New Kreation: Jambalaya with Salmon and Shrimps

During that peak “Hermit Phase,” I dared to cook a totally new dish... with 28 different ingredients. Yep. Twenty-eight. Not just that, but I fell down a rabbit hole of culinary origins and linguistic etymology before the stove was even lit. Who does that?

Well, maybe someone who hadn’t had sex in such a long time — given the world was frozen over with mass anxiety. Honestly, I have to “cum” clean [BWAHAHA]: What else was there to do during that pandemonium but obsess over rice? When the bedroom is a ghost town, the kitchen becomes a high-stakes laboratory 🧪. Actually losing my mind from the utter solitude and the lack of human connection was not an option. So again, creativity for the rescue. No wonder the article Creativity Shall Set You Free was conjured just three months afterwards.


Here is it goes...

━━━ 𓋹 ━━━

While all alone at the beach house in Ein el Sokhna on the Red Sea — my sanctuary for the past year — I decided to tackle a total stranger: Jambalaya. 

What made me think about this Louisianian staple all the way out here? Not sure. I tend to be weirdly random like that — as some of you who know me have come to expect. Mayhap the salmon and shrimp in the fridge whispering for a change of scenery. So as one does, I consulted the oracle Google.

Most authentic jambalaya recipes demand andouille sausages and cod fish — a fact confirmed by my friend Ronald McKinley, a fellow drummer from L.A and a New Orleans native. Lacking both, I pivoted. I reckoned salmon would play along nicely and the sausages... well, the dish would survive the omission. Or so I gambled. I headed to the kitchen and went into a trance.

Later, I shared the photo on social media with a bit of history as well as a bit of etymology of the word — mainly to entice me. But without ingredients nor directions; those were added herein.  

Until that day, all I knew about Jambalaya is that it is a merry song by Jerry Lee Lewis, as seen in the 1989 flick Great Balls of Fire! with Dennis Quaid. The original goes back Hank Williams who wrote and performed it in 1952. Much later I found out jambalaya is a Creole/Cajun dish, first made popular at the melting pot of French, Spanish, and African communities of New Orleans, Louisiana. One day I decided to try it, as make it... with 28 different ingredients! 

There is something highly invigorating about trying new things — the thrill of the unknown and the uncertainty. About that raw novelty where you have no clue if you’re making a masterpiece or a mess. Despite the risk, the final result here was heavenly. For me though, the excitement is multi-layered: the cooking is the climax, but the foreplay is the research — digging into the history and the etymology of the word. Depending on the result, finally indulging in what you’ve created can be yet another climax. Then, this storyteller finds the ultimate high in retelling the findings of the experiment.

Challenge created, then indulged in, then written about. This is how I kept my “sanity” while also growing through those two and a half years.


From Ritsa to Uni: a Sea Urchin Story is yet another compelling culinary piece. Eating Cows’ Trotters — كوارع  is one more. 

Might as well share this unique version

Now to the History...

 

Jambalaya is of Creole and Cajun origins, first made popular at the melting pot of French, Spanish, and African communities of New Orleans, Louisiana. There are two main varieties: Caju, which uses the culinary technique known as “dumping”, and Creole which uses the “layering” technique. Of course being here on the beach — all the way in Egypt — meant I had to improvise, bearing in mind what I have and what I don’t. Whatever the result, I absolutely love trying new things. And the Internet is simply a wonderful medium allowing us to do just that.

 

Jambalaya sounds like a funny word. But where did it come from? The below is an extensive and multicultural etymology of the word, as shown in Wikipedia:

 

Fittingly for a product of Cajun culture, the word “jambalaya” seems to have as many possible origins and authors as the complex dish has ingredients and variations — and most of these are easier to discredit than to verify. Until very modern times, Louisiana cooking was largely confined to the local region. The result is a meagre written record of the area’s food history, and folklore has often became “fact”.

