tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883441679021307035.post4604627165823569127..comments2009-10-23T13:42:39.780-04:00Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17150744981746333959noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883441679021307035.post-27682356365775149122009-10-23T13:42:39.780-04:002009-10-23T13:42:39.780-04:00I have my eye on the lemonade with mint! I wonder if there&#39;s any local place i can find that...Nick&lt;http://sportcruiserpros.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883441679021307035.post-12594641924618821362008-05-27T09:37:00.000-04:002008-05-27T09:37:00.000-04:00I think your gender point is an important one--was just thinking about it today at lunch actually. I'll be sure to include it in my post on Persian food!Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17150744981746333959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883441679021307035.post-46167470749801205922008-05-26T13:03:00.000-04:002008-05-26T13:03:00.000-04:00Looks absolutely delicious. It's interesting to compare what you've written about Syrian cuisine with Persian cuisine. For example, as maybe you've already seen in Iran by now, Iranians also have a basic split between what would be considered "restaurant food" and "home food," where restaurant food is generally chelokabab (various kabab meats served with white rice), and home food is generally polos (various combinations of meats and/or veggies cooked into rice) or khoresh (various types of stews that one pours over rice just before eating). Of course, one does find polos and khoreshes served in Persian restaurants (at least in the U.S., I don't know about Iran), but Iranians generally stick to kabab when eating out. The reason for this, I think, is taste as much as tradition. For example, I've never had a restaurant-made khoresh or polo come close to that made by my mother, grandma, aunt, stepmother, etc. Conversely, I don't know that those same women could (or maybe could but just prefer not to) prepare a good kabab that one would find in a good Persian restaurant. Thinking about it now, it strikes me as interesting that polos and khoreshes are traditionally prepared by women (at home), whereas kababs are often seen being prepared by men (at Persian restaurants). Maybe this has something to do with why kabab is "restaurant food" -- men don't usually cook for the family?<BR/><BR/>One other note: It's apparent from the photos that Syrian kabab is different from Persian kabab. I've tried to explain this to people before, but every non-Middle Easterner I tell this to is convinced that "they're all the same." Not so. Totally different spices and seasoning, different marniade, different cuts of meat, different shapes, different taste.Neemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946018607587309180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883441679021307035.post-53201045472218691182008-05-26T12:59:00.000-04:002008-05-26T12:59:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Neemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02946018607587309180noreply@blogger.com