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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Sis_Malak |
| 05/15/02 at 23:47:24 |
| [slm] :-) Sisters, I am getting married in 25 days, and I do not know how to cool.... well, I know HOW, but I don't know any dishes besides grilled cheese, french toast, and hamburgers. PLEASE!!!! Help me by giving me some good recipes...I don't want to disappoint my husband. :'( He loves Arabic food, but I will take any recipe you have. Jazak Allah Khairun, Tara |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| M.F. |
| 05/16/02 at 07:39:26 |
| Dear sis Malak First of all MABRUK!!!!!!! Baraka Allahu lakuma wa baraka álaykuma wa jama'a baynakuma fi khair. boy oh boy I understand your panick! :) don't worry though, you're in good hands. The first thing you should do is learn the basic recipe. For Moroccan cooking (which is the tastiest Arab food in the world, and the only kind I really know howt to cook), the basic spice mix for the food is: If you're cooking chicken: cumin, paprika, turmerick (just a little for color), lots of garlic, ginger (powdered), saffron (a pinch if available) and then at the end you add parsley and cilantro (chopped very fine). If you're cooking meat the same but without the cumin and paprika. For fish, make a marinade out of about 1/4 to 1/2 cup each of parsley and cilantro and about 5-6 cloves of garlic, juice of about half a lemon with a teaspoon or more of cumin, paprika and salt. The ginger doesn't work very well with fish but it would be fine if you use the marinade for chicken. The same marinade, but with finely chopped onions instead of lemon juice is excellent on meat kabobs. You can also mix it into hamburger meat and make hamburger kabobs. To all of this add as much cayenne pepper or chili powder as your taste buds like. I don't use any cause my husband doesn't like spicy food. Other Arab recipes from lebanon for example use a mixture of garlic, lemon, sometimes mint as flavoring. They also use cilantro and parsley I believe and tahini sauce. Mint tastes amazing with lamb so invent a marinade with chopped mint and garlic in a yogurt base for example if you want to make a leg of lamb or grilled lambchops. Almost all the Moroccan cooking I know involves frying chopped onions at the beginning then browning the meat or chicken, and adding the spices and some water afterwards. We eat this with bread but most Arabs eat rice I think. Insha Allah I'm sure you won't disappoint him and he'll be just fine with whatever you cook. When I first got married I didn't know the difference between cilantro and parslley. I got a cookbook (Paula Wolfert's Couscous and Other Good Foods from Morocco) and learned veeeeery slowly. I've never made couscous though. Now I can almost eat my own cooking sometimes :) joking. Actually my husband has learned to like other kinds of food like lasagna and salads :) Quite honestly there's nothing like a good cookbook to learn from. In the meantime, check out this link: [url]http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/index_recipes.html[/url] I don't necessarily endorse all the sufi stuff on it, especially the recipes that use cannabis, but there's a lot of recipes from all over the Muslim world and a few of them sounds doable. May Allah help you sis :) You'll be just fine insha Allah. It takes time. If your fiancé knows not to expect huge feasts right from the start he won't be too disappointed. Why do I have a feeling this thread is going to be moved to the House of Kabobs? :) wassalam mariam |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Kathy |
| 05/16/02 at 08:34:07 |
| [slm] here is a real basic sauce: 3 cans tomatoes- stewed,diced,whole 1 onion chopped 1 clove garlic diced 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 bay leaf Meat- beef, chicken, lamb Table Spices Cooked Rice Brown onion in about 3 T oil. Add garlic and brown. Add meat and brown. Add rest and simmer until meat is done. About 1 hour. Serve with Rice [i]Advice- When you are first married- you have no idea how he likes his food spiced. he will probably like what ever his Mom does- so you may want to call her and ask. Never- I repeat- Never try to copy her food- his favorite dish, until you have seen her make it yourself. (trust me) In the beginning- have a lot of table spices to serve. Like Hot sauce, red pepperflakes- salt and pepper- even some liquid curry type sauces. If he is American- ketchup. Please remember if he adds a lot of stuff- don't be heart broken- it is just the way he likes his food and it is no reflection on you. Just watch and learn and add these ingredients next time. Also don't worry so much if he makes a funny face and asks- "what's this?" give the dish some elegant name- , most of us want to know what we are eating. [/i] |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| muqaddar |
| 05/16/02 at 11:10:42 |
