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!

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!