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Open Sesame: Memories from a War-Torn Generation →

Noura Alsager on Jadaliyya:

Through a small collection of objects, maps, letters, and photographs, Open Sesame leads viewers back in time to 2 August 1990— the morning Iraq invades Kuwait. The exhibit pieces together the miscellaneous belongings of children at the time, whom curator Ola El-Khalidi refers to as the “Open Sesame” generation. “Open Sesame” is also the Arabic name for the pan-Arab edition of the American children’s TV series Sesame Street, on which one of the children was to appear that day, but never did.

Open Sesame captures many similar moments of loss and anxiety that had a profound effect on the generation: the separation of childhood friends, the long and unexpected drive to a safer, though stranger place, and the dispersal of families across various countries and time zones. For these children….continue on Jadaliyya

At the Arab World Institute in Paris, the Khoury Brothers perfected their new music for a silent film, a German animation called The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which was made back in 1926. →

Anissa Helou's Koshari Recipe →

Mark Hix, The Independent:

Anissa Helou, the Middle Eastern cookery writer, invited me a few weeks back to taste her Egyptian dish of koshari. I knew nothing about this delicious dish but I was happy to try it as I am endlessly curious about adding new Middle Eastern recipes to my repertoire. Anissa is opening a takeaway called Koshari Street (kosharistreet.com) serving only this rice dish in London’s St Martin’s Lane in early April – and if the koshari is as good as the one she made for me, it’s going to be a big hit.

I loved the…continue reading