Arabic food seems to be one of the dominant markers of Elmaz Abinader‘s identity during childhood as the theme of food is omnipresent in the first part of the story. The role of the Arabic food is a comforting one because the food makes Abinader forget the problems that her differences cause at school. "The smell was hypnotic and mitigated the melancholy I carried home with my lessons to do that night" (3). She tells that on Wednesday her mother cooks several delicious Arabic specialities such as "triangles of spinach pies, cinnamon rolls, and fruit pies" (2). Furthermore, when the relatives gather at their house, her mother cooks a festive meal for everyone.
Relatives from towns around Pennsylvania and Ohio filled our living room and dining …show more content…
Later, in college, when she is ready to expose her Arab background, she invites her friends and cooks Arabic food to introduce them to her Arabic side. Moreover, Abinader refers to the different term that Americans use to denominate the typical Arabic bread. ―[…] as it cools, the bread flattens to what Americans recognize as "pita‘ bread" (2). She also indicates that Arabic bread is the only bread eaten in their house, even when they eat a typical American dish, such as hot dogs. ―Other bread was rarely eaten in our house; even when we put hot dogs on the grill, they were dropped into a half of "cohbs," then covered with ketchup‖ (2). This quote exemplifies how the family mixes the culture of their host country with the traditions of their home …show more content…
Siham appreciates the Italian Market for two reasons: it provides her with the ingredients she needs to make her home cuisine, and it reminds her of the shops in Jerusalem’s Old City. Darraj describes the market through Siham’s eyes this way: “full of men yelling out the prices of vegetables and women peddling their crafts, their embroidered pillowcases and blouses. They even targeted tourists with photo frames and wall hangings that said in embroidered English, ‘God Bless Our Home.’”132 Although Siham runs into many more difficulties with her new husband in their new home, the Italian market symbolizes a kind of anchoring force in her life. It anchors her to the world, family and identity she left
Relatives from towns around Pennsylvania and Ohio filled our living room and dining …show more content…
Later, in college, when she is ready to expose her Arab background, she invites her friends and cooks Arabic food to introduce them to her Arabic side. Moreover, Abinader refers to the different term that Americans use to denominate the typical Arabic bread. ―[…] as it cools, the bread flattens to what Americans recognize as "pita‘ bread" (2). She also indicates that Arabic bread is the only bread eaten in their house, even when they eat a typical American dish, such as hot dogs. ―Other bread was rarely eaten in our house; even when we put hot dogs on the grill, they were dropped into a half of "cohbs," then covered with ketchup‖ (2). This quote exemplifies how the family mixes the culture of their host country with the traditions of their home …show more content…
Siham appreciates the Italian Market for two reasons: it provides her with the ingredients she needs to make her home cuisine, and it reminds her of the shops in Jerusalem’s Old City. Darraj describes the market through Siham’s eyes this way: “full of men yelling out the prices of vegetables and women peddling their crafts, their embroidered pillowcases and blouses. They even targeted tourists with photo frames and wall hangings that said in embroidered English, ‘God Bless Our Home.’”132 Although Siham runs into many more difficulties with her new husband in their new home, the Italian market symbolizes a kind of anchoring force in her life. It anchors her to the world, family and identity she left