Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

This isn't just a turkey,
As anyone can see.
I made it with my hand,
Which is part of me.

It comes with lots of love
Especially to you.
I hope you have a very
Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Dregias Thanksgiving menu:
  • Turkey
  • Peach and mango chutney
  • Gravy
  • Rice with almonds, pine nuts, and raisins
  • Candied yams
  • Green beans casserole
  • Pecan chocolate tart
Guest: Taher

Wednesday, November 22 updates

Pomegranate, yams, and the indian
corn that Moody got from field trip





Happy Thanksgiving!


  1. Hello Dregias,

    Ahh, are you having the same yummy menu during Christmas? Alas, I will be in the west coast. Though, I don’t mind hopping on a plane to join you; no, no, not just for the food, hehehe

  2. Lebeeya, sure you're invited and bring a guest if you wish.

    Soad, hey girlie... long time! I know you're mad at me. I got your message :( Just come here and I'll make it up to you--I promise! We do roasted rack of lamb for the New Year, even yummier. Let's talk and make sure you we are in your plan. oxo

  3. Hello Hanu,

    A roasted rack of lamb sounds great and irresistible. I will see if I can squeeze a day or two to stop by and say hello to you, The Dregias Clan.

    I can’t wait to taste that highly recommended Hasa of yours; Sul spoke so highly if it, I swear I was drooling non-stop for two days in a row, hehe.
    I’m sure Sul passed my recent discovery to you: mincemeat instead of Qidid in Hasa. Ya salam, sheer heaven, I promise you.

    Hey try this recipe for the pumpkin cake, it is very nice, plus you will have two loafs instead of one ( save one of them for later when the kids are asleep and Sul is busy, hehe) and you can skip the icing.



  4. Hey, Lebeeya and Soad, you're welcome to join whenever you can. If you can make it at year's end, Soad, we'd be delighted! Hanu already managed to twist the arms of our friends in Canada, and I'm sure they would also be thrilled to meet you. Join us for a snowball fight in the park, rib roast, and the traditional fireside "gurma" with chestnuts and minted green tea!

  5. Sol told me about the minced meat after I came from class last night. I can't remember if he told me before he went on his frenzy asking how I could create a population with a predetermined distribution. It was late! Here's how the Hassa conversation went:

    S: Soad said she uses "minced meat" with Hassa. (he emphasized the minced meat, laughing)

    Me: Minced meat?!

    S: Yeah (laughing) minced meat. She means ground meat!

    Me: That's what the Brits call it, so? (didn't get the joke)

    The other day, Magda in the UK sent a package with books for the kids. Sol came home and the kids were all over him to read them one of the books. He didn't have the scoop about the books yet and that they are from the UK. He started reading and then said to me, with a disapproving tone, "Where did you get this book? Mom is spelled wrong: M-U-M." I replied, "It's BRITISH! It's not wrong!" Coincidentally, I happened to be going to a reception of a British company that night. Lots of Brits were there and one of them was talking about how some words could have different meanings in British English and American English, like the word biscuit. I got to tell the M-U-M story of an hour earlier.

    Back to the pumpkin, thanks for the recipe, Soad. Here's the one I used. I will try your recipe with what's left of the pumpkin sometime soon.

    It'll be fun having you and the Canadians here. We'll have a blast trying to determine who speaks "better" English.

  6. Hello Guys,
    Gurma/Germa with chestnuts and minted green tea! Holy Fattasha! That is my kindda of fun, especially if it entails Teqti3 wa teryish تقطيع وترييش , Libyan style. Wow, wow, where is my cleaver?

    You Yankees and your twisted tongue; I swear the first time I heard the word ‘faucet’, I thought it was an insult, my fist ready in my pocket to proceed, hehehe.

    Guys I’m sure it will be great fun visiting you and meeting your friends, but as I said I will be in the West coast..... But if you promise to hang a banner on your front door saying: أهن جن التكسيات حمر وبيض وعكريات , Here comes the cars/taxis, red, white and purple(is Akri purple Hanu?), to concur with my celebratory mood this Christmas (hint, hint, wink, wink)I will hop on a plane from the West Coast and surprise you. I promise you I have many surprises up my sleeves this Chistmas.