 

The most commonly repeated folklore is that the word derives from the combination of the French jambon meaning ham, the French article “à la”, a contraction of “à la manière de”, meaning “in the style of”, and “ya”, thought to be of West African origin meaning rice. Hence, the dish was named “jamb à la ya”. However, ham is not the signature ingredient of the dish and there is no known African language in which “ya” means “rice”.

 

Another source suggests that the word comes from the Spanish jamon (ham) + paella, a noted Spanish rice dish. However, Spanish speakers would call a ham paella paella con jamon, not jamon paella.

 

There is also a popular old wives’ tale about the origin of the word “jambalaya”:

 

Late one evening a travelling gentleman stopped by a New Orleans inn which had little food remaining from the evening meal. The traveller instructed the cook, “Jean, balayez!” or “Jean, sweep something together!” in the local dialect. The guest pronounced the resulting hodge-podge dish as “Jean balayez”.

 

The first print appearance of any variant of the word “jambalaya” in any language occurred in Leis amours de Vanus; vo, Lou paysan oou théâtré, by Fortuné (Fourtunat) Chailan, first published in Provencal in 1837. It includes this text (translated):

The upstairs neighbors were making a din All kinds of people, rich and poor: It was a mish-mash [jambaraya] of red inebriated faces.

 

It is also found in a poem by Louis Charles Felix Peise, “La Testo et la Coua de la Serp”, from his book Leis Talounados de Barjomau (1865), which includes this line (translated):

This rabble [jambalaia] reminds me Of the arrival of an old snake.

 

Both publications are French and neither example used the word in a culinary sense. In both cases it indicates a mish-mash, rabble, or mixture — a meaning that lends itself well to jambalaya.

 

The earliest appearance of the word in print in English occurs in the May 1849 issue of the American Agriculturalist, where Solon Robinson refers to a recipe for “Hopping Johnny (jambalaya)”.

 

Interestingly, while the names Hopping John and jambalaya are treated as referring to the same dish, the recipe is clearly a jambalaya, not a “Hopping John” which is made from rice and beans or peas. An article in the 1875 New Orleans Times reported jambalaya as “spelled in French jumbliade; but the dish is of Indian origin” and “originally made of zizania aquatica, or wild rice … and of several varieties of beans or frijoles as the Mexican Indians call them.” This recipe clearly describes Hopping John, not jambalaya.

 

Jambalaya did not appear in a cookbook until 1878, when The Gulf City Cook Book, by the Ladies of the St. Francis Street Methodist Episcopal Church, was printed in South Mobile, Alabama. It contains a recipe for “JAM BOLAYA”.

The Lots

Ingredients:


Following such an obscure history, here comes the works. The following are the ingredients used the second time, which included a few more than on the first trial. With over 28, jambalaya is usually a one-pot meal. The cool thing about it is that you can freely add or deduct whatever you feel like.

• Olive oil

• Butter

• Diced onions

• Garlic minced

• Diced red and yellow bell peppers

• Peeled seeded chopped tomatoes

• Tomato paste

• Carrots

• Corn

• Ginger

• Potatoes

• White rice

• Boneless skinned salmon cut in cubes

• Shrimps peeled and deveined

• Vegetable broth

• Salt & Pepper

• Basil

• Thyme

• Oregano 

• Rosemary   

• Herbes de Provence

• Turmeric

• Black seeds

• Onion powder

• Garlic powder

• Soya

• Dijon mustard 

• Tabasco

 

Yeah, 28 ingredients and I absolutely love it! Note that, for this very reason, adding relatively small amounts of all herbs and spices seems like a mint idea. I simply used what is available here on the beach while discarding whatever I don’t like or have. Like Cod fish instead of the salmon, which is how they usually make it in Louisiana. There was also celery, which I am really not fond of. Also the Andouille sausage that is one of the main ingredients along with the fish and shrimps. In fact, many of the recipes consulted were titled: Shrimp, Sausage, and Fish Jambalaya. Then again, this is my own version one could say.

