About
In the Name of God, the Most Benevolent, the Most Merciful
Thank you for visiting My Halal Kitchen!
Welcome to all things related to halal cooking, eating, and of course the halal kitchen itself. I hope you will join me in sharing and exchanging delicious halal recipes for all seasons and all meals you can prepare any day of the week.
About Me
Although I was born and raised in the U.S., I claim a Sicilian and Puerto-Rican ethnic heritage, while following the religion of Islam. I was a Spanish and English (Language Arts) teacher for nearly 10 years before recently deciding to pursue food writing and the culinary arts on a full-time basis. I’m passionate about wholesome food, nutrition, gardening, and learning about fascinating culinary traditions of people all over the globe. It helps that I love to cook and the kitchen is my favorite part of the house.
I live in Chicago with my Mexican/Italian husband. Together we frequently scope out ways to eat the same kinds of food we were raised on, as long as that food is halal.
Why Halal?
Being a Muslim mandates that a Muslim eat halal: pure foods ordained for mankind by Allah (God) in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). That being said, a Muslim doesn’t drink alcohol or eat pork or foods with their by-products or derivatives. For example, boxed jello and marshmallows usually contain gelatin, which is often derived from pork and therefore not halal.
Why I created the My Halal Kitchen blog
I wanted to open up a forum where I could share with readers (Muslim or not) the tasty recipes I’ve been fortunate enough to gather from our family and friends around the globe. I also wanted to share kitchen tips, stories about cooking, my thoughts on food, and where you can find all the same things I do to create my halal meals.
Over the last several years, I’ve tried fervently to educate myself on the source of food by-products so that my husband and I could avoid ingesting anything impermissible, but also so that we could enjoy our favorite traditional and ethnic foods, only now with halal (permissible) substitutions. For example, I’ve had to master my own chicken parmesan, beef tacos and veal stew because there isn’t a halal restaurant I know of who will serve it up the way I’m used to eating it.
I have also gathered a small collection of trusted companies and stores that offer not only halal products, but ones that are also healthy for us. This has proven to be a challenge when it comes to things like sausages or veal meat because not only are they rare fare finds at halal restaurants, but few grocers provide a good variety of raw and/or deli meats from which to buy and make the dishes myself.
My journey has taken me on a mission to re-create our family favorites of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Sicilian and all other types of Mediterranean dishes, while avoiding as much pre-packaged and low quality food items as possible. I’ve also gained the desire to make more foods from scratch, simply because then I am guaranteed to know exactly what’s inside. The result has been simply delicious, simply pure, simply… halal.
I hope you will enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy creating it for you. May it be of benefit to all, insha’allah, God willing.
Peace to everyone (salaams)…
For media contacts interested in an interview, please visit my Press page. Serious inquiries only.
Author Bio
Yvonne Maffei, M.A., is a food writer, recipe developer, cooking instructor, and the Editor of My Halal Kitchen, a halal food and cooking blog showcasing culinary tips and healthy halal recipes. The mission of My Halal Kitchen is to provide home cooks with the tools to prepare halal meals, including those with the necessary substitutions to make every dish halal. It aims to make the lives of readers better by expanding the list of available recipes that are healthy, delicious, economical and halal. She resides in Chicago, IL.
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
very interesting blog.
What an interesting site and complement to what I do with kosher food! Looking forward to sharing recipes with you!
Best,
Zahavah
Salam Yvonne, how wonderful to read about your blog, and also the diversity from where u and hubby come from. It must be great living in Chicago.. wish I could go there someday. Do keep in touch, my email is minbakingproject@gmail.com.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Hello Yvonne,
I found your blog through FoodBuzz.
I’ve always found people who have multicultural heritage (like me) very interesting as they have loads to share, and yes here one another
Happy to find you…
Cheers from Istanbul,
Banu
Salaam Alaikum I just now saw this entry Yvonne
I like how you expressed yourself and see you tomorrow InshaAllah
Assalamu’alaikum
Hi Yvone, Alhamdulillah..thanks to Allah the Most Benevolent Who guided me to find your admirable blog. My name is Meili from Indonesia. Alhamdulillah I born and raised as a moslem in the country that moslem is a majority. Just several days ago I’ve just made my own blog that amazingly has same name and idea ! After I read your profile I really want to give you 1000 thumbs up ! I admire your spirit to always gets halal foods since you’re living in U.S. ! Your challenge to get halal food must be harder than me here. I wish Allah will always blessed you with an easy way ….amen.
Hope we can keep in touch, please visit my blog at myhalalkitchen.multiply.com (unfortunately it is in bahasa indonesia). If you don’t mind, I would like to have a link with your blog. Insha Allah we will meet here again.
Wassalamu’alaikum,
Meili-Indonesia
Hi Yvonne,
It’s so great you are an Ohio girl:) I grew up in Fremont, which is off 80 about 20 minutes west of Sandusky (Cedar Point!) and 40 minutes east of Toledo. I love living in NY and by the way you sound you love Chicago? Any plans to move back too Ohio? I know I have been spoiled by “big city life” (hehe) and couldn’t imagine living back there. Although it’s nice to go home, slow down and visit my family and friends. Have a great week!
- Nutmeg Nanny
Yvonne! I found your blog! I am so glad it is working now! And so excited to eat some delicious Halal food tonight for iftar!
Sallams,
Kaighla
I remember bookmarking your site when I read the article on the huffington post – but you’re finding me brought me here and I’m so glad. I love the site and the concept and passion behind it, mashaAllah! I’m definitely anticipating the book
Thanks, Heba! I look forward to your feedback/comments here!
