I would like to thank Abdelwahab El Abd, Chairman of the Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee and Ahmed Edris, President of the Edris Group for organizing my participation in the BLASCC exchange program. Overall, I am extremely pleased with my time spent in Luxor. Not only was the experience an opportunity to learn, share, teach, and exchange, but one of the most beloved periods of my life.

I was invited to Luxor by Mr. Ahmed Edris to help update and transform the menus in his restaurants. Since I am completely enamored by Luxor, and truly enjoy restaurant consulting work, I immediately accepted the offer. Changing restaurant menus is actually a much more time consuming process than it seems. One has to determine which kinds of food restaurant patrons would like to eat, which ingredients are available on a year round basis, the skill level of the chefs, the amount of time needed to prepare each item, and whether the particular dishes fit in with the overall theme of the restaurants. Although I had cooked in Egypt many times before, it was always in the privacy of my own home, or in a relative’s home. I knew that cooking in a professional kitchen which was very different from a professional kitchen in the United States, along with people who were trained to work in a different way would be a challenge.

When I got to Luxor I realized that the Edris Group currently has five restaurants and that the menus needed to be changed in all of them. The Edris Group has a very reputable name in Luxor, and their El Kebabgy Restaurant is a historical landmark! It was opened in 1945 and was the first tourist restaurant in Luxor. This was during the time when only one hotel existed in Luxor – The Winter Palace. I was astounded to think about how much the restaurant industry and Luxor itself have changed in the past sixty years.

At first, I was concerned that it would be difficult for me to work in the restaurants in Luxor. I was worried that the all –male staffs would resent me coming into their kitchens from another country and instructing them on new menu items. When I went into each kitchen, however, I was greeted with the sayings “You bring light to our kitchen” and “Welcome”. Even though they were busy, everyone let me know that they were there to help me, and they told me to ask for whatever I needed. The chefs were curious about life, work, and kitchens in America and abroad. They also wanted to share information about their culture and their opinions with me. Many people told me that I was the first American or foreign woman that they had ever spoken to. Within a very short period, I was treated as a sister. The chefs prepared meals for me, listened to what I had to share, took notes during my cooking lessons, and offered suggestions on how to make my recipes fit into their environment.

The Executive Chefs at each restaurant gave me their opinions about which items they would like to see on the new menus. Next, I spoke with restaurant patrons and tourists about which items they would like to see on the menus. The tourists were really happy to see a female chef working in Luxor. After determining what theme and which menu items would work for each restaurant, I trained the chefs in making the new items. I did not have a set schedule every day. Instead, I tried to mirror the schedule of the chefs I was working with. Since the Edris Group’s restaurants are very busy, I did not have the luxury of training chefs in an instructional kitchen. All of my work took place alongside the chefs while the kitchens were filling orders. For the first few days of my time in Luxor, I worked in the kitchens of the Kebabgy Restaurant known for its magnificent kabobs, Egyptian classics, and International favorites. For the remainder of my time spent in Luxor, I worked at the Edris Group’s Tut Hotel. Most days, I worked somewhere between the hours of 3-11pm. In the morning, I would determine which recipes I needed to teach and make copies of them for the chefs. Next, I would convert the measurements of ingredients and cooking temperatures into the metric system. I would speak with the executive chefs or restaurant managers in the morning to make sure that they had the ingredients I needed to teach with by the afternoon. Sometimes this involved going to spice vendors and warehouses myself to buy what was needed. I also made handouts of supplemental information like standard serving sizes and portions, spice usage, web-based culinary sights, etc. that could help the chefs improve their skills a great deal. I also worked with the hotel manager to create menu items to enhance the hotel’s buffets. When the afternoon time came, I went to cook or bake with the chefs who were extremely helpful, hospitable, and friendly. Everyone went out of their way to make me feel at home and welcome. It was truly a pleasure to be in those kitchens. We would cook and bake at night and then distribute our creations to the staff and management in order to determine it’s placement on the menu.

