Matbakh

This episode of Matbakh features Annabel "Nibal" and Sam Rabiyah, the sibling duo behind The Awafi Kitchen: a Boston-based pop-up culinary space dedicated to sharing Iraqi-Jewish food culture. This conversation looks at using food as a platform for holding onto culture, heritage and histories. The duo talks to us about Iraqi-Jewish recipes, the erasure of their community's history, and how they use food as an invitation for deeper conversations about cultural heritage and identity. They describe — in tantalizing detail — the contours of Iraqi-Jewish cuisine, listing their favorite dishes and recipes, and why it's important to understand that Iraqi-Jewish food is simply Iraqi food. Finally, we dive into Iraq's agricultural landscape and the politics of cultural preservation through seeds. The Awafi Kitchen is a Boston-based pop-up culinary space dedicated to sharing Iraqi-Jewish food and culture. Its menus are recreations of the meals that the founders grew up eating as children, and the stories they heard of food in the old country. They are cooking to preserve the lesser known pieces of Jewish and Iraqi histories. They also share some delicious recipes with their community. Connect with The Awafi Kitchen 👉https://www.instagram.com/theawafikitchen/ The Iraqi Seed Collective are people of Iraqi heritage and seed growers devoted to preserving Iraqi culture and the genetic legacy of crops through saving heirloom seeds. The Iraqi Seed Collective 👉https://www.instagram.com/iraqiseedcollective/ Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra #Iraq #Baghdad #IraqiJewishCuisine #MiddleEasternFood

To kick off the new season of Matbakh, we sat down with iconic and award-winning food historian, researcher and educator Nawal Nasrallah. We travel back in time to Medieval Iraq and talk about inherited food traditions, social histories, and 10th century understandings of cuisine and cooking. Nawal delves into her book "Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of Iraqi Cuisine", recounts her experience translating Kitab al-Tabikh, details the influence and trade of certain ingredients, and describes what a kitchen looked like in Mesopotamia. Finally, we discuss the surprising similarities between our present-day dining and eating etiquette and decorum and 10th century Iraq's, as well as debate who best cooks Sambousek. Nawal Nasrallah is an independent US based Iraqi food writer, historian, English literature scholar and translator. Nasrallah’s best known work is Delights from the Garden of Eden, a cookbook showcasing Iraqi cuisine which won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Nasrallah’s translation of the Abbasid-era cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq – titled Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchens – also won Gourmand World Cookbook Award’s “Best Translation in the World” and “Best of the Best of the Past 12 Years” awards. Connect with Nawal 👉https://nawalcooking.blogspot.com Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl48-5Y0F7sx2xoexSoeBUWJ&feature=shared ABOUT AFIKRA afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. 📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters 🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts ⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official 🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra

In this episode of Matbakh, we’re joined by Viven Sansour, founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. This was a really compelling conversation about the politics of environmentalism, her work through the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, and the link between anxiety and agriculture. We spoke about the importance of indigenous wisdom in farming, changing landscapes in the Middle East, and Vivien’s work in preserving bio-cultural heritage. Vivien Sansour is an artist, storyteller, food historian, researcher and conservationist. Vivien is the founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library which finds and reintroduces threatened crop varieties and also collect stories to assert the ownership of seeds by communities. She also established the Traveling Kitchen, which is an extension of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. This project seeks to engage people in conversations around bio-cultural heritage, agrobiodiveristy and the process of coevolution between human activities in the field and kitchen. She uses image, sketch, film, soil, seeds and plants to revive old cultural tales in contemporary presentations and thus advocate for the protection of biodiversity as a cultural and political act. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

In this episode of Matbakh, The VoiceNote Chef tells us about about transforming childhood memories into viral recipes, capturing his mom’s unique voice in voicenote form, and cooking to ease homesick hearts around the world. We discover how the account took off, how its changed his relationship with his mom, and his favourite videos to date. We also discuss the importance of authenticity, the various aspects of content creation, and how Kareem stays true to no-frills and simple cooking. Kareem, better known as The VoiceNote Chef, is a New York based Lebanese-Kuwaiti content creator. Kareem launched his now viral platform in April 2020 when he was feeling homesick due to the global pandemic. Now, together with his mom, Kareem creates viral recipe videos that feature audio instructions from his mom in voicenote form. Before launching his viral platform, Kareem worked in advertising. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Ramzi Ghosn talks about the profession of wine and arak-making and its significance in the Levant, notably in Lebanon. From Massaya, he discusses the speaks about how Phoenicians valued viticulture and developed the finest wines that continues to be exported to the world. Massaya is a Lebanese winery and arak distillery owned and operated by the Ghosn brothers Sami and Ramzi. The outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 forced the family to leave the estate and both Sami and Ramzi Ghosn left Lebanon to study abroad. In the early 1990s Sami and Ramzi returned to Lebanon and decided to work on revitalisating the war-ravaged estate. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Haya Bishouty talks about her techniques in recreating traditional Palestinian food through Haya's Kitchen. She speaks about her favorite dishes and desserts such as Christmas Kaak, Rummaniyeh, Shush Barak Bel Laban and more. Haya Bishouty is the founder of Haya's Kitchen, a supper club that she started in order to revive the tradition of Palestinian grandmothers opening their homes and inviting people to feast communally. While she began with friends, word began to spread and eventually she would have strangers join her traditional Palestinian feasts where she would share the context and stories behind the dishes she was serving. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Nadir Nahdi talks about his exploration of the world's cultures through their different cuisines. He discusses his revelations in Morocco, Yemen, and Palestine through Bastilla, coffee steaks, and Jaffa cakes. Nadir Nahdi is a presenter, film-maker and producer from London with Yemeni, Indonesian, Pakistani and Kenyan heritage. Nadir was recently voted by the Evening Standard as one of 'the most influential Londoners'. His videos articulate the unique experience of children of the diaspora. His work has acquired 10 million views and has since been selected as a YouTube Creators for Change Ambassador. He is also the founder of BENI, a ‘Culture Lab for innovative Ideas’, providing an online and offline community with engaging events, content and unique products that address social issues. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

