Maryam Jillani remembers the fervor around Eid al-Fitr celebrations ushered in by the end of Ramadan (also known as Ramzan), the month of fasting and spiritual contemplation for Muslims. Endless meals included biryanis and kofta, lamb in its various iterations, milky-syrupy desserts, all laid out on embroidered tablecloths, among the good china and silverware, in drawing rooms across the Muslim world. One year, when milk for kheer was slowly reducing over the stovetop, it boiled over just as the blender I was using to make nimbu pani erupted. My husband, in pajamas readying for bed, asked, “Who is this for?”“I’m having fun, OK!” I yelled back. Meeting and sharing a meal was enough of a reason to celebrate, no matter the scale.

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