Egyptians and cooking

[Geraldine]

Do Egyptians cook something else than Egyptian food? I don’t mean in places like in Luxor because my lucky guess is they most definitely do not cook fancy Italian or French food I understand also that many ingredients are quite expensive but how about people who have money – and not all ingredients are expensive by the way. Finnish food is basically very cheap to prepare.

I started to think this when almost every other person in Egypt asks if I cook Egyptian food. Well I was planning to, I even bought one very heavy cooking book. But I have to say that the pictures in the book are not exactly delicious looking and when I read the recipes they do not make my mouth watering so I thought why bother if I don’t feel like it. But when I get my hands on Italian or Indian cooking books...oh my

I think food is one of the biggest pleasures in the world so why would you prepare the same kind of food decade after decade. Sounds so boring. I love to cook meals from all over the world and I would get bored if I had to eat Finnish food all my life.

How do Egyptians see food and preparing it? Obviously not the same way since it seems they mostly cook Egyptian.

[Goddess]

Mr G cooks all sorts - Chinese, Italian, International! I'm a lucky girl!!!!
There are more cookery shows on standard tv now - and they don't just show Egyptian food like they used to. One of the most popular chefs in Egypt is Chef Osama Sayed - sometimes he cooks Egyptian food - but more often than not he cooks international style - and I know plenty of Egyptian ladies here that regularly try out recipes they see on his show.

[JOJO]

When i got back from Luxor this time i tried to make the rice as i had seen a friend do.It was edible but not the same as theirs.
I browned a portion of the rice and the Vermicila for a few minutes in olive oil and then added the rest of the rice.I then covered the rice with boiling water & a stock cube and simmered until all the water had gone.
What did i do wrong? or was it that i did not cook it long enough?

[Goddess]

Maybe not enough water - or more probably too high a heat - we have it on a less than simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes.

[JOJO]

It could of been a combination of the both.I only just covered the rice with water-do you think i ought to make it about an inch higher?

[HEPZIBAH]

When i got back from Luxor this time i tried to make the rice as i had seen a friend do.It was edible but not the same as theirs.
I browned a portion of the rice and the Vermicila for a few minutes in olive oil and then added the rest of the rice.I then covered the rice with boiling water & a stock cube and simmered until all the water had gone.
What did i do wrong? or was it that i did not cook it long enough?

[face=Comic Sans MS]
Jojo, I think we share the same cookery teacher. Did she do the white beans in tomato for you? Yummy Cheap, nutritious, filling and tastey - and I'm not that keen on that particlua bean normally![/face]

[crazycat]

I always get Mr cc to do the rice as his is always better than mine

[JOJO]

When i got back from Luxor this time i tried to make the rice as i had seen a friend do.It was edible but not the same as theirs.
I browned a portion of the rice and the Vermicila for a few minutes in olive oil and then added the rest of the rice.I then covered the rice with boiling water & a stock cube and simmered until all the water had gone.
What did i do wrong? or was it that i did not cook it long enough?

[face=Comic Sans MS]
Jojo, I think we share the same cookery teacher. Did she do the white beans in tomato for you? Yummy Cheap, nutritious, filling and tastey - and I'm not that keen on that particlua bean normally![/face]

I think we do Hepzi

[JOJO]

I always get Mr cc to do the rice as his is always better than mine

I'll trade you CC-i'll come and do a bit of decorating and you can send Mr.CC around to make me a large supply of rice

[Goddess]

Jojo - add more water. If the rice is about a centimetre deep in the pan - the water wants to cover it by just under a centimetre.

[JOJO]

Thankyou xxx I will try it tomorrow again-my Egyptian potatoes were spot on

[Goddess]

But on telling you that - I only ever make Rice in theory - I just watch Mr G as I'm pants at making rice! It either ends up looking like soup or gets burnt to a cinder because I walk off and forget about it!
So you may want to ignore any rice assistance I offer!

[crazycat]

I always get Mr cc to do the rice as his is always better than mine

I'll trade you CC-i'll come and do a bit of decorating and you can send Mr.CC around to make me a large supply of rice

sounds good to me

mr cc has just said he wants to vegetarian but he won't eat veggies, cous cous, chick peas etc so I need help.

Any ideas? He thinks he can survive on omelettes and cheeses

[JOJO]

Surely he is going to eat Spuds?

[Countessa]

My rice used to end up as a soggy mushy mess, or hard and bitty - then I discovered a foolproof method that works every time.....

Measure out the amount of rice you're going to cook by the cup (2 cups of rice). Wash it thoroughly and heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the rice. On the lowest heat, coat the rice with the oil and stir it occasionally (this bit takes around 10 mins). Then add double the volume of boiling soup - ie. 2 cups of rice need 4 cups of soup, 3 cups need 6 and so on.

Cover the pan and leave it for 15 mins - et voila, perfect rice!!!

[Mimimay]

That's just how I do it countessa

[crazycat]

oh yes jojo, spuds are still on the menu. Tells me he will eat some fish and I've introduced him to scampi which he loves. He's just not happy with chicken, beef and lamb

[Countessa]

He's just not happy with chicken, beef and lamb

That's a shame...have you got a halal butcher nearby??

[crazycat]

not a butcher but there is a grocer in the next town that sells halal meat, think I might have to pay him a visit.