Canberran Culinary Capers

Flew to the capital for work this week. And as anybody familiar with Canberra would know, there isn't all that much really interesting stuff to do over there, apart from visit a few popular attractions and landmarks (which I had no time to), and sample the local cuisine (which I actually did to some extent).

Now, because my hotel room did not have any cooking facilities, I breakfasted for two days on instant kimchi soup noodles (which were actually not too bad). However, on my last day there I treated myself to scrambled eggs on toast and a long black at the local milk bar - at AUD$11.50, it was quite possibly the most expensive breakfast I have ever had.

Dinner-wise, on the first night, I ordered Indian takeaway - pulao rice and fish kebabs. Said fish kebabs would have been more properly classified as fish cookies (AUD$6.50 for two!!!!!!!). Another meal was more memorable - a mate and I had dinner at Mecca Bah, where I ordered a rather good lamb tagine. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to take a photo (just picture lamb pieces in a tomato-based sauce with fresh parsley on top). That same evening,  we visited the masjid in Yarralumla for Maghrib prayers - viewed from the main entrance at sunset, it was stunningly beautiful but I FORGOT TO TAKE PHOTOS AGAIN!!!!!! (but you can find a couple of snaps over here)

Fortunately, I did take a few snaps of the most visually pleasing meal I had there. It was very tasty as well - the mamaris (veal with smoky eggplant mash) with a couple of colleagues at Turkish Pide House. And so it is with these,  that I close this post.....

Flock Ewe, Sheep-Killing Baa-stard!

Hello possums.

Not too long ago was the festival of Eid ul-Adha, the Islamic festival when Muslims commemorate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God (see here for an in-depth explanation of the event). It is a tradition for eligible individuals to offer a sacrifice (a sheep, goat, camel, or cow) on the days of the celebration. This sacrifice is known as udhiya or qurban/qurbani, and the meat is shared out amongst the community, especially the poor and needy. It's best for one to undertake the slaughter oneself, however it is considered permissible for people to arrange for someone else to perform the slaughter on one's behalf, which doesn't have to be in the same country as the person who ordered the sacrifice. Such a practice is especially common amongst Muslims living in the urban areas of western countries, where it is highly impractical to offer a sacrifice the traditional way.

I ordered my own qurbani through the non-profit organisation Mahboba's Promise, an Australian NGO founded by Mahboba Rawi, an Afghan refugee. A short while ago, after Eid, I received an email from MP with a link to an online photo album with pics from the organisation's Eid slaughter in Kabul. As I scanned through the images, I came across photos of the freshly prepared meat laid out on a cloth on the ground, with signs bearing the names of the corresponding qurbani donors marking each pile of cuts. And lo and behold, I saw the pile of meat with a sign bearing my name!

Meat, glorious meat (sorry folks, my name is not included in this shot!).



Conflicting emotions surged through my heart. The pride of, well, seeing one's own name put to something. The shame of realising that one is feeling this pride. However, I came to recognise a feeling which transcended all others, though I couldn't really name it.

You see, I came to realise something about our interactions with each other and the world, in this plane of existence. We all intellectually know that all actions have their respective effects. Throw a pebble, and make ripples. However, this knowledge is often precisely that - knowledge. We know it, but we act like we don't, and live like we don't - because even though we know it, it is just not real to us. We live in our foggy little bubbles, going about our everyday affairs, and who could blame us - if we don't experience something, can we really be expected to have a strong feeling about it?

So as I gazed upon my name on that nice little heap of mutton, Afghanistan became real to me. Those kids and slaughtermen in the photos, making dua together became real to me. Because of the power of a photo, my knowledge became real. I now knew, with full confidence that I just helped, no matter how ever so slightly, to make things better for a few people, for at least a short while. I realised that one could indeed create a tangible change and make a difference no matter where in the world one may be, as long as one puts one's mind to it. For a few moments at least, I truly got a sense of the brotherhood of man - we indeed are all in this together. No matter how seemingly insignificantly, my life cannot help but be touched by yours, and yours cannot help but be touched by mine.