يتحدث الشيف محمد كمال عن أساليبه في الطهي النوبي في مصر وكيف يحافظ عليه بين الذاكرة والابداع. محمد كامل هو شيف نوبي متخصص في المأكولات النوبية الحديثة، يمزج تقاليد الماضي مع الأذواق والأساليب الحديثة. نظرًا لأن المطبخ النوبي غير معروف كثيرًا خارج المنطقة النوبية، يطمح كمال إلى الحفاظ على الثقافة حية من خلال تطوره في الأطباق التقليدية. كان أيضًا جزءًا من المنتخب الوطني للشيفات المصريين الذي حصل على كأس 2022 لفنون الطهي الأفريقي. إعداد مايكي مهنا تقديم سلمى سري إنتاج رمزي رمان موسيقى طارق يمني https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

What happens when you take a lawyer turned pastry chef trained in France and mix in Egyptian flavors and heritage? Listen to find out. Beware: don't listen while hungry! After 10 years of experience in law (studying and working), El Charkawy first discovered her love of cooking while pursuing a Master’s degree in Law in France. Prior to her move, she had hardly ever stepped foot in the kitchen. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Bringing Iraqi food into the English food scene, Chef Philip Juma is keeping the essence of the Iraqi home alive with his Kubba, Quozi, and Dolma at Juma Kitchen. Philip Juma studied Economics for Business and started his career in finance. Throughout his time in finance, he always loved cooking – he would speak about food, restaurants, hospitality with such enthusiasm but it was just a ‘passion’ of his. He worked for an energy consultancy company and after 18 months there, he made the leap in becoming a chef. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Mysa Kafil-Hussain Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Reem Assil talked about her culinary approach at her restaurant 'Reem's California,' in addition to her chosen single ingredient that can be used in different dishes and desserts: Ashta. Reem Assil is a Palestinian-Syrian chef based in Oakland, CA. She is the owner of Reem’s California, a nationally acclaimed restaurant, inspired by her passion for Arab street corner bakeries and the vibrant communities that surround them. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Karim Haidar talked about the future of Lebanese food in Europe through education and restaurant work. Haidar discusses traditional Lebanese food, devoid of fusion, and how he had developed the Academy of Arab Cuisine in Paris. Renowned chef Karim Haidar has founded the Academy of Arab Cuisine in Paris, a platform to promote Arab cuisine across the world. By offering a space for these cuisines on the international scene, the academy will contribute to their development and will become a long-term repository for culinary knowledge. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Joudie Kalla talked about her books "Palestine on a Plate" & "Baladi," how her work connects both food and politics, and her special chosen dish 'Fatteh.' Joudie Kalla is a Palestinian-British chef and food writer. She is the author of two prizewinning cookbooks, Palestine on a Plate: Memories from My Mother’s Kitchen (2016), and Baladi: A Celebration of Food from Land and Sea (2018), and has featured in venues like The New York Times,The Guardian, and Al Jazeera. Although she identifies the food in her cookbooks as Palestinian, some of the recipes reflect British influences, such as her za’tar scones. Others include new ingredients in the Palestinian repertoire, such as chocolate. In some cases, as she acknowledges in Palestine on a Plate and Baladi, her recipes are for dishes that she improvised when she was running her restaurant and supper clubs in London. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Sami Zubaida talked about culinary cultures of the Middle East, drinks and social boundaries, and the history of his chosen single dish: Koshari. Sami Zubaida is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck, University of London and has held visiting positions in Cairo, Istanbul, Beirut, Aix-en-Provence, Berkeley CA, Paris and New York. His research interests include Middle East Politics, Religion and Law, Nationalism, Food and Culture. Professor Zubaida is a regular contributor to the LMEI’s The Middle East in London magazine and has published extensively on the Middle East, most recently an article in openDemocracy on Islam and Reform. He is also a Professorial Research Associate of the Food Studies Centre, SOAS and has published widely on food and culinary cultures including 'Drink, meals and social boundaries', in Jakob A. Klein and Anne Murcott (eds), Food Consumption in Global Perspective: Essays in the Anthropology of Food in Honour of Jack Goody (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) and A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East (ed. with Richard Tapper, Tauris Parke, 2001). Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Febe talked about her work involving food and history, including writing her book with Bogac Ergene of Halal Food: A History. Febe Armanios received her BA, MA, and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. Her research interests have focused on the history of Christian communities in the Middle East, particularly on Egypt’s Coptic Christians, on Muslim-Christian relations, as well as food history and media studies. She has been awarded fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Luce Foundation-ACLS, and Fordham University, among others. In 2015, she was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School (ILSP), and in recent years, she’s served as an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Middle East Studies, as well as on the Steering Committee for the Middle Eastern Christianity Unit at the American Academy of Religion. In 2021-22 academic year, she was the Bennett Boskey Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at Williams College. She currently co-Directs Middlebury College’s Axinn Center for the Humanities. Armanios is the author of Coptic Christianity in Ottoman Egypt (Oxford UP, 2011) and co-author with Bogac Ergene of Halal Food: A History (Oxford UP, 2018). She’s now completing a book-length project on the history of Christian television (terrestrial and satellite) in the Middle East (ca. 1981-present) and has also begun research for another book project, which looks at the comparative history of Christian food practices in the Eastern Mediterranean and Southern Europe. