Welcome to my digital recipe book! This site started off (and remains today) a reference tool for myself and those who have enjoyed the meals I prepared for them in the past. This is why you won’t find any fancy bells and whistles or SEO-driven filler text.
The recipes found here are a collection of:
- my own unique concoctions
- family recipes
- favorites I’ve gathered from various media over the years
If I’ve sourced the original concept or inspiration from elsewhere, you’ll find that linked in the “Credit” section right at the top. Oftentimes, the original author has done the work of providing helpful tips, tricks, or histories which I don’t bother with, so I do encourage guests to click through and poke around.
Some Quirks
Since this is such a deeply personal space, you may run across ingredients listed in foreign languages, which I forgot to translate, or other oddities. If you come across this or something else which is making it difficult for you to follow along with the recipe or instructions, please drop me a comment and I can make the necessary annotations.
I prefer to do most of my kitchening by weight using gram measurements, as they are more precise and also result in fewer dirty dishes. Sometimes (not often) I use American cups. Occasionally, I may provide both options, but where that’s not the case, kindly refer to Google to get a rough equivalent. At the end of the day, it’s just cooking. Your dish will come out great, in sha’ Allah.
Shorthand
| Shorthand | Translation |
|---|---|
| T | tablespoon |
| tsp | teaspoon |
Halal
As a Muslim woman, I keep strictly to the bounds of halal dietary guidelines. This means:
- No alcohol or other intoxicants
- No pork or pig byproducts
- No meat products that are not halal
- this includes things like Better than Bouillon chicken base, for example
- No exotic meats (such as fanged creatures)
- No blood
Ingredient Particulars
Vanilla
The majority of vanilla and other flavor extractions are made using alcohol, so you will not find them used here. Most desserts are fine without it and the omission is hardly noticeable.
Alternatives
I keep a high quality vanilla paste on hand for preparations where vanilla is the main flavor component, such as a glaze, or ice cream.
Alcohol-free vanilla extract, which uses glycerin, can be purchased online. I have not, myself, tried this.
Middle Eastern markets also carry vanilla powder, which I have not tried myself, but those looking for alternatives may wish to try.
I welcome any questions, comments or feedback you may have; consult the contact page to see how best to reach me.
Warm regards,
The Kitchenwali