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Maqlooba & Mommy Issues: Our Food Era- Episode 4
42 Plays12 days ago
What happens when your comfort food starts feeling… uncomfortable? In this episode, Khalil and Ali spiral (lightly) into their food feels—talking maqlooba, picky eaters, and why grocery shopping might actually be the saddest thing ever. From the emotional whiplash of home cooking to Googling “what do I eat when my mom hates me,” we unpack the messiness of food, family, and finding joy in snacks again. Grab a plate (or a tissue), and let’s get into it.
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Transcript
Introduction to Food Discussion
00:00:09
Speaker
Welcome everyone to the All of People. Very exciting episode today. Probably already going to say it's going to be one of my favorites. Food. We're going to be talking about food. We're going to be eating food.
00:00:22
Speaker
And I'm Ali and this is Khalil. What do have to say you, Ali?
Favorite Dishes and Ingredients
00:00:27
Speaker
So right now, and don't know if it's like very visible, but I've got ful.
00:00:34
Speaker
If you're familiar, that's like fava beans, kind of like in a dip form with all the fixings. So we've got tomatoes, mint, halloumi. I always put halloumi on my ful.
00:00:47
Speaker
I don't know. Did you grow up doing that as well, Khalil or no? No. The cheese and beans go so well together. And I think people don't realize that. I think people... but I mean, it's like a common thing in chili.
00:01:01
Speaker
Okay. There you go. So that's the thing. We've got sides of lime for people that like a little sour. And a drizzle of olive oil. must. What about you?
00:01:13
Speaker
really think how it did myself. I'm going start smoking this joint. Okay. I'm going to start eating. it But I'll start off with... the basic so i did just like a little breakfast plate with feta a pickle some turkey bacon and eggs um i also did fool oh nice I did food.
00:01:36
Speaker
um My dad does it much more simple. Like this is just lemon, garlic. Oh, nice. I stick an onion on top because I eat the onion slices like with it instead of like, well, I have it with chubis bread.
00:01:49
Speaker
Obviously. Obviously. and then i made, okay, this is kind of going to look ugly. I made pancakes and I made a little lemon curd because they're blueberry pancakes.
00:02:01
Speaker
Wow. Damn, that looks good. So this is my this is literally my favorite breakfast.
Memorable Food Experiences
00:02:09
Speaker
Oh my God, that looks amazing. When I thought of like, what was the ideal breakfast I wanted to make when you brought up this idea, i was like, these blueberry pancakes I had at Perkins, which is a Canadian, ah Western Canadian breakfast chain.
00:02:24
Speaker
At one point in time, they had lemon meringue blueberry pancakes. And I just like, have never forgotten about them. So i was like, you know what? I can just make them. Yeah, pancake. One time I had these like pancakes that had the center of mascarpone and she filled in like the sweet caramelly like hazelnut syrup.
00:02:41
Speaker
Oh my God. It was in Kuwait. Best fucking pancakes I've ever had in my life. So I wanted to ask, what's your daily schedule like for
Meal Planning and Eating Habits
00:02:50
Speaker
eating? Like what do you usually eat during the day?
00:02:53
Speaker
It's really random. And I think the least part of the least part, the least favorite part about eating is thinking about what to eat for me. I feel like I sometimes really struggle with that. And just being like, ah i don't really know what I want to eat, but I know I do want to eat.
00:03:08
Speaker
I get what you mean. I feel like sometimes it's really hard to plan and decide what to make. I usually like meal prepping. So I will like think of something that I want and I'll make it for the whole week.
00:03:19
Speaker
So then I don't have to think about the whole week at all. But it doesn't bring me joy to eat the same thing every day. That's fair. I know a lot of people can't do that. For me, as long as if it's tasty, I can eat it again and again.
00:03:33
Speaker
Really? That's not true because what if you had the same meal prep two weeks in a row? No. What if it was three weeks in a row? That would never happen. A week is my max. A week is the max. So like by on Sunday, what is that meal tasting like?
00:03:48
Speaker
That's a good point. A lot of times by like the end of the week, I'm like, oh my God, this is horrible. Very sometimes not especially when it's like beef based. I feel like beef does not sit well for a whole week.
00:04:01
Speaker
But I feel like it also depends on how you prepare the food. Like if you heat it up really well, it's still going to come out good. It's just boring. That's the thing. It's just like I could have like McLube or something. McLube adjacent every day for the rest of my life.
00:04:18
Speaker
i Theoretically. But there's a reason why I don't just do that. And there's a reason why everyone doesn't just do that. Because it's like I think it's the same thing. It's like I don't like being Like eating is every, I feel like everything, every experience, you should be able to find some enjoyment in it. So it's like, if there's no food that comes to my mind, that's bringing me enjoyment. It's like, oh, this is going to be like a chore.
Food Sharing and Eating Speeds
00:04:40
Speaker
I get that. It becomes like going to the gym when you don't want to. Right, that's fair. That's fair. I totally get that. Also, I want to pat myself on the back. I am purposefully going so slow right now.
00:04:53
Speaker
I'm a very fast eater. I don't know about you, but like the second the food is in front of me, I usually demolish. But I'm trying to remind myself this is the conversation. But do you eat fast?
00:05:06
Speaker
a am i I have like ADHD. So I think it's just like if I'm distracted, I'm not eating. And then I literally like if I'm with people, I'm a slow eater, but by myself, I can demolish it.
00:05:17
Speaker
Or if I'm like, I just have to be like focused in on it. If I'm really hungry, I'll be a fast eater. But otherwise, I feel like I'm on the slower side of things. If going out to eat, I always usually have like a take home a box.
00:05:32
Speaker
m I feel like my friends are always calling me out for that. That can never be me. I literally can't keep food on the table. Like, if it's in front of me, I will eat it. In fact, you're going to have to remind me if I'm eating more than half of this because half of it is for John.
00:05:48
Speaker
Plate half of it and put it off to the side. But this looks so pretty. Like, I want it presented in this manner. I don't want to, like... grotesquely divide it in a half.
