Biblically speaking the Holiday of Rosh Hashanah is just one day, which is the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei). The reason Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as two days everywhere in Israel and even outside Israel, is because biblically the first day of the month is to be determined by the Rabbinical court in…
Today is the first of the two day Jewish celebration, Rosh Hashanah. The name means “Head of the Year” and is observed for two days beginning on 1 Tishrei, the first day of the Jewish year. The Jewish New Year is the first of the holy days which occurs in autumn in the Northern hemisphere.…
We can’t go through the month of Ramadan without touching upon the subject of dates. Dates are a staple fruit of the Middle East having been in cultivation for thousands of years. Traditionally Muslims will break their fast at the end of the day with a date as this is said to have been the…
Baharat is Arabic for “spice”. It is a special mixture of eight different spices that makes an all-purpose spice blend widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Just a little bit goes a long way to add depth and flavor to sauces, soups, grains, vegetables, stews and meat. Unless you have a Middle Eastern store in…
It’s the second day of fast for Ramadan 2015 and also the first Friday of Ramadan. Fridays are much like a day of Sabbath in Islam and the day on which a special prayer is held at Mosques called Jumah. It is a congregational prayer (ṣalāt) that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon in the…
I can imagine that many families make a big deal of the first day of fast during Ramadan and particularly the Iftar or breaking of fast at sunset. Traditionally in countries like Bahrain, Pakistan or Bangladesh you will see tables full of food during Iftar. The Iftar will have various dishes of fritters and sweet…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! While some of you may be planning a party full of green finger foods and kegs of beer, I thought it may be nice to do a simple St. Patrick’s Day dinner for those of us who will be spending a more quiet evening at home with our children. In America…
This week I am continuing with my penchant for kebabs, however, today I’m going with a more Mediterranean flair. Mediterranean style kebabs are much lighter in flavor and have freshness to them that really grooves with the California lifestyle. We can enjoy them during our mild winters and even attempt to barbecue on a nice…