- I feel like dates are a big thing.

Because I saw like, fresh dates over there, and then red dates, yellow dates, dried dates.

What makes a good date?

I feel like it's super important.

- What makes a good date?

- Yeah.

- A guy who pays for dinner and a movie.

(both laughing) - I'm Chef Chrissy Camba.

From running restaurants to cooking for the circus, nothing excites me more than feeding people.

As a first generation Filipino American, the flavors from my family's kitchen make me feel at home.

Join me as I explore cultural grocery stores in the US and discover the recipes and stories that make this country's flavor so rich.

This is "The Grocery List Show."

(upbeat music) The moment I stepped into the largely Middle Eastern neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to meet the Masoud brothers of Balady, their Palestinian family run grocery store, I knew I was somewhere special.

When it comes to Balady, I was charmed by the fact that the three brothers currently running the store inherited it from their parents who were the original founders.

I'm so eager to explore this Middle Eastern grocery store and learn more.

They have Maamoul, which is like my favorite cookie, that's filled with date paste, which is chef's kiss, and then these really cool like, baklava dessert packs.

As big as my body.

Look, I'm going to disappear for a second.

The aisles are packed with a vibrant variety of products.

Truly every corner feels like it's bursting with thoughtfulness and care.

This is really cool over here.

It's light and fluffy.

I feel like it's a cloud in my hand.

Nom, nom, nom.

Everything's soft here.

I haven't even tried half of these olives ever in my life.

I'm going to get some of these for a little snack later.

Now that I have my snacks, I'm ready to meet Essa, Mosa and Abraham.

The three brothers carrying on the legacy of the store their parents founded together.

So who is the oldest?

Like, oldest to youngest?

- I'm the eldest here.

- Here.

(laughs) - Here.

- He's number five out of nine.

- Oh my God.

- Yeah.

I'm number eight.

He's number seven.

- So there's four above me.

There's four older and four younger- - Wow.

- than me.

- Okay.

And then how do you divide up the jobs here?

- Essa, he's the driving force in the store.

Abraham, he takes care of the employment, human resources, and myself, I just make sure that they're doing their jobs.

- Oh, okay.

Why did you all choose to open up Balady in Bay Ridge?

Like, what is the dynamic of the neighborhood?

- [Mosa] Bay Ridge has a nickname, Little Mecca, so there's a wide variety of Middle Easterners and North Africans that live in Bay Ridge and in any neighborhood, the mosque becomes the focal point.

So we're really close to that mosque and I think we're in the heart of the community.

- So why the name Balady?

- [Mosa] Balady means hometown in Arabic.

It was a response to the community of Middle Eastern people that was here.

So people who migrated here can feel like there's a sense of being back home.

- [Essa] All cultures in the Middle East, North Africa can come and find their products.

- [Chrissy] That's amazing.

- My late father started in 2003, and as years continued, we became more intertwined with the business and understanding how it works, understanding the products, because many of these products we didn't understand, we learned as we continued on.

- [Chrissy] On the sign it says Balady Halal Market.

What is halal?

- Halal just basically is an Arabic word that means lawful or permissible.

- Mm-hmm - It can be applied or pertained to all aspects of life.

- Mmm - Particularly in meat.

It requires the meat to be slaughtered in a certain way.

We like to mention halal on the name of the store to ensure the customers that there isn't anything that's not lawful to eat in the store as per our Muslim dietary requirements.

- [Chrissy] Yeah.

- [Mosa] There isn't anything with pork, anything with alcohol.

- [Chrissy] So they trust you?

- [Mosa] Correct.

- As I mentioned before, my late father began the store.

My mom would accompany him and my dad and my mom are very generous.

My dad would have his meals nearby.

Customers would be walking around, "Come and eat, come and eat."

And that's pretty much how our Ramadan dinners began is from those moments.

And our Ramadan dinners happen once a year.

The last one we did, we fed almost 1,500 people.

- [Chrissy] Wow!

Your mom isn't the only one who's cooking.

- [Essa] It reached the point where she can't handle that much food, but she still wants to partake, so she'll make the large soups.

