In recent years, breakfast has become a luxury for the people of Iraq. Economic sanctions imposed by the U.N. in 1991 devastated the country’s day-to-day food supply. The much maligned oil-for-food program established in 1995 seemed to create more controversy than relief. The program was terminated in 2003 - the same year that Iraq was invaded by a U.S. led coalition. In 2006, traditional Iraqi breakfasts remain a rarely mentioned casualty of war.

Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, breakfast had already been in danger. During the last five years of his rein, it was reported that 400,000 Iraqi children under the age of five died of malnutrition and disease. Beyond killing breakfast eaters, the regime was literally killing breakfast. Substantiated stories tell us that Saddam Hussein ordered the clearing of millions of date palms in an effort to root out snipers during the Iran-Iraq War. As you’ll see, dates are a very important part of the Iraqi breakfast experience.

In this report, we concentrate on Iraqi breakfast as it was before foreign military intervention, as it still is when the ingredients are available, and as we hope it will resurface in the very near future.

Until 1918, Iraq was known as Mesopotamia which translates to “land between rivers”. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers dissect the country and the Iraqi population is narrowly concentrated around an agricultural belt along these rivers. While Iraq receives relatively little rainfall, the soil around the rivers is well-suited to grow many crops important to breakfast including wheat, figs, dates, citrus fruits, melons, beans, onions and various herbs. Arid regions are of Iraq are better suited for growing barely, an important grain especially during times of drought.

About 10% of Iraq is suitable for grazing livestock. Sheep and goat outnumber cattle, making sheep and goat milk (and cheeses) more common breakfast options than their cow-made counterpart. Buffalo milk and cheeses are also popular even though the number of buffalo in Iraq are dwarfed by the previously mention livestock.

Approximately 95% of the Iraqi population is Muslim. Of those, 54 percent are Shi’ite, and 41 percent are Sunni. The main difference between the Shi’ite and Sunni sects is a conflicting belief regarding the rightful heirs to Muslim authority, a conflict which dates back to the early history of the Muslim religion. Despite the well-known hostility between the groups, they share similar Muslim beliefs, observe the same religious holidays and eat the same breakfasts.

Until recently, a fair number of Jews called Iraq home. In fact, nearly one quarter of the population of Baghdad was Jewish during the 19th century. In 1948, the Iraqi Jewish community was estimated at 150,000. But that number has now dwindled to the low hundreds. While your average Muslim in Iraq may not be a fan of the Jews, they are quietly prone to enjoy Jewish-inspired cuisine and this is occasionally reflected at the breakfast table.

Iraqi cuisine is strongly influenced by neighboring countries, Turkey and Iran. One food write generalized Iraqi meals as “a blend of standard Arabic cuisine with Persian influences and Turkish influence in the north.”

Breakfast in Iraq is typically a light meal. Egg dishes are fairly common. Breakfast cereals are not.

Like many countries, Iraq’s primary breakfast staple is bread. A flat bread known as khubz and an oval-shaped bread loaf called samoon are found individually or in tandem at most meals. At breakfast, bread is enjoyed with butter, jam, honey, cheese, Libna (yogurt with olive oil), date molasses, sesame paste and pretty much everything else available that you can put on bread or dip bread in. Bread also acts as key component in most breakfast recipes that are considered uniquely Iraqi.

Gaymer (Sometimes Found as “Geimer “)

Gaymer is the word for very creamy, thick white cream made from buffalo milk. A familiar counterpart would be the better-known clotted cream. The most common use of this cream in Iraq is in a recipe called Gaymer Wa Dibis. In this dish, bread pieces are dipped into both gaymer and dibis (the Arabic word for the date syrup). Like many Iraqi breakfast favorites, Gaymer Wa Dibis is often enjoyed from communal trays, with fingers acting as the only utensils. Some Iraqis prefer honey to date syrup. Others might add candied apricot to their Gaymer Wa Dibis. There are even variations with yogurt, olives and cheeses replacing the traditional ingredients.

