Jewish Iraqi Meatballs in Schwandar (Beet) Stew

Someone special is joining the Cooking Middle Eastern blog, as my partner in culinary explorations. Eli Cohen is a native of Israel and his family is originally from Iraq...and he happens to be my life-partner (lucky me!). The most interesting and tasty cuisine I've tasted comes out of his mother's kitchen, based on very old family recipes. Here's Eli!

Hi everyone. Koubba (a semolina meat dumpling) is a signature dish in Jewish Iraqi cooking that comes in innumerable different versions of stew types. This version replaces the the Koubba with a meatball while the stew sauce stays the same. It cuts out some significant labor that the Koubba usually requires.

This beet stew is an impressive summer dish to prepare. Its full of color, very healthy and fun especially now when beets fresh and in season. Enjoy!

Halva cookies

Sometimes simplicity in a dessert or cookie lends itself to tasteful bliss. Such is the case with this delicious Halva tea cookie, which comes to us from the exquisite chef Offerico Maoz from Tel Aviv. It's so simple that I resist giving people the recipe, but here you go. Enjoy, my friends and may the wonders of this cookie dance on your tongue, as well!

A Trip to Tunisia

Hot like the desert. This is the descriptive that comes to mind when I think about Tunisian food. Many Middle Eastern cuisines tend to the softer and more subtle flavorings, however, Tunisian is all about the heat. Evidently, so is Lybian.

Spiciness stimulates the appetite. You know what I mean if you live in a hot or desert climate. Think about Mexican or Cajun/Creole cooking. If you haven't tried eating spicy food during a heat wave, try it. Those days of feeling blase, not wanting to eat anything will melt away with the first bite, guaranteed.

Khreimi is a remarkably good tasting, yet extremely simple to prepare (as in less than 30 minutes) Jewish-Libyan/Tunisian. Essential is the spice mixture and nigella, or black caraway seed, which can be purchased in any Middle Eastern or specialty foods store. Enjoy!

Moroccan Omelette with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Onion

I quickly came up with an amazing omelette this morning made with chickpeas that I cooked overnight to make hummus this evening. This omelette is cooked french-style, which is slightly runny, or uncooked on the top. The flavors are Moroccan (cinnamon and cumin) and it goes really well with harissa (Tunisian) and a nice loaf of French country sourdough bread that can be picked up at Tartine after 5:00PM Wed-Sun if you live in San Francisco.

Enjoy this delicious recipe!

I love strawberries. I REALLY love strawberries. Since the season is upon us, I think it most appropriate to post a great recipe I picked up written by Chef Michael Mina. This recipe is made with Grand Marnier and topped with an amazingly refreshing Chantilly Cream sauce. I'm making this tonight for guests coming over for just dessert and will be cheating by using a Bisquick shortcake with added lemon zest (recipe is on the box, GASP!) that my mom has used since I can remember.

A culinary trip to Africa...

This week I chose two dishes from Africa; one from Egypt and one from Ethiopia. Both are signature, staple foods from each country.

Milhouliya is a very common ingredient in Egyptian street food. You'll find it on every corner, served in a million different ways. This particular recipe uses Swiss chard instead of the native Milhouliya, which is a common weed that grows throughout the Nile Delta. You can find dried or frozen Milhouliya in any good Middle Eastern store sold in large bags...I just happened to find some wonderful Swiss chard at the Farmer's Market this week, which makes an excellent, fresh substitution. Combined with the garlic, fava beans (fuul) and lemon, this version is an extremely healthy and nutritious meal, served with rice, especially at lunchtime.

Doro Wat is, similarly, a very common dish found throughout Ethiopia. The spices are reminiscient of curries you find throughout India and there is absolutely no holding back on the quantities here! This particular recipe comes to us by way of Ethiopian Jews living in Israel and is a quick and easy dish to prepare. The traditional recipe is prepared with a cut (into 12 pieces) frying chicken; I North-American'ized this reipe by using boneless/skinless chicken breasts and thighs cut into 1 1/2" chunks, which taste just as good.

B'teavon and Ahava!

