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UPDATE: Check out the new blog covering the Mid East: Outsider On The Inside


Light posting today, but here are some other stories:

-Iran's President says he is ready to restore ties with Egypt; Egypt welcomes the idea.

-Evangelist Jerry Fallwell dies: Librocrat Reacts

-"We are Palestinian, we are women, and we are gay."

-Diet Koshari:

When the diet koshari was initially announced, many TV satellite channels and dailies rushed to highlight it as the first of its kind. The dish was designed to appeal to those watching their weight, the antithesis of the regular carbohydrate-rich meal.

Tarek explained: "We first served it to some of our neighbors and close friends, many of who relished it and didn't mind the price. Having taken that step we served it for a few days at a low price with the aim of introducing it to people.

"However as it began to break into the outlet as one of the major items, the bulk of our clients weren't actually sympathetic with the idea, especially as the price on the menu was shockingly higher than the regular dishes.

"They said diet or otherwise both types are koshari and there was no need to toy with prices."

Tarek described how the ingredients of the diet koshari are available at Abu Tarek's' stores, but the meal itself can't be marketed at loss.

Abu Tarek's is waiting for the peak of summer to start considering serving the diet meal again. "Actually the very educated people, tourists and young girls could be the groups that would demand it. Let's wait and see."

According to Tarek, an ordinary koshari dish is made up of six tablespoons of rice, four tablespoons of pasta and four tablespoons of brown lentils. It contains between 800 and 850 calories.

The number of calories in the new dish is expected to go down by half, Tarek said. He has been informed by specialists that koshari is not a health hazard compared to sweets and other sugary products, provided it is made up of the right ingredients in the right amounts.

In the new dish, it's the quality rather than quantity that is bound to change.

Instead of Egyptian rice, long grain rice will be used which usually contains less starch.

The amount of dieter-friendly lentils could also be increased. Brown pasta will replace the traditional type.

Also, pure refined oil will be used in making the red sauce as well as in crisping the onion rings, two basic elements that are synonymous with koshari.