Kahi

A breakfast dish of Jewish Babylonian descent called Kahi is another favorite in Iraq. A relative of baklava, kahi consists of very thin folded layers of filo-style dough that is baked and then drenched with honey or a flavored sugar syrup called sheera (not to be confused with the breakfast porridge from India of the same name). Kahi is sometimes eaten with the above mentioned gaymer cream.

In Iraq, it’s customary for the mother of a new bride to bring breakfast (usually Kahi) to the home of her new son-in-law the morning after the wedding.

Bigilla

In northern and central Iraq, beans play an important roll in breakfast. A traditional bean dish of Maltese descent called bigilla is popular as both a breakfast dish and a snack.

The main ingredient of bigilla is a special type of broad beans called “ful ta girba”. The beans are soaked overnight and mixed with olive oil and other ingredients to form a paste or dip. Bigilla is almost always served with bread. A common breakfast variation is to serve the bigilla over torn pieces of bread with a fried egg on top.

Ramadan Breakfast

Muslim Iraqis celebrate Ramadan the entire ninth month of the Muslim year. During Ramadan, no food or water may be consumed from sunrise to sunset. Muslims believe fasting makes them stronger in their faith and helps them identify with the poor and hungry.

Breakfast during Ramadan is called suhur and it must be eaten before dawn. Suhur usually consists of grains, seeds, dates, bananas, and other foods that are considered slow to digest since their next meal may as many as 16 hours away.

Other Iraqi Breakfast Favorites

A few other items you might find for breakfast in Iraq include pastries filled with dates, omelets and other egg dishes, candied oranges, rice topped with egg, chicken, various soups, bananas and melons.

Bacon, sausage and ham are very rarely seen in Iraq as Muslims are forbidden by God to eat pork.

The most popular breakfast drinks in Iraq are coffee and tea. Most Iraqis brew their coffee thick and bitter, and take it black. Tea is most often sweetened and served in small glasses. Fruit juices are also popular.

The following Iraqi Breakfast Recipes are available at Mr Breakfast.com:

- Makhlama bil Sbenagh (Iraqi Spinach Omelet)

- Sheera (Date Syrup)

- Gaymer Wa Dibis (Buffalo Cream & Date Syrup)

- Kahi (Breakfast Pastry)

- Bigilla (Breakfast Bean Paste)

If you’d ever like to make these Iraqi dishes for a friend, you may want to tell that friend about a great Iraqi custom: It is not fit to return the neighbor’s dish empty. From sharing breakfast from communal trays to making sure no good breakfast deed goes unrewarded, the tradition of breakfast in Iraq should show us that most Iraqis are decent people.

Editorial By Mr Breakfast

The Iraqi people may not like us too much sometimes. They may see American men as gluttons and American women as sluts. But you know what? When I’m in a bad mood, sometimes I see the world that way too. A lot of Westerners generalize the Iraqi people as the enemy. That’s what you do when you’re dragged into war. But we have to remember that in the end, we’re all just people… we all go to sleep at night and we all get up in the morning. And through it all, when we wake, the first thing our bodies crave is not democracy, religious solidarity or blood… it’s breakfast… one meal… one important way that we might find that it’s better to learn about cultures and possibly even respect them, before we blindly consider them weird or immoral and denounce them. May breakfast bring our nations closer together as it does our families. Amen (The same closing for both Christian and Muslim prayer, although in Iraq it is often spelled “Aameen” and spoken with rolling gargle sound after the first syllable).