So I'm glad that you're going to be spending some time with her.

- [Chrissy] Mrs. Masoud has honored me with an invitation into her home to show me how to make mansaf.

This is a dish that is popular in Palestine and across the Middle East.

- [Abraham] Mansaf is a yogurt-based dish - Yeah.

- with rice and lamb and bread, which is layered on the bottom.

- It's usually made on festive occasions.

- Oh, fun.

- Yeah.

So weddings- - 'Cause it takes so long.

- Or gatherings.

- And also because a large portion of it is made.

You can't just make a little... - Oh, you can't just make a small one?

- Yeah, yeah.

When you make it, it's usually in a big pot.

Mosa is going to be helping you with the ingredients.

- Oh, perfect.

- Let's go take a look.

(upbeat music) Let's start with the bread.

This bread is called shrak.

It's folded.

- It's specifically for this, - So it opens up to a large piece.

- so it's one large piece?

- Yes.

It's a few large pieces, - Very cool.

actually.

A few of them.

Let's get some of the nuts, next.

Slivered almonds.

- 'Cause it has better texture or?

- Yeah, it definitely has a better texture and better crunch with it.

- That many?

- Oh yeah.

Next thing we need is butter ghee.

- [Chrissy] Okay.

What's butter ghee?

- It's the type of butter that's used in many forms of cooking - Okay.

- to keep the food moist and tasty.

- [Chrissy] It's like the fat flavor.

- Fat flavor.

Exactly.

- I can just grab this one?

- Try to say fat flavor without saying fat favor.

- Fat flavor.

(laughs) - Yeah.

Let's get the rice.

We like to use this kind of rice.

- [Chrissy] The whole bag?

- Maybe 70% of it.

Yeah.

- 70%?

- Right.

Let's order the meat.

(Mosa speaking in Arabic) For mansaf, when it's cut, it's usually cut in very large chunks.

- [Chrissy] Okay.

That's half a lamb.

- [Mosa] Half a lamb.

Yeah.

While he's cutting that meat, we can get the next item.

The soup base.

- Soup base.

- Another name for it is called jameed.

It's dried yogurt mixed with water.

- Oh, oh!

- Yeah.

And over here it says cultured sheep and cow milk.

- Okay.

Wow.

- Alright, so we're going to get a yogurt drink and we're going to mix this with the jameed.

Regular yogurt.

- Wow.

More dairy?

This is regular yogurt?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- And labneh, which is our version of a sour cream.

So all these will get mixed together.

- Okay.

I'm really excited.

- Let's go pick up the meat.

So that's everything we need.

Only thing that's left really is just the spices.

- Okay.

- [Mosa] I'll show you the spices that we have here.

- [Chrissy] Do you think that differs between each family?

Like, what they put in the spice blend?

- I think so.

Yes.

Everyone has their own specialty.

Their own twist on things.

Yes.

So we have a special spice that's already made.

A lot of people would use their own spice blends at home.

- Right.

- For those who don't have their own spice blend, that would be a perfect taste.

- [Chrissy] Beautiful.

And this is everything?

- You got everything you need here.

- Perfect.

- You're all set.

- Thank you so much for helping me.

- You're very welcome.

I'll see you at my mom's tomorrow.

(Chrissy grunts) (Chrissy laughs) It's just me eating.

Wait, do you know what it is, based on all the ingredients?

- I guess mansaf?

- Wow!

- Is it?

- Yes!

Good job.

- They usually use this ingredients.

- That's really good.

- Yeah.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- Have a good day.

- You too.

Thank you.

(light music) - [Chrissy] Next I'm meeting Mrs. Ferial Masoud, co-founder of Balady Market and mother to the Masoud brothers.

She's the heart and soul behind this market, whose passion for food has shaped her family and community with warmth, tradition, and unforgettable flavors.

- Welcome home.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

- Come on in.

Come on.

- Thank you so much.

- This is for a lot of occasion, good occasion.

- Big ones?

- Yes.

If you cook it like for two, it is not looks good.

