Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Spicy Fried Beef

This recipe is very delicious and very easy. It’s a 20-minute meal.

Serves 2 people.

Ingredients:
1- 300g of beef, small cubes.
2- One onion.
3- Spicy colored pepper.
4- Few spoons of oil.

Preparations:

1- Grease a frying pan and place it over medium heat.
2- Slice the onion and put it the pan.
3- Stir it till the onion turns golden.
4- Add the beef cubes and stir.
5- When the beef turns brown, add the colored pepper.
6- Keep stirring till all of the ingredients have the same color.
7- Taste it. If the beef isn’t done yet, you may add some water. Once it absorbs the water, taste it again

Be Al-hana we Al-shafa

Monday, May 21, 2012

Why the Muslim Brotherhood And Salafi Shouldn’t be in Power


As an Egyptian and Muslim I can say that the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi know nothing about Islam but its name only. They are using religion as a curtain to cover up their true face. They are using religion to make people who don’t know their religion well follow them, and the history of Muslim Brotherhood is known to be full of blood and hate.

Before what’s called the Arab spring in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood didn’t have much power and we didn’t hear about Salafi before. Now, unfortunately, after Mubarak’s regime fell, they have come out seeking power and the big chair.

The majority of Egyptians don’t like the Muslim Brotherhood, but despite this they have won many seats in the parliament. Were the elections fixed? No one knows.

Here are the reasons why the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi shouldn’t have any power over Egypt.

1- The pyramids: in the Salafi agenda (if they win the coming election) the pyramids should be destroyed and all of the ancient temples, too, because the pharaohs used to pray to their gods in the temples.

http://sy-street.net/?p=8807

When the Islamic leader Amr ibn Al-as received a message from the Christian priests asking for help and to be saved from the Roman occupation, he came to Egypt and fought the Romans and respected the old history of the nation and didn’t destroy anything. Amr ibn Al-as built a mosque next to a church and a Jewish temple to say that the different religions should live in peace and harmony.

2- Female circumcision: it was illegal in Mubarak’s regime. The Muslim Brotherhood believes girls must be circumcised so the girls don’t feel horny and have sex before marriage. There is no phrase in the holy book or any hadith said that girls should have circumcision.

3- Women’s rights: for over thirty years the former first lady Suzan Mubarak fought for women’s right and now it’s all going to fade. A Muslim Brotherhood senator, who is unfortunately a woman, Azza Al-garf, wants to cancel the law against sexual harassment, so if a guy harasses a woman he won’t get punished. In fact, she blames girls for the harassment! She blames the victims.

*In Egypt we have a law saying if a husband divorces his wife for no reason and the wife has a baby, the wife takes the apartment. Al-garf want to cancel that law, too, so if a mother who is staying home gets divorced and she has no money her ex husband can throw her in streets.

*The Al Khool law: it’s one of the best laws in Egypt, giving women the right to get divorced. Many times the husband refuses to divorce his wife and forces her to live with him against her will. If the wife goes to the court it takes years and years, so we have that Al-Khool law. If the wife doesn’t want to live with her husband, she has the right to get divorced by giving the husband back the bride price he paid. And of course Al-garf wants to cancel that law too.

Al-garf wants to repeal all of the laws that help women and she supposed to represent women.


http://www.arabtimes.com/portal/article_display.cfm?ArticleID=26885

http://www3.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=569198&SecID=303&IssueID=168


4- A woman’s place is in the home: the Muslim Brotherhood says that women shouldn’t work and women belong to the home. In Islam there is nothing against working women. The Muslim Brotherhood are confused between religion and culture.

5- The Muslim Brotherhood is anti-peace and supports violence: they support violence and killing the innocent. They support the killing of Al-Sadat, the president of peace. He was killed because he signed the Camp David peace treaty with Israel. The Muslim Brotherhood is thinking of Khalid Islambouli and the other assassins as heroes not murderers.
http://www.masrawy.com/ketabat/ArticlesDetails.aspx?AID=131167&ref=hp


6- Christians’ rights: Coptic Christians won’t have any rights if the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate wins the election. All of the high positions will be exclusive for the brotherhood. And some Salafi burned churches before.

7- Freedom of speech: it’s only words for them. They believe in freedom of speech only for themselves. They can say anything, but they forbid people to talk freely.

8- Media and movies: Adel Emam is one of the most famous Egyptian actors. He is so popular and loved all over the Middle East. Adel Emam is facing prison now because of a movie he starred in in 1994 “The Terrorist.” It’s about a man who was fooled by a group of extremists and he became a terrorist, killing innocents without thinking. Later in the movie he realizes that the extremists are doing terror attacks for money and business and they are liars, and he realizes that he was wrong. He regrets all he has done and he wants to turn himself in to the police, but the extremists kill him first. Now, 18 years after the movie, the Muslim Brotherhood got a chance to control writers and actors in the media. They are using a law that prohibits people from depicting Islam negatively to prosecute him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rZ41gRfnbQ

Adel Emam used to speak against Mubarak’s government and he was never punished or jailed.