00:05:59
Speaker
But I was going to say, um when we first started dating, one of the things I used to do is I would distract him because we would share, like, we'd want two things on the menu, so we'd order them both. And then we'd share them, and I'd end up eating everything while he's talking.
00:06:14
Speaker
That's crazy. That would piss me off. Yeah, I know. So then we had to, like, actively be like, okay, we're splitting things in the middle. Like, this is my half. You don't touch this. Was John just too nice to, like...
00:06:27
Speaker
stop you or did he just not notice initially he didn't notice but then when he's like where'd all the food go i'm like oops yeah initially initially i was just literally like eating eating eating without noticing i was eating at all but because i like to eat while i talk whereas ah just like you when he's talking he's not thinking about food you chew with your mouth open and like chalk with food in your mouth
00:06:55
Speaker
On this date, I'm just imagining you just like yapping while like simultaneously inhaling all this food and John maybe is just like mesmerized. ah That's the senile that's in my head. Also, I really outdid myself with those fucking pancakes. That is really
Cooking from Scratch and Food Taboos
00:07:11
Speaker
delicious.
00:07:11
Speaker
Did you make the pancakes from scratch? I made every absolutely every single thing i today from scratch. I got up i was because I'm always up early. So i was like, oh, I can make lemon curd. That's actually really easy. And it worked out because the lemon curd required egg yolks and I was already going to make eggs. So it's like, okay, the eggs will just be egg whites.
00:07:31
Speaker
And what what kind of bacon was that? You said turkey bacon. turkey bacon yeah i don't think i've had that list yeah i don't think i've had turkey bacon before have you had any forms of bacon i have yes whoa you're like oh my god you're burning in hell no i've had regular bacon i'll say i don't give a shit every muslim's like oh you eat pork like every faggot muslim i know and i'm like dude we literally talked about taking cake and cocaine you think no but that's how we're in that's so funny oh
00:08:06
Speaker
Rather literally.
00:08:09
Speaker
Like FouseyTube. Most Muslims are FouseyTube, but they will never admit it to you. He's just the most unhinged one. But it's like they do everything under the sun.
00:08:20
Speaker
But like Quark is like hard line. Did you know? you would not You would not catch him eating a slice of bacon on camera. i I would literally, you could literally shoot me in the head if that happens.
00:08:30
Speaker
No, I agree. but Did you know that FuziTube is the sibling of Arakat lady? I know his siblings are all really successful.
00:08:44
Speaker
And he's like, well, he's successful, but like... He's successful in a different way. Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:51
Speaker
So anyway, sweet versus savory. i don't really fuck with. And I know it seems like you really fuck with it. Like if I brought some brie with honey and like peanuts on that shit, you would just be like, yes.
00:09:06
Speaker
Yeah. Say less. I love sweet and savory. I love it. The thing is I should rephrase that and say, there's nothing I don't like.
00:09:15
Speaker
meat like do you like meats with like sweet things meats with sweet like I've never had like that I think that's disgusting yeah no yeah I literally will eat anything There's very little that I'm like, I will not eat
Sweet vs. Savory Preferences
00:09:31
Speaker
this. And it's usually fish related things.
00:09:34
Speaker
Like that's the only thing that I'm like, ah if it's like presented in a nice way, tasty way where I don't really get so much of the fishiness, I'm down. But like, for example, we went to Sicily a couple months ago and that was the first time I actually couldn't finish a plate.
00:09:50
Speaker
It was squid ink pasta. And something about the texture and the way the black just covered everything, I couldn't. Some European lady I knew in Vancouver made me squid ink pasta before.
00:10:01
Speaker
And i I was not into it. No. No, no, no. so you know But, like, I don't mind... seafood doesn't freak me out too much but that i don't like squidding pasta specifically it's just sweet and savory i really just i i like i like keeping my things separate like i don't want sometimes i'll explore those flavors like i like putting tahini on fruits where i like oddly enough i like savory drinks i can get behind that i like savory drinks
00:10:33
Speaker
I feel like I've told you about... No, maybe I'm making this up. I feel like I've told you about Caesars and you said they were gross.
00:10:41
Speaker
Walk me through what a Caesars. Clamato juice. It's the clam juice that's disgusting to you Immediately, no. Exactly. So you were lying. No, but in a drink?
00:10:53
Speaker
That's the savory drink. It's... Clamato juice is tomato and clam juice. And then it's vodka. And you can put, like, hot um hot sauce... um What else goes in there?
00:11:06
Speaker
Some like tagine kind of shit spices. Then you throw a pickle in there. but you but like What you just described is akin to somebody saying I'm drinking a hamburger smoothie.
00:11:18
Speaker
a way, yes. And I told you about the martinis everyone's making. People are making like feta martinis and lobster martinis. and Like you can infuse vodka with lots of shit.
00:11:30
Speaker
But I like savory drinks. I like a spicy something. I guess maybe it's because to me, at the base level, I just don't like the taste of alcohol.
00:11:42
Speaker
So the idea of adding more things that would make it taste like, I don't know. That's very interesting. A canapa cocktail.
00:11:53
Speaker
I would do that. I like a sweet drink.
Kitchen Gadgets and Cooking Joy
00:11:57
Speaker
A dessert. A dessert-y, pink, fruity. When I first started drinking, I remember telling the bartenders, what's the like the most pretty drink you have?
00:12:09
Speaker
That's what I want. I think that comes with growing up Muslim and not drinking. Because I'm... i'm yeah I'm still kind of the same way, but I've explicitly done that as well. like What's the sweetest thing you can make? I like something that tastes like candy.
00:12:26
Speaker
Yeah, literally. Whatever. I'll trust you. Literally. Do you cook? I keep thinking about when I was cooking this breakfast. i was like, I really like cooking.
00:12:38
Speaker
I've recently invested in my kitchen with more gadgets. I got like a rice cooker. I got an air fryer. i got... um What is it called? It's not a blender, but it's, uh, I know, I know what it is. process Food processor.