Food as Medicine

Have you ever given any thought to what people did before modern-day medicine? Before pills and surgery? Healing foods and herbs have helped people for centuries with many different ailments. Ancients understood the healing properties of the specific foods in their geograpical locations that could cure disease, cleanse the body and correct imbalances.

This week I write about three types of Kicheree, a dish very common in various forms throughout the Middle East and India. Kicheree is an Indian word for, "highly digestable." Kicheree is meant to be eaten during a time of imbalance like flu or colds, or time of digestive problems due to the nature of the ingredients and the way the ingredients are cooked.

Indian Kicheree is truly a healing dish, combining the holy trinity of garlic, onions and ginger. The Iraqi version is a bit simpler, but with its garlic, cumin, lentils and rice, healing nontheless. Did you know that the most perfect combination of protein and carbohydrate is lentils with rice?

Finally, the Iranian version of Kicheree (Adasi) is unique and very tasty with its spices (turmeric is an anti-cancer agent).

Enjoy!

P.S. I will be out for two weeks on vacation, so until then Namaste.

Shhh...THE hummus recipe

For my dear friends Hilary and Helen, and their friends in Iowa City!

I debated whether or not I should write this post, since a good hummus recipe is such a coveted possession. This is mine and comes to you after much hard work to perfect the balance of ingredients.

To achieve the best hummus demands that you use quality ingredients and cook the chickpeas yourself. In addition, our pop-culture's interpretation of this salad is a grainy, thick paste that is served cold, which couldn't be further from the 'real thing'.

In Israel, hummus is an art. Its very nature is competitive, with rivalries abound, especially between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. My favorite place is Abu Hassan Ali Caravan in Yaffo (Tel Aviv), served fresh daily until they run out (around noon) and ordered by many from a car window as driving by.

True hummus is extremely well blended, smooth and more liquid. The best hummus is served warm with olive oil and zaatar sprinkled on top with thick, fresh, warm pita bread.

Enjoy this hummus recipe, it is a prized possession!

Tunisian Tbikha of Turnips, Saniya, Tahini Sauce and Harissa

This week I started moving my recipes to a Wiki site for easier management and to allow for searchability. Just click on the links and they will take you directly to the recipes. Thank goodness for my IT day-job!

Remember the z'hug I made a few weeks ago (recipe here)? We're going to use it again this week in a wonderfully simple dish called Saniya -- meatballs with a tahini/tomato sauce. We also have another vegetarian dish for my veggie friends out there, Tbikha of Turnips with Spinach and Fava Beans.

The Tbikha is an extremely healthful and easy-to-digest dish. It's best served over brown rice with a lot of homemade harissa. Tbikha is a Tunisian dish; the Tunisians, like the Yemini, love spicy food. The Romans, Turkish, French and Arabs all left their marks on Tunisian cooking.

The version of harissa I make is piquant, but not necessarily as spicy as the harissa you find in many middle-eastern stores. The dried New Mexican or Chipotle peppers used to make it can be found in the Mexican food section of your grocery store, or at any corner market carrying dried chili peppers.

Saniya (sinia, siniya, snia, snniya) is an arab dish, most commonly found in Israel. In this casserole you find strong influences from Turkey, where meat is extremely prevalent (think kebabs and bbq) and tahini sauce that's so good, it's drinkable!

As a sidenote, the tahini sauce can be used over many dishes. Try boiling some eggs, cutting them in half, taking out the cooked yolk and filling with parsley and tahini sauce...yum! It's great over any meat or salad, with pita...the uses are endless.

Enjoy!

--Adam

Vegetarian Hashwa (filling) for Stuffed Vegetables

The recipe I posted earlier this week for the Iraqi Stuffed Zucchini has an alternative, vegetarian stuffing that is absolutely delicious. This version is made with chickpeas instead of meat and is just as good as the non-vegetarian version. The secret, if you have the time, is to cook the chickpeas yourself. This is for you Rebekah and Chen!

