Caffeine level: medium
The nature of hospitality in this region of the world makes me feel inadequate in my own home entertaining. When people come to our very simple home on Webster Avenue, we offer what we can, but it pales in comparison to what is offered here. I think I would have to live closer to Servatis to be able to do what the Emiratis served, and to a different extent, the Qataris. I cannot yet speak for Kuwait, but I will update you as soon as I find out, Gentle Reader. It varies a bit in quality and quantity, from a huge buffet to delicate little cakes. There is always water, no matter what. Also, these photos do not include the "beverage service" that usually happens, which includes coffee and tea in most cases. Tasty yummy coffee. We had most hospitable dinners at two homes that included stunningly beautiful tea sets: my personal resolve is to obtain a tea set that has matching cups so I can serve tea to more than one person at my house. Right now I only have two tea cups that match. I feel pathetic: I want to be a lovely Middle Eastern hostess because they are so lovely and so very very nice in the highest sense of the term nice. I want to be able to make my guests feel like they made me feel when I was a guest in their homes. However, this is a farewell tradition of bringing out some smoking incense to make the clothes smell nice, and then the hostess brings around perfume for all the guests. I don't think I can learn to do this. I will start with something simple like getting tea cups. Maybe when I'm a little older I can progress to also making sure my guests leave smelling nice.
Anyway, what follows is a photo essay of the various treats that have turned up at our meetings and hostings. Nothing has yet to match the "hot banana taco" that got chronicled in this blog last year at Harlaxton Manor in the UK.
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