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The best beverage recipes There is a particular beverage for a person’s every need. In today’s modern market, there are a slew of sports and energy drinks, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, diet and no-sugar sodas, teas, juices and alcoholic beverages. Sometimes, even when you know what you need, it gets utterly confusing to choose from this long line of beverages. For you to make the right choice, you will need to know how to choose the best ones. The best beverages have the best ingredients. Sports and energy drinks need to have the right amount of vitamins and minerals needed for proper re-hydration. Coffee beverages should be made from first class coffee beans. Carbonated drinks should carry just the right amount of acid so that they will not be too heavy in the stomach. The best recipes for juices, teas, and other mixed drinks are the simple, homemade ones. Mixing simple syrup with any of your favorite fruit juices will give you one of the best homemade beverage recipes ever made. The perfect blend of flavors, sweet and enticing aroma, and its functionality; these are some of the qualities found in most of the best beverage recipes. The Jungle Juice is a combination of grape and cranberry juice that’s perfect for the home and office. Mixing powdered milk, bittersweet coco milk and a cup of coffee will give you the best mocha-coffee drink. For parties, mixed drinks like the classic fruit punch and champagne punch, and alcoholic beverages like Bloody Mary and the rum punch, are the best choices. There are countless other beverages that taste and look great. Experiment on the more common recipes before moving on to the more complicated ones. This way, you get to choose only the best from among the best!

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Serving Temperatures

The flavors of both red and white wines fall apart if they are too warm. It is advisable to chill your reds in the fridge for about twenty minutes before serving them, and whites can generally be left in the fridge altogether. When in doubt, it’s better to serve the wine colder and let it warm in the glass than to serve it too warm.

More flavorful, fuller bodied white wines can be served at a slightly warmer temperature than bone dry whites. There are an impressive amount of wine coolers on the market that allow you to temperature control the environment your favorite wines. If you have room for it, pick one up! They can add a great deal of enjoyment to your wine drinking experience - just be sure that there is an actual barrier separating the red wine and white wine compartments. Simply stacking the reds on the top portions of the cooler in the hopes that the air will be warmer there will could make your reds too cold and your whites too warm. Most reputable coolers have separate temperature controls for both types of wine.

Choose Your Glasses

Prevailing wisdom on the subject of wine glasses advises that it is in everybody’s interest to show the wine the proper respect by serving it in a tulip shaped glass with a longer, slender stem. It is recommended that the glass be clear in order to best view the color and body of the wine as it is pored and sipped. However, we are going to take this a bit further and suggest that you have to balance the respect you show the wine with the respect you show the occasion.

As world cultures blend and star chefs inspire us with their innovative, fusion like cuisine, more and more types of meals can be enjoyed with more types of wine. Today, it is not uncommon for a big Australian Grenache to be brought out for a barbeque or a fun and fizzy champagne to accompany fish and chips. There are more styles of wine glasses than ever before, so don’t be afraid to make the glass casual if it fits the mood. Tumblers for barbeques, boxes for Asian food and Dixie cups for picnics are all perfectly acceptable!

One thing to keep in mind with whatever glass you choose is to be sure you give the wine space - it’s best to fill a glass no more than half way in order to give the aromas some room to come out. Click here for more information on wine glass basics: http://www.savoreachglass.com/articles.php/20

If you are using stemware, be wary of the type of detergent you use to clean them and how you store them. Detergent residue can negatively impact the flavor and aroma of wine - if possible, wash your glasses in hot water with no detergent at all and air dry them. Store them upright so odors in your cabinet are not trapped in the glass.

Decanting

There are a number of reasons to decant your wine, not the least of which is that it’s fun and can add style to an event. It can also help to remove sediment in wines, particularly aged wines, and it helps the wine breathe. This allows its aromas to interact with the oxygen in the air and become more noticeable.

Choose a decanter that suits your style. Like wine glasses, decanters come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, some plain and other wonderfully ornate. We find that decanting is particularly fun for family style events and opt for plain, unimposing decanters that remind us that we should keep our focus on the celebration rather than fanciness. For more formal occasions we opt to keep the bottle at the table!

Breathing

Breathing refers to allowing the wine to come in contact with the oxygen in the air. For some wines, this allows the full aromas and flavors to come to the surface. Keep in mind that too much oxygen can dull the flavors. Giving certain wines an hour or so before drinking them can do wonders to open-up their flavor and aroma.

