Our Journal
Stories from our kitchen & table
Our journal is where we answer the questions people ask on the phone: how much food to order for 20, 50 or 100 guests, how far ahead to book a caterer, what mezze is, and what each dish on our menu actually is. Written by our family in Abbotsford, BC.
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August 21, 2026
What Does Halal Mean When You Order Food in the Fraser Valley?
Halal covers both the ingredients and how the meat was slaughtered. What the word means in Canada, what certification proves, and what to ask before ordering.
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August 21, 2026
Never Had Middle Eastern Food? How to Order Your First Meal
Never had Middle Eastern food? Start with a grilled main, rice and one dip. How sharing works, sandwich or full meal, and what to ask about nuts and sesame.
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August 21, 2026
Middle Eastern Breads Explained: Pita, Lavash, Markook and Manakish
Pita puffs into a pocket, lavash is thin and soft, markook is paper thin off a domed griddle. How each Middle Eastern bread is made and what to eat it with.
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August 21, 2026
Middle Eastern Desserts Explained: Baklava, Maamoul, Knafeh and Halva
Baklava is layered pastry, knafeh is cheese under shredded dough, maamoul is a filled cookie, halva is set tahini. What each one is and why syrup is everywhere.
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August 21, 2026
What Is Middle Eastern Food, and Where Is It in Abbotsford?
Middle Eastern food is grilled meats, mezze dips, herb salads and rice meant for sharing. What it is, how it differs from Greek food, and where to eat it here.
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August 21, 2026
What Does an Iftar Table Look Like, and How Do Families Order for It?
Iftar is the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast at sunset, and it usually opens with dates. What goes on the table, and how families order for a full house.
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August 21, 2026
Is Middle Eastern Food Good for Vegetarians and Vegans?
Middle Eastern food may be the most vegetarian friendly cuisine there is. Which dishes are vegetarian, which are fully vegan, and what to check before ordering.
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August 21, 2026
What Makes Armenian Food Different From Other Middle Eastern Food?
Armenian cooking shares a table with Levantine food without being the same thing. What sets it apart, which dishes are distinctly Armenian, which are shared.
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August 21, 2026
How Are Middle Eastern Skewers Actually Grilled, and Why Charcoal?
No grate, flat skewers and charcoal. How Armenian and Middle Eastern kitchens grill kabab and shish tawook over a mangal, and how the cook knows it is done.
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August 21, 2026
Where Do You Buy Middle Eastern Ingredients in Abbotsford?
Where to buy tahini, bulgur, sumac and pomegranate molasses in the Fraser Valley, which four to buy first, and which dishes are easier to order already made.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Cater an Engagement Party or Baby Shower?
Catering an engagement party, baby shower or anniversary in the Fraser Valley: guest counts, grazing table or seated meal, and what still tastes good at four.
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August 21, 2026
Can You Bring Your Own Caterer to a Fraser Valley Hall?
Most Fraser Valley halls allow an outside caterer, but the kitchen is often just a serving area. How to check, and what to ask about power, tables and cleanup.
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August 21, 2026
Which Middle Eastern Dishes Are Gluten Free?
Grilled meats, rice, dips and most salads are built without wheat. Where gluten hides in tabouli, kibbe and bread, and what to ask a kitchen before you order.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Cater a Graduation Dinner in Abbotsford?
Grad catering in Abbotsford: how much a hungry grad crowd really eats, why June books out early, and what to serve at a sit down dinner or a drop in open house.
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August 21, 2026
How Long Do Middle Eastern Leftovers Keep?
Health Canada says two to three days for most leftovers and three to four for cooked meat. How grilled meats, rice, dips and salads hold, and how to store them.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Reheat Kabab and Rice Without Drying It Out?
Reheat leftover kabab, chicken and rice to 74C without turning them to leather. The oven method, the splash of water trick for rice, and what to leave cold.
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August 21, 2026
Is Middle Eastern Food Healthy? An Honest Look
Mostly yes, and honestly not always. Where the mezze table lines up with Canada food guide advice, where the fried and syrup soaked half does not, and why.
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August 21, 2026
Allergens in Middle Eastern Food: What to Check
Sesame is in tahini, so it is in hummus. Walnuts are in muhammara. Where nuts, sesame and dairy turn up in Middle Eastern cooking, and exactly what to ask.
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August 21, 2026
Will Kids Eat Middle Eastern Food?
