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What is Halal?

What is Halal Cooking?

What is Halal Cooking?

Welcome to all things related to halal cooking, eating, and of course the halal kitchen itself. I’m Yvonne Maffei, the Publisher and Founder of this site. You can read more about what I provide on this website on the About page. From there, I hope you will decide to join me in sharing and exchanging delicious halal recipes for all seasons and meals you can prepare any day of the week.  

So, what’s all this Halal talk about? Let’s get to it…

Muslims who follow the Islamic dietary standard of eating will consume halal (means ‘permissible’ in Arabic) foods and beverages. These are considered pure foods ordained for mankind by Allah (God) in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). Commonly recognized items that are not halal are pork and all its by-products as well as any type of intoxicating drink, or even drugs. That said, an observer of Islam (i.e. a Muslim) doesn’t drink alcohol or eat pork or foods with their by-products or derivatives. For example, boxed jello and marshmallows usually contain gelatin, which is often derived from pork and therefore not halal (but it could be if halal ingredients are used). Additional non-halal things include birds of prey, carrion, carnivores, blood and human body parts (i.e. hair, which is becoming a common ingredient in processed foods like bread).

To create a platform for readers (regardless of religious or ethnic background) where I would be able to showcase the tasty recipes I’ve learned to make or that others share with me, all of which are tested to ensure accuracy.  Additionally, it was created to share kitchen tips, stories about cooking, thoughts on food, information on what’s happening in the food industry and where you can find all the same things I do to create my halal meals.

To create a platform for readers (regardless of religious or ethnic background) where I would be able to showcase the tasty recipes I’ve learned to make or that others share with me, all of which are tested to ensure accuracy.  Additionally, it was created to share kitchen tips, stories about cooking, thoughts on food, information on what’s happening in the food industry and where you can find all the same things I do to create my halal meals.

Over the last several years, I’ve tried fervently to educate myself on the source of food by-products so that I could avoid ingesting anything that’s not halal, but also to enjoy my favorite traditional and ethnic foods, only now with halal (permissible) substitutions. For example, I’ve learned to master my own chicken Parmesan, beef tacos and veal stew because there isn’t a halal restaurant I know of who will serve it up the way I’m used to eating it. I have also gathered a small collection of trusted companies and stores that offer not only halal products, but ones that are also healthy for us. This has proven to be a challenge when it comes to things like sausages or veal meat because not only are they rare fare finds at halal restaurants, but few grocers provide a good variety of raw and/or deli meats (without all those unhealthy ingredients) from which to buy and make the dishes myself. My journey has taken me on a mission to re-create our family favorites of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Sicilian and all other types of Mediterranean dishes, while avoiding as much pre-packaged and low quality food items as possible. I’ve also gained the desire to make more foods from scratch, simply because then I am guaranteed to know more about what it is that we’re eating.

The result has been simply delicious, simply pure, simply… halal. 

As the site evolves to showcase more topics on halal food and home and to reflect the changes in my own life, I hope you will enjoy and benefit from it as much as I enjoy creating it for you. You can look forward to more information on food, travel and living. I can’t wait to share it all with you! For more information about this site and why I started it, please visit the About My Halal Kitchen page. 

Over the last several years, I’ve tried fervently to educate myself on the source of food by-products so that I could avoid ingesting anything that’s not halal, but also to enjoy my favorite traditional and ethnic foods, only now with halal (permissible) substitutions. For example, I’ve learned to master my own chicken Parmesan, beef tacos and veal stew because there isn’t a halal restaurant I know of who will serve it up the way I’m used to eating it. I have also gathered a small collection of trusted companies and stores that offer not only halal products, but ones that are also healthy for us. This has proven to be a challenge when it comes to things like sausages or veal meat because not only are they rare fare finds at halal restaurants, but few grocers provide a good variety of raw and/or deli meats (without all those unhealthy ingredients) from which to buy and make the dishes myself. My journey has taken me on a mission to re-create our family favorites of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Sicilian and all other types of Mediterranean dishes, while avoiding as much pre-packaged and low quality food items as possible. I’ve also gained the desire to make more foods from scratch, simply because then I am guaranteed to know more about what it is that we’re eating.

The result has been simply delicious, simply pure, simply… halal. 

Peace to all and thank you so much for visiting.

For media contacts interested in an interview, please visit the Press page. Serious inquiries only.

 

 

Responses

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  1. What an interesting site and complement to what I do with kosher food! Looking forward to sharing recipes with you!

