A Mosaic of Flavor: Iraqi Kubba and Folded Eggplant

This monthly series is a collaboration with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. This month, we will be preparing two traditional Iraqi recipes. We will learn to make Kubba Shalgham Acid, a rich soup made of rice-coated meatballs in a broth flavored with a unique blend of spices, cilantro, lemon and pomegranate molasses. Kubba takes a special skill to make well and is a signature dish of good cooks in Iraq. To accompany the soup, we will make a main dish known as Folded Eggplant, where thinly-sliced eggplant is folded and stuffed with minced beef, onions, tomatoes and peppers. Ahlam Al Attar is originally from Bagdad and moved with her husband and daughter to Burlington in February 2015. Ahlam learned her love of cooking from her mother and enjoys cooking for large family events and teaching people about Iraqi food.