Across Women's Lives

On weekday mornings, the smartphones of more than a hundred Istanbul residents light up with a cheery Arabic greeting and pictures of home-cooked Syrian dishes that Samar al-Mallah plans to cook that day. Then Mallah, a mother of four, waits for the orders to come in. And they do. “I believe you can reach the heart of a person through food,” Mallah said. “Food is something you can send a lot of messages with. You can put all of your love, all of your feelings. You can build relationships through food.” There is shish barak, a classic dish of toasted meat dumplings, stewed in a savory yogurt sauce; the tangy brightness of tabbouleh, chock-full of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers; and Mallah’s personal favorite are the kibbeh — spiced, fragrant ground meat packed and fried in a bulgur casing.  A plate of kibbeh, freshly fried and fragrant with cumin, cinnamon and cloves. “It’s really very difficult to prepare ... I have my own way, which makes it really special,” says Samar al-Mallah.