Kansas City Muslim Community Breaks Ramadan Fast with a Feast to Remember
-- Shortly after 7 p.m. one recent Thursday evening, guests filtered into the warehouse-like Yummy’s Choice kitchen on 39th Street in Kansas City.
A grinning Yahia Kamal, chef and owner of the Mediterranean foods company, is still cooking, so he bumps elbows with arriving friends, family and Facebook fans instead of shaking hands.
Kamal already has set out a large platter of olives, spicy pickles and three kinds of lebaneh, a spread made with feta cheese, cream cheese, garlic, herbs and walnuts, which is sold in many local supermarkets alongside his hummus and pita chips. Plates of tabbouleh (bulgar, tomatoes, parsley, mint, olive oil and lemon juice) are ready to be passed. Stacks of empty cups stand next to gallons of pomegranate lemonade and Kamal’s signature mint-saffron lemonade.
Everyone is hungry, but no one takes a bite or sip. That’s because it’s Ramadan, the month when Muslims the world over fast from sunup to sundown. On this day, that’s from about 5:42 a.m. until 7:36 p.m., according to a calendar provided by the Islamic Center of Kansas.
It’s a long stretch, especially since Kamal has spent most of the day in the kitchen, but he doesn’t mind.
“It teaches you to be patient, to be an ideal person,” Kamal says. “It’s a month to reflect, and every act is an act of worship.”
At official sunset, Kris Kriner steps in front of the more than 70 people Kamal has invited for iftar, or the breaking of the fast. Kriner, who is also known by the name of Fattah, turns eastward and sings the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan. As the hauntingly beautiful strains fade, the crowd breaks its fast with dried dates, which [Prophet] Mohammad [PBUH] is said to have eaten after fasting.
Lebaneh is scooped onto plates, tabbouleh is served. Next comes frekeh, a soup made with smoked green wheat and lamb; plates of grilled vegetables, halumi (a salty sheep’s milk cheese) and fava beans; and a chicken dish called moussakan. Dessert is katayef, a half-moon shaped pastry that is made in countless ways throughout the Middle East. Kamal’s is filled with sweet cheese and walnuts; it’s served with multiple cups of coffee and sage-infused black tea.
Food, family and faith
Ramadan began on Aug. 22 and will end around Sept. 20; it is the ninth month of a 12-month Islamic calendar that is based on lunar cycles. During this time, Muslims abstain from food, drink and other indulgences during daylight hours. Those who can’t fast — the elderly and sick, travelers, pregnant and nursing women and others — instead donate food to charities or make up the days later in the year. Children are exempt.
It’s easy for non-Muslims to fixate on what’s missing from those days: the food. But Muslims in the Kansas City area say fasting fills them with something more compelling: a greater sense of faith and fellowship.
“This is a time for us to remember always the presence of God,” says Mahnaz Shabbir, who recently hosted an iftar for women at her home in Stilwell in Johnson County. “When you’re fasting, you don’t forget about God, and you’re mindful of those who don’t have food. Then, when you’re eating, you’re so much more appreciative of what you have.”
Observing Ramadan is an essential component of Islam. In addition to the five usual prayers, Muslims read to or listen to readings of the Quran throughout the day. There are two meals, iftar and a predawn breakfast called suhoor.
What is eaten during those meals, however, depends on who’s doing the cooking. There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in the United States, representing a dizzying array of culinary traditions from America, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and elsewhere.
“If you go to a Pakistani iftar, the food will be Pakistani. If you go to an African iftar, it will be African,” says Hanif Khalil, an imam at the Al-Inshirah Islamic Center in Kansas City. “I’ve been to all kinds of iftars and have enjoyed the cuisines of all different cultures.”
Many iftars are small affairs, with family and friends gathering in someone’s home, as they did at Dina Massoud’s in late August. Massoud spent most of a Saturday cooking brisket, macaroni with béchamel sauce, stuffed grape leaves, spinach-filled pastries and other dishes that combine her American and Egyptian roots.
A celebration of unity
No matter what the menu, though, there’s always dessert, says Iten Bayoumy, a Montessori teacher originally from Egypt who now lives in Overland Park.
There might be baklava, made with layers of filo (also called phyllo) dough, minced nuts and honey syrup; khorshaaf, made by cooking and sweetening dried fruits and nuts; or konafa, a pastry stuffed with cream, cheese, nuts, pudding or other filling.
“Dessert is the main course,” jokes Bayoumy’s husband, Amr Eldakak.
Often, several households join forces to host large iftars, and many of the city’s Islamic centers hold regular iftars throughout Ramadan. Charity is also important, and Muslims give both food and money to feed the poor, says Munir Yameen, who owns Pak Halal International Foods in Lenexa.
“During Ramadan, Muslims buy a lamb or goat and ask us to give it to whoever is in need,” Yameen says. “No person goes hungry during the month of Ramadan.”
Suhoor is a quieter meal, given the hour at which it’s eaten, but it is no less important than iftar. Shabbir usually wakes at 4:30 a.m. for a breakfast of eggs, a protein shake, bagels or cereal, along with plenty of water and, of course, her daily cup of coffee.
Bayoumy might serve fava beans, cheese, boiled eggs, yogurt, dates and other dried fruit or a thick cream called eishta (sometimes spelled ushta) with jam or honey.
Bayoumy’s friend Hanan Fouad, of Overland Park, prefers a traditional Egyptian breakfast of fava beans with olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt, or perhaps yogurt with dates or honey.
“You try to eat things that are going to keep you going throughout the day,” Fouad says.
The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid-al-Fitr, a celebration that includes communitywide prayers and festivals. It brings Muslims of all cultures together, uniting them in their faith, says Shabbir, an American whose parents emigrated from India in the early 1950s.
