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Epic kitchen failures are a right of passage for any new cook, and for Amjaad Al-Hussain, it was vinegar pasta. For the introduction of her self-published cookbook, Sifratna: Recipes from our Yemeni Kitchen, Hussain tells the story of trying to rejig a Rachael Ray recipe that required wine. Her Muslim family doesn’t use wine in cooking and so her mother recommended substituting some vinegar. As an inexperienced cook, she didn’t know that white wine vinegar and white wine are not swappable in full measure.
The dish was inedible, though her father ate it nonetheless and encouraged her to keep cooking.
She kept at it, and this month released a collection of family recipes, some of them traditional Yemini dishes, others personal favorites, and some a twist of how living in America can alter recipe ingredients: luhooh, a Yemini crepe-like pancake (somewhat similar to Ethiopian injera) contains a half-cup of Aunt Jemima pancake mix, a trick she learned from one of her aunts to make a fluffier bread.
Born in New Jersey and raised from age 2 in Falls Church—Hussain and her husband now live in Fair Lakes—she always felt a connection to Yemen though she’s never been. Both of her parents are of Yemini descent, though her mom grew up in Saudi Arabia and that’s where they travel to see family.
Hussain is a long time documenter of her life and travels, producing picture books of her family vacations and printing out PowerPoint slides of her recipes.
She decided to formalize her family’s recipes about a year ago, booking dates with her mom and aunts and finally figuring out firm measurements for classic dishes. “My generation doesn’t know how to do it well enough,” she says of just eyeballing an amount of freekeh, barley and oatmeal for Ramadan soup or simply calling a relative when she had a quick question. Cups and tablespoons needed to be set for future generations.
“I want to do this project for myself,” she says, and her cousins, but also for other first-generation kids. “It is a true reflection of immigrant families who still feel very close to their heritage.” // Sifra-safar; $39.50 (soft cover), $56 (hard cover) with profits of the first 100 copies going to Yemeni famine relief efforts, including Pure Hands
QUICK HITS from Amjaad Al-Hussain, author of Sifratna
FAVORITE RECIPE
Bint alsahn: “It’s like a layered croissant,” and her family serves it with extra honey.
FIRST RECIPE TO TRY
Ful: “A really healthy dish” with fava beans, onions, tomato and a zing of fried garlic for garnish. (click picture to enlarge)
WHERE TO FIND INGREDIENTS
Hallal Meat and Grocery // 4072 Jermantown Road, Fairfax
Wooden Bakery // 303 Mill St. NE, Vienna
FAVORITE YEMENI RESTAURANT
Marib: Get the haneeth with lamb. // 6981 Hechinger Drive, Springfield