00:12:55
Speaker
Food processor. And it's just like enabled me to do so much more things. Like before it's like, oh, if you don't have processor, have a blender, it's like not the same. So it's kind of annoying and blah, blah, blah. And then you don't want to do it.
00:13:06
Speaker
do it. But I learned, I'm just like, I'm spending all my money going out and doing things. I don't really even like, I might as well spend the money up front. And then I'm saving money now by just like clicking all the time.
00:13:18
Speaker
And as I've been like, so I cleaned out my fridge and I organized all my shit better. And as I've been grocery shopping more, it's like I'm grocery shopping less because I've accumulated more stuff and I'll be sitting around. It's like, oh, actually, I have all the ingredients to just like whip up this thing.
00:13:33
Speaker
I don't need to go anywhere today. I could actually spend like zero dollars sitting my ass in my apartment and just like using my little pool membership, going to the gym here, making a nice meal.
00:13:45
Speaker
I buy my weed in bulk. So it's like every day I'm smoking, eating, drinking, at least in my mind for free. Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, that's really cool. I'm glad to hear that you're cooking more. I feel like that really is the key to happiness, in my opinion. 95% of the food I eat is something I cook.
00:14:03
Speaker
Honestly, I think i I feel like what makes me a better cook than most of like my Canadian peers is with my Palestinian parents who I feel like they taught me how to not be afraid of heat and meats.
00:14:16
Speaker
And like, I feel like a lot of my friends, they're like, they wouldn't know how to cut up a chicken or they wouldn't know how to just like handle a fucking piece of meat. But my dad was taking us to the farm and we like snapping chicken's necks and slitting the... like I watched the whole thing of like a lamb getting de-skinned, blah, blah, blah, grilled it, and we ate it that day like at the same farm.
00:14:37
Speaker
Wow, that's hot. like That is literally amazing. um I'm curious, have you ever contemplated veganism or vegetarianism? Never. Never. I tried it for a year, ah whole fucking year.
00:14:51
Speaker
And it was because I saw i was in and ah like ah a job that was really toxic and exhausted me. And I watched this documentary that promised that if I go vegetarian, I would have more energy.
00:15:03
Speaker
And so I was like, you know what? Let me try it. I can't like knock it till I try it. And both John and I were vegetarian for a whole year because I insisted. And but two i mean, I'm the cook.
00:15:17
Speaker
Like, I'm the one that makes everything. So,
Vegetarianism and Food Philosophy
00:15:19
Speaker
yeah. Okay. So he's just subjected. Like, he could cook meat if he wanted to. Yeah. i we would iway Yeah. Yeah. um But so it did.
00:15:28
Speaker
I will say, you know, that bloaty feeling that you get after eating like a heavy meal that has meat in it.
00:15:37
Speaker
Yes. For a whole year, I never experienced that. you were Okay, but I feel like i could never I'm never full unless there's something with meat. I would just never feel full ever.
00:15:49
Speaker
So that's the thing. I gained a lot of weight um because it was so hard to feel full and like get enough protein and everything. like It is hard. It's not easy.
00:16:00
Speaker
yeah People that say, oh, there's a lot of... like alternatives to meat or like even like plant protein. They're lying to themselves. I'm sorry. Like, I'm sorry, vegans out there.
00:16:14
Speaker
It was not easy. But yeah, well I didn't. I also never craved meat, which is interesting. After like a month or two, I stopped craving it. rulelo Yeah.
00:16:26
Speaker
I feel like I will concede. that Like, I'm not like a pro, like, I need my steak every day. Like, if the government stepped to me one day and was like, you're having a meat quota, you get one chicken a year.
00:16:38
Speaker
i would be like, okay, honestly, that makes sense. Fair. The thing is, like, I understand that we're probably dietarily meant to maybe eat meat, like, you know, once every two weeks, once every three weeks, whatever, what have you.
00:16:53
Speaker
But you know what? Like, if Israel exists, I'm going to fucking eat steak every day. Words. I agree. i agree. i That's what I think, too. a part of me also has this idea, because I know that animal cruelty is a thing, and I am conscious of the fact that the way animals are being treated is not fair.
00:17:14
Speaker
But if a species were to come along that, say, is the apex predator and stronger than humans, I think that's our punishment and I'm open and accepting to it. As in, if we become cattle to someone else's life, it is what it is.
00:17:30
Speaker
and did you i feel like the world is... um Actually, i was going to say everyone's kind of very... It is kind of live by the sword, die by the sword.
00:17:44
Speaker
Like, unfortunately unfortunately, even if you feel like you're not opted into that dynamic, that's literally just how the world works. Right.
00:17:55
Speaker
Right. Like, I'm not going to... see Sorry, go ahead. No, you go ahead. you I mean, okay, anyway. I think I've given up on trying to make... societal change in any way and I'm just looking to like carve out my little hole and die in it and I want my holes gonna be really pretty and it's gonna be full of good food and weed and I'm gonna pray to God no one evil finds it and you know because if someone evil does find your hole it's like you have to kill them or they're gonna kill you and I'd like not to do have to do either but I'm down I'm very down for that
00:18:35
Speaker
I'm ready it' to fight, especially over my food.
00:18:42
Speaker
ah ah Way to bring it back to topic. ok I will kill for food. Like literally, like I don't think people understand how much I fucking love food.
00:18:52
Speaker
e wow Like, honestly, I live to eat. People that I know some people that actually eat to live, like genuinely don't consider food a must.
00:19:03
Speaker
And they just eat whatever they can to survive. I'm like, what's the point of living?
Nutrients vs. Eating Joy
00:19:11
Speaker
um I was actually thinking about this. Okay. If there was a way where I could drink all my nutrients and like feel full, And also, like like, all I want to really do is drink and smoke. I'm not going to lie.
00:19:26
Speaker
Eating is nice, but, like, I don't need... i'd Like, if if you eliminated eating, I would not shed a tear. i If you eliminated drinking a drink with ice and smoking, I would kill myself. There's, like, nothing left for me on this earth.
00:19:41
Speaker
Like, I shed happy tears thinking about, like, sitting in the summer heat with a fucking ice drink and, like, a blunt. Like, that's all I want to do. You know what? You do you.