I was all alone, so the dish was made for two people, which was enjoyed over two nights. Using one salmon filet and about 12 shrimps. The remaining quantities are not added yet can be seen in the photo below — taken during preparations.  


Directions:

• Add the oil to the heavy-bottom pot on medium high heat then the butter.

• Once the butter melts, add the onion and stir for 5 minutes.

• Add the yellow & red peppers and carrots to the mixture.

• Then add the garlic and stir for about a minute.

• Add the tomato paste and stir for 4-5 minutes.

• Now add the diced tomatoes, corn, salt & pepper, a dash of soya, and 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard.

• Put the vegetable broth in the mix and bring to a boil.

• Stir, add a cup of rice, then reduce heat to medium low and cover — leave it undisturbed for 25-30 minutes till the rice cooks.

• Finally add the shrimp and cubes of salmon while increasing the heat to medium-high. Once boiling, reduce again to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, rosemary, herbes de Provence, Turmeric, black seeds, onion powder, and garlic powder — stirring occasionally.

Et Voilà. Now serve and indulge. Nom Nom Nom.

Buon Appetito...

 

ALSO VIEW:

The Origin of Ashoura Dessert — aka Noah’s Pudding  

Eating Cows’ Trotters — كوارع

From Ritsa to Uni: a Sea Urchin Story

Arugula: The Healthy Ancient Aphrodisiac

 
The Difference Between Mandarin, Tangerine, and Clementine

Dropping Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months

Kicking That Sweet Habit

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff

New Kreation: Veggie Pasta

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

Creativity Shall Set You Free

Most Expensive Food in the World

Top 10 Most Expensive Scotch in the World 

New Kreation: Grilled Salmon with Soy Marinade & Herbs

As some of you may already know, the three years I spent in Toronto was when I sincerely got into cooking. I had a Word file with all the newly learned recipes which kept growing every day. From T-bone steaks, oxtail soup and veal stew, to different grilled salmon marinades, to various pasta recipes.

The following years in the U.S was when I dropped the meats yet kept the seafood and began cooking less — also eating less in terms of quantities. Needless to say, I lost two waist sizes. I still do cook, but not as much. In fact, the last New Kreation article, Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and (Different) Herbs, dates back to November 2016, almost a year ago.  

A few days ago I was in the mood to create something I haven’t made in a while. By skimming through that forgotten recipes file, the salmon was what spoke to me. On the way to the store to buy the fillet I remembered that it had definitely been more than two years since the last time.

I also had baby potatoes which work perfectly along the grilled fish.

Before the recipe itself, I even found the detailed, step-by-step salmon preparation in that file. Again, I was new to the whole thing and I am quite meticulous like that. As such, I’ll just share them here as they are.


Preparations:


Like most kinds of fish, the fresher the better. Choose salmon fillets which are over an inch thick. Thinner ones can easily flake and break. You can also go for the salmon steaks, which are slightly thinner and hence take less grilling time.

Clean the salmon by rinsing it under cold tap water. Then use paper towel to dry. Some people remove the skin, others like myself just leave it as it is.

Season with salt and pepper. Lemon can also be used. However, since lemon is included in this particular recipe, I do not add it as a seasoning. That is because too much lemon will "eat away" at the salmon.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 an onion (minced)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 3 tablespoons of Soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of salt

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
• Basil, thyme, ground ginger, and peppercorn medley (to be added later).

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients (except the herbs) together in a large bowl or glass container and mix well

• Soak the salmon(s) for 15 minutes, then flip it on the other side for another 15. As mentioned, do not leave it in the marinade more than 30 minutes because of the lemon/salmon reaction.

• Pre-heat grill to a medium heat and add oil, enough since salmon sticks easily. I have used non-stick pans when I had no grill and the difference is not that noticeable. 

• Add a piece of butter then the salmon. Some say add the skin-side-down first, which is something I tend to do out of habit. But I have used the other side first before and things went fine.
• Flip it at least once every 4 or 5 minutes to prevent burning. You may choose to add the full marinade, some of it as I do, or discard it all together (for a lighter outcome).
• Add basil, thyme, ground ginger, peppercorn medley.
• Even though it depends from fire to the other and from fish to the other, but the average time for salmon grilling should not exceed 15 minutes. I would say starting from 9 up to 14/15 depending on the variables and one’s taste.

