Tag: bread

Eating in Egypt

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt, Recipes2 Comments

We wish that we could talk about all of the unique foods that we discovered while we were in Egypt, but the reality is that we didn’t get too many opportunities. Our first four days were spent on a cruise ship going down the Nile river and all of our meals were provided for us. The food was extremely good, but except for one dinner that focused on Egyptian food, it was pretty generic. We did go out to a couple of local restaurants while we were in Cairo, but we actually found the choices to be somewhat limiting. Our hotel had several restaurants, so we did try a variety of foods at the end of the day after our tours completed, but they were somewhat international in nature. We always try to eat local food whenever possible, so we took advantage of the few opportunities that we had.

Street Café with Roasted Meats
Buffet on the Cruise Ship
Dips and Vegetables
Food in the Hotel Restaurant
Eating on the Ship

We were there just a couple of days before the start of Ramadan, which was fortunate since all of the local restaurants basically close while everyone fasts. One of the things that ate that we really enjoyed was mixed grill, which included beef, chicken, and vegetables. We also enjoyed the wonderful breads along with sesame dips and baba ghanoush, which is made with eggplant and tahini. In general, we didn’t find the food to be as exotic as some of the other places that we have visited. If we had to describe Egyptian food in general it would be that it is mostly based on breads and vegetables.

White Beans
Indian Curry
Mixed Grill
Baba Ghanoush and Yogurt Dip with Marinated Vegetables
Coffee House in a Market

Although alcohol is not consumed by a majority of people in Egypt, they did have local red and white wine that was actually quite good. We also found a nice lager that was brewed in Egypt that was very refreshing, especially when returning from our tours in the heat of the desert. Of course we also had hibiscus juice and tea as well, which was refreshing as well. There are plenty of coffee houses with really strong, espresso style coffee, and plenty of people smoking shisha (hookah) pipes. One thing that was hard to get used to was the public acceptance of smoking in restaurants. Not only will you find an ashtray on your table, you will likely be surrounded by people smoking cigarettes wherever you go to eat, including the international hotel restaurants.

Egyptian Lager
Egyptian Wine
Simple Soup
Shisha Pipes for Sale
Lamb Chops

 

 

Dill Dip with Rye Bread

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes11 Comments

We’ve been enjoying this dip for years, but we simply call it “Bread Dip”. When we can get the rye bread in a shepherds loaf, we will hollow out the loaf and put the dip into the bread, which makes for a great presentation.  Rye bread and dill might not be a combination that you would think to put together, but it really is excellent.  This dip works great for parties and special occasions since it can be prepared ahead of time and is easy for guests to eat, even when mingling.  We hope that you enjoy it as much as we do.

Dip and Enjoy

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups Mayonnaise
  • 2 cups Sour Cream
  • 2 tsp Dill Weed
  • 2 tsp Accent (which is flavor enhancer, but if you can’t find it, you can leave it out)
  • 2 tsp Minced Onion
  • 2 tsp Parsley – dried or finely chopped
  • 1 pinch of Salt
  • 1 loaf Rye Bread – dark or light (If you can get shepherd’s loaf, get two loaves, one for the bowl and one for dipping)
Bread Dip
Dill Dip

Instructions

Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed, accent, minced onion, parsley, and salt in a large bowl.  Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour.  If you’re able to get the rye bread in a shepherd’s loaf, hollow out the center of one of the loaves and put the dip in.  Cut the rye bread into 1 inch squares.