Iraqi Hashwa Chickpea and Rice Filling (Hashwa Houmous), prep time 15 minutes, total cooking time (with chickpeas) 8-10 hours.
Fills about 2 lbs. of vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas, washed and drained (be sure to check for small stones) or substitute 1 16oz. can of cooked chickpeas
  
• 1/4 onion, roughly chopped (for cooking with the chickpeas)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin (for cooking with the chickpeas)
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda (for cooking with the chickpeas)
  
• 1 onion, very finely diced
• 3 Tbsp. fresh, not dried, celery leaves, very finely diced (you may substitute 1/2 a stalk of celery very finely diced if you can't find celery with the leaves)
  
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. ground cardemom
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Skip steps 1-6 if you are using canned chickpeas
   
2. Soak the chickpeas overnight (or for at least 8 h
3. ours)
4. Drain the chickpeas and place in a pot on the stove. Cover with about 1+1/2" of water and begin to bring to a boil.
5. Dice the 1/4 onion and place it in the water with the chickpeas. Add the cumin, baking soda (this will help the chickpeas soften fully) and about 1 tsp. of salt.
6. Cover and reduce heat to an extremely low simmer (if using gas, your flame should be so low that it almost extinguishes). Cook for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours.
   
7. Drain the chickpeas and rinse with cold water.
   
8. Grind the chickpeas and cooked onions in a food processor, into a very coarse paste. Do not puree -- the best consistency is dry and grainy.
9. Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Knead by hand until thoroughly blended. Don't fill the vegetables more than 2/3 full to allow for expansion of the rice.

Alice Waters on 60 minutes (3/15/09)

If you missed Alice Waters on “60 Minutes” last night, you can still watch the piece here.

Iraqi stuffed zucchini and turkey pot-pie

This week, in duality, I diverge from the philosophies of this blog. Not only did I cook a non-middle-eastern dish (turkey pot-pie), I chose a second dish that uses a vegetable that is not currently in-season (zucchini). During my weekly trip to my local farmer's market this morning, one farmer had a few winter zucchini he had grown in his private greenhouse. They were absolutely beautiful and calling out my name, as I was opining for summer... The pot-pie came to mind as I was thinking about my midwestern roots.

Seemingly indigenous, you will find a multitude of 'stuffed', or mahshi, recipes throughout the Middle East. The Persians love to spice things up with dried fruit while the Iraqis savor a sweet-and-sour sauce over many of their versions of stuffed vegetable dishes. Commonly stuffed vegetables are, of course, eggplant (moussaka), zucchini, peppers and onions. More exotic mahshi are stuffed lamb, chicken fallopian tube (bithwould) and guava.

This week's dish is an Iraqi stuffed zucchini with meat and rice, one of my personal favorites. Iraqis cherish this sweet/sour combination, commonly found throughout Iraqi cooking. You you can imagine this combination to have traveled from the far east down the Silk Road as a localized interpretation of yin/yang through Persia's Zoroastrian balance between good and evil. You can further imagine this revolutionary idea influencing their close neighbor to the West, Iraq. In addition, this dish uses a central spice of Iraqi cooking -- cardemom.

The turkey pot-pie is a childhood favorite of mine (I am from the midwest, after all...). This recipe from the Mayo Clinic lends a healthy twist to this dish with its top-only cornmeal crust, use of sour cream instead of heavy cream and other in-season veggies. If you can't find frozen artichoke hearts, substitute potatoes, turnips or any other starchy, mildly mineral-y root vegetable (not beets). The easy filling can be made a day ahead; just mix the crust batter whilst the oven heats and the pie's ready to assemble.

Zucchini Stuffed with Meat and Rice (Mahshi Kousa)

Prep time 3o minutes, cooking time ~1 hour.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. small or medium sized zucchini; the best are the light, "Little Tree of Sarzano," zucchini which are light green with whitish stripes and shaped slightly like an eggplant.
• Hashwa meat-and-rice filling (see recipe below)
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (canola is the best as it has a higher smoke point and does not break down)
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 2 cloves freshly crushed garlic
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. crushed, dried mint

Instructions:

