Meals at the Arabic Language Village

International Cuisine Countdown
Recipe of the Day

Arabic Butter Cookies (Ghrybe)

Ghrybe goes great with strong, Arabic coffee.

Makes 36 cookies

1 lbs - Butter
1 cup - Sugar
1 cup - Powdered Sugar
4 cups - Cake Flour
36 count - Whole Blanched Almonds

Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for about 10 minutes until butter is white and fluffy.  Add the sugars and whip thoroughly.  Gradually add the flour.  Continue mixing until soft dough is formed.  Remove the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface.  Roll the dough out into a rope about 1 ½ inches thick.  Cut the rope on diagonally into 1 ½ inch pieces to make diamond shapes.  Gently press an almond into the center of each diamond and place them onto a baking sheet.   Bake in a 300° F oven for 12 minutes.  Remove them from the oven, cool and serve. 

At Al-Wāḥa, your menus will include authentic and beautiful food served family style. Each meal will probably include a combination of foods and flavors that you recognize and others that are new to you. 

Counselors will sit with you at the family-style tables and will help remind you of new mealtime vocabulary, names of foods, and important Arabic phrases like “please pass the…”.  At Al-Wāḥa, we take our time to enjoy the dining experience. We eat in courses the Arabic way, with the salad typically following the main course. 

At Al-Wāḥa, we eat family style around the table, except for special occasions. Then, we dine on cushions around low tables in the traditional Middle Eastern way. Spices from North Africa and the Arab countries will have your mouth watering!  Here are a few examples of Al-Wāḥa menu items:

• Gyros
• Schwarma
• Tabouleh
• Hoummous
• baklava for dessert
• fresh fruits like oranges and pomegranates
• dates and figs for snack time

When the food comes to the table, each diner takes a little bit and passes it around until everyone has been served. If you finish your meal and are hungry for more, we encourage you to ask for seconds -using Arabic words, of course!

If you have food allergies, are vegetarian, or have other special dietary needs, just let us know. The chefs at Al-Wāḥa will be happy to provide authentic and delicious meals that suit your needs, and your counselors will be there to help you.

The word is that everything is delicious and that you’ll find yourself craving it once you get home!

Arabic Programs

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