Well done on a wonderful site. Fresh look, great topic. Keep up the splendid effort to remove the mystery and suspicion that surrounds Muslims and their culture.
Salam. Thanks for putting up a wonderful blog. Food brings people together and by sharing with us your culinary experience and wonderful in my opinion is a form of da’wah towards a guided and healthy lifestyle. I congratulate you for this excellent blog.
As Salaamu Alaykum, Your site is wonderful and has many great things. May Allah allow you continue this wonderful work. I have not seen anything regarding halal foods this beneficial in a long time. Baraaka Allah Oufiki.
Assalamu Alailkum!!! I’m glad to have found your site, looks amazing! I don’t only eat halal meat but prefer to at home. But, it is great that you are giving more halal options for all of us.
As Salam,
Great to website..feel free to blog in my and michael saxon website http://www.chefstales.com
salam
Yvonne, just wandered over from the foodie discussion on LinkedIn and I must say this is a very useful blog, especially for those who are trying to eat halal. Would love to profile you on my blog Lassi with Lavina because so many South Asians happen to be Muslim!
Barak Allahu feeki, Yvonne. Muslims like you are a treasure in the blogosphere, promoting halal, healthy eating so effectively and “professionally”.
May Allah bless your efforts. Ameen.
jazakallahu khaire, Sadaf. That was so nice of you and so encouraging!
As salam aleikum
jazakiaLLah khayr dear sister Yvonne for such a useful site!
Barakallahufiki… I am so happy to find your blog…although we reside in Malaysia now, I understand the ordeal of finding halal western/Mediterranean food back in my birthplace in Singapore when i was growing up. Alhamdulillah, halal food is a sizable market now and its not that difficult but still nothing beat a dedicated blog on halal food like yours. Mabruk and may Allah help you sustain this delicious pursuit.
Salaams – So happy to have come across your blog! I love your recipes. My blog focuses on the flavors of the Middle East and North Africa – I cant wait to try some of your recipes!
Salaams,
Brenda
wa’alaikum as salaam Brenda, thank you for visiting My Halal Kitchen. You have yourself such a nice food site, as well. I’m sure I’ll be traveling over there to see what you’re cooking, too! Thanks again.
@Ummameerah, thank you for such beautiful comments and du’a. I hope you’ll visit again and share with us more about halal foods in Malaysia and Singapore- two places I would absolutely love to visit one day. Insha’allah!
@Muslima- thank you!
Great blog, all the recipes look really delicious. I love that everything is halal and I don’t have to worry about omitting anything in the recipes you have done all the work for us.
Thanks
Salaam
wasalaam Rama, and thank you for visiting with your comments. Please come back again!
As-Salaam Alaikum. I am so very thankful and pleased to have found your blog! I have just recently in the past week discovered the wonderful world of food blogs. I stumbled upon them in my search for halal recipes (which by the way is a very difficult thing to find). We have for many years now been off eating pork and shellfish but only recently discovered how severly tainted many processed foods are with “secret swine”. I have so far only been able to find vegetarian recipes that followed halal guidelines. I am not a knowledgeable cook and am not a confident cook at all, I MUST have a recipe when I cook…lol I have never been able to “create”.
So this is why I am so very thankful to have found your blog! I feel a weight has been lifted and I very much look forward to delving into your site and your recipes! Thank you for helping us less experienced sisters to be able to provide healthy, acceptable food for our families! May Allah bless you and your family!
Assalaamu-alaikum, I always am at awe at the muslims in america, despite their trials they seem to prosper. I live in south africa where we have a small but strong muslim community ( mostly of indian or pakistani origin). I was browsing in order to get info on starting up a halaal healthy/diet catering company and was amazed by your blog. Thanx for the inspiration.
Salam, I was googling for Halal foods and came across your website. I found it very interesting and infomative! Thanks for all the recipes.. Well, I am promoting halal foods too.. basically we are offering foods and ingredients from Malaysia. Check-out my website.
salam yvonne!!
you do have a excellent halal food blog..
and surprisingly, you are from foreign country ( at first i thought you are from islam country) that is actually difficult to find halal food(i guess)
and you creating this kind of blog..
dear, for me it’s very interesting and useful=)
keep going what are doing now.
people will thanks to your hard work…=)
insyaallah….
@Siti- thank you for your kind comments. I’m from the U.S.- not foreign to me, lol
Where are you from?
sorry..
my bad..=)
im from malaysia..
i’m student
actually,i been assign to searching any good food blogs for my assignment..
so, i think your blog really help my life..
Us salaam alaikum! Finally got a chance to visit your blog, and am in love with it. Mashallah its a beautiful site and I love how I can sense the passion you have for the subject through your writing. Are the pictures on the site your own photography? Looking forward to getting together to share some ideas and chat. Take care and have a wonderful Ramadan!
Dear MHK,
Assalamualaikum, Im a Malaysian, working mother and my hobby is cooking, I had logged in your Facebook and you has requested me to login your page, and would like to help you to know more about Malaysia’s Food, Im not good at wastern food and making cookies, deserts and sweet dishes too, my cooking is the basic Malay, Indian and a little Chinese food too. I would be pleased to teach too.
Regards,
Nurania Khan
Salaam,
Your site was forwarded to me by a friend. I look forward to reading your blog and enjoying your recipes.
Ramadan Kareem.
Hinna
ramazan muburak! thanx for the good waqf on fine food! x
Some great looking recipes here. Will be trying a few. Thanks, Yvonne.