summertime and pistachio ice cream

My favorite summer treat was Syrian ice cream; while many family members enjoyed the creamy ice cream served in cones by street vendors near Sibki Park, I savored this Syrian summer delight. I loved because it was a feast for my senses.. the ice cream maker prepared...

Hama delicacies

One of my oldest memories of Hama was in the kitchen in Jiddo Mohamad’s house. The smell of the warm buttery crust, the spiced meat and toasted pine nuts flowed down the halls of the old house, leading me to the kitchen. My step-grandmother “Khaleh...

the art of apricot jam

Apricot jam was a special treat; I could have developed a liking to it because I watched older women in the family making it. The process was fascinating.  I don’t remember the sequence or the entire process, however, I remember walking into the kitchen to find...

kasr el-sufra .. breakfast Syrian style..

Food in Syria is a tradition, a source of pride, a way of life.  Volumes can be written on recipes, their names, serving traditions, cultural relevance, and origins. Breakfast (kasr el sufra) consisted of: Jiddo’s delicious homemade fruit cocktail; its...

Traditions

Spending summers in Syria meant taking part in traditions.  Some I welcomed, others I dreaded. Lunchtime with mom’s family was one of the most memorable traditions.  Khalo Ameed (Uncle),  Khalto Hazar and Khalto Nowara (Aunts) and later my younger cousins, sat...