| [slm] ok this is advice from a guy so i guess i should know what guys like most guys LOVE mince and potato so all you need to do is mix and meld the following mince , ground red pepper , coriander , salt , garlic , tomato's and a little bit of garam masala chop up the fine garlic , and fry it till it's light brown then add pepper , salt , coriander and small quantity of garam masala chop up potato's into cubes not too small and boil them till they are slightly soft add mince to the spices and garlic and fry on low heat till it's started to go brown then add potato cubes and cook till potato's are medium soft. add 4 chopped tomato's and fry till they have melted with the mince usually it's a pound of mince to 2 teaspoons of pepper 1 teaspoon of salt 1 1/2 of coriander and a pinch of masala ideally toast any bread you eat and have some juice drink along with some salad if theres any leftover for next meal add a few eggs and it becomes a great omellette! just keep trying and evntually you'll work out what spice combo he likes most guys like more tomato's in their food than girls do all the best! |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Nazia |
| 05/16/02 at 12:05:33 |
| slm, I also recently got married, so I kind of know how you feel. I wasn't a cook by any means, but I learned to get comfortable with the idea of cooking. Let's be honest, 25 days is not long enough to become a chef :) But it's definitely long enough to understand the concept of cooking. After that, its just a matter of following recipes! First off, if you have never touched/cleaned/smelled raw meat, I encourage you to do so. (Maybe not smell--that's kind of gross) Start off easy, chicken breast is usually the cleanest with least blood/fat etc. Watch your mom do it, or if she's not available, maybe ask a friend to help, or do it on your own--its simple enough. There are a LOT of great, simple chicken breast recipes, and after you've done it once, it's pretty easy to change it all up with a different recipe, and actually fun! Then try ground beef, and then beef tips/lamb tips etc. Anyways, my point is, get comfortable with the meat, its handling and its cooking time--and after a few times, you'll be a pro :) Become one with your kitchen and its appliances, get nice sharp knives and a good strainer, and I'm telling you--you're set. After that..it's a matter of following recipes and eating! Good luck..and seriously don't stress about the cooking :) Goof friends told me not to worry about the cooking--somehow it just comes to you, and I've found that to be very true! ps--invest in a rice cooker! They're mad handy!! ;) Wasalam, Nazia |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| muqaddar |
| 05/16/02 at 12:08:10 |
| [slm] my dad taught me too cook !! yeah my mum just went into a crisis like my sons going to uni and he's going to starve to death ... ;D Sis_malak most of us guys are pretty forgiving...we understand you poor women can't help yourselves... |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| BUSHRA |
| 05/16/02 at 12:40:04 |
| [slm] :-X :-X :-X :-X :-XCONGRATS! :-X :-X :-X :-X May ALLAH grant you a wonderful husband and a blissfull marriage.(AMEEN) Most of us have started our marriage with none or v. little cooking experience but we all learn with time so chill. Try asking him one day what kind of dishes he like and that will give you some idea. When I first got engaged , my inlaws told me not to worry too much about cooking as their son was not a fussy eater(boy were they wrong ;)) but when we spoke on the phone I asked him about his fav. dishes and this was the list I got:( (all ya desi's will know what I mean) NIHARI, BIRYANI, CHINESE CUISINE, PAYA , BIHARI KABAB, AALOO POORI, PARATHA etc. and after the list to my horror :o he added, "y'know just regular stuff" :-/ :-/) Hehe , just joking he's a wonderful man ALHAMDOLILLAH, but it really did happen and I learned to make most of these dishes before I got married. (however learning to make something is entirely different from actually making it , a lot of things can go wrong :D ;D) Anyway my advice to you is that don't panick about it , try cooking a few dishes at home , just for practice and try finding out what his fav. dishes are. Inshallah it will be ok. BUSHRA PS.(There is a link in INTERNATIONAL KABOB HOUSE on mediterrian cooking , it has a lot of arabic dishes in it.) |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| BUSHRA |
| 05/16/02 at 12:48:36 |
| [slm] Found it, sis malak go to international kabob house and go to page to , its the topic titled "recipe website". It has some good links. Hope it helps. :) BUSHRA :-) |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| mujaahid |
| 05/16/02 at 15:54:07 |
| [slm] Sis Malak first of all CONGRATULATIONS :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ Now, may i ask, how come your ready for marriage but you still dont know how to cook? ??? Anyway, try roast chiken, its easy, and simply, and requires little effort. Your ingredients: Chiken peices to roast. Tandoori Power Curry power 2 blended onions 4 chili's crushed. 1 teaspoon salt Mix the spices together with some plain yogurt until its a medium paste, then pour it over the the chiken, mix the chiken around so its all covered, then simply place in the over on gas mark 3 for 1 and a half to 2 hours. So easy! Yet so delicious!! |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| nouha |