• Serve straight away, with potatoes or anything else.

An alternative way for grilling salmon is to wrap it in aluminum foil which will keep the juices within. I have tried it a few times and enjoyed the practical fact that you just throw away the foil and end up having less dishwashing to do. 




Buon Appetito!




ALSO VIEW:

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and (Different) Herbs

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff

New Kreation: Veggie Pasta.

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

New Kreation: Mussels and Potatoes

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

Kicking That Sweet Habit

Dropping Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months

 

 

 

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and (Different) Herbs

Now that is something.

Being in Venice Beach on Thanksgiving once again and everywhere is closed, I randomly chose to make pasta with mussels for dinner yesterday. At some point during the afternoon, it felt like a genuine déjà vu. When I looked back at Thanksgiving of 2014, I found that this was exactly what I made back then. Music is still on, rosé wine is around, and enjoying the evening is even more magical. Truly, once you make friends with yourself you’ll never get bored.

Mussels are the new Turkey, apparently.


However, unlike the last recipe, this time I used whatever I have, which means different preparation and different spices. The main pasta with onion and garlic is the same, but everything else is new.

• After the pasta is done keep it aside and add a piece of butter to a pan.

• Add white onion (1/2), stirring slowly for 2 minutes on medium heat.

• Garlic follows (3 or 4 cloves) for another couple of minutes.

• Then add the mussels (after washing them with cold water) and keep it on medium-high for 2-3 minutes before adding 1/3 cup from the pasta water — draining the rest. Simmer the mixture and cover for two minutes.

• Add salt and pepper to taste, ginger powder, thyme, basil, cardamon, black pepper corn, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a dash of Worcestershire (Soya would do) and mix on low heat for another minute.

You can either have it like that, or put a little tomato pasta sauce into the mix after one minute of adding the above. Stir for two more minutes on medium-low heat and serve. Both recipes are equally yummy, yet quite different in taste. So we can say those are two recipes in one.


Add everything to the pasta and stir for one last minute. Add another piece of butter to the plate before serving. Mix well and Buon Appetito!

Et Voilà

ALSO VIEW:


New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff

New Kreation: Veggie Pasta.

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

New Kreation: Mussels and Potatoes

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

Kicking That Sweet Habit

Dropping Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months
 

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

I first saw the featured photo of those sliced potatoes about a year ago in some Facebook post. Only last night have I decided to give it a shot. I made two for dinner, ate one and a half, and kept the other half for the next day. And man were they yummy and simple — and cheap — to prepare.

Golden potatoes are recommended for this dish because of their light, thin skins and tasty pulp. Though one can use any other type like Red and Russet. The reason why the ones with thin skins are preferred is because they produce a light crisp when baked.

Now to the action. So, you need a few potatoes or just one.

• Preheat oven to 425.

• Scrub, rinse and dry the potatoes.
  
  
• Cut vertically into 1/4-inch-thick slices almost 3/4 of the way through to the bottom while making sure you keep the potato whole.
  
  
• Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. While slightly fanning the slices open, add salt, pepper and melted butter (1 spoon for each potato seems enough). Then sprinkle crushed garlic, green onions, and parsley, trying to reach in between the slices without breaking them.
  
  
• Bake potatoes for about 50 minutes or until tender.
  
  
• Remove sheet from oven. Still without opening the slices, add grated cheese (Cheddar and/or Parmesan and/or Mozzarella) on top and return to oven for an extra five/ten minutes, or until the cheese melts.
  
  
• If the potatoes seem a little dry you can always add more melted butter (or sour cream) before serving.

Even though I'm not too fond of microwave cooking but this dish could take about 20 minutes there. The initial ten minutes, plus five more with the cheese addition, then another five to let it rest.

