REFUGE
in the
RECIPES
PHOTOS BY ELLIE SHARP
By Ellie Sharp When Wafdia Ibrahim and her daughter Tahani Alajil, now 26, fled Syria, they left behind a life to which they could never truly return – but they brought their family’s collection of recipes and with it an unbreakable bond to the life they loved. The book traveled with them from their former home in Homs, Syria, to a three-year stay in Jordan and then to Houston where they arrived on June 6, 2015.
The women returned Krane’s kindness with hospitality. They invited her to their family’s modest two-bedroom apartment in Sharpstown to dine with them during her regular visits. “I used to be a TV producer and spent many years living in the Middle East,” says Krane, “so I’ve eaten a lot of Arabic food in my time. But I quickly realized that Wafdia and her daughter’s cooking is exceptional.”
In a beautiful effort to connect with others they began to teach cooking classes to local women, proving that a language barrier is no match for the conversation of a shared meal and an evening of making memories.
It was after one of these visits that Krane put two and two together: Why not encourage the women to share their talents in cooking lessons, thereby providing an outlet for social engagement and also educating Houstonians to the world of Syrian cooking? The idea was instantly embraced by Wafdia and Tahani, and several months later they taught their first class in the home of one of Krane’s friends. Two more classes soon followed.
As with many good things, the fruition of such an endeavor began with a friendship, this time with Chloe Krane, an advocate from Refugee Services of Texas (RST). The family was paired with Krane after their placement in Houston, a city chosen for its ability to house and support refugees. Krane felt an immediate bond with the women and over time developed a close friendship with them as she guided their adjustment to life in Houston.
While Wafdia has no background in professional cooking, she did run a family produce market in Syria for 10 years. She cut her culinary teeth as a child cooking for her mother and sisters; her father died when she
63 SPRING 2017