MA BASEEMA, Middle Eastern Cuisine with Chaldean Flair gives you a taste of a culture that has one of the world’s oldest cuisines, dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. This culinary journey will show you the essence of Chaldean food and delight your palate with a tempting collection of recipes ranging from soups, appetizers, salads, main-course dishes, breads and desserts. Upon savoring a Chaldean homemade meal, we hope you will say “Ma Baseema” (“How good it is”).
Many of the Chaldean signature dishes found in this book have been handed down unchanged for generations. And while the cuisine of other cultures and countries may have aspects of a regional character, Chaldean food defies any regional distinctions. Different families or villages may lay claim to scrumptious variations of specific specialties, but the underlying ingredients and recipes as well as styles of cooking are common to all Chaldeans.
The Chaldean people are passionate about their food and enjoy spending time preparing, cooking and eating with family and friends. Presenting a meal to guests is important to Chaldean people and we always strive to entertain warmly and joyously to everyone in our home. Great effort is made in ensuring that our guests are comfortable and enjoying their meal. Hospitality is highly valued, whether a person is a dear friend or merely an acquaintance, whether formally invited or spontaneously dropped by. Meals are more often a festive, casual experience than a formal one. If you are a host, remember to say “fathalo”, which means “do me the honor,” when you invite the guests to come to the table.
Awafi! (Bon Appetite!). Enjoy yourself, excite your senses, and do it in good health. Thank you and “Fathalo” – the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity invite you to come to our table to share and enjoy meals that are time honored tradition in the Chaldean culture.
