PANDEMIC
NOODLES
Amel Saied Hassan
Hometown: Paterson, New Jersey
Human Biology and Anthropology Major
Amel Saied Hassan is a rising fourth year FGLI student majoring in Anthropology and Human Biology. At Emory, Amel does research and works with the Muslim Student Association to create a space for Muslim students in the Greater Atlanta Area. Amel also works with a non-profit called STEMchats to search for different solutions to solve the issue of access and representation that many FGLI students and under-represented communities face when looking at research and STEM opportunities. Outside her work with STEMchats, Amel enjoys watching shows, listening to all types of music, messing with her five siblings and parents, and cooking new foods!
Reflection on Making
Macarona Béchamel مكرونة بالبشاميل
I decided to make a dish called Macarona Bechamel. It is an Egyptian dish and a classic at my home. It means a lot to me and my family because it is a warm, savory, and heavy dish that can be enjoyed in any setting, especially in the cold American winter. I remember eating it a lot as a child and helping my mom cut the different cheeses that we used, watching her assemble the different parts of the dish. My dad works a lot, and it was normal to eat dinner without him, but on the special days when my dad was home, my mom would make this, and my siblings and I would eat and enjoy it with him. Every time we eat the dish now, I am reminiscent of these times and this is a dish I will take with me back to Emory when we start again in the fall. This dish has a large piece of my heart because when I eat this dish, I am connected to my land and people about 6,000 miles away from here. I am able to tap into the struggles and history of my ancestors and share this same love and passion as they did long ago. I may not be in Masr (the actual name for Egypt), but , for now, eating food like Macarona Bechamel transports me there.
My parents were the first people on both sides of my family to have immigrated here to America and they raised their own family with six children. Although we were never able to visit our homeland, we were in tune with the cultures and traditions of our people from the Sa’idi to beautiful Nubia. Mama was from Alexandria and lived right next to the sea all her life and Baba was from the Sa’id, which means they had cultural differences in how they cooked food, too. They tended to switch to cooking different foods because of the uniqueness of flavors and recipes from living in different areas of Egypt.
Egypt is rich in its history and has so many influences from its different regions, but also from different countries in various time periods throughout history. Egyptian cuisine has been influenced by many countries, like Iraq, Palestine, Rome/Modern Day Italy, Greece, Ottoman/Modern day Turkey, and other countries, but Egypt still is very unique in her cuisine. Foods like falafel, also known as tmiya or fesikh or morokhiya or fettah, have been eaten by Egyptians since the time of our Pharaohs, so they are thousands of years old. Although it was so long ago, we can feel connected to our ancestors by eating our regular foods and imagining that during the Pharaonic times, King Tutankhamun, Ramses, and many others ate our foods too. Macarona Bechamel specifically is an example of this because it has strong influences from Italian and Greek immigrants in the 19th century. Rumi cheese, like others, were Egyptian by heart but the Macarona Bechamel that we all love and adore today has clear similarities to the Greek and Italian dish.
The Greek dish is called pastitsio, but the major difference is they use tomato sauce, egg, ground pork, and goat cheese. Egypt was taken by the Greeks and they ruled for over 300 years there until the Romans came after to also take over Egypt. For example, a part of the dish includes milk, but it was not commonly used in Egypt until more advanced technologies were created to combat the heat and preserve food for longer (unless you were rich). Then, Egyptians were able to adapt and start using dairy in their foods. I also want to note the similarity between the Balsamella sauce, which also is very close to the French Bechamel white sauce with butter milk and flour. It was used a lot in the Italian Renaissance, but the point is that the recipe of this meal has so many variations and even though Macarona Bechamel is tracked back to Egypt in the 7th century, it still adopted influences from Greek and Roman cuisine that transformed it to what we know and eat today. This is why I love it so much! It is so good yet has such ancient roots that you would never have guessed unless you were Egyptian or you studied Egyptian cuisine extensively. The way the food you eat and the thousands of years of history and influences intersect, and how they connect to this meal made in the comfort of your own home, is a mind-blowing idea to me. So, no matter how far I am from home, Egypt is in my kitchen, and something I include in my daily life.
Macarona Bechamel is a relatively simple dish that can be made with a small amount of ingredients, but can be time consuming and has many moving parts, so it is imperative to follow a short schedule to keep you on-track in creating the flavors you want. The best thing about this meal is the sauce and meat and how the different spices are complemented by such a delicious sauce and uses ingredients found in any kitchen. It is a relatively easy process that any beginning cook can make to impress friends and family. The different flavors are strong and complement each other and if you make it right, you can impress friends and show it off with less than 2 hours of work!
It is a relatively heavy dish and has large quantities of butter. If you have cardiovascular issues or are looking out for your health, you should look into other Egyptian dishes, like Koshary, that are high in protein, fiber, and other healthy nutrients. Macarona Bechamel has many different dairy products, too, but do not let this stop you from attempting to make it. It does include a hefty amount of protein and dairy and can also be manipulated in many ways to fit your dietary needs. If you have a gluten allergy, replace it with gluten-free pasta. Don’t eat beef? Try using plant-based meats, artichokes, and other alterations to create the same flavors, but make it appeal to you. Want to cut out the butter? Use tomato paste, aquafaba, and/or egg with other mixtures to act as a glue. Macarona Bechamel has been influenced by many different people and you can enhance it in a way you and your loved ones can enjoy.
