Last week was an incredibly busy and productive week, alhamdullilah. For starters, I saw the very impressive food documentary, Fresh, which I plan to review here soon. I also met some wonderful people at the Chicago Botanic Garden where I learned about how to properly clean gardening tools, everything you want to know about growing tomatoes, keeping bees or every variety of ... Read More »
Many of you who follow this blog or actively participate on the MHK Facebook Page probably remember my several mentions of the Dervaes Family, the nearly self-sufficient Californians who garden just about every inch of their modest Pasadena home and even sell their harvest to local chefs and restauranteurs. I first learned about Jules Dervaes a few years ago while watching a ... Read More »
Check out this site by Martin Lersch about molecular gastronomy and the science of cooking. It’s interesting cooking, done with super modern techniques that use nitrogen and other methods to create incredibly rare menus. If you’re from Chicago or are a super foodie, think Grant Achatz and how he artistically designs and cooks food at Alinea. If you’re like me and dream of visiting ... Read More »
Did you know that most citrus fruits were traditionally grown for their zest, not for their fruits? When you zest, or peel away the skin of citrus, you get all the flavor of a lemon, lime or orange in this skin- without all the acidity of the flesh. One has to just be careful not to zest too much of the outside ... Read More »
You don’t have to be a medical expert to notice that among the Muslim community living in the United States, there is a prevalence of high sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and heart attacks, even in young individuals. There doesn’t seem to be a lack of ... Read More »
Those of you who know me well enough know that my favorite cooking mentor is Julia Child–and it’s not because of the book or movie, Julie & Julia (though I really enjoyed both). Around this time last year I completely absorbed myself in The French Chef videos, those early years where Julia Child enlightened the American housewife about how to cook French ... Read More »
If you come from a Puerto Rican family, you understand that Goya products are permanent fixtures in our kitchen cabinets- without them it seems like a part of the family is missing. Why are we so dependent on them? Maybe it’s because Goya is one of the few brands on the market completely catering to an Hispanic consumer market–and we appreciate that. But ... Read More »
Few of us have ever experienced the sublimity of being near a fountain of flowing chocolate, never mind a kitchen faucet that brings forth silky milk chocolate at one’s disposal. Even fewer of us have the opportunity to work for a living with the most beloved baking ingredient in the world…chocolate. If you’ve ever dreamed of being as close to ... Read More »
We made it to the farmers’ market last Saturday just in time for the book signing to begin. I was a bit surprised to see how small the market was, but soon realized that not all the produce farmers arrived yet, due to the limited availability of items during the early spring season. That could be why the market will ... Read More »
Alice Waters, founder of the famed five-course menu restaurant, Chez Panisse, will be at the Chicago Green City Market this Saturday to sign copies of her latest book, Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea. Alice Waters is considered by many in the food world as a living culinary legend because of her push to promote the concept that food be grown ... Read More »
My Halal Kitchen | Inspiration for Wholesome Living Simple Recipes and Useful Household Tips