There are a number of pervasive myths regarding wine breathing that we would like to set straight. The first is that all wine benefits from breathing, which is patently false. Some reds, particularly big Bordeaux, well-made Syrah/Shiraz and Italian Barolos benefit greatly from having some time to open-up. Barring these players, most wines can be drunk immediately, and white wine in particular will not benefit at all from having time to breathe.

The second major myth is that wine can breathe in the bottle. Simply popping the cork will do little to allow it to breathe, since so little of the wine is able to interact with the air. Allow wine to breathe either in a decanter or your glass.

Handling Leftovers

There are three major methods to preserving leftover wine, the first is simply recorking it and putting it in the refrigerator. If possible, poring the leftover wine into a half bottle and then putting in the fridge is ideal, as the fuller the bottle the less oxygenation can occur. Keep in mind that white wine can last a great deal longer (a week even) than red wine (simply recorking red wine and putting it in the fridge may give you two days - three at the most).

The second method is to vacuum pump the wine with a special pump. This sucks out the air in the bottle and seals it for later use. The wine should still be placed in the fridge, but can last for several days in this fashion.

The last method is a variation on the second, which involves filling up the unused portion of the wine bottle with a special gas that prevents oxygen from interacting with the wine. These canisters are easy to use and can be found at most wine merchants.

About The Author

Tynan Szvetecz is an editor for http://www.savoreachglass.com, an international wine directory that is helping explore the spirit of wine for a new generation. Wine hobbyists, sommeliers, merchants and growers have all come together to contribute content to this directory in an effort to make it as informative and easy to use as possible.

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Italian bagel chips takes plain bagels and making them into something special. Add some wonderful seasoning and what seemed old and boring before has a whole new lift to it. Use these chips with a variety of dips and you’ll please even the pickiest of eaters.

What you’ll need:

- 6 plain bagels (thinly sliced)

- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 glove garlic (minced)

- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary

- 1/4 tsp sea salt

- 1/4 tsp black pepper

- 4 Tbsp freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Next place bagel slices in a single layer on the baking sheets. Make sure you don’t double the slices up on the backing sheets, they won’t bake properly. If needed, bake the bagel slices in batches.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the bagel slices and top with a little sprinkling of the cheese.

All that’s left is to bake these yummy Italian bagel chips for 15 to 20 minutes or until they become crisp and turn a golden brown color and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. I like to cool them on cookie racks. You can serve them warm or make them ahead of time and store them in an airtight container.

This recipe makes 60 to 120 chips. Make more than you think you’ll need as they disappear fast!

A wonderful dip to try with these bagel chips is Gouda Cheese Onion Dip. You can find this recipe on my web site. Just check the information below.

Important: Please feel free to republish this article on your web site or ezine. However, you are not allowed to modify any part of its content and all links should be kept active.

Sara Gray is an avid lover of appetizers and has created a great website called Easy Appetizer Recipes where you can find delicious ideas for all kinds of appetizers, raclette grilling, tapas small plates, snacks and soups and plenty of inspiration for chips and dip.

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If you enjoy the taste of raw vegetables, then you’ll love this Raw Vegetable Smoothie. The health benefits of raw vegetables are well known and many people enjoy drinking their raw vegetables just as much as eating them.

This Raw Vegetable Smoothie has a wonderful twang to it because of the picante salsa. It’s very flavorful and you will want to make this a regular staple of your raw foods diet.

Raw Vegetable Smoothie

• 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice OR balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons picante salsa
• 1 cup raw broccoli
• 1 raw tomato, quartered
• 1/2 raw carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup raw kale, or any leafy green
• 1 - 2 cloves raw garlic
• 1/2 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raw un-hulled sesame seeds
• 1 - 2 slices onion

Directions

Start by pouring liquid ingredients (lemon juice, salsa) into blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until texture is that of a creamy milkshake.

