1249. Ghazleeya (Arab Cotton Candy Dessert)

This was another instant hit which I know will be made over and over. Arab cotton candy differs in texture from the carnival cotton candy we all know and hate/love. The strands are somewhat thicker, overall texture slightly more dense, and it has an elasticity unique to it. But all this is literally just the topping. Under this highly attractive surface lays a delicious Arabian-flavored milk pudding that marries so well with the topping you'd think it was created for the sole purpose of being together.

1248. Jareesh Milk Soup

This jareesh milk soup is just as good in the nursery as it is on the iftar table. Besides salt, literally the only ingredients are milk and jareesh. The results is much greater than the sum of its parts; so fragrant, delicious, and comforting.

1247. Fruity Oats

Can we talk about iftar and leave out souhour? No, it just wouldn't be right, seeing how the hadiths point to it being such a blessed meal. So while the iftar is officially what breaks our fast in Ramadan, it is the souhour that gets the breakfast-style eats. Case and point: these fruity oats.

1246. Chicken Lentil Soup

This soup is loaded with goodness and tastes so incredibly good. Combining chicken, lentils, and a myriad of vegetables, it makes for the perfect Ramadan iftar. It is of the chunky variety, so dicing up your chicken and vegetables nice and small is important.

1245. Fresh Zaatar Kaak

Sometimes lightening strikes and a new recipe becomes an instant favorite. These fresh zaatar kaaks might not look like much, but my zaatar plants cannot grow fast enough to accommodate the increased demand generated by them. So jam-packed with goodness, you will quickly forgive the whole cup and a half of olive oil in the recipe list. After all, what's a Palestinian recipe without a tub of olive oil?

1244. Fresh Strawberry Pie (No Bake)

This strawberry pie tasted more like anything strawberry I had had in years. You need a kilo of fresh strawberries, most of which will remain fresh. A quarter of the fruit will be cooked down in sugar and cornstarch to form a sticky and thick Turkish delight-like binder to glue all the other fruit into the pie as it cools.

1243. Saffron Chicken Stew with Fennel and Barberry

I probably had too-high expectations for this recipe, and unfortunately it just didn't live up to them. It was good, just not stupendously excellent as I thought it will be. Reading the recipe, you will see an exquisite brew of saffron, orange juice, barberries, fennel, and chicken.

1242. Jelly Slice

This is a pretty and simple dessert that can find a place on the family dining table or the guest one just as easily. I tend to prefer "from scratch" recipes, but once in a while, taking a delicious shortcut is non-objectionable. In this case: biscuits, sweet condensed milk, and jell-o.

1241. Whole Roast Lemon and Herb Fish

Whole roasted fish inevitably reminds me of The Hobbit, when Bilbo just settled for his dinner before the intrusion of the dwarves. Surely that's an indicator of not only how easy it is to prepare, but also of how long people have been preparing it?

Ramadan 1440

رمضان مبارك لجميع أمة نبينا محمد

1239. Mulberry Tut Compilation

I want to share in the baraka of mulberry season and encourge any one who is able to but has not yet planted a tut or mulberry tree to do so. Depending on your location, it might take a few years for your tree to settle into fruitful mode, but once it is there, it will be a few weeks you find yourself looking forward to all year.