Majida and her son Malek are joining us in January to serve up a home-cooked Syrian dinner.
Malek shared his personal journey with us:
"In December 2012, I left Syria seeking safe and better future. It wasn’t easy. When you leave home, you leave everything behind and start over. Having to leave college was the hardest thing. I headed to Jordan in hopes of finding a job to support my family in Syria; my dad, mom, and sister.
I found a job and started working over 13 hours a day, saving what I could to help my family to travel to Jordan. In 2013, the rest of my family joined me in Jordan. We applied for refugee status in Jordan, so we’d be able to travel to foreign countries. In 2015, we received a call from U.N to start the interview process to come to the U.S. And after five interviews, we were accepted as refugees.
We came to U.S with hope to create a better life so dreams were born again and hopes started growing. We settled into a small apartment in Clarkston, Ga.
In 2016, my mom, Majida, and I created Suryana Cuisine, using her cooking skills and my business knowledge and experience working in hospitality. Our goal is to create a bridge between two cultures using the most authentic food. My mom doesn’t speak much English, but the conversation was much easier after having her hummus!
Suryana Cuisine provides healthy and fresh Syrian traditional food made with care, love and passion of Syrian women. Our goal is to extend the Syrian kitchen to our new community in Atlanta and deliver the taste of Damascus cuisine to the heart of people who are seeking to experience authentic food."
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سلطة سبانخ Sapanekh Salad
Fresh spinach leaves, chopped onions, Akkawi (white brine cow cheese from the Middle East) and pomegranate seeds with a homemade dressing of lemon juice, pomegranate honey syrup and virgin olive oil.
ورق عنب Waraq Eneb
Grape leaves filled with rice and dry mint sauced with lemon juice and pomegranate honey syrup. No Syrian birthday party is complete without this appetizer!
شوربة عدس Shorabet Ades
A comforting lentil soup seasoned with Syrian spices and lemon juice, then topped with crispy pita.
شاكرية Shakriah
It’s no wonder this dish is typically saved for special occasions. Lamb is slow-cooked in a yogurt sauce, which must be constantly stirred so it won’t scald. This recipe with its special blend of Syrian spices, has been based down for generations and can take 6 to 8 hours to prepare. Served of vermicelli rice.
كبة Vegan Kibbeh (Vegan Option)
Traditionally, kibbeh is stuffed with ground beef and nuts. But after coming to U.S in 2016, a number of our new friends asked if we could make a vegan version. A football-shaped patty of cracked wheat stuffed with green peas, carrots, potatoes, onions and nuts. Traditionally serve with lentil soup.
كنافة Kunafa
This dish dates all the way back to the 10th Century and doctors prescribe it to satisfy the hunger during Ramadan (Muslim’s month fasting). A rich dessert of shredded dough stuffed with Nabelsiah cheese (a Syrian white cheese made of cow milk) dressed with homemade syrup.