Mailbag - January 2023

TRADITIONS Seema Mir celebrates a traditional American Thanksgiving with influences from her family’s Pakistani and Afghan roots. Pictured, clockwise: Butternut squash kadu; mashed potatoes; brownies; Afghan tea biscuits, or Roat; rice; dressing; macaroni and cheese; spinach and beef sabzi; and Persian noodle soup, or Aush. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

Fans of the family and food

I was thrilled to see some of our dearest friends, the Mir family, featured in the November magazine! The article titled A Multi-Cultural Thanksgiving [by Andria Frankfort Dilling] spotlighted a celebration of the family traditions and cuisine from their Afghan and Pakistani roots. They are the most generous, lovely family and, over the years, I have personally enjoyed getting to know their culture and food. I have been lucky enough to enjoy some of the amazing dishes featured in the article prepared by Seema Mir and her lovely mother, Amena Loynab. I can attest that they are delicious, and I am so glad the recipes were included so everyone can enjoy them.

I adored seeing my friend and neighbor included in the magazine! Thank you for helping us all learn a bit more about other cultural and family traditions during this special holiday season.

Alicia McIntosh

Sharing recipes and traditions

At a culturally-sensitive time when recognized differences can sometimes tend to be construed negatively, A Multi-Cultural Thanksgiving proves that it is the differences in our community that truly bring us all together. We have received so much love (and requests for more recipes and dinner parties) from our West University, Braes Heights, and Bellaire neighbors after the article published. This Thanksgiving, as we circle the table and share our thanks, The Buzz and its lovely group of writers, photographers, and editors is certainly on my list.

I am incredibly grateful for the beautifully written and photographed piece that perfectly captured the cornucopia of traditions, cultures, spices, and characters that make our family’s Thanksgiving unique.

Seema Mir

Tanglewood holiday tradition

I always look forward to [the Burkharts’] Christmas tractor tradition [The Pull of Tractors: Van Burkhart shares his fascination by Cheryl Ursin, Dec. 2022]! It’s not Christmas without driving through Tanglewood and seeing it.

Vickie Driscoll

Adding to the bucket list

Loved your article, Becky [Luman, featured in our November 2022 Travel Buzz column: A Virgin Island Thanksgiving]! You may have lured another tourist to the area, who typically finds vacations of “just beach” in a resort too boring…. As this is now one more place for my bucket list! Did not accompany my spouse to a wedding at the “Bitter End Yacht” Resort, because it was too remote for a far along pregnant woman already considered “at high risk,” and don’t really care much for sunburn, sandflies, or admiring boats in marinas, which I thought was all one did in BVI.

Exploring some of the nature parks, trails, and snorkeling in unspoilt environments sounds wonderful, especially if it is safe, and one has conveniences of the “first world” close-by.

Alexia Benavides

Not enough diversity

This is the whitest magazine I have seen. It’s even the blondest magazine. I think you need a subhead that says “The Magazine for White Privilege.” I live in College Court, and we have a wonderfully diverse bunch of people living here, both in terms of color and nationality, living in million-dollar-plus homes and driving BMWs. Why have they not appeared in your magazine? Please start including all of West U. This is the 21st century.

Linda Day

Editor’s note: Thank you for your feedback. We agree it’s important to be inclusive, and we aim to feature neighborhood residents from diverse backgrounds throughout our four magazines (West University, Bellaire, Memorial, and Tanglewood/River Oaks). We encourage our readers to reach out with story ideas spotlighting interesting neighbors and a variety of human-interest topics.

Send letters to [email protected]. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.