Guardian article: A marriage of inconvenience

Violence and political instability made weddings in Baghdad virtually impossible in the years following the Iraq War. In July 2008 I joined one family who crossed the border to celebrate. Hind Al-Rubawawi twirls on the dance floor with her groom. Dressed in white, including the obligatory hijab, the 22-year-old university student from Baghdad beams as [...]

Travel back in time to ancient Babylon

British Museum exhibition on Babylon: Myth and Reality. In many ways Babylon is more an idea than a real place. There were other city states in Mesopotamia but you don’t see Sumer as a major preoccupation of art through the centuries. So what does Babylon have that the others don’t? The answer is easy of [...]

The best of 2008 (and 2007 too)

The top 10 most popular posts at the end of 2008. 10. Recipe Road Test: Nigella’s rhubarb tart Guest blogger Pixie tests out Nigella Lawson’s rhubarb tart recipe from How to be a Domestic Goddess. 9. Recipe Road Test: Fried aubergines with chilli and salad onions I test out Simon Hopkinson’s aubergine recipe from Waitrose [...]

United Nations of food: Lebanon, Syria and Iraq

My mission to eat food from every member of the United Nations takes me to the Middle East Lebanon Australia took a lot of Lebanese refugees in the 1980s and one of the most enduring influences has been on Australia’s food. Lebanese food is a staple in Australia and as I grew up there, I’ve [...]