Monthly Archives: May 2011

Quite a few efforts to raise money for relief after the May 2011 Tornadoes involve food. One is the long-lasting Ted’s Bake Sale 4 Relief, which lasts through May 31. Ted’s will bake a variety of desserts such as baklava, cakes and whole pies for sale, which you can buy during Ted’s normal lunch hours Monday through Friday, at Ted’s Restaurant, 328 12th Street South, and at Ted’s other location at Daniel Building, 15 South 20th street, 2nd floor. Proceeds from the desserts will go toward the Holy Trinity Holy Cross Alabama Tornado Relief Fund.

Beba at Ted’s also needs some bakers: She’s looking for volunteers to help bake any dessert of their choice to contribute to the bake sale. Volunteers can drop off the desserts at the restaurant. You can also get updates on the bake sale on Twitter searching the hashtag #bakesale4relief.

Mmm. A chance to eat something good while doing something good for your neighbors.

Leave a comment if you know of other food-related relief efforts.

Get ready for a novel that treats us to the sensual foods of the Middle East. Our June selection is Crescent, a novel by Diana Abu-Jaber, an English professor, novelist, and Arab-American (her father is from Jordan, and she lived in Amman for two years as a child).

This novel tells the story of Sirine, who works in an Lebanese restaurant in Los Angeles. Hanif, an Iraqi man and teacher of Arabic literature, makes her restaurant a frequent stop for familiar foods, and a romance begins. But this is much more than a romance: It’s also about cultural identity and life in the US as an Arab American. (You might also find this essay by Abu-Jaber interesting, in which she writes about being labeled as an Arab-American writer.)

We’re meeting on Tuesday, June 14, at 6pm, at George’s Lebanese Restaurant, 44 Green Springs Highway in Homewood. Ali Baba, 1694 Montgomery Highway in Hoover. LivonFifth in downtown Birmingham. We’ll talk about Crescent and enjoy a Lebanese meal. Join us!