00:19:51
Speaker
I disagree with that, but you do you. My mom is actually just like you because my mom smokes shisha every day. Every day. Your mom's is smoking a blunt. yeah Honestly, she would love it. She would love it.
00:20:05
Speaker
I tried to tell her one time, I was like, Mama, you do know weed is legal in America? she was like, no, no, no. But the thing is is, I know she would love it. And honestly, she's such an anxious person. If she were to smoke weed, I think it would benefit her so much.
00:20:20
Speaker
But might put what I was going to say, she smokes shisha once a day, like a whole head of thing. And she one time told me, she's like, Ali, this is literally the only thing in life that brings me happiness.
00:20:34
Speaker
I don't understand why people are always like, this is bad for you. This isn't feminine, blah, blah, blah. You shouldn't do this. I'm like, yeah, you go. no i live Her and the patriarchy. Like, that's so funny. Her experiencing like a little bit of what you experienced. Yeah, yeah. No, i literally, I told her. So the story gets so funny because I told her, I was like, mom, you should live your life.
00:20:55
Speaker
If you want to smoke this shisha every day, do it. If it's the only thing bringing you happiness, what's the point of living 30 more years of unhappiness? Do you? And she obviously appreciated that. I took her to a hookah bar that day.
00:21:10
Speaker
We were in Boston. She orders a hookah and then I go to order one and she's like, you're not getting a hookah. was like, what? She's like, yeah, you should know better. Like, you shouldn't be like, you know what i mean? Like, it's bad for your health. What are you doing?
00:21:26
Speaker
I was like, wait, we literally just had a conversation about free will and how you should be able to do what makes you happy. And now you want to lock me in a cage in a dungeon and like live as long as possible, but not happy. You know, like, it's like, make it make sense. And I still ordered it.
00:21:43
Speaker
And she was tense the whole time. Did you hear somebody would see you and get mad? No, because she was like, this is not good for you. What is she, like...
00:21:54
Speaker
it Okay, I'm sorry. like i'm not asking you That is horrifyingly... like that That gives you insight into a parent's delusional mind where they don't see you as a person.
00:22:06
Speaker
They see you as an extension of themselves. So in their minds, they're like, he has to stay safe. They're not seeing, oh, he has individual needs that need to be met. You get what I'm saying?
00:22:18
Speaker
The thing is, I'm surprised you weren't able to convince her, like, the same reasons you want to smoke, I want to smoke.
Influence of Cooking Shows and Recipes
00:22:25
Speaker
No, so it's in all fairness, once she got over that like hurdle, we now do smoke shisha together.
00:22:33
Speaker
i should specify that. But she hides it from my dad. Like, for example, if she's smoking hookah home, she'll be like, do you want a puff? And then I'll take a puff and she's like, like, okay. Do you think?
00:22:46
Speaker
in a hypothetical scenario that me, you and your mom are all in the same city, do you think she could handle smoking? She shouldn't like, no, and like all three of us. Like, which like, is she okay? Like knowing, like, I would want her to know though, that I'm also a homosexual.
00:23:04
Speaker
No, she would not. Deal breaker. That's the deal breaker. Like, for she's met some of my... home She's met John. She's met homosexual people all the time. They just don't outwardly say that they are.
00:23:16
Speaker
So she just wants to live in denial, basically. But anyway, food. I'm wearing this. ah Actually, that's such a sleigh outfit.
00:23:28
Speaker
Where'd you get it from? We can bleep it. thrifted it. Okay. it's there's I have another shirt. I have another shirt that's similar. The tag is ripped off. Someone actually i said, oh, check the tag because someone asked me about it before.
00:23:41
Speaker
But I have another shirt that's similar with a tag, I think. And it's like the same brand. I don't want to put you on the spot, but can you stand up? I want to see it. Okay.
00:23:54
Speaker
Oh, wow. That's really nice. you That was a good angle for me. It's really cute. I really like it. i really I have good style. I'm wearing something. It's an apron that says Siti's house.
00:24:06
Speaker
Aw, that's really cute. Yeah. I got it. I called my... I didn't say Siti. I said Sito. I said Tata. Ew, I hate Teita. The younger generation of my cousin said that, so I think I have like a distinct beef with Teita.
00:24:22
Speaker
It was me, my siblings, and like my mom's oldest brother's kids. And then like everyone else had kids. like It was like a huge generational gap.
00:24:33
Speaker
And we were Sittosino people, and they were Teita and Jeddo. they pig you everyone We still said cedo. No one said cedo in my family.
00:24:45
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Did you, by any chance in your adolescence when you were growing up, did you watch a lot of cooking videos? I'm just curious if you were a cooking video gay. who Did you watch a lot of the YouTube drama surrounding like Bon Appetit and everything that happened over there?
00:25:02
Speaker
In a sense. Something happened when Black Lives Matter happened and everyone was like, damn, not Bon Appetit 2. But I don't know what exactly happened, but was like there for the Claire moments where she was.
00:25:17
Speaker
I feel like I was watching it before it was like mainstream. To say I've always been watching cooking shows. Growing up, like as a family, we fucking loved like MasterChef or Iron Chef.
00:25:30
Speaker
or like Hell's Kitchen, shit like that. Yeah, yeah. I honestly love... I actually don't like cooking competition shows because I feel like it's too stressful for me. I like watching the cooking shows for the cooking, especially if there's like... Oh my God, my ideal cooking show is one where it's like so very stripped back and the music is like very like ethereal.
00:25:54
Speaker
You know what I mean? Like kind of like... ah wistful music. Like i'm I'm thinking like Alison Roman type vibe where it's just a 65 year old is watching yeah like five in the morning.
00:26:06
Speaker
Yes. Where it's like TV magic and they're like yeah doing some like oh this is my 10 minute salad and there's some celebrity guest judge helping or some celebrity guest like helping chop a cucumber.
00:26:20
Speaker
ah Actually, more so like the, I'm thinking more like ASMR cooking videos, where it's literally just them cooking and like being like, okay, now I'm adding the parsley. And it's just like chop, chop, chop.
