special rice

I recently read the book The Language of Baklava (see my review). The Jordanian family who populate the pages are constant hosts for numerous uncles, cousins, and friends, who frequently just happen to show up at meal times. This rice recipe is such a simple idea that takes a basic side dish and makes it into a special part of the meal. I was amazed that adding just four ingredients to the rice made such a difference.

The Language of Baklava, and muhammara

Diana Abu-Jaber bounced like a ping pong ball between Jordan and America as a child. Her father was an exuberant, dashing Jordanian immmigrant to the United States, her mother a quiet but stubborn American. The Language of Baklava is Abu-Jaber's memoir, in which she describes her formative years. Their family connects and reconnects to the people and places around them, leaving Diana a little confused about where she belongs. "Am I still an American?" she asks, after her re-entry to Jordan. "And it confuses me, because it seems like a kind of unbecoming or rebecoming--to turn into this other Diana--pronounced Dee-ahna, a Jordanian girl who has forgotten the taste of fluffernutter sandwhiches or Hersey's bars."

Wherever they are in the world, the family is grounded by Diana's father's cooking--his Middle Eastern food is as lively as he is. The book is full of family vignettes, focused on the relationships, the loud or quiet talk, and the flavours on the table. Abu-Jaber includes several recipes with each one, which are connected to the stories with funny titles or whimsical headnotes. I found the methods and ingredients of the recipes to be simple and accessible. I have made two recipes already and I am eagerly anticipating more creations.