blog entry

Mediterranean Delights

Laura LaRue

Bonjour!I am Ruby LaRue, new Skirt!Houston blogger at your service.I have a dream that one day I will be in Paris accomplishing my goal of going to culinary school, but until then, I want to be able to share insight about local culinary delights with you…and then some.

I grew up overseas and travelled the world trying all sorts of different culinary delights directly from Saudi Arabia, France, India, Great Britain, Thailand, Spain, Turkey, China, Japan, and Indonesia.You could say my taste buds are well travelled.

One of the most unique experiences I came across in my ten years of living abroad was being invited to a traditional Saudi wedding.Weddings in Saudi Arabia are quite different from what we are used to in the US.The wedding party (i.e. reception) starts before the ceremony.And even cooler, the girls have their own party!Like in the US, the bride is not allowed to see the groom until she walks down the aisle.Walking into the ladies reception area, we passed about six huge outdoor tents where all the men were gathered.Let me tell ya, the women were having a lot more fun!We walked in and several of them were singing along with the beats they were creating from striking empty plastic bottles and drums – talk about resourceful! We sat in groups on the floor about round cushions and after the Kabseh (whole roasted lamb served over spiced Arabic rice) was served, the bride-to-be got up and started a line dance…truly amusing and the Kabseh was absolutely delightful.Did I mention we ate with our hands?It is tradition to eat with your right hand and you simply grab a ball of rice and then a piece of meat and roll it up like a meatball, and eat!

In Houston, there are several great places to get traditional Arabic food, but one that I have really come to enjoy is Mint Café.The restaurant is family owned and operated from Lebanon.The skewered roasted chicken or beef “shwarma” sandwich is my favorite and the many delicious sides they have to choose from such as roasted artichoke, greek salad, falafel and moussaka will keep your imagination at work! I love to get labneh with rice – they go wonderfully together.

If you have any questions or comments, email Ruby LaRue at ruby@skirthouston.com!