    Hanu thanks for the link, I will try soon.
    Have a great Thanksgiving.

  7. Akri is fuchsia.

    The banner you will have!

    It's my turn now (nagging Libyan style): I've been trying you on the phone since yesterday. You are NEVER there! You NEVER answer the phone. Are you there and intentionally not answering? Why aren't you answering the phone? How am I supposed to ask forgiveness if you don't answer my calls?...

  8. Dear Hanu,
    I’m terrible sorry; I know I can be very bad sometimes. Believe me I’m all over the place these days, here, there, and nowhere to be found. These days I’m rarely at home due to a hectic assignment I embarked upon with a production company. If I’m not doing work with them, I’m daydreaming that one day one of the actresses won’t show up and the director will become so mad and I will step in to save the show and I become the discovery of the year, Hollywood wooing me while Bollywood shedding bitter tears. Hehehehe. I will be waiting for call though.

    Anyhoo, my grandmother, may God bless her soul, used to say of any woman who goes out a lot, neglecting her house, kids, and husband: كسبس يا حنة، والله ماتقعد فيه تذريه

    Honestly, I never fully understood what she means exactly by تذريه ? Does she refer to the tent and a certain things they used to do? Or what? Maybe Sul can help.

    Hanu, did you hear of the joke about the Misrati who wrote in his CV (resume for our smart Yankees):
    Profession: A Translator from British English into American English. Ha-ha-ha.

    Sul, I reread your email regarding Al-Fattasha and I was like Whaaaaa?? This little boy, Moody, thought of something I’ve never thought of. Yes, what if fairies and characters from fairytales and folktales meet? "What if the Fattasha meets the toothfairy in the room?" As Moody suggested. What if Beauty in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ met Karkar Masarina instead? How would be the end of the story? Different? The Same? Wow, that can be a theme of a great book.

    Here is my answer to Moody’s hypothetical question, "What if the Fattasha meets the toothfairy in the room?" : I think our Fattasha will give the toothfairy three choices:

    1- To convert to Islam and wear Hijab.
    2- The toothfairy’s family has to pay a ransom of xxxxxx amount of money.
    3- Our hot-blooded Libyan Fattasha will just split the stomach of the toothfairy and fill it with rocks. Hehehehe. what is your answer to Moody's question?


  9. Ha ha ha, wonder which the toothfairy will choose. Giving that her name is Shamsa, the Fattashah will have more bitterness towards her. Watch out, Shamsa!

    Could تذريه here mean she will get herself a ذُرّة?

  10. lovely menu.
    wishing you a happy & enjoyable thanksgiving holiday.

  11. Wow, wow Hanu, I thought the toothfairy is an infidel? It turned out to be a Libyan? And also a Safira سافرة!!You are right, better watch out Shamsa!

    Ah, you are right Akri is fuchsia. I don’t know what is happening to my memory? And here is another one I’m not sure of: is Budri pink?

    Could تذريه here mean she will get herself a ذُرّة?

    That is a very interesting analysis. You mean her husband will marry another woman? Wow, I’ve never thought of that. Still not sure though.

    Where is Sul to help us solve the conundrum? Or is he the one who is slaving in the kitchen while Hanu is pretending to do all the work?? !! (I know Hanu, I’m abusing the punctuations here; maybe I got infected by Barareek Al-Ghadab براريك الغضب )

    Better get my **** off and do some work. I certainly don’t want to get the sack this time of the year.

    Enjoy your day.

  12. Thank, Anglolibyan!

    سيبويه زمانه is keeping me from cooking! I've been urging him for an hour now to go to the Moroccan store to get me some leg meat for the rice. I hate going to the Arabista stores myself. They're filthy, they stink, they're rude and they EYE you nonstop! He went yesterday, and of course, to the store that I've been telling him for ages not to go to again, because they're FILTHY. Last time I went there, I bought dried apricots and came home to discover little flying creatures in the pack. As a result, he came back empty-handed. He said he'll go back when the father (store owner) is there to teach him how to run business. خرف ياشعيب!

    BTW, Moody is already working on the Fattasha-Shamsa story.