About The Author

Copyright 2004

Donna Monday

Easy to make - fun to drink

http://www.1st-milkshake-n-smoothie-recipes.com

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Cilantro is a common ingredient in salsa and Mexican dishes but
did you know it dates as far back as the ancient Egyptians?
Coriander seeds which stem from the same plant as cilantro have
been found in Egyptian tombs and writings involving coriander
can be seen in Sanskrit which dates from around 1500 BC.

Cilantro is a versatile herb that is is commonly used in salsas,
dips, dressings and sauces. This aromatic, citrus flavored herb
is a member of the carrot family and can be used dried or fresh.
The seeds from this herb are harvested and dried and are known
as coriander. The green stems and leaves are the herb known as
cilantro.

Cilantro is sometimes sold in the grocery store as something
else and if you can’t find it in your supermarket try looking
for Mexican parsley. Since cilantro is commonly used in Mexico
and Mexican cooking, it is often called Mexican parsley but it
is good in other types of cooking as well and you can even find
Chinese recipes calling for Chinese parsley which is the same as
cilantro.

When looking for cilantro in your supermarket look for nice
fresh bunches much like bunches of parsley. In fact, you will
probably find it right next to the parsley in the produce
section. Don’t purchase the parsley by mistake though because it
is not the same thing! You can easily tell the difference
between cilantro and parsley by inspecting at the leaves and
smelling the herb. The leaves of cilantro are wider than parsley
and cilantros scent is very aromatic.

Cooking with fresh cilantro is a great way to make gourmet foods
and the longer you keep your bunch of cilantro fresh the better!
When you bring cilantro home from the supermarket put the bunch
in a glass of water like a bouquet with only the stems
submerged. Loosely cover the green leaves with a plastic bag
which will help keep your cilantro fresh.

When cooking with cilantro, remember, it is best when you crush
the tender leaves with a mortar and pestle. This helps to
release the full bodied flavor. Always add the cilantro towards
the end of cooking. The delicate nature of cilantro does not
hold up to heat so waiting until the very end will insure the
best taste from the versatile and aromatic herb.

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Carole started counseling with me because she was depressed. She had been ill with chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time and believed her depression was due to this. In the course of our work together, she became aware that her depression was actually coming from her negative thinking - Carole was a constant worrier. Many words out of her mouth centered around her concerns that something bad might happen. “What if I never get well?” “What if my husband gets sick?” “What if I run out of money?” (Carole and her husband ran a very successful business and there was no indication that it would not go on being successful). “What if my son gets into drugs?” “What if my kids don’t get into good colleges?” “What if someone breaks into the house?”

Her worry was not only causing her depression, but was also contributing to her illness, if not actually causing it. Her worry caused so much stress in her body that her immune system could not do its job of keeping her well. Yet even the awareness that her worry was causing her depression and possibly even her illness did not stop Carole from worrying. She was addicted to it. She was unconsciously addicted to the sense of control that worry gave her.

I understood this well because I come from a long line of worriers. My grandmother’s whole life was about worrying. She lived with us as I was growing up and I don’t remember ever seeing her without a look of worry on her face. Same with my mother - constant worry. Of course, I picked up on it and also became a worrier. However, unlike my mother and grandmother, who worried daily until the day they died, I decided I didn’t want to live that way. The turning point came for me the day my husband and I were going to the beach and I started to worry that the house would burn down and my children would die. I became so upset from the worry that we had to turn around and come home. I knew then that I had to do something about it.

As I started to examine the cause of worry, I realized that worriers believe that worry will stop bad things from happening. My mother worried her whole life and none of the bad things she worried about ever happened. She concluded that nothing bad happened because she worried! She really believed that she could control things with her worry. My father, however, never worried about anything, and nothing bad ever happened to him either. My mother believed that nothing bad happened to my father because of her worry! She really believed until the day she died (from heart problems that may have been due to her constant worry) that if she stopped worrying, everything would fall apart. My father is still alive at 92, even without her worrying about him!

