Thanks to Najma for sharing these kebabs on the barbeque from Iraq.

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Read more:
Madrid street food - Spain likes a barbeque, too
Arrosticini - the Italian version
Iraqi blogs on Blogs of the World
Catching a plane in Iraq

A quick Google search might give the impression that plane travel in Iraq is prohibitively dangerous - the first page of answers to the search ‘Iraq plane travel’ contains 5 stories of crashes and other incidents.

However recently the situation has improved, according to Mohammed Abbas, writing for Alarab Online. And foreign airlines are re-opening routes to Iraq - last month Turkish Airlines started direct flights between Baghdad and Istanbul.

Picture: Flights to Baghdad from Turkish Airlines

According to Abbas, flying out of Iraq has some quirks that you don’t find in other countries. Use of electronic booking systems is not widespread so reservations are recorded on paper, and a lack of announcements inside the airport means confusion when trying to get on the right flight. Once inside the flight, ticket seating is forgotten as families try to sit together.

Air transport is not the only area seeing improvement - a few weeks ago 15 miles of Baghdad commuter rail track was reopened, giving Baghdadis the option of taking the train instead of driving to work. This option seems to face many of the criticisms of train networks in other countries though: trains are too infrequent and commuters have to travel too far to get to the station.

Read more:
Iraq blogs from Blogs of the World
Iraqi food for Jewish New Year: Jewish Iraqis celebrate with delicious traditional dishes

This week Jews are celebrating the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

Many Jews eat sweet foods during this festival to symbolise their hopes for the year to come. However one traditional dish eaten by Jews coming from Amara in Southern Iraq is a combination of bitter chard, sweet beets and sweet and sour sauce.

In this article from the International Herald Tribune Joan Nathan describes the picnic in a pine forest near Jerusalem where he first tried the dish.

Read More:
Iraqi blogs from Blogs of the World
Catching a plane in Iraq: car is still the transport of choice for Iraqis, but the options are increasing

A New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden is a very comprehensive book of recipes. From how to make the best hummous, to six different methods of stuffing vegetables, even how to barbeque a fish.

The author grew up in Egypt, and the book includes food from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Israel. The book also includes many stories and anecdotes from the region.

If you enjoy Middle Eastern food you might also like to read our post on Turkish cooking.