Ramadan Mubarak!

A few years ago, when I started fasting with my husband during Ramadan, I went online to find a book of recipes I could plan for our Iftar meals, the meal with  which Muslims break their fast at the end of the day. There are plenty of cookbooks for Christmas celebrations and Jewish holidays, but to my surprise, I could not find one for Ramadan, a celebration that is observed by 1.6 billion Muslims ever year.

So I have set out to create this website and bring you home recipes from Muslims worldwide, who each added their own personal and cultural touch to their dishes. More than just food though, I also seek to learn about the personal stories of these home cooks, and what Ramadan means to them. And how these recipes are informed by beautiful narratives of the homeland, migration, family, qualities to cherish in each other even if current affairs might sometimes suggest otherwise.  

In any event, it is no secret that food brings people together, and it is especially true during this blessed month of Ramadan. Cesar Chavez once said “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with them… the people who give you their food give you their heart.” I hope that these recipes will be an invitation that extends to others in the Muslim community but also beyond the community to friends, neighbors and anyone with whom you might break bread. That there are stories behind the recipes excites me in as far as I daydream of only more shared stories as people gather to eat, as well.