A Culinary Journey of a Tunisian Emissary

By AK Rahim

Recently, Monaem Mabrouki video-called his cousin in Tunisia to show him what he was cooking for dinner. It was a fragrant chicken stew, the recipe for which he had picked up from a friend: onions, saffron, and apples, amongst a host of other spices.

His cousin, however, could not believe what he was seeing and hearing. How can you mix apples with chicken? It is forbidden! It is sweet or savory, not both, his cousin argued. Plus, where is the red?

“Red is everywhere in Tunisia! The flag, the history, but most importantly, in the food,” Monaem laughed as he explained the monotony of Tunisian cuisine.

“Everything has tomatoes in it. It’s always bright red like that!”

He could not blame his cousin for the disapproval, though. When he, himself, first tried chicken and pasta in a sweet cream-based sauce, Monaem was more confused than satiated. Was all American food this bad, he thought to himself? Yet, a dish that he at first couldn’t even swallow became one of his favorite dishes, and a precursor to his many adventures.

In fact, the creamy chicken was one of the many cultural culinary adventures upon which Monaem had embarked since moving to the United States. He eventually became a Manager of one of DC’s most celebrated restaurants, “Busboys and Poets”, a venue renowned as the breathing space for the city’s artistic and creative crowd, and equally popular for its unique dishes.

Monaem was studying English Literature at a university in Tunisia when opportunity came knocking. He did not know what he would do once he arrived, but likening it to Rome, he knew all roads – at least for him – led to America.

The road led straight to a kitchen.

“I was so nervous! Every day I thought I would lose my job. I used to break glasses daily,” he reminisced about those first few months of working in a restaurant. But he took the job very seriously, and remembers being loved by the staff, earning employee of the month honors on several occasions.

Monaem soon realized working in a restaurant suited his personality well – the fast-paced and interactive setting, the sights and smells of different cuisines, the endless stimulation. Even after completing his degree in International Business, he knew his mind was set on the hospitality sector, particularly in dealing with food.

 

“Who knew that even in a restaurant environment I could pursue my interests in culture and sharing ideas?” Monaem explains, knowing that most people never see this facet of a restaurant. Amongst the diners and guests, he felt important.  He would walk with them, serve them, learn from them, and on occasion even teach them about Tunisia and other regional cultures. He met many ambassadors and senators over the years, though the greatest highlight of all was a face-to-meeting with one of his peace-building idols, Nelson Mandela.

His current position at Busboys and Poets gives him the latitude to mingle with more of these like-minded people, as well as giving him a much-deserved vacation.

“My job is to have drinks with people and socialize in my jeans,” he laughs.

Monaem points out that Busboys and Poets not only attract the city’s artistic clientele, it also attracts a creative staff. Almost everyone working there has a dream to do something great, whether it is releasing an album or bringing a bit of peace to the world.

For Monaem, that big dream concerns the country within which he grew up. Tunisia is still home for him, where many family members and friends still live, and where he sees himself spending more time in the future. However, he does not want to be just a perennial visitor – he wants to somehow reintegrate himself back into the fabric of the community to play a larger role in its future.

Monaem is well versed in many facets of Tunisian life. To pinpoint the psychology of his people, he recollects the ancient heyday of Carthage, Arab and Berber influences, the decades of French occupation, and so forth, until he concludes that the only way Tunisia can truly progress is first by helping its youth. Instead of blindly following religious or cultural traditions, which the youth are expected to do, he wants to create a space where they can express their own creativity, and view the world more analytically. He pulled together his years of management experience and contacts in both America and Tunisia to initiate a non-profit organization with the aim of creating such a space.

When asked about Tunisia’s future, he first lays out the reality of the situation, and mixes it with a dose of optimism. If there is one thing he learned in America, it is that change – for the better – will come steadily but inevitably. He is proud to have taken part in the Jasmine Revolution, as the Arab Spring is sometimes called in Tunisia after its national flower. Furthermore, he has not given up on its message. The struggle for a more democratic government is evident to any observer, though he wants to emphasize the role Tunisian citizens can play in building up their nation. Positive change comes from active community builders, like Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets, and – though his modesty would never permit him to admit it – the likes of Monaem himself.

Ultimately, Monaem’s philosophy is best represented in his most prized possession – his beautiful little daughter. He gave her two names that he uses interchangeably. Being the businessman that he is, one of the names is Ava – it is short, sweet, and has an “American touch” to it.   While choosing the second name, though, he could only think of Tunisia.   He named her Jasmine.

 

Abdul-Kadar (AK) Rahim is a marketer and product developer with a healthy obsession with all-things culinary. He is part of NooshTube’s creative team, collaborating on content and marketing. Though brought up on the East Coast, he has a tendency to roam around the world, collecting stories and recipes along the way.