    Best,
    Zahavah

  2. Salam Yvonne, how wonderful to read about your blog, and also the diversity from where u and hubby come from. It must be great living in Chicago.. wish I could go there someday. Do keep in touch, my email is minbakingproject@gmail.com.
    Thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂

  3. Hello Yvonne,

    I found your blog through FoodBuzz.

    I’ve always found people who have multicultural heritage (like me) very interesting as they have loads to share, and yes here one another 🙂 Happy to find you…

    Cheers from Istanbul,
    Banu

  4. Salaam Alaikum I just now saw this entry Yvonne 🙂

    I like how you expressed yourself and see you tomorrow InshaAllah

  5. Assalamu’alaikum

    Hi Yvone, Alhamdulillah..thanks to Allah the Most Benevolent Who guided me to find your admirable blog. My name is Meili from Indonesia. Alhamdulillah I born and raised as a moslem in the country that moslem is a majority. Just several days ago I’ve just made my own blog that amazingly has same name and idea ! After I read your profile I really want to give you 1000 thumbs up ! I admire your spirit to always gets halal foods since you’re living in U.S. ! Your challenge to get halal food must be harder than me here. I wish Allah will always blessed you with an easy way ….amen.
    Hope we can keep in touch, please visit my blog at myhalalkitchen.multiply.com (unfortunately it is in bahasa indonesia). If you don’t mind, I would like to have a link with your blog. Insha Allah we will meet here again.

    Wassalamu’alaikum,
    Meili-Indonesia

  6. Hi Yvonne,

    It’s so great you are an Ohio girl:) I grew up in Fremont, which is off 80 about 20 minutes west of Sandusky (Cedar Point!) and 40 minutes east of Toledo. I love living in NY and by the way you sound you love Chicago? Any plans to move back too Ohio? I know I have been spoiled by “big city life” (hehe) and couldn’t imagine living back there. Although it’s nice to go home, slow down and visit my family and friends. Have a great week!
    – Nutmeg Nanny

  7. Yvonne! I found your blog! I am so glad it is working now! And so excited to eat some delicious Halal food tonight for iftar!

    Sallams,
    Kaighla

  8. I remember bookmarking your site when I read the article on the huffington post – but you’re finding me brought me here and I’m so glad. I love the site and the concept and passion behind it, mashaAllah! I’m definitely anticipating the book 🙂

  9. Well done on a wonderful site. Fresh look, great topic. Keep up the splendid effort to remove the mystery and suspicion that surrounds Muslims and their culture.

  10. Salam. Thanks for putting up a wonderful blog. Food brings people together and by sharing with us your culinary experience and wonderful in my opinion is a form of da’wah towards a guided and healthy lifestyle. I congratulate you for this excellent blog.

  11. As Salaamu Alaykum, Your site is wonderful and has many great things. May Allah allow you continue this wonderful work. I have not seen anything regarding halal foods this beneficial in a long time. Baraaka Allah Oufiki.

  12. Assalamu Alailkum!!! I’m glad to have found your site, looks amazing! I don’t only eat halal meat but prefer to at home. But, it is great that you are giving more halal options for all of us.

  13. Yvonne, just wandered over from the foodie discussion on LinkedIn and I must say this is a very useful blog, especially for those who are trying to eat halal. Would love to profile you on my blog Lassi with Lavina because so many South Asians happen to be Muslim!

  14. Barak Allahu feeki, Yvonne. Muslims like you are a treasure in the blogosphere, promoting halal, healthy eating so effectively and “professionally”.
    May Allah bless your efforts. Ameen. 🙂

  15. Barakallahufiki… I am so happy to find your blog…although we reside in Malaysia now, I understand the ordeal of finding halal western/Mediterranean food back in my birthplace in Singapore when i was growing up. Alhamdulillah, halal food is a sizable market now and its not that difficult but still nothing beat a dedicated blog on halal food like yours. Mabruk and may Allah help you sustain this delicious pursuit.

    1. @Ummameerah, thank you for such beautiful comments and du’a. I hope you’ll visit again and share with us more about halal foods in Malaysia and Singapore- two places I would absolutely love to visit one day. Insha’allah!

  16. Salaams – So happy to have come across your blog! I love your recipes. My blog focuses on the flavors of the Middle East and North Africa – I cant wait to try some of your recipes!

    Salaams,
    Brenda

    1. wa’alaikum as salaam Brenda, thank you for visiting My Halal Kitchen. You have yourself such a nice food site, as well. I’m sure I’ll be traveling over there to see what you’re cooking, too! Thanks again.

