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If a pot is cooking a friendship will stay warm'. ( Arab proverb).

I love Egyptian food. It is tasty and filling but more importantly it is made from seasonal fresh fruits, vegetables and spices.
Food is one of the central features of the tradition of hospitality in the Arab world and sharing a meal is an important part of the culture.
I remember the first time I had a meal with my husband's family.

We all sat on the floor around a low wooden table. In front of us was a plate of feta cheese, a bowl of cooked beans and some slices of chicken.
I watched as my in laws and husband broke off bits of the pita type bread,
and used it to scoop up the cheese etc.
"Col!" (eat) said my father-in-law smiling at me.
When I realised that there were no knives and forks I took some of the bread and did as he said whilst I listened to them all chatting and laughing around me. I didn't understand what was being said back then but I felt very welcome as we all ate together. Sharing a meal can help establish lasting friendships and help us understand who we are and where we belong.
Sadly with the pressures of society today many of us have lost the sense of how important it is to sit together and share a meal. This is not the case in most Arab countries.

Egyptian food reflects the country's melting pot' history. Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Palestine and the countries of The Mediterranean have all influenced Egyptian cuisine and Egypt has adapted ingredients and ways of preparation to suit their customs and tastes.

Walk around Cairo and you will see a variety of places where you can eat ranging from stand up stalls, snack bars and cafes, to restaurants and hotels that offer five course meals.
In Cairo there are also western style fast food restaurants such as Pizza Hut', Kentucky Fried Chicken' and Mcdonalds'.
Egyptians have their own fast foods like shawaarma' (lamb cooked on a vertical spit), similar to donner kebab. The cooked meat is sliced off and served in Egyptian bread or a roll with salad, humous or tahini.
Koshari is another fast food consisting of rice, lentils, macaroni and chick peas.

Most meals in Egypt are served with bread, (aysh' Arabic for life). It has been the mainstay of the Egyptian diet since ancient times and there are many different types. The one that is most widely eaten is the round baladi bread-unleavened circles of whole wheat coated with coarse ground wheat. When eaten freshly baked and still warm it is fragrant and delicious, especially when eaten with one of the many dips on offer.
My favourite dip is baba ganoogh' which is made from cooked mashed egg plant and tahini', (sesame seed paste), garlic and lemon, (see photo).
It's easy to make if you want to try. (Tahini' can be bought at most supermarkets here). Try substituting the egg plant for yoghurt for a different taste.
Fuul,' brown broad beans, are a staple of the common Egyptian diet. They are slow cooked and often mashed with lemon, garlic and cumin.
They are also made into fried patties called Tamaya'. And are eaten for breakfast. Chick peas are often used instead of beans. (falafel).

When I was staying with my in-laws in the winter months I often ate a tasty soup, which contained a vegetable called qolqas' ( kolkass). This is Taro root', a pinkish turnip looking vegetable and is used like a potato it can be boiled, fried or baked. I haven't been able to find this vegetable here, unfortunately.
Stuffed vine leaves have to be one of my favourite Egyptian dishes, ( see photo).You can find vine leaves here in some supermarkets and my husband makes these to perfection. He stuffs them with rice, lamb mince and spices. Large cabbage leaves can be used but I much prefer the taste of the vine leaves.

Learn more about this author, Shirley Elmokadem.
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