00:26:32
Speaker
You hear the sizzling in the background. That shit. Wow. I love it. Yeah, thank I love it. I love it. But yeah, so the drama. Oh, sorry. but Go ahead. I have I have a theory that you're really you're so empathetic to the point that ah that like that's why I feel like that you get really like emotionally invested in whatever you're watching.
00:26:54
Speaker
i especially I don't know what it is, but you i do really enjoy watching people's journeys. Like, for example, Alison Roman, I love her. And she has had good takes about Palestine, which I respect.
00:27:07
Speaker
And she's Jewish. But she's made this cooking video series called Home Movies. But within that, every year for Thanksgiving, she has a Thanksgiving video.
00:27:18
Speaker
And she's been doing this for like six years. And honestly, the progression of her career, her life, like you watch it all. And the last one, she's pregnant and talking about it. And I don't know, something about that just gets me like, yeah, emotional.
00:27:34
Speaker
um Do you do cookbooks?
00:27:39
Speaker
ah I'm going to let you finish that bite. But I have many... Actually, right now, this computer is being sat atop a cookbook called The Vegetarian Cookbook for Everyone. It's basically the Julia Childs of vegetarianism, but then I have a bunch of Palestinian cookbooks like Palestine on a Plate, Beladi, Bethlehem, Time to Eat.
00:28:01
Speaker
I'm reading them off my bookshelf. But yeah, I have a couple of cookbooks. na Bookbooks, though, I feel like I'm like, what's the point of a cookbook? Like, I can just Google it. Honestly, for some reason, when you Google recipes, like, if I were to go on Google right now and say Ma'loob a recipe, who I'm never satisfied with what I get.
00:28:22
Speaker
Like, I feel like for I don't know why it's being gatekept in these cookbooks, but there is a lot of, like, hidden secrets, I feel like. Like, especially there's this one cookbook called, ah I think it's called The Food of Islam or something.
00:28:37
Speaker
And it's like, ah ah recipes from all over like the islamic world and it's very extensive and honestly it has such good insights i highly recommend that one that's my media moment once you have a base understanding of
Portion Control and Food Judgments
00:28:53
Speaker
how a food is made then you can do like the remixes and then you kind of like i've made hummus once now and i'm like oh i can make any type of hummus i get it absolutely this is how was it did they like it Yeah, people were like, oh, this is actually really good.
00:29:09
Speaker
And I was like, I know, i'm I was really being like a freak and watching every person who like did who was eating it and who wasn't eating it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you have like an ideal cheat meal or anything like that?
00:29:24
Speaker
That's not a concept. In my yeah country. Got you. I get you. I just give my body what I want when I feel like it. And I try to be reasonable with myself. Oh, that's actually not true.
00:29:37
Speaker
I just give myself what I want. And sometimes I'll be like, okay, not this. You know what i mean? Like, if I want a cheeseburger, i feel like old me was like, oh, I'm going to go get two cheeseburgers. The new me is like, you know what?
00:29:55
Speaker
You can have one cheeseburger, make it a single. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like I give myself what I want, but I'm like, I try to like hash it out. Oh, interesting. So that that's a good thing. that That means that you have discipline, basically.
00:30:09
Speaker
Because I feel like for me, the issue is, is I trick my brain into thinking, like I undersell, like for example, if I'm going to be like, I want a cheeseburger, I'm to like, one cheeseburger, that's not going to be enough.
00:30:21
Speaker
And then I'll get to thinking, oh, well, I'm going to be able to eat two. And then I start eating one. I'm like, holy shit, what have I done? You know what I mean? Like i it doesn't register in my head until the food is actually in my mouth.
00:30:33
Speaker
You just need to remember that you have age. Like, I feel like what's helped me, it's like, I'm a fucking adult. If I want a second cheeseburger after the first one, I'll just go get a second one. Yeah. You know what i mean? I think for whatever reason, I also have the mindset of, like, I have a problem. Let's say I'm at work and somebody offers me a cookie.
00:30:50
Speaker
In my mind, I'm like, that's a free cookie. I can't say no. Like, it's not even the fact that it's a cookie. It's just the fact that I don't have to pay for this. It's there, available. I'm going to eat as many as I can.
00:31:03
Speaker
and Yeah. I'm trying to like teach myself to not. Like, I don't need. i think there's the mindset where it's like, like, I can never throw away food.
00:31:15
Speaker
Like, if I have food on a plate, I can't just be like, oh, I'm full. I think this is a Pisces thing. Every Pisces I know is like this. My ex, um who I'm friends with, is a Pisces. He's like that. my One of my really good friends in Montreal, also Pisces.
00:31:31
Speaker
She's like that. Like every Pisces is a garbage disposal in that way. And I've watched her. I've watched my friend in Montreal. She ordered this shitty, shitty Chinese food, like fried rice.
00:31:42
Speaker
I tried some. It was horrific. And I feel like my palate is not that sophisticated. and And she I watched her eat every single bite. And it was huge.
00:31:52
Speaker
Adam, just like sheer, like I'm not wasting this food. yeah Yeah, that's my mentality as well. It was insane. Yeah. so Do you have any food crimes that you really hate?
00:32:03
Speaker
like Have you ever watched someone use ketchup in a way that pissed you off? Or like eating a food in a way improperly that just pisses you off? Wow, that's such a good question because you literally threw me back to when John had roommates.
00:32:18
Speaker
One of his roommates... the Kencan. One of his roommates used to do the nastiest things. He one time brought home a cow liver, which is this big, marinated it in milk, and then cooked that.
00:32:34
Speaker
And another time had like 30 chicken thighs on a tray. And like like, it's just this grotesque display of food that I'm like, this is like, like I talk about meal prepping, but it has to be good.
00:32:48
Speaker
You know, like you can't just be Making yourself, you get what I'm saying? Like, you're not. yeah i Wait, can we, can we talk about this milk and liver situation? I don't know. I don't even know what that was. I don't know what he was thinking.
