Since I'm a bit of a picky eater, I'm always a bit skeptical every time that I try something new. Especially if it's something that seems very unfamiliar to me. Since these are some of my favorite dishes, I feel extremely happy and want to dance after every bite!
However, I must confess that I've had the opportunity to flip the maqloube pot several times when invited to my adopted Palestinian family's home, but I've always been too scared. I picture myself dropping the pot and ruining dinner for everyone. Hopefully, before my journey ends, I will build up the courage to one day flip the maqloube pot.
In order to taste these yummy dinner dishes, you’ll likely have to be invited to someone’s house. Unlike the breakfast and lunch foods that I've mentioned, maqloube and the stuffed veggies and grape leaves take a very, very long time to prepare. Kousa mahshi and grape leaves, in particular, could take hours of preparation since you have to hollow out the veggies and individually roll up the grape leaves with stuffing inside. Then, you have to slowly cook them all in a pot on the stove at just the right temperature.
Yes, because the ingredients for all of these different dishes are things that grow within the area and have been around for ages. In particular, many of the dips such as hummus and ful mudammas are made with olive oil, which is a HUGE staple of Palestinian food since olive trees grow all throughout the region.
