May 2015 www.womanthismonth.com 39 she moved here. “The group is not exactly the same, over the 12 years the members have changed, but we always find new interesting women who join with the same passion,” says Maria. The meetings are taken very seriously by members, who bring special ingredients from their origin country or region to share with their gourmet colleagues. The preparation requires planning and much more than ‘just’ cooking. You must be very good with words and have no shame to show off your cooking skills to an experienced audience. Francine did her demo full of details, catching all the ladies’ attention. She prepared a green soup and an egg white flan that we all watched grow fluffier in the oven turning a beautiful brown colour. Ladies had questions and added their own touches to the recipes while trying the raw ingredients. I could see that they were definitely enjoying themselves, and I can’t complain myself, everything was really exciting for me as well. “We usually prepare the food we learn at home, mainly if it is something we know our families are going to enjoy. The best part is that if anything goes wrong we can always talk to our gourmet friend about where it went wrong, so next time it ends up perfect!” says the president Janet. The intention of the group is definitely to have fun while learning about new recipes and unusual ingredients. It is impossible not to wonder what is the group’s secret to keeping going for so long and Maria gives me the answer. “To start a club like ours you must be passionate about cooking, take it very seriously and, most of all, be committed,” she says. I do believe that commitment must be the key to put it together. Although, curious and vivid people with something to share must be the other magical ingredient in this formula that’s been working for a long time. Maria finalised by saying: “We have the necessary enthusiasm and passion about our national culture and cuisine, but also, we all have great generosity and hospitality in our hearts.” I’ll add my own thoughts, after a while living on this island and away from family and friends, meeting a group of people you share common interest with is essential for a happy life abroad. In my opinion that’s what these ladies do when they meet for around three hours every other Tuesday. It is an affirmation of who you are and where you come from. Sharing your roots, beliefs and preferences with people from all over the globe is one of the things that the Middle East offers us and we shouldn’t miss the opportunity. g To start a club like ours you must be passionate about cooking, take it very seriously and, most of all, be committed President Janet Mujtaba and vicepresident Suzanne Ibrahim. Molotov flan
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