Eid Al Adha is a time to spend with loved ones and family, but inevitably time spent with family also means time spent with FOOD. It’s the holiday that keeps our hearts full and our stomachs even fuller. As much as we love the spiritual feeling the holiday gives, we know quite well it can be extremely overwhelming when it comes to preparations. Gatherings can be up to 20 people or more, and if you’re trying to get desserts or any type of food ready on the same day you are signing up for mission impossible. This holiday should be enjoyed; whether your inviting or being invited we’ve made it our job to make your life easier! Allow us to help you survive this holiday and help you celebrate the festivities easier.
Breakfast
Most probably you will end up spending time with immediate family in the morning, but the extended family will be knocking on your door soon. The best way to get fueled up for a day of cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmothers and in-laws is to have breakfast. Come on, it takes a certain amount of energy to be able to carry on 15 conversations at the same time! It’s a smart choice to go with something like a croissant. They come in a variety of flavors such as dates and figs, and they give you the satisfaction of eating a croissant straight from Paris!
Lunch
Lunchtime is crunch time! Whether you’re being invited or doing the inviting, there’s no cause for alarm! Just follow our advice!
Inviting: If you are the brave soul that is going to be hosting the family gathering, don’t panic. Cooking a delicious meal isn’t as hard as you think once you find a common ground. We ‘ve never met a dish we didn’t like but if we had to choose one that we love it would be the Lebanese classic, Chicken with Rice. It’s a dish that everyone can agree on. It’s up to you if you’d like to sprinkle a few roasted pine nuts on top of the rice – or you could even add a little twist with a few cashews thrown into the mix. Don’t hate it until you’ve tried it.
Invited: If you are the one being invited it’s a given that you will end up bringing a dessert with you. But you probably won’t be the only one thinking that – so your host’s fridge will most likely end up overflowing with Maa’moul Halawet Jeben, Baklawa and Sfouf. Why not turn the tables this Eid and bring a few refreshments for your fellow guests? You could go classic with some Jallab or Kammareddine, or maybe start a new tradition with some coconut water?
Coffee
No matter how stuffed you are after lunch, invited or inviting there is one common denominator, it is coffee. By this time you’re full out of your mind, and your pockets are empty from giving away what seems like your entire last paycheck in “eidiyet” – but it’s nothing a cup of coffee can’t fix. Whether it’s Brazilian Arabic, coconut, or hazelnut it’s good enough to restore your energy for the table of dessert headed your way.
Desserts
The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Yes, the time to un-button the top button on our jeans to make an extra centimeter of space to fit more food in our stomachs has arrived.
Inviting: If you’ve got people coming over, why not give them a little something different to choose from beyond the Maa’moul? Be smart with your dessert table and think variety. Variety is key to make your dessert table an irresistible one. Mixed nuts are a must, because remember not all your guests have a sweet tooth; some may like to end their meal with something salty, so you want to satisfy their hunger too. You can never go wrong with Baklava, and to spruce up the mix we highly recommend our chocolate covered dates, (both in milk chocolate and white.) Trust us, with this mindset you’ll have an unbeatable combination of choice.
Invited: You can never go wrong with Maa’moul – yes, you most probably will end up being one of 100 people bringing the same dessert, but you have two advantages: 1.Yours will be Al Rifai, and 2. Due to our generous culture, you will end up taking some back home with you!
Dinner
If you are a food addict like us no matter how much you ate at Eid Lunch (which is probably more than should be admitted) there is always room left for dinner. But don’t worry we’ll keep it light. The smart and healthy way to end our food marathon would have to consist of our oatmeal with raisins topped off with walnuts. It’ll help you feel not so guilty for your binge eating throughout the day!
We hope you enjoy your holiday as much as we do, without a stress or a care in the world. Lastly, we wish you a happy and healthy Eid from our family to yours!
