"Give us this day our daily bread"

One of the things that I miss the most about the US is the food. I love the food here for the most part but I do miss certain non-reproducable items such as Nature Valley Granola Bars, Tyson Chicken Patties, Pretzels, Bolthouse Farms Juices, and Barbecue Kettle Chips. Some of these products can be found at stores catering to the needs of ex-pats however I try not to think about that. Because of high import taxes and the underlying assumption that foreign = rich causes something like a bag of pretzels to cost $7 or $8. I love pretzels but that's a little much. 

Due to the extreme cost of imported American food we eat either like Egyptians or adopt the third world diet of Rice and Beans. Egyptian food costs substantially less than anything remotely foreign. The dishes that have become staples in our diet are Ful (broad beans served alone or on a pita, bears a striking resemblance to a Taco Bell Bean burrito) and Falafel (made of Fava beans here rather than chickpeas). When served in sandwich form these include sliced cucumber, tomato, and lettuce in some kind of mayonnaise type concoction. One of these sandwiches costs about 1.5 LE or less than 30 cents. Definitely a cheap meal. Along with these two sandwiches most quick street restaurants also have French Fry Sandwiches (prepared just like the Ful and Falafel) and Egg Sandwiches. Yes they do make French Fry Sandwiches and yes they are delicious. They literally stick French Fries in a pita with salad and mayo, what a remarkable idea! 

Although delicious, sandwiches can get a bit old. We need variation. Another cheap Egyptian street dish, Koshery, fills that need for variation and fills our stomachs. Koshary is a layered mixture of rice, noodles, lentils, and chickpeas  covered with a tomato based sauce. It's served with a very spicy hot sauce and vinegar. I'm not big on the vinegar but the hot sauce is a must. The size of the Koshary usually depends on how much you wish to pay. I've found that for 5 LE or about a dollar I can stay full all night. Word on the street has it that the slaves that built the pyramids were fed Koshary to insure their continued strength and ability to work. 

As you've probably noticed I have yet to mention any meat. The simple reason behind this is that meat has become a luxury item to James and I due mostly to it's astronomical comparative cost. Eggs are relatively inexpensive, averaging slightly higher than US prices but Chicken and Beef of unknown quality can cost in upwards of $8 a pound. That's not to say that we don't ever eat meat, we do but only twice or three times a week. Most of times we usually order a great American Classic, a cheeseburger. 

For about $6 we can get one of the "world's best burgers" and a side of fries from Lucille's. These burgers might just be the best in the world. To learn more about Lucille's check out this article Click here to learn more! by western PA's own Scott Macleod of Time Magazine. By far Lucille's has been the best American style restaurant we've been to and I honestly don't think we will find one any better. I'm completely ok with that seeing as the best burger in the world is a ten minute walk from my front door

All and all we eat well and most importantly we do it cheaply by balancing eating out with cooking. Eventually I'll add some pictures of James and I's cooking adventures. Check Back

DJM