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Having lived in Egypt for over twenty years, Egyptian cuisine has played a significant part in my life. For the first few years I lived with my in-laws, and it wasn't exactly a typical household as my mother-in-law was a French Jewess, but I believe she had begun life in Turkey and moved to Cairo at the age of about three. She did not work and her kitchen was her palace.

My husband loved his mother's cooking: he wanted me to eat traditional Egyptian food from the start and eventually learn to cook it myself. I resented somewhat his refusal to try any of my favourite recipes, but I wasn't averse to learning new ones.

One noticeable difference between Egyptian and British cuisine is the way vegetables are cooked. Green beans, the ubiquitous courgettes, or possibly peas with carrots would first be sauteed. Something called samn, similar to ghee, would normally be used, but we switched to oil as a healthier option. Tomato puree and just a small amount of water would be added, the vegetables then being left to simmer gently until tender. Sometimes small pieces of beef, or mince in the case of peas and carrots, would be added at the start as well as a grated onion. (How many buckets of tears did I cry over grating those onions?)
Artichoke hearts were available fresh or frozen. Again they would be sauteed with some mince and a little flour, but this time lemon juice would be added with a limited amount of water for simmering. I soon learned to cook these successfully and remember the day when my other half said my artichokes were better than his mother's. Her reply was 'il baraka fil 'usta' - congratulations go to the master (who taught me).

Stuffed vegetables are of course very popular - courgettes, or a thin white variety of aubergine, or green peppers. Stuffed vine leaves are usually the favourite. I had had these at a Greek restaurant in Manchester's Oxford Road in my student days, but I remember how large they were. The Egyptian ones must be as slender as a finger: a time-consuming process that is often carried out the previous evening. I remember once serving meat with stuffed vegetables and being told that anything stuffed counted as rice; I should therefore have cooked a separate vegetable as well. Considering how long I had spent preparing the meal, I thought that was a tall order.

A version of lasagna using penne rather than sheets of lasagna is one of the most filling dishes. Like most main courses, it would be served with a salad of lettuce, cucumber and tomato,

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