Pumpkin Custard Pie- Aar Asaely

This pumpkin pie is perfect for parties, family dinners and winter nights. It's one of my favorite Egyptian desserts. Serve it warm.

Serves 2-4 people.
Ingredients:
1- One pumpkin.
2- Three tablespoons of custard.
3- Two cups of milk.
4- Sugar.

Preparations:
1- Cut the pumpkin to small pieces.
2- Put it in a pot and cover it with sugar.
3- Turn the burner on low heat.
4- Leave it until the pumpkin loses some water.
5- After the pumpkin is soft, turn the burner off.
6- Keep the pumpkin’s water in a bowl and the pumpkin’s pieces in another bowl.
7- Pour the milk in a deep pot and add the custard. Low heat.
8- Use a whisk to stir the custard.
9- Add the pumpkin’s water to the custard.
10- Keep stirring until the custard is thick enough.
11- Bring an oven tray.
12- Add half of the custard in the bottom of the tray.
13- Add the pumpkin.
14- Pour the other half of the custard on the top of the pumpkin.
15- Place the tray in a preheated oven, 240 C.
16- After 30-40 minutes it will be brown and done.

If you want to make a homemade custard. Use 2 tablespoons of butter, melt the butter, add 5 tablespoons of flour and use a whisk to mix them well for 3 minutes. Then add the milk and keep stirring until it get thick.

Konglish?

Found in a supermarket.

Photo: Ian Porell

Chicken and Mushrooms Lasagna With Bashamel Sauce

Just made it for last night dinner and it was so delicious, it took about an hour and a half to be done.

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:
1- A half a pack of lasagna pasta
2- Two chicken breasts. Sliced
3- One onion. Sliced
4- Some mushroom. As desired.
5- Mozzarella
6- Oil

Bashamel:
1- Five tablespoons of flour
2- Two tablespoons of butter
3- A bottle of milk
4- tablespoon of butter

Preparations:
1- Boil the lasagna. Don’t make it too soft.
2- Use a frying pan and fry the chicken, onion and mushrooms.

For the bashamel:
1- Use a deep pot and melt the butter. Medium heat.
2- Add the flour. Use a whisk and stir for 3 minutes, until the flour mixed well with the butter.
3- Add milk and keep string until it’s thick enough, It shouldn’t be so thick.
If there are some lumps you can use a screen and use the liquid only.

The Lasagna:
1- Use an oven tray.
2- Add some of the bashamel in the bottom.
3- Put down a layer of lasagna.
4- A layer of the mix, chicken, mushrooms and onion.
5-Then some mozzarella.
6- Do this twice.
7- On the top a layer of lasagna, bashamel and mozzarella.
8- Preheat the oven 250 degree. I’m using an electric oven.
9- And cook it until it’s all golden. It took about 25 minutes.

Be Al-hana We Al-shafa

From inside

Feast Of The Sacrifice-Eid al-Adha

The Islamic world celebrate Eid al-Adha every year at the 10th,11th,12th, of Dhu al-Hijjah month, the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar.

While growing up in Cairo I’ve always thought that Eid is one of the best holidays ever, not because we get new clothes and some feast money from the parents, but because it’s all about giving and sharing, and making the poor happy. I’ve always been proud of the feast.

After I started my travels, I’ve met a lot of people from different religions and nationalities. Unfortunately I’ve met some western people who were racist and hate Muslims just for the sake of hate. Those people have called Muslims savages because of we sacrifice an animal “cow, sheep, camel, goat” to feed the poor.
I had a conversation with an American woman who eats meat, that conversation showed me how hypocrite some people can be, and how some westerns have double standards. I explained to her why we sacrifice an animal.
She “I’ll never kill an animal to eat.”
I “ you aren’t vegetarian, you love meat.”
She “ yes, but I wouldn’t kill an animal.”
I “so buying beef from a supermarket isn’t the same thing?”
She “of course not.”

So killing the animal in butcher shop then send it to the super market is better than killing the animal to feed it to the poor.

One of my favorite memories in Egypt is the first day of the feast, I saw rich people sacrificing an animal and gave it to the poor, all of the poor people who couldn’t afford buying meat, they smiled and were happy, their face were bright, they knew that they will go home and have good dinner. If that is barbaric I don’t know what’s noble is?
I’m so sick of people who hate Muslims just because we are Muslims. I’m a Muslim woman, I’ve traveled to 5 countries with different religions and cultures, I respect all of them.

Around Korea part 6- Gyeryongsan And Autumn’s Colors

Gyeryongsan is located in Daejeon, Chungcheongnam-do province. Such a beautiful place to enjoy the autumn foliage, and walk on a colorful path.

There are a lot of Korean and western restaurants along the way to the mountain.

Apple Custard Pie

An easy dessert for your family. Can be eaten warm or cold.

Ingredients:
1- Four apples.
2- Three tablespoons of custard.
3- Two cups of milk.
4- Sugar.

Perpetrations:
1- Cut the apple to small pieces.
2- Put it in a pot and cover it with sugar.
3- Turn the burner on low heat.
4- Leave it until the apple loses some water.
5- After the apple is soft, turn the burner off.
6- Keep the apple’s water in a bowl and the apple’s pieces in another bowl.
7- Pour the milk in a deep pot and add the custard. Low heat.
8- Use a whisk to stir the custard.
9- Add the apple’s water to the custard.
10- Keep stirring until the custard is thick enough.
11- Bring an oven tray.
12- Add half of the custard in the bottom of the tray.
13- Add the apple.
14- Pour the other half of the custard on the top of the apple.
15- Place the tray in a preheated oven, 240 C.
16- After 30 minutes it will be brown and done. The cooking time is different between gas oven and electric oven. I'm using an electric oven.

Come And Visit Seoul

This is a guest post written by Rohan Willis.

Can you recall the plots of “겨울연가 (Winter Sonata)”, “ 풀하우스 (Full House)”, or “꽃보다남자 (Boys Over Flowers)” that kept you at the edge of your seat with compelling characters, a setting that took your breath away, and essential elements of Korean romance? Have you ever wondered what brands of cosmetics Song Hyekyo, Yoon Eunhye, or Kim Taehee use?

Come visit Seoul! At first glance, you may think that it’s just another city in Asia. However, I can guarantee you that it’ll all change within half an hour. You’ll start feeling as if you have walked into a Korean drama setting. What you will experience is not Beijing, Singapore, or Tokyo. It’s Seoul!

It is difficult not to notice how the females meticulously maintain their beauty. From their hair styles, foundations, concealers, eyeliners, mascaras, eyeshadows, lipgloss, lipstick, earrings, accessories, handbags, shoes, clothes…etc., the ladies care about every single detail. In Seoul, you’ll discover numerous affordable ways to make yourself look elegant and gorgeous. You won’t find many expensive European cosmetic brands in Seoul. In fact, you will be able to find a large number of domestic branded cosmetic and beauty product on every street/road in Seoul.

Within a day, you’ll be able to understand why Seoulites are proud of their city. Seoul, soul of Asia!