There are also other variations, one of which substitutes olive oil instead of butter. Others add bacon, or smoked ham, or chili, or thyme and/or chives.

Buon Appetito!

ALSO VIEW:

From Ritsa to Uni: a Sea Urchin Story

 

New Kreation: Jambalaya with Salmon and Shrimps

 

The Origin of Ashoura Dessert — aka Noah’s Pudding  

Eating Cows’ Trotters — كوارع

The Meaning Behind Different Colours of Egg Yolks

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and (Different) Herbs
 
New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff
 
New Kreation: Veggie Pasta

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

New Kreation: Mussels and Potatoes

Arugula: The Healthy Ancient Aphrodisiac

The Difference Between Mandarin, Tangerine, and Clementine

 
Dropping Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months

 

Kicking That Sweet Habit: Why and How to Drop Sugar 

What’s the Story with Blue Balls (and Blue Vulva)? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Kreation: Veggie Pasta

After New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff, I give you another new Kreation and it's a vegetarian pasta.


Cook the pasta normally, then set side.

• In a medium size pan add a small piece of butter on low/medium heat.
  
  
• Add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, cook for a few minutes until golden brown.
  
  
• Add the portion of pasta you want and stir gently for 5 minutes.
  
  
• Add small amounts of yellow, orange and red bell peppers, black olives, organic red beans, corn, chick peas, organic red quinoa, organic white quinoa, red onion, mixed green salad. Mix it all as you higher the heat to medium.
  
  
• Add 4 spoons of tomato sauce, 2 to 3 dashes of balsamic vinegar, 2 to 3 dashes of soya sauce, and some Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste.
  
  
• Mix for another few minutes and you're ready to go.

Another useful info I recently discovered is that reheating pasta makes it significantly healthier. Apparently, when pasta is cooled down, the body digests it differently, causing fewer calories to be absorbed and a smaller blood glucose peak. Reheating then reduces the rise in blood glucose levels by 50 percent! Learn what science has to say about this peculiar piece of information Here.


Happy Holidays, everyone. May you always maintain a healthy mind, body and soul by eating right, moving right, and talking to yourselves right.



ALSO VIEW:

 

New Kreation: Jambalaya with Salmon and Shrimps

 

The Origin of Ashoura Dessert — aka Noah’s Pudding  

Eating Cows’ Trotters — كوارع

Kicking That Sweet Habit

New Kreation: Onion-n-Garlic Pasta with Mussels and Other Yummy Stuff

Arugula: The Healthy Ancient Aphrodisiac

The Intertwining of Music and Sexuality ― A Djembefola’s Tale

Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]

New Kreation: Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs

 

The Difference Between Mandarin, Tangerine, and Clementine

 

What’s the Story with Blue Balls (and Blue Vulva)?
  
Dropping Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months  

Most Expensive Food in the World

Top 10 Most Expensive Scotch in the World  

Dropping Two Waist Sizes in a Few Months

The title sounds like those mainstream articles that are full of bull. But this is nothing but a real account based on direct experience.


After leaving Egypt to Canada in 2010 I started regaining my health after years of self-medication, poor diet, and an overall toxic lifestyle. I learned how to cook and it became a new passionate hobby, which made me cook almost everyday while also drinking some wine.

Naturally, during those three years I had gained some weight compared to the unhealthy days. But I was healthy and happy. By the time, I had already quit most junk food, sweets, and sodas. Though I would occasionally feast on some KFC or Burger King every couple of months or so. My Toronto neighbour Brent and I would jog twice a week and my new lifestyle seemed satisfactory.

Following a year in Canada, I was once paid one dollar to watch a video in a booth in the middle of Kensington Market. It was a gruesome four-minute footage on how animals are slaughtered. They later gave me a form to fill where they asked if after watching the video I will consume less meat. The options were everyday, 6, 5, to 0 times per week. For some reason I ticked 3.

