and Tomato Towers with Herb salad – Serves 4-6 Continue reading
Celeriac or celery root is a root vegetable usually in season at the beginning of autumn. It’s not attractive to look at, and in fact the mass number of roots sticking out at either end look almost like an alien creature to me, not to mention the dirt and mud it captures in between those layers. However, when you cut inside the white jewel shines, its aniseed smell extremely inviting. Continue reading
ihave2kitchens 