1. Wash the zucchini and slice off the stem end. With a long, narrow vegetable or apple corer (see photo below -- this is not the usual apple corer sold in the U.S.), make a hole at this end of each zucchini and scoop out the pulp, being careful not the break the skin and not the break through the other end. This is a learned, artistic step, so don't be disappointed if it takes a few of the zucchini to get the knack. The secret is digging in gently and giving a sharp, quick twist before pulling out the pulp. Dig out the majority of the pulp, leaving about 1/4" of skin and pulp throughout. The pulp can be kept for a stew or a salad.
2. Prepare the hashwa filling in a bowl. Fill each zucchini 2/3 full, to allow room for the rice to swell.
3. Saute the onions in the oil on a medium flame until translucent.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and saute for a few minutes more.
5. Mix 1 cup of water with the juice of 1 lemon and the sugar. Add to the tomato and onions.
6. Add salt and pepper to-taste.
7. Add the zucchini, each laying its side so that the opening of each hole is partly in the liquid.
8. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, or until the zucchini are soft.
9. Crush the garlic cloves with a little salt. Mix with the mint and remaining lemon juice and sprinkle over the zucchini.
10. Continue cooking 5 minutes longer.
11. Add the mint (mint is added at the end, because prolonged cooking tends to spoil the taste).

Iraqi Hashwa Meat and Rice Filling, prep time 5 minutes

Fills about 2 lbs. of vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, very finely diced
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb. lean ground lamb or beef (I prefer beef)
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. ground cardemom
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients together in a bowl and knead by hand until thoroughly blended. Don't fill the vegetables more than 2/3 full to allow for expansion of the rice.

Turkey Pot-Pie, prep time 15 minutes, cooking time 1+ hour.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 2 stems celery, diced
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/3 lb. fresh white mushrooms
• 1 1/4 cups frozen artichoke hearts (sub. potatoes or any other white root-veggie)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dry mustart
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless turkey breast, diced
• 1 cup shelled edamame or English peas
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 Tbsp. each fresh dill and basil
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream (I use whole instead of low-fat, but that's just me)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup plain almond or soy milk
• 1 Tbsp. honey (dark, preferably)

Instructions:

1. Saute the onions for a few minutes until translucent.
2. Quarter the artichokes or other root vegetable, lengthwise. Set the prepared veggies aside.
3. In a large, heavy, ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over low heat. Add the mustard and 1/4 cup of the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the stock, continuing to whisk to avoid lumps. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
5. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetables are softened (@ five minutes).
6. Add the turkey, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, edamame, tomato, dill and basil. Cover and simmer until the turkey is opaque throughout (@ ten minutes).
7. Whisk in the sour cream and season with 1 tsp. of the salt and the pepper. Spoon the mixture into a 9x13" baking dish and set aside (at this point, you can refrigerate this until ready to add the crust).
8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit (220 C)
9. In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, the remaining 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
10. In another bowl, whisk together the soy or almond milk, the 2 Tbsp. olive oil and the honey. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
11. Pour the batter over the turkey mixture. Bake, uncovered until lightly browned (@ 40 minutes). Let stand for 10 minutes more and serve.

Michelle Obama’s Agenda Includes Healthful Eating

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/11lady.html?_r=1&hp

Afghan Friday-Night Chicken and Chickpea Soupy Stew with Meatballs and Uzbeki Barsch

We are in the midst of an infatuation with soups and stews at our house. Maybe it's the time of year or just that there are so many that look and end up tasting so good. Last week we tried a Yemeni soupy-stew and this week is the Afghan version. This stew is poultry-only and is an amazing dish to serve to guests since it includes meatballs. The Uzbeki barsch makes good use of the remainder of the cliantro used in the soup. Leafy herbs are in-season now in California, so both of these dishes make good use of what's in season. This also signals that spring and a new crop of abundant fruits and vegetables are on their way!

Meatballs, or koofteh, of all sort are extremely popular in Middle-Eastern cooking. Where we westerners associate meatballs with simple, inexpensive spaghetti, koofteh are given an almost royal status and served as an, "...only the finest," dish to your guests.

Given that meat was rare in ancient times and modern-day food grinders didn't yet exist, the most likely origin of meatballs was as a use for leftover meat. Language also gives some clues to their origin, as well. Koofteh -- the Persian word for pounded meat -- is a derivative of the word koobidand, or 'to pound'. The word kofteh is used throughout the Middle East, and carries through to Central Asia, showing from where the idea of meatballs may have spread.

