Happy Purim!

Fira, my uncle's wife arrived in Israel from Mashad many years after our family.  She was always known for her outstanding cooking skills.  Even after we were all grown ups , my mother kept telling to go to Fira so I can learn to cook!
These days Fira is running cooking workshops and parties in addition to her catering business.  
Here are some of Fira's sweet memories of "Mishloach Manot" the custom straight out of the Megillah to take packages of goodies to relatives, friends and the poor: 
"I remember this tradition with sweetness and richness!
In the morning of the holiday all of us the Jewish kids, would wake up with happiness in our hearts.  We would put on our finest clothes, and go on our mission of delivering the goods our moms made.  Each family had a tray including all the goodies and the kids would go to the Jewish families and deliver them.  The woman who dared to forget any of the items was scrutinized!  "Mishloach Manot" was the topic of the conversation the whole day!  How was her Halva?  What was the smell of her non tafton?  And the kids were walking around with the decorated trays and thoroughly enjoying every moment of the celebration.
The traditional Mashadi "Mishloach Manot" includes all these sweets: "Shir berenge" (rice with milk) Halva (Rice, sugar, cinnamon, curcumin, saffron) Gushfil (Persian style elephant's ears, unlike the Ozney Haman- Haman's ears or Hamentashen.) Nan tafton (sweet rolls) and Hard boiled eggs decorated with stars of David."

I have sweet memories from the Shapira neighborhood of Tel Aviv.  At the time no family had a cooking oven.  Across the street from my Aunt Soraya's apartment was a bakery.  Our mothers would prepare all the dough at home and then walk to the bakery with all the kids.  The baker provided the large baking trays, the mothers would lay their goods place them in the oven and in a few hours the smells were all over the neighborhood.  We the kids had the best times of our lives.  We happily walked home with our mothers and then helped divide everything into portions and deliver them.  My mom had the best non tafton!
Happy Purim!