(Chrissy laughs) You know?

Step by step, you know, I show you how you do.

- Do I just put this in here like this?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Ok, now we have to wash it.

- I'm very strong.

- I know.

Okay, we leave it until boil.

- It boils.

Okay.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Now we want to do the rice.

- [Chrissy] How do you know how much water to put in?

- 53 years I cook this.

- Wow!

- Yeah.

- [Chrissy] For all your kids?

Okay.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] And 26 grandchildren.

- 26 grandchildren?

- Yeah.

- [Chrissy] And you cook this for all of the special occasions?

- Of course.

- Oh my goodness.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Half hour, 45 minute ready to cook.

- When I was shopping in the store, they got a lot of yogurt, like a lot.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] I know.

- That's it?

There's more?

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Yeah.

(Chrissy laughing) I know.

I know.

- [Chrissy] Does anyone else like cooking in your family?

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Of course, my daughters.

- [Chrissy] Yeah?

- But, they don't do the right way like me.

(Chrissy laughs) - And so you're adding labneh?

- Yes.

- [Chrissy] And then the dried yogurt?

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Uh-huh and regular yogurt.

(mixer whirring) After two minutes, three minutes, we do it again.

- Okay.

- Until boiling.

- [Chrissy] You have a beautiful bracelet.

What's the bracelet?

- Uh-huh.

That's my kids' names.

- All nine of 'em?

- All my kids, yes.

(Chrissy laughing) I'm happy you're here.

- Thank you so much for having me here.

- I love to feed people.

After the meat boiling, we put the onion and the spices.

(light music) - [Chrissy] And so the rice is done.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Yes.

- [Chrissy] We're toasting the nuts.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Now we'll put the yogurt.

- [Chrissy] Inside that?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- [Mrs. Ferial Masoud] Taste it.

- Mm.

- Oh!

- Mm, the yogurt.

The yogurt brings it out.

This is beautiful.

- Now we have to like this.

- That's it?

- Yeah.

Good, almost done.

- Aha.

- I want to call my sons - Okay.

- to have good company.

- 'Cause we can't just eat all of this food.

- Good company.

No, no, no.

Not about that.

I don't care.

You eat everything, I want the company, more company.

- [Chrissy] Yeah, perfect.

- [Son] Hi, Ma.

(Mrs. Ferial Masoud and son speaking in Arabic) (light music) - Aaaaaaaa - Uh-huh.

That's the way I like it.

Uh-huh.

Uh-uh.

(Chrissy laughs) (Mrs. Ferial Masoud speaks in Arabic) - [Chrissy] It smells so good.

And then you finish with the- - The nuts, you see?

- [Chrissy] fried nuts.

Beautiful.

- Uh-huh.

(light music) Excellent.

Very good chef.

- [Chrissy] Thank you.

(laughs) Good teacher.

(light music) - You're the guest - Okay.

- of honor, we're going to put for you.

- Welcome.

- Thank you so much.

(Mrs. Ferial Masoud speaks in Arabic) - Mmm.

- Mm-hmm.

- It's delicious.

The bread on the bottom makes it like- - Yes.

- Creamy.

- Like this.

- More soup.

Okay.

Go ahead.

- Uh-huh.

Good.

- Thank you.

So how big would the mansaf be if all the grandkids came?

- Oh, I make two.

(Chrissy laughs) Yes, like this, I make two.

Yeah.

(upbeat music) - While eating this meal, I could taste the warmth passed down through the generations.

Though the market may serve as a beacon of Middle Eastern flavors in Bay Ridge, it's easy to see that it all began in Mrs. Masoud's kitchen in Brooklyn.

The place where the importance of food was nurtured through the simple, yet profound act of sharing a meal with those you love.

Thank you so much for this delicious meal and teaching me- - Oh, no problem.

- and bringing me into your home.

- No problem.

You don't eat meat?

Eat.

- More?

- Yes.

- [Chrissy] Okay.

I'm trying.

Everything is so good.

- [Essa] You want the shank?

- [Chrissy] Sure.

Put it on here.

(upbeat music)