Barsh is a gentler, rice-based casserole, best served with a salad or steamed veggies. Most of the flavor comes from the herbs included in the recipe -- dill, mint, cliantro and parsley. This casserole is an Israeli version of the steamed Uzbeki dish.

Chelov - Afghan Friday-Night Chicken and Chickpea Soupy Stew with Meatballs (30 minutes prep, 2 hours cooking)
Yield: 8-10 servings















Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpeas
• 3-4 beef soup bones
• 1 small cornish game hen
• 10 cups water
• 2-3 dried limes, pierced (optional -- these are Iraqi dried limes from Basra, see photo)
• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chopped leeks (about 1 large leek)
• 1 cup chopped celery leaves (or 3 chopped stems if you can't find celery with the leaves)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 carrots, cut into rounds
• 1 turnip, cut into rounds
• 1 potato, quartered and then sliced into 1" triangular pieces
  
• 1 lb. ground turkey breast meat
• 1/2 large onion, grated
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
  
• Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Soak the chickpeas in water to cover for several hours, or overnight. Drain.
2. Put the soup bones and the chicken in a large soup pot and add the water. If you like, prick the dried limes and add. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises to the top.
3. Add the chickpeas and simmer, covered for 1 hour.
4. Add 1 cup of the cilantro, the leeks, celery leaves, carrots, turnip, potato, salt, pepper and turmeric. Return to a simmer.
5. To make the meatballs, mix together the ground turkey, onion, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, and bread crumbs. With wet hands, form balls the size of walnuts and drop into the soup. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Add the remaining cilantro and simmer 10 minutes more. Adjust the seasonings and serve in soup bowls with a squeeze of the lemon juice. Serve over (Basmati) rice.

Uzbeki Barsch - Holiday Pilau with Cilantro, Parsley, Mint and Dill (20 minutes prep, 30-40 minutes total) Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 diced onion
• 1 lb. ground or chopped beef, liver or lamb (I prefer chopped lamb)
• 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron strands
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh dill

Instructions:

1. heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the meat and stir constantly, breaking up any lumps.
   
2. Reduce the heat and add the salt, pepper and saffron. Continue cooking slowly, covered for another 10 minutes.
3. While the onions and meat are cooking, rinse and drain the rice three times (or until the water runs clear).
4. Pour 2 cups of the water into the meat and bring to a boil. Add 3/4 each of the cilantro and parsley; 1/4 each of the mint and dill. Simmer, covered for another 10 minutes
5. Add the rice. Press down so that the water covers the Barsch by an inch, adding the remaining cup (or more) of water, if necessary. Bring to a boil, cover and then lower the heat. Usually, I wrap a tea towel around the lid and bind it at the top, then cover while cooking rice. This helps to absorb moisture and keep the rice fluffy (see photo). Be careful to not burn the towel when cooking like this!
6. Just before serving sprinkle the remaining herbs and serve immediately.
   

(Almond) Cookies and (Almond) Milk

I love cookies and milk. I have also developed lactose intolerance (and believe cow's milk, in general may be unhealthy for you), so satiating this sweet-tooth of mine can be rather difficult (and unpleasant). A few weeks ago I discovered this wonderful recipe for almond milk, which was a relief since I am still unable to figure out the attraction to manufactured versions of this beverage (and soy milk, for that matter).

I remember the frugality of my grandmother (she was a child of the depression) who always seemed to always find a use for every last drop of whatever she was cooking. Whether it was taking the bits of pie crust that remain after cutting back the crust from the pan, sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on them and baking them for an extra treat, or boiling her own chicken to make broth at the same time she was making chicken & dumplings.

We have a modern (and trendy) name for these ancient ideals, 'slow-food'. In our kitchen we strive to stay as true to slow-food ideals as possible by not using manufactured goods. At the same time we try to be as mindful and resourceful as possible by finding uses for things we are all accustomed to throwing away.

