How to prepare food that is suitable for Muslims?

So, my new flatmate is a Muslim woman and therefore can only eat halal foods.

I thought I knew all there was to know about halal as I study religion quite a bit. I thought it was as simple as: No blood, no pork, and all meat is to be killed facing east and killed in the name of Allah.

Yesterday I was cooking dinner, and as I usually cook way way too much, I usually share. So I cooked a pasta dish, mixed in the sauce, and served a plate up for my Muslim flatmate. After I served up her plate, I added in some meatballs that contained pork for my self as I enjoy eating meat.

My flatmate had no problem with me cooking or eating pork, she respects my lack of faith and has no problem with it so long as she does not have to eat any. However, after cooking I did the washing up and used a small sponge to clean the pot out. Long story short there is now a sponge with a black ‘X’ on it to mark it as “the pork sponge”. She can now no longer use this sponge.

So… I want to get as much info as I can on halal food and halal cooking so to avoid tainting any more of the shared stuff. She says it’s all ok and that I don’t have to go through so much trouble just for her, but she was here before me, and I just think it would be proper to do my best to avoid doing anything that could offend.

I will be moving out to my own apartment soon because my girlfriend wants to move in with me and vice versa, but until then I could really use some detailed info on halal food and cooking.

Thanks.