  17. Great blog, all the recipes look really delicious. I love that everything is halal and I don’t have to worry about omitting anything in the recipes you have done all the work for us.
    Thanks
    Salaam

  18. As-Salaam Alaikum. I am so very thankful and pleased to have found your blog! I have just recently in the past week discovered the wonderful world of food blogs. I stumbled upon them in my search for halal recipes (which by the way is a very difficult thing to find). We have for many years now been off eating pork and shellfish but only recently discovered how severly tainted many processed foods are with “secret swine”. I have so far only been able to find vegetarian recipes that followed halal guidelines. I am not a knowledgeable cook and am not a confident cook at all, I MUST have a recipe when I cook…lol I have never been able to “create”.

    So this is why I am so very thankful to have found your blog! I feel a weight has been lifted and I very much look forward to delving into your site and your recipes! Thank you for helping us less experienced sisters to be able to provide healthy, acceptable food for our families! May Allah bless you and your family!

  19. Assalaamu-alaikum, I always am at awe at the muslims in america, despite their trials they seem to prosper. I live in south africa where we have a small but strong muslim community ( mostly of indian or pakistani origin). I was browsing in order to get info on starting up a halaal healthy/diet catering company and was amazed by your blog. Thanx for the inspiration.

  20. Salam, I was googling for Halal foods and came across your website. I found it very interesting and infomative! Thanks for all the recipes.. Well, I am promoting halal foods too.. basically we are offering foods and ingredients from Malaysia. Check-out my website.

  21. salam yvonne!!
    you do have a excellent halal food blog..
    and surprisingly, you are from foreign country ( at first i thought you are from islam country) that is actually difficult to find halal food(i guess)
    and you creating this kind of blog..
    dear, for me it’s very interesting and useful=)
    keep going what are doing now.
    people will thanks to your hard work…=)
    insyaallah….

    1. @Siti- thank you for your kind comments. I’m from the U.S.- not foreign to me, lol 😉 Where are you from?

  22. sorry..
    my bad..=)
    im from malaysia..
    i’m student
    actually,i been assign to searching any good food blogs for my assignment..
    so, i think your blog really help my life..

  23. Us salaam alaikum! Finally got a chance to visit your blog, and am in love with it. Mashallah its a beautiful site and I love how I can sense the passion you have for the subject through your writing. Are the pictures on the site your own photography? Looking forward to getting together to share some ideas and chat. Take care and have a wonderful Ramadan!

  24. Dear MHK,

    Assalamualaikum, Im a Malaysian, working mother and my hobby is cooking, I had logged in your Facebook and you has requested me to login your page, and would like to help you to know more about Malaysia’s Food, Im not good at wastern food and making cookies, deserts and sweet dishes too, my cooking is the basic Malay, Indian and a little Chinese food too. I would be pleased to teach too.

    Regards,
    Nurania Khan

  25. Salaam,
    Your site was forwarded to me by a friend. I look forward to reading your blog and enjoying your recipes.

    Ramadan Kareem.

    Hinna

  26. Assalaamu aleykum sister! MashAllah, JyzaklAllahu Kheir!
    Im so happy I found ur kitchen, Alhamdulilah. It looks fantastic!
    I will try it out and In sh ‘Allah we will both witness to see change in the markets and options for halal can be better, I would love to go to a 1 or 2 halal deli’s in my hometown;)
    In sh’Allah. Keep building sisterhood my sista
    Love from a revert: in case y wondering with background from Somalia,Norway and Italy-
    Like you I have a sweet challenge..;) Allahu Akhbar.
    Wassalaam

  27. Assalamualaikum Yvonne
    I’ve joined your FB page and saw all your great updates but it’s only now that I’m dropping by your website. Better late than never ;). So, here’s a hello from me and a note to express my happiness with your work. It’s a fantastic way to publicise halal food to the world. I’ve also recently started a food blog at http://mycookingaffairs.blogspot.com. I’m Singaporean but have just moved to Australia this yr. Been spending a lot of time in the kitchen ever since and am enjoying it so much that I decided to blog and share my cooking experiences with others. As a Malay Muslim Singaporean married to a Muslim Bosnian Australian, my “menu” is pretty wide ranging and halal of course ;). Do drop by my blog when you can. As it’s newly hatched, pardon the limited no. of postings but updates are sure in progress. I look fwd to trying out some of your recipes and once again, thanks for even being on the web! My best wishes for you and may Allah bless your effort 😉

  28. Mashallah, may Allah bless you and shower you with peace. Love your blog and glad to find you. I didn’t know there were puertorican Muslims! Are you a convert my dear? I hope you mind me asking, i am always fascinated by how diverses Muslims have become today, all praise to the work of Allah and the the spread of Islam Alhamdulillah. Hope to get to know you better and grow with your recipes and life stories Inshallah

  29. Salaam Alikum,

    MahsaAllah love your blog and the recipes you provide. And the Best part is you emphasize the Halal factor which is very important to many practicing muslims.
    Thank you so much for your time and efforts.
    InshaAllah Allah rewards you with best of the best!