It is not easy to stop worrying when you have been practicing worrying for most of your life. In order for me to stop worrying, I needed to recognize that the belief that worry has control over outcomes is a complete illusion. I needed to see that, not only is worry a waste of time, but that it can have grave negative consequences on health and well-being. Once I understood this, I was able to notice the stomach clenching that occurred whenever I worried and stop the thought that was causing the stress.

Carole is in the process of learning this. She sees that her worry makes her feel very anxious and depressed. She sees that when she doesn’t worry, she is not nearly as fatigued as when she allows her addiction to worry to take over. She sees that when she stays in the moment rather than projecting into the future, she feels much better. The key for Carole in stopping worrying is in accepting that worry does not give her control.

Giving up the illusion of control that worry gives us not easy for anyone who worries. Yet there is an interesting paradox regarding worry. I have found that when I am in the present moment, I have a much better chance of making choices that support my highest good than when I’m stuck thinking about the future. Rather than giving us control, worry prevents us from being present enough to make loving choices for ourselves and others. Worrying actually ends up giving us less control rather than more!

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

margaret@innerbonding.com

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Love fluffy cooked rice but dislike the preparation time and clean up? Then rice cookers maybe just what you need. Today’s rice cooker is a thrifty time saving device for anyone’s kitchen. Also eating rice weekly has many health benefits. With so many rice cookers to choose from how does one decide? Let’s take a look at the many features and sizes of a rice cooker and determine which is right for you and your family.

Size - How much rice will you cook at one time? Also consider how much space you have for storing the unit. Rice cookers very in the amount of uncooked rice they hold, between 5 to 10 cups. If one’s family is large or rice is used when having a dinner party then a higher capacity rice cooker will do a nice job. On the other hand cooking for one or two people makes a smaller model a wise choice.

More desirable features - Rice cookers with a glass lid is a “must have” to watch the cooking process. It is also a great idea if the lid has vent holes for steam to escape. This feature makes cleaning up the cooker less messy. Look for a rice cooker with a removable cord as this makes storage easier. Non-stick pans are a must and many models now come with a water measuring line inside the pan wall.

The top rice cookers today are what is called “fuzzy logic cookers”. They are programmed to read the different kinds of rice and adjust the settings according. This would be ideal for folks who love to eat many varieties of rice. This cooker is on the high side of the price scale though.

The internet is a great place to find the perfect rice cooker for you. Browsing thru online stores is an easy way to compare different models. Most manufacturers also have great detailed pictures to help one decide. Rice cookers can have many features so be sure to check them all out.

Curtis Miller is a successful author and publisher of
Kitchens 4u. Your source for quality items for your kitchen.

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Entrée

Osso Bucco

3 to 4 lbs veal shanks ( I serve one shank per person. If the
cost is high you can cook down the meat and separate it from the
bone.)

Cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs olive oil

2 oz diced salt pork

Cup butter, melted

lb diced and peeled onions

1 large clove garlic, mashed

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 bay leaves, remove before serving

Cup dry white wine

2 Tbs finely chopped carrot

stalk celery minced

8 to 10 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped fine

1 Cup canned chopped tomatoes (I have used fresh tomatoes, but I
find that the canned are constantly good in taste and the liquid
is always welcomed in the sauce)

1 Tbs tomato paste

Cup warm water

Dredge the veal in flour and shake off any excess. Heat olive
oil, salt pork and butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the
onion and brown. When the onions are browned add the veal and
garlic. Brown on all sides for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add,
rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir and brown for about for about 10
minutes longer. Add bay leaves, wine, carrot, celery, parsley,
and tomatoes. Stir tomato paste with the warm water until well
blended and then add that to the mixture. Stir and simmer
covered for about 40 minutes. ( I tend to let this simmer longer
on my stove. This serves two purposes, one makes the meat
extremely tender and two fills the house with wonderful aromas.)

Serve over Ravioli ( I use fresh over sized store bought
ravioli. I have made my own, but I find that the store bought is
good quality and much simpler. If you would like a recipe for
homemade ravioli please send a request to
recipes@gourmayeats.com )

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