Bernadette Simpson's Blog, page 10

K is for Kahk

Kahk (or ka7k as it is also written to reflect the more accurate pronunciation of كحك for those familiar with Arabic) is a cookie traditionally prepared for eid celebrations, which began here in Egypt yesterday.

Kahk is a heavy, sweet pastry made of flour, dairy/vegetable ghee (or butter or vegetable oil), eggs, milk and loads of sugar. Traditional Egyptian kahk is a plain disc-shaped tartlet covered with powdered sugar, but there are also other types of kahk stuffed with a number of...

P is for a Plump Little Plover

This plump little plover is probably, according to my birding-buddy Nicole B, a Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), most likely juvenile. Many different plovers migrate through Egypt and some are resident breeders. This one was hanging out at the Dahab Pools last week.

Making Maglouba

Learn how to make a Bedouin upside-down meal!

I've posted another food/recipe story…Making Maglouba…over at Bedouin History Desert Safari!

Enjoy!

C is for Caper

Caper Flower – click for full size image

Our very first caper flower, on a caper bush we grew from seeds collected in the wild! It bloomed last night and these are shots from throughout the day today. The unopened flower buds that you see are what are harvested and sold as "capers". Hopefully next year, we'll have enough to harvest a handful or two, but this year we'll wait for the fruit!

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What are Capers? (brainz.org)

P is for Pomegranate

Pomegranates, called rom-mahn in Arabic (رُمّان), are not native to Egypt but have been cultivated here since ancient times. And they are one of my favorite late-summer fruits! A young Bedouin neighbor brought this one over the other day. My instructions were just to open it for him, but I decided to grab a few shots (and nibbles!) in the process. I'm pretty sure the pomegranates were gift to the young boy from the vendor selling fruits from a truck on our street. It was rather on the small s...

F is for a Festive Fanooss!

It's that time of year again! This festive fanooss, or Ramadan lantern, was hanging in front of a shop in Ma'adi last year. I loved how the sun was shining through the colored glass.  So much nicer than all the cheap plastic fa-wa-neess available these days! If you're looking to purchase your own fanooss, read this Al Masry Al Youm Article, In Search of the Fanous Ramadan, for tips on where to find

one without blaring music or chipmunk renditions of Wahawy ya Wahawy (a traditional Ramadan...

F is for a Festive Fanooss!

It's that time of year again! This festive fanooss, or Ramadan lantern, was hanging in front of a shop in Ma'adi last year. I loved how the sun was shining through the colored glass.  So much nicer than all the cheap plastic fa-wa-neess available these days! If you're looking to purchase your own fanooss, read this Al Masry Al Youm Article, In Search of the Fanous Ramadan, for tips on where to find

one without blaring music or chipmunk renditions of Wahawy ya Wahawy (a traditional Ramadan...

Floods, Fruit, and Fettah Part II

I've finally posted the recipe and photos for the watermelon fettah over at Bedouin History Desert Safari. If you missed Part I, read it here.

F is for a Fish-Filching Fox

This little fellow thought he was going to filch that fish, but he was caught on camera just in time! Not that the flash scared him off. The two-year-old Bedouin boy making barking noises at him didn't even scare him off.  And so I happily shot a few pictures as he tried to sneak off with the night's dinner. If you've read my book, you'll know that X if for foXes, not F – but I couldn't resist the alliteration. And if you've read my book, you'll also know that the photos of foxes were not t...

P is for Pizza, Egyptian Style!

Fiteer, فطير, is one of my favorite Egyptian street foods! It is made of several layers of  filo dough and butter and then baked. The pastry can be filled with either savory or sweet ingredients. In touristy areas, fiteer is often called Egyptian Pizza when savory and Egyptian Pancakes when sweet. I have recently tried all of the fiteer places here in Dahab, and while the one pictured here was not the best example, it was tasty enough. This one was the veggie version – cheese, onions...