Small joys: Noor Murad
On kitchen dressers, a romantasy series and Noor Murad's small joys.
Lugma, which translates to the Arabic word, “mouthful,” is a love letter to Bahrain where she grew up, the Middle East and beyond. There’s so much I love about the book, beginning with the beautiful cover. I love how front and center rice is. As she writes, “In Bahrain, there is no table setting without rice because, well, rice is living.” I also love the flavour profile of the sweet dishes like cardamom crepe with an orange blossom-infused syrup, and the soft date loaf drizzled with tahini. I’m excited to make my way through the recipes and discover familiar flavours in new-to-me ways.
Noor, who has been exceptionally busy with the launch of her book, graciously took the time to share her small joys with me!
Three things that are currently bringing you joy.
Running and the return of spring. I love it at this time of year when the clocks change, the days are longer, the sky is blue and the sun is happy! But I especially love it when I head out for a run in this weather. It clears my mind, steadies my heart and rejuvenates my soul.
Knowing that Lugma has landed in people’s homes and that they are cooking from it. The food industry is challenging at the best of times, but knowing that my recipes are bringing people joy is the most gratifying feeling in the world.
My dad brought with him another pack of his home-grown dates from Bahrain a couple weeks ago. Their variety is called Al-Khalas and they are the best dates ever!! I eat them every morning (3 dates before I run!) and they make me feel like I’m fuelling my body and soul with a small piece of home.
A few things that never fail to bring you joy and why.
A book you love: Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees.
Feel-good TV show or movie: Bridgerton. I love this series, it’s a real escape from reality for me.
A meal that brings you comfort: Bahraini dal and buttered rice.
A place you love to visit: Lebanon, although I have not been in years!
A smell/scent that makes you happy: The smell of bukhoor (Arabic incense).
Something in your closet: My scarf that I bought from Bahrain souq. It’s white with red embroidery and I love it.
In praise of a kitchen dresser
Ever since I saw Anna B. Albury (of
) talking about her kitchen dresser on Instagram, I’ve wanted to create my own little nook. It’s like a vanity table or a dresser you’d have in your bedroom, but for your kitchen. Anna uses it to stash her favourite hosting essentials like dinnerware, utensils (including her collection of tiny spoons!) and linens.
In my quest to have my own version of a kitchen dresser, I started with an IKEA Forjoha kitchen cart, which gave me storage space and a surface to play with. I wanted utilize the drawers for linens and napkins, and the bottom shelves to store baskets of produce and some of my cookbooks. I wanted the countertop to add some whimsy and visual interest. I bought two things recently: this fluted metal lamp from Target that’s been on my wishlist and a pink stripey ceramic canister to hold my collection of teabags. I have a pretty vase ready for fresh-cut flowers from the garden this summer, and a glass storage container from an old Kate Spade collection that says, “A little bit of that.” It’s coming together nicely and I’m very much obsessed with this little corner of my kitchen!
Starting my ACOTAR journey
Some readers have started their romantasy journey with Sarah J. Maas. I started mine with Rebecca Yarros and the Empyrean series. All I needed to convince me to read Fourth Wing were the words, “Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones” and the first few pages of the book took care of the rest.
Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR series has always been the next romantasy series on my list. I’ve had so many friends go down the ACOTAR rabbit hole, only to emerge hundreds of pages later in breathless praise. I’ve even had A Court of Thorns and Roses lined up on my Kobo for over a year now. The problem is, every time I start reading, I can’t get past the first few pages.
More recently, I was at an event where a few bookish friends encouraged me to give it another shot. I was convinced that not being able to get into the book was a me-problem and that I just didn’t have the right headspace to focus. They told me that it actually takes a few chapters to get into the book and once I got past that hump, it would be smooth sailing. Well, they were right and I’ve been breezing through the chapters. I’m excited to finally dive into the Maasverse!
Love the fisherman aesthetic nail trend. A whole vibe from tips to boat shoe-clad toes.
An ode to fancy hand soaps.
Nicole Keen is a former colleague and editor friend of mine and the most joyful maximalist dresser!
Really enjoyed reading this tribute to mom’s and their perfumes. My mom always rocked a head-turning sillage, courtesy of Guerlain’s Shalimar and Dior’s Poison.
The power of “gentle renovations.”
But if you don’t love ACOTAR, I won’t blame you. I would want you to give the Throne of Glass series a shot though. ;)
I love Noor's recipes! A staple in my household. Loved reading this!