I have cooked this dish with my mother many times before, but this is the first time I attempted it alone and it was stressful at times, but I was proud of myself and had a lot of fun filming with my siblings. I have a newfound appreciation for my mom and her patience because if you do not set up a method of organizing your cooking, you will become overwhelmed very quickly. It takes my mom about an hour and half to finish the process, but it took me almost three hours to complete everything. I was worried most about the bechamel sauce and ended up spilling some of the flour because I was whisking too hard, but it came out to the perfect consistency in the end. My feet hurt by the end of it, but as I served my family and watched them eat it, I was ecstatic and kept asking for their opinions after every bite. This is why I appreciated this assignment so much because I was able to test my knowledge and limits and saw I was able to overcome the challenges this dish set out, even if I took double the time to do so. I was able to connect with my parents on a different level and even called my grandma back home to let her know of my success. I did right by my culture, traditions, and history and I hope you attempt this with your friends or family to see how you fare up, too.
"Shurbat 3adas: Lentil Noodle Soup"
By: Amel Saied Hassan
My typical school day was rough. I was up at 5:00 AM, prepared the things that needed to be ready before my siblings woke up, and took two buses to go to school by 7:30 AM before I was locked out of the building. I stayed at school until 7:00 PM. By the end, I was always cold, tired, and hungry. I went through the halls and heard the footstep of my feet echoing through the big empty halls. I walked to the bus stop by Paterson City Hall to take the 712 after a long day of robotics and training for the big competition.
The whole process took about two hours, and I would go through the typical motions of handing in my bus pass, standing and waiting for my stop, and getting off the bus to get on my second one to go to work. I was always hungry and tired at this point. All I could imagine is some of my mother's special lentil noodle soup. I almost always forget the taste until I get some from work and feel revived once I eat it.
My final stop was right at the heart of Paterson, the best city in Jersey. The scent was different. I could smell the beef and cheese empanadas at the Dominican Bodega, the shawarma at the Syrian shop, and the shingles and samosas at the Bengali one. This part of Paterson smelled delicious and was always one of my favorite spots to be at. It is the best representation of how the Muslim, Black, and Hispanic community has established itself in Paterson over the years and how it now has become one of the biggest and most popular immigrant communities in the US. The scents were exceptional, but my mind was always on my one true comfort, the Shurbat 3adas.
By the time I reach my job, the sun would meet the edge of the horizon. The wind was sharp and strong, and the streets were as empty as the halls at school. The only thing that kept me going, like a mirage, was imagining my mother's lentil soup that would be waiting behind the advertisement plastered doors. People were coming in and out of it as they were on their way home from their long days. The store was a comfort to many, just like the shorba was to me.
As I opened the doors, I saw a typical bodega with different food, chips, and other quick snacks that workers and school children alike come to pick up on their way there and their path back home. The aroma of the store hit me. Next to the cash register was the warm noodle soup that my mom cooks up. I could smell the lentils, cumin, and mint wafting from the pot. Many customers had a similar idea from the line in front of me after being enticed by the smell. Although my mother made it the Turkish way, my Egyptian self and customers from Mexico, Bangladesh, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Dominican Republic, and any other immigrant group in Paterson would often come for a bowl. The lentil soup with the soft vermicelli noodles, fried mint, and fresh lemon would bring anyone to their knees. I used my special employee privileges to cut to the front and pour myself a bowl with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper and extra lemon.
I walked to the kitchen to check on who was in today. I saw Amo Abu Alaa helping my mom dice up the different vegetables for tomorrow's lentil soup.
“Peace be with you Amo Abu Aala // السلام عليكم ماما و ابو علي”
"Peace be with you as well, Amel. Pour yourself some Shurbat 3ats and eat // وعليكم السلام يا أمل. صب لنفسك بعض الشوربة"
I was already in the process of doing so as I did. I put my stuff aside, put some Umm Kulthum on the store radio, and started cleaning up the kitchen. I watched my mother prepare tomorrow's soup, entranced by the steps she took to ensure the best possible taste. She added her fresh chicken broth to the lentils and slow-cooked them for hours. In another pot, she made chicken broth and added large chunks of carrots, onions, celery, tomato, garlic, and some bulgur. In yet another pot, she broke apart the vermicelli noodles and cut them into small pieces. And every so often, she would check on them until it was tender and perfect. She combined it all and used an electric blender to smoothen out the soup portion. She then used a large cheesecloth to sift through the soup to ensure a smooth texture throughout the soup. Then, she added different spices like chili powder, turmeric, thyme, cumin powder, cumin seeds, salt, black pepper, and some dill which made a rain of spices go all over the oven, which I would have to clear later, but I did not mind. She put the strained-out vermicelli noodles in the soup and mixed it until it was evenly distributed. Then, she added my favorite part. She melted large sticks of butter in a large saucepan and added a whole bag of dried mint. The aroma changed entirely and made my mouth water. After frying the mint, she poured it right on top of the soup as a finishing touch. I just had to steal a spoon of the fresh shorba for tomorrow.
I poured myself a fresh plate of the soup and enjoyed every bite of it. It was burning hot, but the sourness of the lemon, the heaviness of the soup, and the soft chewiness of the noodles made it all worth it. I always had a second bowl right before I closed up because it put me in the perfect mood to sleep for my cold and tired self. My mother was such a fantastic cook who has perfected her craft. Lentil noodle soup is such a special dish in my heart because it reminds me of the simple days back home when I could be at ease and around the ones that I love, doing something pretty mundane. Coming to college with all the deadlines and stress that comes with it has changed my life and the responsibilities that go with it. I may never be able to go back to those days that I was tired but comfortable and happy, but eating this dish now always gives me a little taste of how it was. This simple soup and noodle dish is my safety net and something that I take on for the rest of my life.