It is milder than parents expect. Which dishes children usually try first, why a shared table suits picky eaters, and how to introduce it without a battle.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Cater a Team Windup in the Fraser Valley?
Catering a team windup, awards night or school fundraiser in the Fraser Valley: how much a hungry young team eats, what travels, and planning around a hall.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Transport Catered Food Safely?
Keep hot food above 60C and cold below 4C, and count only two hours in between. How early to collect, how to pack the car, and what the two hour rule covers.
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August 21, 2026
Shawarma, Donair and Gyro: What Is Actually Different?
All three come off a vertical spit, then part ways. Where each one is from, what the meat and the sauce actually are, and why the donair is a Canadian dish.
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August 21, 2026
What Food Travels Well to a Fraser Valley Picnic?
What survives the drive to an Abbotsford park: which dishes travel, which Fraser Valley parks have bookable shelters, and how to keep the cold things cold.
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August 21, 2026
Falafel or Kibbe: What Is in Each and Which to Order
Falafel is fried spiced chickpeas and is vegan. Kibbe is beef and bulgur and is not. What each is made of, where each comes from, and which to try first.
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August 21, 2026
Which Fraser Valley Summer Crops Suit Middle Eastern Food?
What grows in the Fraser Valley through summer, where each crop lands in Middle Eastern cooking, and how the table changes when the wet season closes fields.
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August 21, 2026
What Do You Feed the Family on a Busy School Night?
School nights in Abbotsford mean dinner at 6:30 with no time to cook. What to pick up, what reheats well, and how one order can cover more than one weeknight.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Keep Food Hot and Cold at an Outdoor Event?
Hold hot food above 60C and cold food below 4C, and count two hours outside those. Chafing dishes, ice baths and serving in waves at a Fraser Valley event.
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August 21, 2026
Is Middle Eastern Food the Same as Mediterranean Food?
No, they are not the same thing. Mediterranean is a geography, Middle Eastern is a region, Greek is one country. What each label covers and where they overlap.
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August 21, 2026
How Do You Feed a Holiday Crowd Without Cooking All Week?
Feeding a holiday crowd in the Fraser Valley without cooking all week: which December dates fill first, what a shared mezze table solves, and when to call us.
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August 21, 2026
Rice, Bulgur and Freekeh: Which Grain Goes With What?
Bulgur is cracked parboiled wheat, freekeh is the same wheat picked green and smoked, rice is rice. How each is made, how long each cooks, and what suits what.
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August 1, 2026
Chilliwack Wedding Catering: Planning Food for an Acreage or Backyard Celebration
Planning a Chilliwack wedding, acreage reception or backyard celebration: guest counts, serving style, and a shared menu that holds up outdoors in the heat.
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August 1, 2026
Celebration of Life Catering in Abbotsford and Mission
Arranging celebration of life catering in Abbotsford or Mission: what to serve at a reception, how to estimate guests, and what to settle with the hall first.
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August 1, 2026
Office Lunch Catering in Langley: A Better Alternative to Sandwich Platters
Planning a Langley office lunch? A shared Armenian and Middle Eastern spread that suits a mixed team and mixed diets, plus how much to order and when to call.
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August 1, 2026
Vancouver Corporate Lunch Catering: A Middle Eastern Spread for the Office
Feeding a Vancouver office something other than sandwich trays: a shared Middle Eastern spread, how much to order, and what a downtown drop off really needs.
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August 1, 2026
Vancouver Wedding Catering: An Armenian and Middle Eastern Menu for a Shared Table
Planning a Vancouver wedding with Armenian or Middle Eastern food: how to build a generous shared table, what travels from Abbotsford, and when to book us.
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July 25, 2026
Birthday and Family Celebration Catering in the Fraser Valley
Catering a birthday, graduation or anniversary at home in the Fraser Valley: how much food to order, what holds all afternoon, and how to host without cooking.
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July 25, 2026
Catering for 20, 50 or 100 Guests: How to Plan the Right Amount of Food
Plan half a pound to a pound of food per adult, then adjust. What 20, 50 and 100 guests each need in grilled mains, salads, dips and bread, laid out plainly.
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July 25, 2026
Drop Off Catering or Full Service, Which One Your Event Actually Needs
Drop off catering arrives ready to serve and you set out the table. Full service adds setup, staff and cleanup. How to tell which one your event actually needs.
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July 25, 2026
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Caterer?