I guess you could say that the overarching emotion I felt was hope. From the realised knowledge that I received in those few moments, I knew that anything is possible in regards to man. I received renewed hope in mankind's collective destiny, and have hope that we can work together to realise it.

Will I be able to sustain such realisations? For how long will I be able to live my life in the light of such realities before I sink again into forgefulness and the everyday humdrum? I don't know....but hope is alway there!

Big up yo'self Mahboba and co.!

Suleiman, the Lentil-Munching Pinko Socialist

Salam, my sweet little beefcheeses.

For this post I thought I'd might introduce to you one of Melbourne's little gems: Lentil As Anything.

Lentil As Anything, or Lentil for short, is an organic vegetarian restaurant, located in the quaint surrounds of the Abbotsford Convent. Founded in 2000, it has since then branched out to possess restaurants in St Kilda and Footscray, as well as operating the canteen at nearby Collingwood College. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served.

Now, there's something special about Lentil. You see, it doesn't have any set prices for the food......

......you choose what to pay yourself!!! All payment is anonymously deposited by the customer in one of the 'honesty boxes' available in the restaurants. This 'Robin Hood theory' operates on the assumption that the customers who do pay well will make up for the stingy ones.

But Lentil isn't about the creation of a tightwad's paradise, it's a lot deeper than that. You see, Lentil is ultimately all about the community. This 'pay-as-you-feel' system allows all people, regardless of their financial situation or socioeconomic status, to enjoy the basic right of access to nourishment in a safe and friendly environment, without having to sacrifice their dignity asking for a handout and the like.

Relying heavily on volunteers, Lentil is notable for providing support and training for refugees, migrants, youth and other people facing social disadvantage. Services provided include access to a Immigration Consultant, English tutoring and long-term emergency accomodation. The restaurants also act as a platform for those seeking entry into the hospitality industry. Keeping in with the themes of community and coexistence, exhibitions of art, and performances of music etc from both local and foreign cultures are regularly held.

That's the true beauty of Lentil. Thought the grub is good, it's ultimately all about bringing people together, and giving them a go. It hasn't always been a smooth ride. Even now, the Abbotsford restaurant is currently experiencing troubles with maintaining their lease of the premises. But being such a valuable aspect of the local community, and indeed, Melbourne in general, here's hoping it will endure for a long time to come. If you would like to express your support for the Abbotsford folks, you can leave a message at http://www.savelentil.com/ or the corresponding facebook group or check out the official website or its Facebook presence.

The Abbotsford restaurant even provides markers to scribble messages on the walls, and I shall close with one particular message I found - make of it what you will!

Peace out, y'all!
  

The Month's Greetings + A Public Service Announcement

RAMADAN KAREEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Ah, the blessed month has come, such a sweet time of friendship and caring, reflection, purification and contemplation, as everyone else looks on and wonders why those weird masochistic Muslims are so happy about starving themselves.......

Anyway, I just thought I would benefit mine readers with a little tip. If you are a Muslim, and, like me, live in a country as a minority, you would be aware of the relative difficulty of obtaining permissible food. When one eats out one would often have to head off to some prespecified Indian joint or kebab place, which tends to get rather tiresome in terms of variety. There ain't exactly many halal Mexican or Italian restaurants around, if you get my drift.

Which brings us to the wonder of Japanese food. Ahhhhh, so apparently one can finally eat well with a clear conscience! Dearest Nihon, with your clean and fresh flavors, and abundance of seafood and vegetables, surely a dream for any Muslim (or for that matter, Jew). Not like damn Chinese cuisine with seemingly always finds a way to get infiltrated with some form of animal product even when you order vegetarian.........

Who could possibly resist  a nice wholesome, refreshing bowl of soba noodles?

Or some delectable sushi?

So innocent eh? But the dark truth is:

MIRIN.

Aiiiieeee!!! Mirin, that sweet rice wine used to often in Japanese cuisine! Whether in sushi rice or the sauce of agedashi tofu, it is surprisingly common for alcohol to be used in the preparation of Japanese food.