The beautiful thing about the almond milk recipe is that you're left with ground almonds, which can be used to make Viennese almond cookies (Kupferlin). The Kupferlin recipe is basic, but extremely tasty, especially when imbibed with freshly made almond milk...enjoy!


Almond Milk (prep time 10 minutes, waiting time overnight)
About 1 1/2 litres
Start this recipe before you go to bed.

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 8 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. honey (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. cardemom (optional)
• Few drops of orange blossom or rose water (optional)

1. Grind the almonds to a very fine powder; the powder will begin to clump...stop grinding at this point.
2. Add the almonds to a large pot and add 4 cups of water. Stir the almond/water mixture until all clumps have been dissolved.
3. Allow almond/water mixture to sit and macerate overnight.
4. The next morning, add the remaining 4 cups of water, honey and other ingredients, if desired.
5. Pour the milk through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth (cheesecloth works best). As you're pouring, be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the almond meal.
6. Set the almond meal aside in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use for the Kupferlin.
7. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Viennese Almond Cookies - Kupferlin (total time, 40 minues)
Makes 20-25 cookies.

• 1 cup chilled butter, cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup ground almonds
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the almonds. Combine the flour and salt and stir into the butter mixture.
3. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll it between your palms to make an flat-oval shape (like a French madeliene cookie). Repeat, placing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are barely golden, 10-12 minutes.
4. Immediately transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer, for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes before serving. Immediately before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

A Yemeni Soupy Stew with Z'hug, Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Banana Bread

This is my first posting in what will hopefully be a long series of weekly discussions about cooking and the return to the home kitchen by so many Americans. For years I have cooked at home for myself and my family and benefitted both spiritually and healthfully from it. I cook using only whole, in-season ingredients (no packaged crap), cook as much of our food as possible (yes, even down to the bread) and cook at the beginning of the week on Sundays so that we don't have to cook daily and can spend more time enjoying the little time we have during the week together.

I don't think I need to talk about the importance of using whole, organic (as much as possible) ingredients here. If you would like to see a discussion on this topic, please let me know.

The slant of recipes you'll see posted here will be mostly ancient middle-eastern recipes. The recipes have been handed down through generations and are well balanced. As you may or may not know, the middle-eastern/mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world. The use of vegetables against meats, sauces and other ingredients is absolutely wonderful.

I began my journey into middle-eastern cooking about 6 years ago and have become quite well versed on the cooking methods, ingredients, recipes and style of cooking. Quite well for a midwestern boy that grew up on meat and potatoes, slathered in gravy...

We begin this blog with a Yemeni Chicken and Beef Soupy Stew, Z'hug (a spicy condiment), Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Banana Bread. For this week's menu, start off cooking the bread followed by the stew and Banana Bread, for best timing. Total cooking time for me was about 3 hours total.

Suggested Timing: Throw together the bread dough earlier in the AM. When you start cooking the soup, take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to start rising. During the last 40 minutes of cooking the stew, start cooking the bread. The banana bread can be done at the end for a yummy dessert.

Enjoy!

Honey Whole Wheat Bread - 2 lb loaf (about 15 minutes working time, 3 hours total)

The secret to my breads is having a bread machine handy (go to your local thrift/Goodwill/Salvation Army store, you'll find one for usually no more than $10-15). I started my dough around 10AM today in my bread machine. Once the dough cycle completed, I transferred the dough to the refrigerator while I went grocery shopping. Allowing the dough to cool and rise in the fridge gives it that wonderful 'chewey' texture like breads you find in France or your local authentic French Bakery.

Using bread flour here is important since the gluten content of the flour is higher will lead to better results.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cups Water
• 2 cups White Bread Flour
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 3 tsp. Active, dry Yeast

Instructions:
As stated earlier, start with your bread machine. Add the water and yeast to begin, allow the yeast to dissolve for about 5 minutes. Add the honey, flours, salt (never add the salt to the water/yeast since salt added directly will kill the yeast) and butter. Set the bread machine to the dough cycle and let it complete.

Once the cycle completes, transfer the dough to a greased non-plastic bowl (I don't believe in plastic due to chemical leeching -- you'll see that I recommend this often). Cover with a plate and set in the fridge to cool. The dough will rise -- don't worry, this is what it is meant to do.