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Claudia Roden talked about her new cookbook MED as well as her other work, and the process behind writing them. Claudia Roden is an Egyptian-born British cookbook writer with a special interest in the social, cultural and historical background of food. She is best known as the author of many cookbooks including A Book of Middle Eastern Food, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food and Arabesque. Besides her numerous cookery volumes, Roden has also worked as a journalist and a cooking show presenter for the BBC. Food writers and chefs such as Melissa Clark and Yotam Ottolenghi have credited her with playing a large role in introducing the food of Egypt in particular and the Middle East and North Africa in general to Britain, the United States and the English speaking world. She has been involved with Yale, University College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies and is President of The Oxford Symposium of Food. Her latest book MED, contains recipes from the Eastern Mediterranean. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Tony Tahhan Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Originally from Ramallah, Nasser Jaber came to the United States as a university student in economics and finance. Working in restaurants to pay for his degree, Nasser soon found that his true passion was food, and that his talents would take him from waiting tables to training under the best chefs in New York City. Nasser broke into the New York food scene when he opened Mazeish, a Palestinian-South American fusion restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, he decided to use the restaurant as a space for chefs to try new concepts, celebrate heritage, or host dinners to address social issues. It was this concept that gave rise to Nasser’s acclaimed project Komeeda, an online platform that helps people connect, taste exciting new foods, and meet the passionate chefs behind their meals. Komeeda is also dedicated to social impact through culinary diplomacy, sharing the values of entrepreneurship, private enterprise and food security to the world. Komeeda has been working with the U.S. government in Turkey and Sweden to provide real solutions to the refugee crisis through food hospitality and farming. Nasser is also the co founder of the Migrant Kitchen with renowned chef Daniel Dorado. The Migrant Kitchen is all service catering company that highlights migrant food through catering and food entrepreneurship. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

In this Matbakh event, we talked to Mennat-Allah El Dorry about her career in archaeobotanical analysis. Much of her research has revolved around food and trying to reconstruct how people in the past cooked and ate. Created by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Hosted by Salma Serry Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Dima Adra talked about her new cookbook "Mama Ghannouj" which includes recipes from the Lebanese cuisine. Dima Adra is the author of Mama Ghannouj, a self-published and crowdfunded Lebanese cookbook. She focused on gathering recipes from 10 moms who are excellent cooks in the community, to have a written record of their recipes (that are usually shared orally) as a way to preserve the cultural traditions and ensure that they are passed down and live on. Her passion for food has always run deep, so after working for a few years in advertising, she made the switch and attended culinary school in Boston. She loves to feed everyone that crosses her path and is obsessed with cookbooks. Created and hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com

Tala Bashmi talked about her culinary approaches at Fusions and her chosen single ingredient: Mehyawa. Born in Bahrain, Tala Bashmi is making a name for herself as one of the most promising stars of the culinary world. The MBC Top Chef finalist and winner of MENA’s Best Female Chef award 2022 is on a quest to not only modernize Arabic cuisine but also create a culinary journey like no other in her restaurant, Fusions by Tala. Created and hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of the Arab world. The series will be held with food practitioners who study how food and the kitchen have evolved over time in the Arab world. The guests will be discussing the history of food and what its future might be, in addition to a specific recipe or ingredient that reveals interesting and unique information about the history of the Arab world. Guests will be chefs, food critics, food writers, historians, and academics. Following the interview, there is a moderated town-hall-style Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience ‎on Zoom.‎ Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp Follow Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook - Twitter Support www.afikra.com/support About afikra:‎ afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. Read more about us on afikra.com