00:33:02
Speaker
Milk? What? Was it just, was it just plain milk? Yeah. Like, you just ate up milk and a liver. I don't know what the... I literally think... Like, after those instances, I stopped liking this person.
00:33:18
Speaker
Like, I genuinely, to this day, do not like this person because they are fucking weird with food. Oh. So you judge people on what they like to eat? Yes.
00:33:31
Speaker
Okay. But, like, what was he actually a good... Like, was he a bad person? Like, was he not funny or interesting either? he wasn't a but He wasn't a bad person. But I think that revealed so much about his character, which ended up being that, oh, like, I just don't like the way he... Why is eating liver... What does eating liver tell you about someone? Not um not eating liver. No, no, no. It's not the liver. It's just his mindset of how he thinks about food and how he prepared it and how he, like...
00:34:03
Speaker
Like, with no love or joy. Like, it was very utilitarian. Yeah. Okay. it was And he's white. I should add that. And that, like, i think I think reflects on the fact, like, if you don't see the beauty in art that is, like, you're essentially tarnishing this.
00:34:19
Speaker
Can you give me more information about this man? Okay. Is he gay? Yes. as he Was he like really like was this about like macros and shit like did he have like was he like a gym rat?
00:34:32
Speaker
No. What a freak. What what like your schedule is not that intense. like No, no, audience or it's not even it's like a and also he had other quirks that I think like it's too too long of a laundry list to discuss but he's but them I'm interested.
00:34:48
Speaker
Okay, so for example, we would go to a restaurant and Or actually very recently, we were hanging out with them like maybe two years ago. That was the last time I saw him because he lives in another state and he was visiting New York.
00:35:01
Speaker
And um he was saying how like, can you imagine? Like he was talking about abortion and saying how like there are doctors in like certain states that are pro-life.
00:35:12
Speaker
And he was like, how can you be pro-life? And I literally looked at him like, some doctors are pro-genocide. What are you talking about? Like, to me, the idea that you're so shocked, like he's so, the fact that this made him disillusioned by the healthcare system made me think, are you crazy?
00:35:29
Speaker
Like, are you stupid? There's literally so many worse things that doctors do all the time. The disparities, is the health, like, you get what I'm saying? Like, I'm like, you're just a wholess white man.
00:35:41
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. You wouldn't like him, I promise. No, no, no. I was just because it's like, I mean, you just immediately were like, oh, he's eating habits and I ate it and I was like, well, I want it.
00:35:53
Speaker
I'm like, okay, so it's actually more than that. It had nothing to do with the food. I think the food kind of like was the proof of the pudding. You know what I mean? um It's a symptom that's telling you about his disease. Exactly.
00:36:07
Speaker
but's um But the symptom is not necessarily the issue. That's what I was just like. Yes. Yes. Like there another example of how food is very telling about a person's personality. One of my coworkers right now, we have a snack budget.
00:36:19
Speaker
So every month we we do. Every month we request snacks and they order it for us in bulk. And we all notice that this one coworker lives off of these snacks.
00:36:32
Speaker
Right. As in, we're literally coming three, four times into the break room, taking like the snacks and actually like sustaining his meals off of them.
00:36:46
Speaker
And to me... What these snacks? Like protein bars, chips, candy. is that it's it rama Is there ramen or anything? like What is he having specifically? Is he eating mostly protein bars?
00:36:58
Speaker
like Do you see what he's grabbing? Like we have literally like beef jerky, protein bars, chips, like stuff like that. Have you confirmed this with him?
00:37:11
Speaker
I literally see it with my own eyes. Like when we have lunch, I will bring my homemade food. A coworker will go buy something from Chipotle. Somebody will go to the cafeteria. He will eat the snacks.
00:37:22
Speaker
And you know what it is? I hate to say this, but it's being cheap. It's the fact that it's there and available and free. I know I'm like contradicting myself, but I think there's an etiquette there too, where I think at some point you have to like start realizing like you can spend money on food, bro. Like it's okay.
00:37:39
Speaker
You know, like you make enough. I know how much you make because we make the same amounts. You don't need to be finding every opportunity to like, I don't know, it's just
Cultural Importance of Olives and Family Histories
00:37:52
Speaker
tacky.
00:37:52
Speaker
Because I know for a fact his dad is wealthy. And like oh yeah something for free he's a freak that not the free. Yeah, like his dad takes them to vacations and because he's from Korea, and his dad like flies him out to Korea and Singapore and all these places for like family vacations. And I'm like, I think you just grew up with scarcity mindsets.
00:38:15
Speaker
like crazy and it's like always these like freaks who work like either in computer science or like engineering or medicine and they have all this money and they're do they live on a mattress on the floor they're having protein bars and candy every day and they have like 10 billion dollars in the bank and it's like I just want fucking rob you.
00:38:40
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's like wealth is wasted on the undeserving, honestly. i can't eat I can't be in the same room as a lip smacker. Oh, yes. Okay.
00:38:51
Speaker
I actually don't have any of that kind of issue. Like as long as if you're not flinging the food at my face, I'm okay. You can watch someone put ketchup on eggs.
00:39:03
Speaker
Yes, because I do that. i Oh my god, that makes me shudder. That actually makes me cringe. Wow.
00:39:13
Speaker
ah Scrambled eggs with ketchup. In pita breads. Highly recommend
00:39:25
Speaker
You're like, let's end this call now. Okay, let's take a commercial break. just lost so much respect for you. Like, oh, wow Not me talking about livers, marinating, and milk. and then i'm like You're fucking with eggs and pita bread and ketchup.
00:39:41
Speaker
Look, I literally have not done it since I was a kid. But I can see ketchup with eggs. I can see it. I get it. Grow up and use a tomato.
00:39:52
Speaker
ah Like but some some kind of like how you make shakshuka, like to always do that. I feel like eggs are so controversial. Like the way you prepare them, the way you eat them. Some people don't like them runny. Some people like them over easy. Some people like them hard boiled, blah, blah, blah.