Office lunch, one to two weeks. Birthday or shower, two to four. Large event, four to six months. Wedding, six to twelve. Honest lead times, event by event.
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July 25, 2026
Catering a celebration of life or memorial reception in the Fraser Valley
Catering a celebration of life in the Fraser Valley on very short notice: what to serve, how to guess numbers when nobody RSVPs, halls, and dietary needs.
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July 25, 2026
Halal, Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten-Aware Catering in the Fraser Valley
How a Middle Eastern spread handles dietary needs: which dishes are vegetarian or vegan, where wheat hides, and how we answer halal questions straight.
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July 25, 2026
Hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara, how to tell them apart and which to order
Hummus is chickpea and tahini, baba ganoush is smoked eggplant, muhammara is roasted red pepper and walnut. How each tastes, and which dip to order first.
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July 25, 2026
How Much Middle Eastern Food Do You Need Per Person?
Plan half a pound to a pound of food per guest at a buffet, with six to eight ounces of that as main protein. Mezze, salad and rice math for 25, 50 and 100.
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July 25, 2026
Last Minute Catering in the Fraser Valley: What Can You Get on Short Notice?
Need catering this week in Abbotsford or the Fraser Valley? What is realistic at a few days or 48 hours, what narrows on short notice, and what stays possible.
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July 25, 2026
A Guide to the Salma's Kitchen Menu
What is on the menu in Abbotsford: kabab, shish tawook, toshka and kibbe off the grill, mezze dips, salads and rice, as a sandwich or a full meal. Phone only.
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July 25, 2026
Office Lunch Catering That Is Not Another Sandwich Platter
Feed a working team something better than pizza. Drop off Middle Eastern platters for offices in Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley, plus how far ahead to call.
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July 25, 2026
Tabouli, fattoush and Armenian salad, three salads people keep mixing up
Tabouli is mostly parsley with a little bulgur. Fattoush adds fried bread and sumac. Armenian salad is finely chopped and plain. Which to put beside a grill.
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July 25, 2026
Ayran, Hibiscus Tea and Lemonada: What We Pour
Ayran is salted yogurt, hibiscus tea is deep red and tart, lemonada is mint and lemon. What each drink tastes like and which one to pair with which grill item.
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July 25, 2026
Sunday Lunch, and the Table We Grew Up Around
The after church Sunday lunch is where Salma's Kitchen really began: a table crowded with relatives, far more food than needed, and never quite enough chairs.
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July 25, 2026
Shish Tawook or Kabab? How to Choose Your Grill
Shish tawook is marinated grilled chicken. Kabab is seasoned grilled beef. The plain difference in meat, spice and richness, and which one to order first.
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July 25, 2026
What Is Kibbe? Meet Our Signature Dish
Kibbe is a shell of bulgur wheat around spiced ground beef and onion, fried until crisp. What it is, how ours is made, and why it is the dish we are known for.
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July 25, 2026
What Is Muhammara? Our Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Muhammara is a roasted red pepper and walnut dip sharpened with pomegranate molasses: savoury, tangy, faintly sweet. What is in it and what to serve it with.
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July 25, 2026
Wedding Catering in the Fraser Valley: How to Plan Food People Actually Remember
Wedding catering across Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley and Surrey: when to book, buffet or family style, guest count math, and why a mezze table travels well.
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July 25, 2026
What Is Sujuk? The Armenian Spiced Sausage
Sujuk is a dry, firm, heavily spiced beef sausage central to Armenian cooking. What it tastes like, how it differs from other sausage, and how we grill it.
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July 25, 2026
What Is Toshka? The Syrian Sandwich Worth Ordering
Toshka is a Syrian sandwich: spiced minced meat pressed inside flatbread and grilled until crisp. What is in it, how it tastes, and how to order one hot in BC.
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July 25, 2026
What Mezze Is and How to Order It for a Table Full of People
Mezze is a spread of small shared dishes that lands in the middle of the table. What belongs on one, and how many dishes to order for four, ten or fifty people.
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July 25, 2026
Why We Source From Fraser Valley Farms
Good food starts long before the grill. Why we buy produce from Abbotsford and Fraser Valley growers when we can, and what that changes about how food tastes.
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July 21, 2026
Armenian and Middle Eastern catering in the Fraser Valley, a plain guide to planning yours
Middle Eastern catering is grilled mains, mezze dips and salads set in the middle of the table, not a Western buffet. How to plan yours in the Fraser Valley.
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