In addition to my teaching, I also learned a great deal. When the restaurants were busy I got to see the way chefs in Luxor work under pressure. I was amazed at their composure and politeness under the most stressful of situations. I also learned to make the signature dish of each chef. My Arabic also improved a great deal because chefs spoke Arabic only. In Luxor the chefs worked together with the harmonious rhythm of a close knit family. Restaurant kitchens in Egypt have considerably less equipment and supplies than their American counterparts do. Nevertheless, they consistently produce top notch cuisine due to their inventive, diligent, and talented chefs. In addition to learning recipes, I was reminded that in an age of high tech gadgets and high speed machines, our minds, bodies, hearts, and spirits (Nafass) are the most important ingredients in any recipe.

During the three weeks that I was in Luxor, we had three major festivities to plan for including a Valentine’s Day party at the Kebabgy Restaurant, a reception with the Mayor of Luxor at the Tut Hotel, and the African Cup Soccer Championship (which Egypt won!!!!) at the Metropolitan Coffee shop. For the first two of the events, I played an active role in setting the décor, choosing the table settings, and selecting the menu. The events were very successful and the staff and guests were happy with the results. The people whom I worked with invited me to their homes to meet their families, took me to attend cultural events, brought relatives to meet me, and even offered help if I needed it while traveling to Cairo.

By the time I left Luxor, I had written the text for the menus of all five restaurants, complete with explanations which describe Egyptian cuisine to newcomers. Each menu now has a unique theme suited to the clientele, staff, and location of each restaurant. The chefs were comfortable and excited about the new menus. The pastry chefs at the Tut Hotel are now equipped with a new arsenal of recipes which can be served not only to hotel patrons, but will be prominent features on the restaurant menus as well. In addition, the chefs now understand how influential the culinary industry is outside of Egypt. My presence empowered them by showing them how their styles, tastes, and creations have the ability to influence the culinary arts and dining trends in their own country. I also wrote the text for the upcoming Edris Group website which will outline all of their business ventures, and discussed possibilities for improvement, growth opportunities, and new business ideas with the Edris Group.

While I was in Luxor, I was also featured in two editions of Cairo’s weekly newspaper called “Ain” or “Eye”, thanks to Mr. Ahmed Edris and his brother, Mr. Mahmoud Edris. The first edition had pictures of me with the Egyptian flag at the party after Egypt’s winning the African Cup Soccer title. The second article profiled my work in Luxor, my career, and my opinions of Egypt. It was my first newspaper interview in Arabic. After leaving Luxor I traveled to Cairo where I had an interview on Nile News TV’s Sabah al Gadeed (New Morning Day) Television program (which Mr. Abdelwahab El Abd kindly arranged for me) to discuss BLASCC, my work in Luxor, and my culinary career. It was a wonderful opportunity to explain to the Egyptian public BLASCC’s contributions to Luxor and Alexandria. I also spoke of my personal experiences in Egypt, my opinions of Egyptian cuisine, and why Egyptian culinary history is important to Egyptian culture and the image of Egypt itself abroad. These experiences were extremely important to me because in the past I have only taught the importance of Egyptian cuisine in the United States. Educating Egyptians on their own culinary history and cultural significance of their meal patterns was extremely satisfying. I feel as though I provided a deeper insight to cuisine which in modern Egypt is sometimes taken for granted.

I cannot stress enough how important and significant this trip was to both myself and my career. As an author and cooking instructor in the United States, I normally have well planned out schedules where my activities are determined months in advance. It was a great learning experience to have to think quickly and rearrange major plans at a moments notice. When I came back from my time in Luxor I felt as though I learned to be more flexible and creative in the kitchen. It was also gratifying to be able to share with the Egyptians my work in the United States which is focused on Egyptian cuisine. Through conveying my message about the importance of culinary history, I have begun to influence the Egyptian culinary scene as well as the American one. I now have many new recipes, tips, and stories to add to my cookbooks, classes, and articles. My Arabic improved, and I am proud to have accomplished a significant amount of work in only three weeks. Most importantly, however, I have made new memories which will always fill my heart with warmth, and numerous friends whom I will always treasure as I do my own family.