| 05/16/02 at 22:47:48 |
| [slm] whoaaaaaaaaaaa! just becuase a chica is gettin married doesnt mean she knows how to cook right away, we all think our mothers (May Allah(SWT) bless them) are the best cooks, at least soem of us do :P, but they didnt all start out that way, its takes a long time to become good at cooking.... our mothers didnt know how to cook either when they first got married, so u see it all comes in good time...... :) wasalam nouha:) |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Sis_Malak |
| 05/16/02 at 23:23:36 |
| [slm] >:( Hey, my mom wanted me to be her "little girl" forever and never taught me how to cook. Most of my friends didn't know when they got married either.... And it's not like I don't know how to operate the machinery in the kitchen ;), I just don't know any recipes! Tara |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| mwishka |
| 05/17/02 at 19:17:52 |
| congratulations, sis malak! along with paula wolfert's book mentioned by MF, i'd recommend "the book of middle eastern food" by claudia roden. the author's egyptian, coptic maybe - i can't quite remember. i couldn't know how authentic the recipes are, but i can tell you they're clearly written, easy to follow, and delicious! and along with a large number of recipes you get great entertaining stories - background about the foods, their origins, a few long tales. mwishka |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Marcie |
| 05/19/02 at 10:06:45 |
| [color=Teal] [slm] Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. Insha'Allah it will be blessed. Here's my prized cookbook that I've had for ten years: Middle Eastern Cooking by Rose Dosti. I've used this cookbook more than any other. Where is your fiance from? You might want to learn how to cook foods from that region. Although I have to admit that I have not done this. My theory is why cook the same foods. Al hamdu lillah my husband will eat anything. Depending on how picky your fiance is I have some easy more "American" dishes that anyone can make. Athough my sister gave me a great recipe for Chinese chicken salad if you are interested. ;D Okay I'm done rambling. :P [wlm] Marcie :-) [/color] |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Sis_Malak |
| 05/19/02 at 21:19:33 |
[slm] :-) Thanks for all the great suggestions sisters (and some brothers). My fiance is from UAE, but he will eat anything, so Marcie, any good recipes will work. Jazak Allahu Khairun Tara |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Marcie |
| 06/13/02 at 11:34:15 |
| [color=Teal] [slm] Sis Tara, I did not forget you, life just was a little busy. Here's a recipe that I found that looks delicious: Bismillah Lebanese chicken you will need a 9x13 baking dish, glass dish is the best, boneless chick brst, 3 large baking potatoes or 6 small potatoes, 3 tomatoes, 1 onion, minced garlic, salt, olive oil, margarine, 3 lemons. combine in a big bowl, cubed potatoes & tomatoes, chopped onion, 2 large spoonfuls of minced garlic & salt to taste, mix up. cut chicken how you prefer & lay in bottom of baking dish. melt in a pan, 1/2 stick of margarine, 3/4 cup of olive oil, & the juice of 3 lemons, or you can use 1 lemon & a package of lemonade koolaid. pour potatoe mixture over chick, then pour melted mixture evenly over that. cover w/foil & bake @ 450 for 25min, then reduce heat to 425 for 15min, then reduce to 400 for 10 min, then reduce to 350 for another 10 or 15. Insha'allah I'll be trying it out soon myself. I have picked out some recipes that look good. By any chance are you interested in breakfast recipes? I have two that I really like. :) [wlm] Marcie :-) [/color] |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Fatimah |
| 06/14/02 at 01:06:51 |
| Salam alaikum wrwb sis, I have a recipe book filled with gulf recipes (mostly Kuwaity, but gulf food is all quite similar) If you'd like, I can write out a recipe or two a day. Just let me know what kind of dish you are looking for. Your sis in Islam, Fatimah :-) |
| Re: Getting Married....Need Help! |
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| Marcie |
| 06/17/02 at 10:50:50 |
| [color=Teal] [slm] One of my favorites! :-X Beef Stroganoff (lamb is fine too!) 1/2 fresh mushrooms sliced 1 large onion chopped 1/4 cup butter 2 lbs steak (1/4 to 1/2 thick) 1 tsp salt 1 can (10 1/2 oz) boullion or consomme diluted to make 2 cups 1 cup sour cream Melt 2 tbls butter in a large pan. Toss meat in flour. Brown meat in butter and then add salt and boullion mixture. Simmer stirring occasionally until meat is tender 1 1/4 hrs (about). When the meat is ready saute onions and mushrooms in 2 tbls butter. Add to mixture. Add sour cream. Heat and serve over noodles (favorite) or rice. Serves six [/color] |
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