After at least 2 hours (up to 12 hours), remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into your favoriate shape and place it on a floured baking pan. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise until doubled in size (at least one hour).

After about 30 minutes, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Once the dough has risen, make a few slits (no deeper than skin deep) in the dough. This allows the bread to expand without cracking. Throw about 1/8 cup of water into your oven and place the bread in the oven to bake. Humidity in the oven will allow the bread to rise further and give you a really delicious crust. After about 10 minutes, thrown another 1/8 cup of water to fortify the humidity.

The bread is done once the crust is golden, which should be about 30-40 minutes.

Yemeni Chicken and Beef Soupy Stew (about 20 minutes of prep, 2 hours cooking time)
8-10 servings

This amazingly tasty dish comes from the land of Yemen, which is well known for its complex and rich stews. It's accompanyment, Z'hug, is a Yemeni hot sauce and completes the flavors of this dish. The ingredients are all in season now, which is exactly what your body needs at this time of the year. Enjoy!
Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 1/2 pound beef stew meat
• 2 pieces of marrow bone
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 large onions very roughly chopped
• 1 large tomato, almost quartered, but not ut all the way through
• 1/2 cup chopped freh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup snipped dill, plus some for garnish
• 1 larger cornish game hen (or a small whole chicken) cut into 8 pieces with the skin removed. This may be difficult for the cornish game hen, if so just cook the hen whole and peel the meat off the bones when instructed to do so below.
• 2 large carrots, peeled and left whole
• 4 celery stalks, each cut in half
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 small (or one large) zucchini, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 3 potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon hawayij (see recipe below), or to taste
• Salt and freshlyground pepper to taste (about 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Add the water and marrow bones to a large pot with the meat and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes and add the garlic, onions, dill, parsley and tomato. Add the chicken, bring to a boil and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, cumin and curry powder; simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and marrow bones; simmer for another 20 minutes. Go ahead and prepare the hawayij at this point, if you don't have this already prepared.

Once the chicken has cooled, remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Remove the carrots and celery and set aside to cool. Add the chicken back with the zucchini, potatoes and hawayij. Season to taste with salt and pepper, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Prep the z'hug at this time.

Top with lemon juice and cilantro; serve immediately with z'hug (recipe below).

Hawayij (5 minutes)

This spice blend keeps for a long time in a well-sealed container and is a common ingredient in Yemeni, Tunesian and Saudi recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon caraway seed
• ½ teaspoon cardamom seed
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Note: Ground spices may be substituted for the spices listed.

Instructions:

1. Combine the peppercorns, caraway seeds, and cardamom seeds in a dry skillet and toast over high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
2. Put the toasted seeds in a mortar or spice mill and pound or grind them to a powder. Alternatively, wrap in a clean dish towel, place the package on a hard surface (such as the garage floor or sidewalk) and pound with a hammer. All the spices should be pounded to a powder form.
3. Add the saffron threads and pound or grind again. Transfer the spices to a mixing bowl.
4. Add the turmeric and mix well.

Store in a glass or plastic container with a lid. (An empty spice jar works well.)

Z'hug (a Yemeni hot pepper condiment, 10 minutes)

This amazingly spicy and complex puree is best taken in small doses (less than 1/4 tsp to start!). It hails from the land of Yemen, well known for its infatuation with spiciness -- figuratively and literally!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Serrano or Jalapeno peppers
• 1 head of fresh garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (plus more to cover)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves (stems removed)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (stems removed)
• 1 freshly ground cardamom pod (or 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until pureed; place into a small glass jar, tamp down the top of the z'hug to make it flat and add olive oil to cover for preservation. Refrigerate.

JoAnn's Banana Bread:

Straight from the hands of my mom, to savoring it in our mouths! This is best served with a strong, Assam Bergamout Tea. Not necessarily Middle-Eastern, but definitly out-of-this-worldly!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted, softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 black, mushed bananas
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

Cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the eggs and banana.

Add the baking powder, soda and salt, mix and begin adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Blend until smooth.

Add to a greased bread baking pan and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.