Mahshie (stuffed vegetable)

Vegetables play a huge part in Middle Eastern diet, because vegetables are available, affordable, healthy, and full of vitamins and nutritious. In the Middle East countries they take vegetable to the next level. So instead of boiling the vegetables, grilling them, or sauté them to be served as a side dish. In the Middle East the vegetable will be served as the main course or dish. That will happen when they take any type vegetable and incorporate with some rice and meat. Like this dish called Mahshie. Mahshie is mixture of a whole vegetable that is cored from the inside of it and stuffed with a mixture of rice, ground meat, tomato paste, herbs and spices. The main vegetables that are being used for this dish are Mexican squash, Japanese eggplant, sweet peppers, cabbage leaves and grape leaves. Mahshie is very filling and large in amount dish, that’s why sometimes, requires more than one-person to work on it. Mahshie is popular meal In the Middle East because it is a very healthy and well balanced. Mahshie has a higher amount of vitamins from the vegetables and equal amount of protein and starch from the rice and the meat. Mahshie is one of my favorite dishes it could be very hard to make and prepare but it is worth the efforts.

The Love For Pita Bread

Pita bread or Arabic bread as it called in the Middle East; it is one of the most important parts of every meal on a daily basis. If the house doesn’t have much food, it must have pita bread in it. It is the main foods in most Arabic countries; do to its nutritious value and fresh taste. The people buy it from fresh bakeries, or make it at home daily. It is very easy to make, its ingredients are available in most household’s kitchen. Pita bread ingredients are flour, yeast, salt, and water that all what it needs to make the most delicious bread ever. Pita bread you can eat it with all savory food like hummus and kebabs, and you can cut it in half and make pocket to stuff it with you favorite stuffing. Pita makes perfect lunch sandwich and great snack with some kind of dip. The secret behind forming the puffiness and form the pocket is the high heated oven of 500°F or even hotter if possible. The high temperature will cook it evenly and make the pocket, which made pita very unique and famous. I grow up eating pita every single day and I have try so many kind of bread but my favorite one is always the pita. 

       

My Cooking Done Different

Growing up eating all kinds of Arabic and medatarian food, which are very rich in flavors and spices and learning most of secret and techniques of Arabic cooking. My background helps in so many ways in my studying at The Art Institute of Tucson. I like  learning the classic fundamentals techniques of the French cooking. Being in the school help me to be more advance and help me to be more professional. So now I can easily create an Arabic meal that is very delicious and rich in Arabic culture following the French cooking methods and knowledge. My final product is elegant, successful, and organized with depth in the flavor from my hometown and new French twist to it. One important element I learned in school and I like to implement it in my cooking and presenting food is portion control. So instead plaiting a big tray of rice and meat I would rather assemble individual plates. Each on has small portion of rice and nice-cut piece of meat. That would make a plate more appealing to the eye, and good serving size so that we can minimize waste. I love the organization and the stages and procedures of the French way of cooking and plating, Its looks pure, simple, and elegant. 

My Love For Food

I always love being in the kitchen with my mom since I was in the fifth grade. So when I went to school for business administration it was not what I really liked or what I want to be, the subjects were very dull and boring to me but I finished it and graduated. At home, on my own with my own family, husband, and kids I always find my self in the kitchen creating something for all of us to eat and enjoy. So I thought about going back to school. But to study something I’m good at something I love spending most of my time doing it. So I entered the culinary school to learn all about food and flavors from all over the world and to achieve my goal of becoming a chef that has the knowledge and the experience to be very successful in what I’m passionate about. Cooking, baking or anything has to do with food and flavor is what I want to learn and be good at it. I feel great when some one taste my food and enjoyed it. It is always my pleasure to make and present food that’s looks amazing and tastes delicious.