Egyptian Food

Yesterday before I got sleepy, Little Nanna and I helped Mama and Sanaa make mahshii. Mahshii is stuffed vegetables in general, and this time we made “waraa aineb (literal translation is ‘grape paper’ which means ‘grape leaves’)”. Sanaa’s famiy has a large farm just outside of Cairo. They told me that these grape paper, I mean, grape leaves came from their farm. I went to the farm at least 3 times before, and I remember how we picked grapes from the vines and eat them there. (The Family also donates lots of fruits and vegetables to orphanages in Cairo.)
In mahshii, we put rice, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, onion, and salt. You can make mahshii with lots of different vegetables. I like peppers, tomatoes, and white eggplants (about 3 inches long).
I also like other kinds of Egyptian food. So far on this trip, the Family has already made some of my favorites like kofta (ground meat with spices), molokheiya (slimy leaves in soup – pardon my bad description), and now mahshii. I have yet to enjoy taammiiyah (falafel) which is my absolute favorite! I’m leaving Egypt tomorrow, but I’m coming back in a few days, so I hope I can enjoy cooking with the Family and eating good food with them!