I did not expect to have something to say so soon, but today has surprised me…
A few days ago, when I was asking if there was interest in me blogging about this project, I reflected on one of my favourite childhood books which fixed in my mind this desire to have a book of Palestinian folktales. It was Favorite Folktales from Around the World by the prolific author Jane Yolen. Coincidentally, as I browsed twitter a few minutes later, someone had retweeted a comment from Yolen:
It made me hope that it was a good omen, and that the ‘magic’ was happening. Which brings me to today: waiting for a bunch of antique books of Palestinian tales from the 19th century, books that I was assured would not arrive for weeks. Subsequently, inspired by Susan Muaddi Darraj’s ‘super-secret, super-authentic hummus recipe,’ I was trying to make my own.
Something called me away, and I ended up checking the mail with my fingers sticky with roasted garlic and still smelling a bit like freshly ground cumin (which smells amazing, btw). The mailbox was literally bursting with books. I haven’t opened the packages yet, but it feels like Christmas.
Sometimes, when I’m cooking, I like to pretend I’m an alchemist. I had a friend who was a chef and would sometimes call herself a “mustard mystic.” I’ve played Kingdom of Loathing where there is a mage class known as the Pastamancer (“with her mastery of the arcane secrets of Noodlecraft, the Pastamancer is a force to be reckoned with. She relies on her Mysticality to get ahead in the world. Most Pastamancer skills are learned from The League of Chef-Magi. All Pastamancers begin the game with Manicotti Meditation and Spaghetti Spear.”).
I think I whipped up some hummus magic which summoned my books, and no one can persuade me otherwise.
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