Author Archives: Ani Karapetyan

By: Blanche Shaheen/Arab America Contributing Writer Childhood summers spent at my grandmother’s home in Bethlehem, Palestine meant playing among trees brimming with sun ripened fruit. I spent hours climbing trees, observing busy fire ants, kicking a ball around with my sister, and feeding the chirping baby chicks my grandmother bought us from the market. We … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Most of the rich sweets one sees in the food stalls across North Africa, especially in Morocco, were developed in Arab Spain and brought to North Africa by the expelled Muslims.   The luxurious Andalusian culinary heritage gave the Moroccan kitchen an aura of regal splendour, maintaining the traditional in … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer The history of Arab food goes back to the ancient civilizations of the Middle East. The Sumerians, Babylonians, Phoenicians or Canaanites, Hittites, Arameans, Assyrians, Egyptians and Nabateans all contributed to the formation of the Arab kitchen.   These ancient peoples subsisted on the products they cultivated such as wheat, vegetables … Continued

By: Blanche Shaheen/Arab America Contributing Writer Whether mashed in a Baba Ghanoush dip or layered in casseroles, eggplant takes center stage in many popular Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. However, eggplant is generally overlooked by the western world, perhaps because many people don’t know how to prepare this intimidating-looking vegetable. Some people resist eggplant because … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Coconuts conjure up images of palms and sand, beaches and sun, a picture of relaxation and enjoying life.  However, above all, coconuts are a the staple and a food ingredient much relished by millions around the world. At times, the only food for the poor, it has saved many … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer In the Shadows of the Atlas Mountains The April morning air was cool as we tried to find our seats in the CTM bus headed for Marrakesh.  A half dozen women had taken over the front seats, not shown on their tickets.  Whoever thinks Muslim women are docile should … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Taking a ferry from Algeciras to Tangiers, unexperienced travellers might think they are leaving one world and entering another.  Landing on North African soil, it will appear to many that the modern West has been transformed into the mysterious East.  Yet is it so?  For hundreds of years the … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Sharjah and its capital with the same name, derive their name from the Arabic, al-shariqah (rising from the East).  The emirate is the third largest of the seven states in the United Arab Emirates.  More than its sister emirates, it has long been known, in the southern Arabian Gulf … Continued

By: Blanche Shaheen/Arab America Contributing Writer Just the word Arayes conjures up the most blissful and happy childhood memories for me. Imagine a large campground by a deep blue California lake. The sky is pink, yellow, and crimson red at sunset. My father fires up the grill, then retreats to a lawn chair, tabla in … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Curry, which derives its name from the Indian word kari (sauce), is an Indian condiment par-excellence.  Even though it is used to some extent in almost every nation in the world, the countries of the Indian sub-continent along with Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia remain its true homeland. The … Continued

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer Portugal is perhaps the only country in the world that can boast of its own unique architectural style, namely Manueline or Manuelino, developed during that country’s Age of Discovery.  It came about as a result of the affluence, acquired from the trade with the East, when Portugal was the … Continued