    Zahraa

  30. Masha’Allah & barakallaho fihi! I am convinced of your quality of blog and food contents!

    Regards,
    Nasir Iqbal
    PR Manager
    Al Islami Foods
    Dubai.

  31. Alhamdulillah….
    This is a wonderful site. I just found this now and i am excited to explore it.
    I am a Muslim revert, the information here are most useful to me. Masha Allah….
    Carry on with this good undertaking. Insha Allah…
    JazakAllah khair…..
    p.s. ive shared your blueberry bread (sorry i just couldn’t resist that one!) Shokran….

  32. Salam Aleykum sister,

    May Allah reward you for your efforts in writing this blog! I’m an Australian-born revert and always on the look out for tasty halal recipes to enjoy with my hubby (he’s Iraqi/Indo). We LOVE food and intend to make frequent visits to your site. I’ll let you know how I go with the recipes insha’Allah.

    Masalama,

    Amy

  33. Asalaamualaykum.
    HI there Yvonne.

    happy. thats what your blog makes me. and smile. thats what i do when i see the logo.

    I’ve been following your blog for a little while now, and am enjoying the inspiration derived from it 🙂

    I recently tried making labneh, and for the past few weeks it has become a staple.
    Thanks for a blog in which i seem to lose time 😉 and bytes.

    Muaaza Essop
    South Africa

    1. Wa’alaikum as salaam Muaaza, I’m so glad you find some happiness here– that has been one of my biggest intentions in buidling this blog. Thank you for visiting, trying the recipes and taking the time to come back and respond. Please come back again soon!

  34. Asalammu Alaykum
    Really so happy to see such a website here. I am so happy . now i can get new and refreshing food recipes.
    Thanks a lot ..

  35. I found your blog a few days ago. I love it. I converted 7 years ago. The food aspect was the most difficult to adapt to. Why can’t companies indicate if a product is halal like they do in Europe??
    Because there is definitely a learning curve to eating halal in the US, several years ago I thought about starting a blog to help others and share my experiences. Glad to see someone else had the same idea. Looking forward to more posts.

  36. AA!

    Loved reading your bio and can’t wait to look all around your site. Your Pinterest page is GORGEOUS and I am looking forward to browsing thru it as well.

    Keep up the good work and may Allah (SWT) bless you and yours with every joy in this life.
    R.

  37. I found a recipe recently for a peach dessert that I want to try. The cake is actually spread quite thin like a crust and a peach and citrus combination is cooked then poured on top. Since I bake for so many, this KitchenAid is just what I need to make enough to feed a hungry crowd!

  38. As salaamu ‘alaykum ukhtee.

    I discovered your blog through a post by Peter Gould on his Facebook account today.
    Im a graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management. I accepted Islam 5 years ago. I used to teach Tourism and HRM students, since then Ive been thinking how to align Islam and what Ive learned in the university from my undergrad (as we all know there isnt much about halal hotel or things of that sort) as I dont want to teach haraam (even to students who are non-Muslims). It concerns me a lot, Im not from any Islamic country or state so food is quite a challenge for me.

    Alhamdulillah, ur blogsite will be a big help as I try to write modules, insha ‘Allah for Culinary subject/s. I hope you wouldnt mind if I share what you’ve written to make instructional materials and lectures (with proper acknowledgement).

    Hoping to meet you someday, insha ‘Allah. For now I’ll learn from your blogs. masha ‘Allah, Ive just only read the “Eat Out” tab and the contents are really helpful. Im excited to read further.

    May Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, bless you and your family, and give you the best in this life and in the hereafter. Ameen.

  39. Assalamu Alaikum

    Hi Yvonne, you are doing a great job by helping the muslim ummahs with halal way of eating food, finding halal ingredients etc.. May Allah s.w.t reward you for the goodness.

    Keep spreading the goodness Insha Allah.

    Jazakallahu Khairan

  40. Please include me for recipes.
    I read your article on halal foods that will appear in the July issue of The Costco Connection magazine. It was sent to me in advance. Mabrook. you did an EXCELLENT and SUPERLATIVE job with that. Sent me an email and I will explain and give you my mobile telephone number.
    Ramadhan Mubarak.
    Yousef Salem