Kolkasia

Mom was a talented cook who really enjoyed food. She called several recipes her favorite, depending on what she was in the mood for. One of the ones that came up often was kolkasia (a type of colocasia tuber; apparently, and this I have not tested, it is possible to substitute taro for a reasonable outcome). This dish is a traditional Egyptian dish often cooked in winter. The sauce is Green, and it is very different from the regular Egyptian vegetable recipes cooked with meat and tomato. Here is the recipe provided by Wasfa Sahla:

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 75 minutes
Serves 4

1/2 bunch Coriander, chopped
1/2 bunch dill, chopped
1 bunch chard, chopped
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Ghee, margarine, or butter
1 kg Kolkasia
8-10 Garlic Cloves, medium size

1. Peel and cut kolkasia into bite size cubes. Wash cubes very well under hot running water and drain.
2. In a medium deep pan, heat broth over medium heat and bring to boil.
3. Add kolkasia cubes and lemon juice. Leave to boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender.
4. In a skillet, melt ghee or margarine over high heat. Add garlic, coriander, dill and salk. Stir-fry until vegetables are dark green (3-5 minutes). Take off heat and leave to cool.
5. Pour components of skillet in a blender and blend until smooth. If the texture is too thick, add ¼ cup broth.
6. Add blended mixture to kolkasia and broth in the pan. Leave to boil for 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately with tomato sauce and rice.

Enjoy!

Random photo 'cuz Ah am tahrdٌ

This is a photo of us all at Ras el-Barr, where we went every summer for a few years. From left to right: Me, Hanaa, Osman (yes, Osman), Mom, Nour-el-Din (whose torso does not seem to align with his legs), and Aziza. Aziza and I seem to be afraid of drowning.

Mom and Me (in Orlando, Florida?), Circa 1976

This is a photograph of mom and me not long after we visited Walt Disney World (see the Tee shirt) in 1976.

The Backward-facing House

Mom's first house in the US since her return in the early 90s was the house at 6704 Highway NC 86 South (Kirkland Drive). This house, which has since been demolished to make way for ultra-high-class homes* was Interesting (with a capital I). It had a lot of history; it was the first home that mom, Aziza, Osman, Sarah, Ragia, Farah, Hager, Nout, and I had in North Carolina since we moved to the US, for example.

I don't know how many houses mom looked at when she was looking, but I think I can guess why she selected this one: the house was backwards! The back door opened onto the only access to the house, and the main entrance opened out onto an inaccessible area well enclosed with trees. It is almost like a giant had picked it up to play with and returned it the wrong way around.

Trust mom to find something unique in a land where things are increasingly mass-produced.

* It will be interesting to see how it fares in these days of sub-prime mortgage woes.

Zakia Arrives Today

My mother-in-law, Zakia, arrives today for a long visit. Zakia was hit hard with the news of mom's death; she had spoken to her by phone several times since she moved back to Cairo, and they had plans to meet within a day or two, but mom died suddenly. Mom really liked Zakia, and was very glad to have spoken to her. I know this because, even with mom's serious short-term memory problems at the end, she remembered every conversation they had.

Nobody can replace mom, ever, but Zakia is as close a second as is humanly possible, and my heart sings that she is coming. Maybe I can also get her to tell me a story about mom to post here.

Oh, and I spoke to Sylvia Luppert yesterday. What a wonderful woman! More on this later.

Linda's Philosophy of Voting

Mom once told me "If you vote Republican, I'll maim you, but if you don't vote at all, I'll kill you."

Congratulations, Aziza and Ahmed

I spoke to Aziza and Ahmed today. The two got married on Friday, 21 December, 2007. It is too bad that mom could not have been here for their wedding, but I do know that she would have been overjoyed. in the months and weeks before she left to Cairo, she made it abundantly clear that she really, really approved of Ahmed. She felt that he is a mature, responsible, reliable, and generally likable human being.

Ragia and I wish Aziza and Ahmed all the happiness in the world, and that no more sadness will befall them.

CORRECTION: Sarah pointed out a typo in the original post--I had written that Aziza and Ahmed were married December 1, while the truth is that they were married December 21. Thanks, Sarah.