Our Kitchen Stories

The ramblings, ideas, questions and findings of the granddaughter. What began as a project to document the cookbook became a mirror — reflecting a heritage and a kitchen that are inextricably knit together.

Eid El Adha embroidered table runner
food & culture

Eid El Adha: Egyptian Fattah — but why is the Donkey here?

Our story starts with Fattah. A dish rooted over 5,000 years ago in a Pharaonic ritual — and the donkey who made sure the feast happened.

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Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic illustration

From Shemu to Sham El Nessim

Long before it was "Smelling the Breeze," this day was Shemu — a harvest festival over 4,000 years old. The egg-dyeing tradition? Entirely Egyptian.

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Egyptian feast spread with Teta Loula cookbook on the table

A Diet Culture Lie: Egyptian food wasn't the problem

We blamed Mahshy, Rokak, and Béchamel before we ever blamed French fries. A personal essay on growing up scared of Teta's cooking — and why we were wrong.

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Teta Loula making Kahk in her kitchen

Kahk: A Full Circle Story

In the ancient temples of Egypt, the act of baking was a sacred offering. The story of how a sun-disk offering became Egypt's most beloved Eid cookie.

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From the kitchen table

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