The wing eating contest at ISB's Muslim Foodfest was a big crowd draw. It was not known if the contestants stopped eating when their stomachs were a third full per the prophetic instructions on eating. Photos by Asad Abbas.
Foodies from all over the DC Metro, New Jersey, Philadelphia united at Islamic Center of Baltimore for a day of food and fun right before Ramadan. The 2nd annual Muslim Food Festival was held on Saturday, June 21, 2014. Around 12:00 the petting zoo was set up as were the vans of the multitude of vendors.
Games, entertainment, nasheeds and three wing eating contests flavored the day. A grand bazaar located in the gym was open late into the night as attendees got their Eid shopping out of the way before the month of spiritual procurement started. Over 70 vendors specializing in clothing, toys, accessories, and services showcased their products.
Muslim Food Fest (MFF) was established with one goal in mind: "Uniting the Ummah one bite at a time!" say the organizers. Haris Qudsi, Abdullah Shafi, Saad Husain and Saad Malik are on the board of the Al Rahmah School Educational Trust and are the brains and brawn behind the food festival.
?We have endeavored to [set up] an endowment trust,? says Qudsi, the money is invested in halal funds Azzad or Amana. Established in 2007, the trust got going in 2009 and according to bylaws gave back to the school in the fifth year- a total of $5000. Overall, the fest costs $60,000 to $70,000. The costs were decreased this year as the equipment was reused from the previous year.
Tarbiyah Academy, Ummah productions and Helping Hands were some of the sponsors. Sponsor packages ranged from $300-$5000.
Abdullah Shafi had been trying to do a food fest for a long but was looking for a cause worthy enough to pair with. Saad Malik got involved in organizing last year. The organizers grew up together and have arranged small events to big events in the past.
Malik says that many people of other faiths attended food fest as everyone?s language is food. The organizers had placed ads in local newspapers and road sides. The amount and variety of vendors (30 in all) garnered media attention as local news channels and newspapers showed up.
Zareena El Amin from Catonsville loved the food and the community atmosphere Salmon platter from Shareef Grill. Her sister in law and niece attend ISB. Her niece loved the gyros and the moon bounce. Aisha saw the wings competition and thought ?it was off the chain.? ?A fun time to bring in Ramadan, my kids can?t wait until next year,? she said as they stood in line for bean pies. Bay Leaf, Maharaja Wok, Sweet Tooth bakery drew lines as did the Gyro guy.
Chef Rehan had a fitness challenge at his stall- Umami's Global Bistro.
?The Indonesian food truck was off the hook? says Dalia M, a mom of four, talking about a new vendor from Virginia. From bean pies to cupcakes to gulab jamun there was something for every palate.
Last year the Food Festival sold out of vendor locations, and with this year's revamped layout, they prepared to top maximum capacity. It started slow as there was a drizzle early in the day, but as the skies calmed down the crowd got active.
A Hawaiian seasoned steak cooking demonstration by Abdul Hameed of RJ cafe, who recently closed his widely popular restaurant in Beltsville, MD, drew a big crowd. He gave tips on how to cook a perfect steak.
Last year expectations were exceeded with 5000 people swarming the grounds. This year an estimated 6500 people came to feast from all over the Northeast.
Shazia came last year as well. ?My kids had fun,? she says, she is a local and she lives close by. Her family thought the arrangement was superb especially the free shuttle that took attendees back and forth from the extra parking spots.
They certainly found the event better than a fundraiser. ?We would like to have it twice a year, but winter would be too cold,? quipped her friend as they sipped cups of hot tea and enjoyed the balmy breeze.
Asif Saeed commented that he didn?t ?mind buying tickets to get in, but $7 fee for each ticket is little too much? and suggested that ISB should look in to eliminating the fee next year.
Generous sponsors, Ashley Furniture, gave three recliners to raffle away at the event.
Lahori Chaska had authentic kulfi (Pakistani ice cream) and mango lassi at their stall. New vendor Mughal Oasis featured freshly squeezed authentic Sugar Cane Juice, cotton candy, kulfi, gol gappay (a Pakistani appetizer). Shareef of Shareef?s Grill specializes in American wraps. He enjoyed the event and giving back to the community. With a passion for cooking, he has two locations in Baltimore. ?I didnt know that I was so popular,? he said reveling in his diverse fandom.
Most attendees thought the event was well organized and several volunteers were cleaning up while the event was taking place.
Amina Hylton commented.?Mashaallah. This was an awesome event. Everything was great. [I] Traveled from Newark, New Jersey to attend and can't wait until next year's event, inshaallah.?
As the organizers say, there is no better way to bring people together than food!
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