This was some kind of a start because it got me thinking. Though I kept cooking and eating meat for a while afterwards. The thing was that I had just gotten into cooking and there was so much to explore. The novelty was invigorating so I kept doing it.

After Canada, I went back to Egypt for a visit where one was reminded by how many people eat too much. The food there is yummy, but it is also quite heavy.

Then I went to tour the U.S. I started in Illinois, then Chicago, Detroit, Denver, and finally ended in Los Angeles. During the trip, my eating and drinking habits were still somewhat the same. I was still consuming meat maybe five times a week, having dinner relatively late ― say, by eight or nine ― and a few glasses of rosé wine. The jogging was also reduced to once every ten days on average due to being on the road.


Everything seemed to change when reaching Los Angeles in March 2014. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but I think being surrounded by health stores and conscious people have a lot to do with it. It’s like you feel it in the air. However, I would only get this contagious sensation when staying in Venice Beach and Santa Monica ― among the rest of the Westside. Whenever visiting my aunt in the Valley, all the restaurants are full of relatively obese people, huge portions are served, and the menu is not much different then the ones found in eateries all over the other states throughout America. 

Back to the beach, many people are jogging and look fit and healthy. Hm. This naturally and positively affected me and my well-being, so I decided to reside by the area. I shared homes with a few people and got to see their eating habits. From raw sugar, kale, quinoa, Chia seeds, Himalayan salt, coconut water to whole wheat bread, almond milk and smoothies as meals, to less and less meat and wine. I was also using the bike everyday as means of transportation so this was a lot of movement.

On that same note, this is a recent article about how sugar is a mere drug ― it seriously is ― and how to quit it, Kicking That Sweet Habit: Why and How to Drop Sugar.

The thing is, everything happened so gradually and effortlessly that I was surprised when my shorts started to get loose from the waist area. It actually wasn’t my intention at all. I was just consciously eating healthier because it made me feel better. This was something which has never happened to me in my adult life ― to lose a size in waist. I had to go buy another two shorts with a smaller size.

Another couple of months of that same routine had passed, during which an average day would consists of eggs for breakfast; a nice salad (avocado and nuts), or 1 avocado and 1 or 2 bananas, or a Naked smoothie for brunch; and dinner by 7 or 8 max. If I happen to get hungry much later then yoghurt with honey and/or fruits. But usually, it is best not to consume anything at least three hours before going to bed.

Because there are places like Whole Foods and Lemonade in the area, it’s easy to go make yourself a box from their huge salad bar then go home and create something. I have already shared some new veggie kreations and you can find them Here and There. Also, there are a few places around that offer healthy, affordable food which helps a lot. You can find at least ten places in my piece: Countering Gentrification — Eating Cheap and Healthy in Venice Beach [With a List of Places].

Again, it’s in the overall vibe in these parts of Los Angeles.


Last month my jeans started to get really big too ― meaning a new hole in the belt wasn’t working anymore. Actually, the jeans started to dangle from the back as it keeps falling. I was somewhat in denial because I thought no way there would be more loss in size, so I let it go for a couple of weeks. Then one day, I’m putting on one of the new shorts and the belt is on the last hole as well. I must have worn one of the old ones, I thought to myself. Taking it off, I found it to be the new one with the size 34! What?

So for a while I was stuck with most of my clothes being two sizes larger. Note that after leaving Egypt, all of my clothes fit in two bags; one with me here, the other will be shipped soon from Chicago. I’m really not into buying clothes at all. As long as they fit, and they always did, I keep wearing them until they tear. But now they are not even fitting and it’s kind of uncomfortable too, so I guess I need to go visit a shop or two. Ugh.

Eventually, I was compelled to go buy me three new shorts with 32 waist! You heard that right. Last time my size was 32 I was 16 years old. Then it remained 33 for maybe 10 years, before hitting 34 for another several years, then finally 36 when I got healthy and moved to Canada — daily cooking and wine. Now at 38 years of age I’m back to my mid-teens all over again. How invigorating.