“We may eat different foods, and we may dress differently, but the practice of the fast — what we do during Ramadan and how we do it — brings us all together,” Shabbir says.
Source: Kansas City Star
Kamal already has set out a large platter of olives, spicy pickles and three kinds of lebaneh, a spread made with feta cheese, cream cheese, garlic, herbs and walnuts, which is sold in many local supermarkets alongside his hummus and pita chips. Plates of tabbouleh (bulgar, tomatoes, parsley, mint, olive oil and lemon juice) are ready to be passed. Stacks of empty cups stand next to gallons of pomegranate lemonade and Kamal’s signature mint-saffron lemonade.
Everyone is hungry, but no one takes a bite or sip. That’s because it’s Ramadan, the month when Muslims the world over fast from sunup to sundown. On this day, that’s from about 5:42 a.m. until 7:36 p.m., according to a calendar provided by the Islamic Center of Kansas.
It’s a long stretch, especially since Kamal has spent most of the day in the kitchen, but he doesn’t mind.
“It teaches you to be patient, to be an ideal person,” Kamal says. “It’s a month to reflect, and every act is an act of worship.”
At official sunset, Kris Kriner steps in front of the more than 70 people Kamal has invited for iftar, or the breaking of the fast. Kriner, who is also known by the name of Fattah, turns eastward and sings the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan. As the hauntingly beautiful strains fade, the crowd breaks its fast with dried dates, which [Prophet] Mohammad [PBUH] is said to have eaten after fasting.
Lebaneh is scooped onto plates, tabbouleh is served. Next comes frekeh, a soup made with smoked green wheat and lamb; plates of grilled vegetables, halumi (a salty sheep’s milk cheese) and fava beans; and a chicken dish called moussakan. Dessert is katayef, a half-moon shaped pastry that is made in countless ways throughout the Middle East. Kamal’s is filled with sweet cheese and walnuts; it’s served with multiple cups of coffee and sage-infused black tea.
Food, family and faith
Ramadan began on Aug. 22 and will end around Sept. 20; it is the ninth month of a 12-month Islamic calendar that is based on lunar cycles. During this time, Muslims abstain from food, drink and other indulgences during daylight hours. Those who can’t fast — the elderly and sick, travelers, pregnant and nursing women and others — instead donate food to charities or make up the days later in the year. Children are exempt.
It’s easy for non-Muslims to fixate on what’s missing from those days: the food. But Muslims in the Kansas City area say fasting fills them with something more compelling: a greater sense of faith and fellowship.
“This is a time for us to remember always the presence of God,” says Mahnaz Shabbir, who recently hosted an iftar for women at her home in Stilwell in Johnson County. “When you’re fasting, you don’t forget about God, and you’re mindful of those who don’t have food. Then, when you’re eating, you’re so much more appreciative of what you have.”
Observing Ramadan is an essential component of Islam. In addition to the five usual prayers, Muslims read to or listen to readings of the Quran throughout the day. There are two meals, iftar and a predawn breakfast called suhoor.
What is eaten during those meals, however, depends on who’s doing the cooking. There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in the United States, representing a dizzying array of culinary traditions from America, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and elsewhere.
“If you go to a Pakistani iftar, the food will be Pakistani. If you go to an African iftar, it will be African,” says Hanif Khalil, an imam at the Al-Inshirah Islamic Center in Kansas City. “I’ve been to all kinds of iftars and have enjoyed the cuisines of all different cultures.”
Many iftars are small affairs, with family and friends gathering in someone’s home, as they did at Dina Massoud’s in late August. Massoud spent most of a Saturday cooking brisket, macaroni with béchamel sauce, stuffed grape leaves, spinach-filled pastries and other dishes that combine her American and Egyptian roots.
A celebration of unity
No matter what the menu, though, there’s always dessert, says Iten Bayoumy, a Montessori teacher originally from Egypt who now lives in Overland Park.
There might be baklava, made with layers of filo (also called phyllo) dough, minced nuts and honey syrup; khorshaaf, made by cooking and sweetening dried fruits and nuts; or konafa, a pastry stuffed with cream, cheese, nuts, pudding or other filling.
“Dessert is the main course,” jokes Bayoumy’s husband, Amr Eldakak.
Often, several households join forces to host large iftars, and many of the city’s Islamic centers hold regular iftars throughout Ramadan. Charity is also important, and Muslims give both food and money to feed the poor, says Munir Yameen, who owns Pak Halal International Foods in Lenexa.
“During Ramadan, Muslims buy a lamb or goat and ask us to give it to whoever is in need,” Yameen says. “No person goes hungry during the month of Ramadan.”
Suhoor is a quieter meal, given the hour at which it’s eaten, but it is no less important than iftar. Shabbir usually wakes at 4:30 a.m. for a breakfast of eggs, a protein shake, bagels or cereal, along with plenty of water and, of course, her daily cup of coffee.
Bayoumy might serve fava beans, cheese, boiled eggs, yogurt, dates and other dried fruit or a thick cream called eishta (sometimes spelled ushta) with jam or honey.
Bayoumy’s friend Hanan Fouad, of Overland Park, prefers a traditional Egyptian breakfast of fava beans with olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt, or perhaps yogurt with dates or honey.
“You try to eat things that are going to keep you going throughout the day,” Fouad says.
The end of Ramadan is marked by Eid-al-Fitr, a celebration that includes communitywide prayers and festivals. It brings Muslims of all cultures together, uniting them in their faith, says Shabbir, an American whose parents emigrated from India in the early 1950s.
“We may eat different foods, and we may dress differently, but the practice of the fast — what we do during Ramadan and how we do it — brings us all together,” Shabbir says.
Source: Kansas City Star