00:40:09
Speaker
I will just start by saying there's literally not an egg I will not eat. I love eggs. And people online, when they make that meme where they're like, when you realize you're eating egg, like there's this there was this era of memes where people were making fun of eggs, saying where you suddenly remember you're eating eggs and it icks you out.
00:40:26
Speaker
That has never happened to me. me either i love eggs i'm with you on eggs 1000 um the way the eggs cook though i have a very specific like i can only eat eggs without like any kind of bread if it's scrambled if it's or hard-boiled but i still strongly prefer like some kind of bread with eggs and i think the best ideally the best is like sunny side up fried in olive oil with pita bread wow that is the best do you eat it with lubna
00:41:00
Speaker
Wow, that is my ideal breakfast. Together, but like separately. Okay, interesting. Yeah, my ideal breakfast is like eggs, lebna, a type of green that's uncooked, like a radish or something, and pita bread.
00:41:18
Speaker
Wow, that's heaven. And a pickle, yes. Or olives. Or... Or olives. Yeah. ah ah We can't not mention olives.
00:41:31
Speaker
Do you get, by any chance, does your family get, like, tanks of olives from Palestine? um I don't know if it's from Palestine. My dad is more of the... My mom, I don't think she gives a shit, really, about olives, olive oil. I think she likes it, but it's not her thing. It's more my dad's thing.
00:41:49
Speaker
He used to get big, like, 20-liter, like, jugs. from Amman, whether they came from Palestine via there or like were from Jordan, I'm not sure.
00:42:04
Speaker
Okay. But it was it was from the region. Okay. So my my dad's side of the family still has like olive farms in their village. Yeah. And the only reason I still call them every Eid, every Ramadan, every whatever, and just say, hey, what's up?
00:42:20
Speaker
Because I want to collect that olive oil. Every year i get like a, I have the opportunity to get like a whole tank of olive oil. we have How do they send it to you? Someone goes and brings it?
00:42:32
Speaker
No, they literally, in Palestine, there's a person who like crosses it through the border and then it gets shipped by a boat, I think, to the States. ah Okay.
00:42:43
Speaker
Well, that's nice. Yeah. And it's not expensive at all. I can imagine. Like, I think my, because my, my, my, my mom's dad, my Cito, he has ah house in Palestine.
00:42:56
Speaker
And I know I'm certain that there was, i mean, I feel like everyone's always growing grapes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Pomegranates. I'm pretty sure there was an olive tree, but I don't remember that being like a, I don't think anyone in my family grows olives anymore.
00:43:10
Speaker
Okay. Okay. we mean We definitely were all of growers. We're all fucking retards, but we got kicked out.
Cultural Traditions and Modern Influences
00:43:18
Speaker
and no but also Right. right but Also, I feel like your family is from a village, right?
00:43:24
Speaker
Bet Nibala. It's in... It's with olive farming. Exactly. So i was going to say, if it's a village, it's going to have olives. like that But that's what I mean. We were all... were just like... yeah job Farming idiots. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. um Let's see what I have here. We talked about... oh
00:43:44
Speaker
I had a coworker one time. I'm still hung up on this. He used to, when he had like a long shift, like let's say 12 hours, we'll get 12 pieces of Slim Jims.
00:43:56
Speaker
These long, like ah beef jerky type things. And we'll eat one every hour to mark like the shift. And I think that's diabolical.
00:44:07
Speaker
That makes me look cute. that Oh my God. That's like having a smoke. Like, oh, time for my little break. I like that. But yeah. I feel like i feeling just the idea of eating cured meats for 12 hours straight just drives me into psychosis.
00:44:24
Speaker
I could have... There's like Schneiders. Do they have Schneiders in the US? i Maybe it's just a Canadian thing. But they have these pepperoni stick company, but they make turkey ones. I love nitrided meats, hot dogs, bacon, beef jerky, pepperoni sticks. like I could eat...
00:44:43
Speaker
I could have one every hour for eight hours, whatever. oh Easily. Easily. i think also it's just not a familiar concept to me because growing up in the Middle East, we didn't really have that much smoked meats.
00:44:54
Speaker
Even though you'd think... That's true. No, that makes sense. That makes sense. I think it's also... But the thing is, is like to my understanding, smoking meats is a thing that has been done throughout all of history.
00:45:08
Speaker
That's how they preserved shit. So it's not necessarily an American or a Western thing. Do we smoke meats at all? Not really. We don't have any smoked meat dishes.
00:45:19
Speaker
We have a lot of like preserved like Lebanon balls and like all the like we pickle a lot of things. I think be seasonally, I don't think they had to worry about that as much because it's always like year round.
00:45:30
Speaker
It's pretty mild. You have your like herd of sheep. You just kill one when you want to eat one. So it's like they're not going bad unless they die. um Okay, I have three things. One. oh fuck. I wanted to say more.
00:45:43
Speaker
but Actually, no, I won't say more on that. Say it. i will Actually, no, I wanted to say more on my comment on my family being retarded. I just like, are your parents like university educated?
00:45:56
Speaker
My mom has just a, what's it called? Marahad. actually No, less than that. hey High school. No, above that. Okay, something in the middle. And your dad? my dad My dad, honestly, his story, like I will say, is legendary.
00:46:14
Speaker
He left at the age of 17 and completely like earned his way through like high school in Kuwait and then went to India for his undergrads. What are you and historical like very They were full-on villagers, had 12 kids, told my dad he has to take care of the rest of the kids or else they're going to die and starve and it's his fault if they die.
00:46:37
Speaker
You know, like that type of thing. No, no, no. Before 48, they were always just like village farmers or were like, okay, you don't come from like... Because we have a theory about... Well, I have a theory about... And it's that... Wait, will leave totally leave about her name.