Oh well, the above story isn’t exactly why I’m writing this. The thing I wanted to reflect upon is the reason why I had lost the waist size; why it was successful. Weight loss remains a hot potato of a topic and I there is a lot of mumbo jumbo spread around it. From the miracle pill of Dr. Oz and the like, to the 10-day magical diet always advertised on the cover of People magazine, to whatever culture will keep inventing and marketing.

From experience, I can tell you that most ‘diets’ don’t work. Simply, because in your head you’re doing something that you don’t really feel like doing; it has an end. That’s how you’re looking at it. Once the diet is over, people naturally go back to the same lifestyle, which means going back to how they were pre the diet.

Likewise, pills do not work. And if they will make you lose weight, it’s not the natural way to do it. Depraving yourself from sleep and food by doing ‘speed’ is not the way. There are lots of dire side effects to the use of pharmaceuticals, so this is not even a smart choice.


So what works then? Well, I’m no professional dietician but I can tell you why I think I had lost those sizes, which may work for you as it did with others.


First of all, There was zero obsession. I didn’t wake up every morning to weigh myself, or to look in the mirror, or to see how I have advanced ― or not ― with the new diet. I never thought about it. Simply, because for me this was no diet. This was a conscious decision to feed the body right. That’s all.

Second, meat. Growing up, we ate meat almost everyday. Yeah. And that was our normal. In the 80s and 90s, even until today in Egypt, if you can afford to eat meat then you will. It’s like a luxury that people may be even proud of. Apart from the occasional “too much meat means high cholesterol” from the family doctor, no health hazards or anything else was ever mentioned against it.

Once I stopped considering meat as a necessity, I stopped consuming it often. And I was fine. This reinforced my belief in that one can live without meat. Not that I’m ready to renounce it for ever and ever. I have sushi and the occasional piece of chicken or turkey every once and a while, with rarely any red meat. But at least I know now that the less I eat it, the better I feel. I sleep better, wake better, breathe better and poop better. So it’s merely a conscious and rational decision.

Third, wine. Not only does it add hundreds of calories to your diet, but alcohol temporarily keeps your body from burning fat. Drinking actually presses pause on your metabolism while shoving away the other calories to be broken down first. The result is that whatever you recently ate gets stored as fat. And fat head to the waistline, for some of us at least. This gave me a lot of room for water and juices. I still absolutely enjoy wine but the quantities were reduced. 

Fourth, moving the ass. One must move daily, or at least a total of two to three hours per week to burn that excess fat. We always heard about adding sports to a healthy lifestyle because, in my opinion, dieting alone is not enough. Now that I run two-three times a week, exercise twice a week ― just callisthenics like pull-ups and dips, and use the bike everyday to move around certainly played a significant part in the size loss. 

And finally, smaller portions. This was quite interesting: So I read somewhere that it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to register that our stomach is full. Considering how the body works in signals, this made sense. I looked it up and it is considered a truth. 

Knowing that, I started to quit eating before I’m full. 20 or 30 minutes later, I do feel full, but never “bloated” full like one feels after indulging or pigging out.

That’s just a simple example how can we change things in our life by rethinking them. 
In fact, Neuroplasticity has demonstrated that the brain has an ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. Contrary to what was commonly believed before the 1960s, the brain never stops changing through learning. As such, master that mind and things will go easy from there.


It is of importance to note that 99 percent of the times being overweight is a choice. It is usually the result of improper diet and lack of exercise. Unless there is some kind of hormones imbalance — possibly also diabetes — we do have a choice to adopt a proper diet and to exercise regularly. Put simply, how much we weigh is determined by how much we consume in comparison to how much we burn. Despite the fact that many people tend to blame anything other than themselves — genetics, lifestyle, lack of time, environment, work, parents — being fat is largely one’s responsibility. And it is summed up in this simple intake/burn equation.

Generally speaking, you see, whatever happens to us in life is usually a reflection of our choices. Mindlessly putting the blame on anything or anyone other than ourself means we are disempowered. Simply because it implies that we have no control over our life or what’s happening in it. With that in mind, we will never take the necessary steps to actually do something about it, hence we’ll remain as we are, unchanged.

