Growing up, I adored the beautiful pastels and spring blooms that surrounded Easter. My dad used to own a store off of Jackson Avenue here in Memphis, called “A 2 Z Fashions”. Around Easter, he’d stock the store with sooo many Easter dresses. We’re talking layers of lace, tulle, and all the poofy-ness that a 90’s dress had. Bonus points if you added the lace trimmed frill socks! Each year those dresses were my playground. No-one had the confidence of 5 year old Nuha in a pastel tulle dress… frizzy hair and all. The weekend of Easter, we’d head over to a friends house and spend the morning hunting down Easter eggs, followed by lunch and dessert.
Growing up, Ramadan decorations weren’t available here in the U.S. We’d celebrate with string lights around the house and some lanterns, admiring our DIY decorations for the whole month. But the true joy came from our post-iftar dessert spread. The many potluck dinners were ended with a variety of home made sweets - atayiff, baklava, cakes, cookies, and more. Think of "Great British Bake-Off”, but a Middle Eastern version -ha!
Whether you’re invited to an Easter or Ramadan event or simply treating a friend, I hope this menu allows you to “break bread” with those you appreciate. Both menus are curated to feed gatherings, large and small. No matter what you’re celebrating, we hope you do it surrounded by those you love, making memories that you can remember fondly.
Love,
Nuha