00:46:54
Speaker
Bleep her name. Okay. Well, anyway, it's, she spoke at the UN in front of people will know when I say this. And ah he talked about speaking in front of the UN at nine. And then like, and he, like his family is lives in Jerusalem. Like, I feel like they were a prominent. Like there was Palestinians with money. Like my seat. I'll reference that one point, like how some people actually sold their land to um Jewish immigrants. Like at the time, no no, there were people who sold their land. Like,
00:47:24
Speaker
It happened. That's not like A cosign of colonization, but like it it happened. I think it's an... It did definitely did happen, but I think it's exaggerated to the... I think Zionists will say they all sold their lands. But that's like... That doesn't... Okay, that again, Mohammed al-Kurd is also good for this because there's a lot of points I think he points that you don't have to argue with. You can't...
00:47:48
Speaker
You can't sell a land to be colonized. It's like when they say here for Turtle Island, the the old racist trope used to be like, oh, the indigenous people traded it for a bead. It's like that is not a that's not a concept. That's not ah anything like we don't even have. I'm not even going to argue with that. You know what i mean? Because it's stupid.
00:48:06
Speaker
But my point being is, i originally I wanted to just say that um for me and my siblings, we were the first generation to like go to university and like actually like get anything beyond high school.
00:48:19
Speaker
That's a sleigh. like That's a big deal. Say that like my grandparents were illiterate. Yeah. i think They legitimately couldn't read Arabic or English.
00:48:30
Speaker
I think my grandparents are the same. My like grandparents from my dad's side, definitely. My mom's side, I'm not so sure, but my dad's side definitely were illiterate. Ummi. There's a word for it in Arabic. It's called Ummi. It means can't read or write.
00:48:43
Speaker
But yeah that's just like it's before that time where they that wasn't a priority. Whatever. Donald Trump's president keeps my ass. Yeah. Yeah.
00:48:52
Speaker
But yeah. Oh, actually, I was going to say, do your grandparents have tattoos on their face? They have tattoos on their arms. Cute. Cute. I want to get that.
00:49:05
Speaker
You want to get a tattoo on your face? Like one of those, like, and like my grandma had like these dotted lines right on her chin and like around her mouth. I feel like my beard could hide that.
00:49:15
Speaker
They used to do that, right? Like traditionally. Yeah, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. but I mean, okay, that could slay. Yeah. I don't think it's very prominent. I don't think they feature it prominently as a palette piece of Palestinian culture because tattoos are haram, quote unquote. But um it is true.
00:49:34
Speaker
Yeah. I think it's actually a beautiful part of the culture where we forget like Yeah, they they like, like, it's so sad to think like that kind of tradition has been wiped away by Salafi Islam or like modern Islam.
00:49:49
Speaker
Religion used to be fun. Yeah. Like, and like when people were just because i mean I mean, from my grandparents perspective, they describe it as like, oh, no one knew how to read or write. So everything was kind of weird or mouth. I didn't know was haram or whatever. But it's like, isn't that much more fun?
00:50:05
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. yeah It feels very paganist. And I'm here for it. I used to bake and my dad one time walked in on me baking and literally turned to my mom and was like, Why the fuck are you letting him
Conclusion and Future Episodes
00:50:18
Speaker
bake?
00:50:18
Speaker
He's not a woman. ah Yeah. And ever since then, I stopped baking. And i was like, Thanks, Dad. So you did your dad cook? No. And you know the kicker? You know the kicker is that now when I do cook, every time he acts surprised, he's like, oh, wow, I didn't know you cook.
00:50:37
Speaker
And I want to bring up that story and be like, you literally traumatized me as a child. Like, I literally love cooking. And I've said this so many times and you just never let me cook. So I'm like, whatever.
00:50:47
Speaker
My mom was, she was a good, she's a good cook and she was a good homemaker when she did it, but she was lazy. and my dad never had an issue with cooking per se like I'm actually like shout out to my dad like he could have complained way more than he did in my mind like I feel like on the scale of like misogynist like middle eastern man head of family patriarch he was pretty like egalitarian that's really nice I can see that do you think that's a consequence of living in Canada do you think he just always was like that
00:51:22
Speaker
no I think there's just like, I mean, not every Middle Eastern man is super, he's not like, he's not not macho, but he just wasn't, he's not a very aggressive person. yeah think he's very conflict avoidance.
00:51:34
Speaker
He like, he's even walked away from conflict for me. He'll be like, I'm done. And I'm like, get back here. Like I've chased him being like, no, we're talking about this. I'm picturing like 10 year old you running up to him and in my version of 10 year old you, you have a bald head and you're running up to him and being like, wait.
00:51:56
Speaker
No, it was, it well, anyway, whatever. It doesn't matter. However you want to picture it, that's your business. Oh no, I don't. I just made it like that. That's like the cute image I thought of, but yeah, I don't, I don't mean I'm just to say it doesn't matter.
00:52:13
Speaker
um Okay. ah Is this the food episode or would you like some to add something else? yeah i could be it I think if anything was super important, I would have re-remembered it.
00:52:24
Speaker
Okay. Well, thank you guys for watching. This was super fun. i John and I completely demolished this. He was eating this off camera.
00:52:35
Speaker
Yeah, he was eating this off camera, given your privacy. But yeah yeah, I loved seeing what you made, Khalil. It looked super cool. i I feel like I barely actually ate.
00:52:46
Speaker
Like, see the difference? Like, I still have so much food left. Like, I still have my eggs and bacon. Like, the pancakes. Actually, they kind of look good with the cross-section, but... Ooh, hell yeah.
00:53:02
Speaker
So distracted by conversation, I feel like I'm not able to multitask. But I don't want to be on... but I don't know what they give for ADHD, but I don't want to be on those.
00:53:14
Speaker
Yeah, I forget too. I feel like I would take that if I was you. i would want to feel high all the time. tried Ritalin. It just makes me really anxious. Like I could probably talk to my doctor and get it figured out. But honestly, like I feel like when I need to lock in, I can lock in and like otherwise i think my ADHD tendencies are cute or like benefit you. They work for you.
00:53:37
Speaker
Okay. So this is the food episodes. This was so much fun. ah Thank you guys for watching. Like, subscribe, share everywhere. And then. And.
00:53:48
Speaker
Yes, please. Next week's episode. We still don't know what it's going to be about, but it might be in Florida.
00:53:56
Speaker
I'm picking next week. Okay. Bye.