Iftar Potluck Baltimore: Francesca Pagan

Francesca Pagan, shares her Italian-influenced Ramadan iftar food memories and her escarole and bean stew (sacrola e fagioli). In a thriving suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, 15 families with origins across the world gather in a backyard for iftar, the evening meal breaking the day-long fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It’s an American-style potluck, and each family brings not only food from homelands and traditions, but also stories and recipes. “Iftars are to me very much a party,” says Pagan. “Food is one of those things that you do without during the day so you can get spiritually closer to God, but the reward of enjoying it after the sunset takes it to a whole new level.”

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