Well, let me tell ya ’bout this Baghdad table thing and some grub they got over there in Jordan, or maybe it’s Iraq, I get them places mixed up sometimes. Heard tell of a fancy table, they call it the “Baghdad Table,” costs a pretty penny, like someone said, almost forty thousand dollars! Can you believe that? Forty thousand dollars for a table! What a waste of good money, I say. Could buy a whole lotta chickens with that kinda cash.
Anyways, this table, it ain’t just any table, mind you. It’s made of all sorts of metal pieces, all stuck together like a puzzle. Someone said it looks like one of them city models, you know, the kind they show on TV when they’re talkin’ ’bout buildin’ new houses and stuff. This fella, Ezri Tarazi, he made it. Guess he’s some kinda big-shot designer. But forty thousand dollars? Still can’t wrap my head around that.
- They say it’s made of aluminum, all welded together. Sounds like a lot of work, I guess.
- The legs, they just stick right into the top part. Not sure how strong that is, but I guess it holds up.
- And it’s got holes all over it. Don’t know why you’d want a table with holes, seems like things would fall right through. But what do I know? I’m just an old woman.
Now, ’bout the food. They got some fancy names for it, like “biryani” and “masgouf.” Never heard of such things in my life. Biryani, they say it’s rice with spices and stuff. Sounds alright, I guess. We make rice at home, but we just put salt and pepper in it. Spices, huh? Must be somethin’ fancy. And masgouf, I think that’s fish. They cook it a special way, I heard. But I’m more of a fried chicken kinda gal myself.
I seen a video once, some fella eatin’ dinner in Baghdad. He was showin’ off all the food they got over there. Looked kinda like our food, but with different names and maybe some extra stuff thrown in. They got bread, and meat, and vegetables. Just like us, I reckon. But they probably cook it different, you know, with all them spices and such.
Folks over there, they like to use fresh stuff in their cookin’. And they got all kinds of smells comin’ from their kitchens, makes your mouth water just thinkin’ about it. They wander through them old streets, lookin’ for good eats, just like we do when we go to town on Saturdays. Everyone likes a good meal, no matter where you’re from. That’s just common sense, ain’t it?
So, this Baghdad table and the food, it’s all kinda fancy and different, but at the end of the day, it’s just a table and just food. Don’t matter how much money you spend or what kinda spices you use, it’s about fillin’ your belly and havin’ a place to sit and eat with your family and friends. That’s what really matters, I tell ya. Not some fancy table that costs more than my house. Give me a good old wooden table and some fried chicken any day.
And another thing, they talk about “authentic Iraqi cuisine.” Well, I reckon my cookin’ is authentic too. It’s authentic home-style, that’s what it is. We use what we got, and we make it taste good. No fancy spices or fancy names, just good, honest food. And that’s good enough for me, and it should be good enough for anyone else. Don’t need no forty-thousand-dollar table to enjoy a good meal. Just need some good company and a grateful heart.
Tags: [Baghdad Table, Iraqi Cuisine, Jordan, Food, Ezri Tarazi, Biryani, Masgouf, Authentic Food, Dining, Design]