As mentioned, proper eating habits is the conscious thing to do. For the body possesses its own intelligence. I don’t crave the unhealthy food because I know it’s not good for me. That’s all. Once you quit and keep on going for a while you kind of forget about your past bad habits, sometimes you might even wonder how you ever lived this. Whether all this processed food, fried meals, or those drinks and ice creams, they become distant memories as you replace them with healthier substitutes.



In summation, if you’re thinking about losing some weight a total change in lifestyle is required. A healthy and permanent eating habit, some exercise, hydrate yourself with lots of water throughout the day, plus a good night sleep. No stress, no obsession, no worrying, and one day you may very well find that your clothes are getting fluffy and you’re feeling happy. For being healthy is not just about looking good, it’s mainly about feeling good. Make that change and don’t waste your waist. 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
― Hippocrates

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Some people get bored; others get creative. Being all alone yesterday on Thanksgiving Day in Venice Beach, California and all the shops were closed, I had no other option but to go to a nearby grocery store to buy and make my own dinner.

I first biked to Whole Foods (one mile away) to get some fresh ingredients, but I found it closed. Then I thought I'd eat out, but every single place in the area was closed too. So I thought I would call Ralphs before heading there. And yep, it was open.

"Hi, thank God you're open. I'm really hungry and everything is closed." I must have sounded so desperate. 

"We're open, come on right down," the man answered me.

So after biking that one mile back to where the house and\ closed shops are, I biked in the opposite direction for another 2.2 miles to Ralphs. All the ready food and the sandwiches area were already shut by the time I went at 8 pm. I got the pasta, some spices, and the pre-cooked mussels for a change. And then another 2.2 miles back home.

Once in the kitchen, I put some Albert King/Stevie Ray Vaughan, poured me a glass of rosé, and made the pasta as I always do.

As you can see from the borders of the plate in the featured photo, some of this tasty food has already been devoured. The first thing I did when the dish was ready to be eaten. Then, it was so good that I thought why not share it with you and went to get the camera to take this photo. 

OK, so what's in this dish, you may be wondering?

Well, I took a simple vegetarian/vegan recipe for onion and garlic pasta — which I love by itself — and added some random ingredients for it to end up as a real yummy final outcome.

Now let’s start by the initial Ingredients of the onion and garlic pasta:

• 1 pound (450 gm) any kind of pasta
• 1/2 cup (1 cup = 16 tblsp, so 1/2 cup = 8 tblsp) olive oil
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup (4 tblsp) finely chopped onions (white or red, both were tasty)
• 1 tblsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup (8 tblsp) toasted bread crumbs

And the Preparation:

• Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup (6 tblsp) of the cooking water. Pour the cooking water into the oil and garlic mixture and cook over low heat for one minute.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta and garlic sauce. Toss, then sprinkle on bread crumbs and serve.

The above is what I have made many times and it was one dish I enjoyed. A few times I added shrimps/prawns, other time was calamari. There is also another one with calamari and tomato sauce, shown in Cooking My Catch, Finally ― Pasta with Calamari [With Video and Recipe]. All equally tasty.

THEN, as a new creation and because I’m not afraid of trying new things, I added 1/4 cup of water, two green onions, and the precooked muscle meat to the onion and garlic mixture on Low-Heat. After ten minutes of gentle stirring, I added everything to the portion of pasta [in a larger pan] and sprinkled very little:

Arugula
Lettuce
Baby spinach
Feta cheese
Dried cranberries
Walnuts
Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup of rosé wine
1 tsp of Dijon mustard

I stirred it all for another 5-7 minutes, still on Low-Heat. Then I ate like a king... Albert King.


When I was about to take my first bite, three girls came into the house, visiting us. Though I couldn’t do anything but to offer them some and to keep eating. It really was yummy and the novelty made it all worthwhile. I hope you enjoy it too.


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