9- The Muslim Brotherhood’s empire: if the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate becomes president of Egypt, it will not be an Islamic country. It will be a Muslim Brotherhood empire. There will not be freedom of religion. They think Muslims who aren’t following them are infidels, so even Muslims need protection from the Muslim Brotherhood.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Around Korea part 2: Seoul lantern festival

We just got home from one of the most beautiful spots in Korea, Cheonggyecheon stream where is the lantern festival is taking place.
The lanterns are amazing and the weather was perfect.

For more information please visit the link:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?gotoPage=1&cid=1002416&out_service=





Thursday, May 17, 2012

Culture Shock in South Korea

Korea was the first country I traveled to, Korean dramas in Egypt are very popular and that was the reason I loved Korea and wanted to visit it.
When I came to Korea I discovered that dramas are a thing and the real life is a different thing.

My first shock was the bathrooms had no bidets, I might sound silly but every house in Egypt has one so I thought they are everywhere in the world.

2- Korea's drinking culture: some people drink to have fun, some people get drunk and do something stupid but here in Korea people drink until they black out in the streets. I saw many men wearing business suit and they were lying on the sidewalk.

3- Spitting: usually spitting in street considered rude but not in Korea. People spit all the time in front of restaurants, in subway stations and everywhere.

4- Don’t get involved culture: this one is driving me crazy, Korean people are nice but when they see someone in trouble they act as if there is nothing, if they heard a girl screaming they will act as if they don’t hear anything.

5- Peeing in the streets: in many countries it’s illegal but in Korea it’s very normal especially at night.

6- Korean fashion: so the fashion here is kind of weird Korean girls wear very short skirts that showing their butts but they don’t show arms and cleavage. After three years in Korea I still don’t get it.

7- young men and purses: yes men are wearing purses and walk holding it in the streets, go work or to schools.

8- Korean guys and make-up: Korean guys wear face foundation and whitening powder to be pretty.

Korea is a beautiful country and the people are generally nice, and it’s like any other country has good and bad things.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Tomato jam my family's secret recipe

My mama's secret recipe of tomato jam. With lemon and cinnamon flavor. It's fresh and with no preservative and it's good for one week.

The recipe is in my cookbook Fast and Easy Egyptian Recipes.
http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Easy-Egyptian-Recipes-ebook/dp/B007CDZ9FE/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_4

Monday, May 14, 2012

Fried Kofta

In Egypt we have a thousand types of kofta and each of them has a unique taste and different flavor.

Fried kofta is one of my favorites. It’s very easy to make and very fast. It takes a few minutes to be done.

Serves Two
Ingredients:
1- 300g of ground beef
2- one onion
3- salt
4- black pepper
5- chili powder
6- cinnamon, spice to taste
7- one egg
8- soft breadcrumbs
9- oil

Preparation:
1- bring a deep bowl
2-shred the onion
3- add the beef and the spices
4- mix it all well
5- roll the beef and make it into fingers
6- use another bowl and beat the egg
7- put the beef fingers in the egg
8- then put it in the breadcrumbs and cover it well
9- fry it in deep oil
10- keep stirring it until it gets golden brown, and it’s done!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Egyptian Street Culture That No One Will Tell You About

Egyptian Street Culture That No One Will Tell You About

The book uncovers some of the modern culture of the streets and some of the cultural changes of the last 50 years.


The book is a different type of guidebook. It doesn’t say where to go. It says what’s going on in the streets and explains conversations happening around you in language you don’t understand or behind closed doors.


This book is a fascinating read for travelers and expats in Egypt, and it’s also a rich source of information about what people believe in and their way of thinking. It talks about how the ancient culture survived and mixed with the modern. The book is perfect for people who are interested in reading about Egypt and its culture.


The book has seven chapters and each chapter talks about a phenomenon, and explains how it started and why people are doing it. The topics include superstitions, cursing, the power of Envy, pick-up lines, and more.

http://www.amazon.com/Egyptian-Street-Culture-About-ebook/dp/B0080NWBII/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2

If you don't have a kindle, you still can buy and read the book by downloading free kindle reader apps on your PC or laptop.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Around Korea part 1: Hampyeong-gun Butterflies Festival

In a beautiful spot of Jeollanam-do province in South Korea, the celebration of butterflies is happening from April 27th to May 8th. We went there on the opening day of the festival and it was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect for a picnic: warm but not hot, with fresh breezes.
There are a few restaurants that serve Korean food only and it was my first time to have Bulgogi with Ttokkboki and it was delicious. The activities are limited and the golden bat exhibit doesn’t have any bats. And what made me sad was some school children were on a field trip and some of them were catching the butterflies and their teacher didn’t stop them. There is an open area where you can play with chicks and rabbits and see farm animals.
The Korean traditional performance started in late afternoon, just a few minutes before we had to leave to catch the train home, but I enjoyed the opening of the performance.