So be warned, my brothers and sisters. We should always abtain from the haram, but this is especially important when breaking one's fast in this holy month. Always check with the staff that no grog has been used in the preparation of your Oriental iftar! Things are not always as they seem.........

That's my little bit of sanctimony for today. May your fasting be accepted!

Sayonara........

Hating Halal

Easting is one of the most central aspects of human existence. It is a fact for the pious Muslim that everything is an act of worship, and the eating of food serves this purpose by reminding us of our Sustainer and in turn sustaining us for the fulfillment of worship in other areas of life.

This philosophy is reflected in how animals are raised for consumption by Muslims. However, halal slaughter has often been a topic of contention by parties who view it as a barbaric practice. It is my intention to address this issue, but first let us define what exactly we mean by halal slaughter, both as a reminder for Muslims and as information for other persons.

In Sura Al-Ma’idah it is stated:

“ FORBIDDEN to you is carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any name other than God's has been invoked, and the animal that has been strangled, or beaten to death, or killed by a fall, or gored to death, or savaged by a beast of prey, save that which you [yourselves] may have slaughtered while it was still alive; and [forbidden to you is] all that has been slaughtered on idolatrous altars.”

Also, in the hadith, it is stated in Sahih Muslim:

“On the authority of Abu Ya'la Shahddad ibn Aus, the Messenger of Allah said: “Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill well; and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters”

In Sahih Bukhari:

“Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet cursed the one who did Muthla to an animal.” Muthla refers to the practice of amputating a part of an animal whilst it is still alive.

Tradition also states that animals are not to be ill-treated prior to slaughter, that the knife is to be hidden from their sight, and that they do not see other animals being slaughtered. When the incision is made, all major blood vessels are to be severed

Thus we can see that halal slaughter has the objectives of:

1. Hygiene
2. Ritual purity
3. Humane treatment of animals

These days, stunning before slaughter is a common practice in the halal meat industry. However, some slaughterhouses do not perform stunning, which certain parties hold to be inhumane. In response, anti-stunning Muslims state that stunning, in the case of Australia by use of captive bolt pistol, contaminates meat (via crushed brain matter and restriction of bleeding) and is unreliable in ensuring painless death.

However, both these parties are missing the bigger picture. Sure, cutting an animal’s throat is inhumane – if not done properly. Likewise, captive bolt stunning before exsanguination is painful if not done properly. Rather than continue to take cheap cultural pot shots at each other, we should aim to improve slaughter standards across the board.

For instance, in their report ‘Animal Welfare and Humane Slaughter’ revised in 2004, Grandin & Smith from Colorado State University reiterate that knife design and cutting technique are crucial in preventing reaction to incisions. In a study of his in 1994 Grandin observed that near-immediate collapse was induced in over 95% of cattle when an incision was made of suitable rapidity and depth. Now considering the thousands of animals slaughtered each day, even if there is only a 1% rate of error, that’s still a lot of animals being screwed over at their deaths. The same goes for stunning. The reality is, if we choose to slaughter on an industrial scale, and the primary motivation for corporations is profit rather than simply getting some meat to feed one’s family for the day, then these mistakes are an inevitability.

All around the world, animals are being crowded into transport vessels and endure hours of torture before finally arriving at the processing facility, where they may spend further time in inhumane conditions before slaughter. They are hung upside down, and regularly witness other animals being killed. And everywhere, people who are increasingly becoming divorced from their sources of basic sustenance continue to turn a blind eye to these practices. The real problem is the global capitalist system which is only concerned with efficiency and output, we can scream and cry all we want about the presence or lack of stunning but at the end of the day a rusty knife is a rusty knife, a poorly aimed bolt pistol is a poorly aimed bolt pistol and all sorts of critters are regularly finding out what it’s like to be catching the train to Treblinka.

I would rather eat meat from a non-stunned animal swiftly killed before my eyes with a ‘Bismillah’ by the Bedouin nomad who lovingly raised it from birth, than consume some supermarket product with a story more mysterious than the origins of AIDS. Let’s all pay more attention to the full stories behind our food.