Fetteh Badinjan

All the separate components of this are so good, the finished product can't fail. Right now I'm waiting for my dear sweet husband to come home so we can mix this all up and dive in.

Ingredients:

Sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. dried mint
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Topping
3 cups plain yogurt
3-4 cloves garlic, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt
1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley (I prefer flat-leaf)

Pita chips, store bought or homemade. I like Stacy's, but if I'm not in a hurry, homemade pita chips are divine. See recipe for fatoush for instructions.

Directions

First, prepare the peeled and cubed eggplant by sprinkling the salt over it, tossing well to coat, then allowing it to rest in a colander while you prepare the sauce.

To make the sauce, saute onion over medium/high heat until translucent, then reduce heat and add tomato, mint, pomegranate molasses, pepper and salt. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Simmer on low while you prepare the other ingredients.

Before you fry the eggplant, rinse off the salt and gently squeeze excess moisture from the eggplant with your hands. Pre-heat canola oil 1/4 cup at a time over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet until hot but not smoking. Carefully fry the eggplant in two batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan, turning when brown bits start appearing on the bottom of the pieces. You will notice that the eggplant absorbs quite a lot of oil, so after turning the eggplant, add another 1/4 cup. I know what you're thinking...just keep it to yourself. :o) Fry until golden brown, then transfer to a paper towel.

Drain any excess oil from the pan and toast the pine nuts until golden brown, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. Remove to a separate dish, then saute the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Fold the eggplant into the tomato sauce.

Now, layer!
Bottom: In a large, shallow dish, layer 3-4 cups pita chips.
Next: Spread the tomato/eggplant mixture over top.
After that: Yogurt mixture
Finally, decoratively arrange the ground beef, chopped parsley, and pine nuts on top 'cause it's purty and because then people can help themselves to their favorites.

Good cooks'll tell ya
My sweet mother-in-law says the proper way to do the eggplant is to really deep-fry it until brown, but I wimped out. But you can try it!

Kubba Hamuth

This is my husband's second favorite kubba, keeping in mind that the entire kubba genre is his overall favorite food of all time. That translates to some pretty good stuff.

This recipe could also use some tweaking to fit the original purpose of the blog: detailed recipes that anyone could follow...no expertise needed. But it could be a while before I make this again, so I'm publishing, and that's final. At least until I post a revised version, as I am wont to do.

I've seen vastly different recipes in books and on the internet, and have talked with different fantastic cooks, including my sweet mother-in-law (my go-to expert). This recipe combines my favorite elements of each version, while still staying true to the basics...lamb broth, turnips, lemon juice and mint. I admit, however, I prefer mine less tart than the Scientist likes...so I serve it with an extra half of lemon on the side so he can pucker it up to his liking. This strategy works for us since one can always make this more sour according to taste, but it's trickier to reduce the acidity. Note: he still says that's cheating...if it's not sour, it's not kubba hamuth, 'cause hamuth means sour! Sorry, Baby. I love you!

serves 4

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. vegetable oil
2 lamb shoulder chops, with bone, about 3/4 lb. each
salt and freshly ground pepper

3 turnips, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces (I like 3/4")
9 cups water, plus more
1/4 cup tomato paste (Tukas brand, if possible)
3/4 tsp. dried mint, or to taste
2 lemons
salt and pepper, to taste

12 kubba

In large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat oil, then saute onions until lightly browned. Meanwhile, salt and pepper both sides of the lamb shoulder chops. Push onions to the side of the Dutch oven and brown the meat on both sides.

Add water, turnips, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until the turnips are tender and the flavor of the broth has deepened. Taste and adjust salt and pepper frequently. The turnips absorb a lot of salt, so don't be afraid to adjust the seasonings more than once.

Stir in tomato paste, then add mint and lemon juice. These go in towards the end because their flavors are more delicate and the long boiling affects their flavor.

Drop kubba into boiling sauce and cook on medium-high heat until they float to the top, about 10 minutes or more.

Serve with rice and a green salad.

Enjoy!

Fatoush

Serves 4

This Lebanese gem is my absolute favorite salad ever. I jokingly call it "Fat Tush", but all the ingredients are very healthy. I actually like it even better than my other favorite, Tabbouleh, which is more classic in my husband's Muslawi cuisine. This recipe is my own adaptation of countless recipes I've read on the internet and versions I've tried in friends' homes. I actually copied this recipe from my other blog. Try it and enjoy!

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp granulated onion
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp sumac (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fresh garlic, smashed into some sea salt
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
15 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake, shake, shake! This can be made up to a day ahead, but if you do, add the mint and cilantro just before serving so they'll be at their freshest when you eat.

Salad

2 cups torn romaine lettuce hearts
2 medium tomtoes, chopped (chopped cherry tomatoes are great, too, due to the intensity of their flavor)
2 Persian cucumbers, chopped (about 1 cup, if you're not using Persian)
1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Resist the temptation to use anything but the hearts of romaine on this salad...all the flavors should be fresh and vibrant...no toughness or bitterness allowed. Marriage metaphor, hmmm?

Pita Chips

2 whole wheat pita rounds, cut into chip-sized pieces
extra virgin olive oil for frying
Sea salt

Immediately before serving, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place pita pieces into the skillet. Fry over high heat until browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as oil will be near the smoking point. Salt to taste. Transfer to paper towels.

Assembly

Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Keep everything cold until ready to serve. Fry the pita chips immediately before serving and serve the pita chips on the side so people can garnish with how much they like. This is also preferable to adding the chips directly to the dressed salad because they stay much crispier.

Serve as an appetizer or side salad and enjoy!

Posted to My Other Blog by me! on September 9, 2007

Bamia

This one I like enough, but not as much as other dishes. I guess I prefer okra battered and fried, the way my Aunt Norma makes it. The Scientist asked me to add bamia to the rotation, though, so here it is, thank you very much. And he really does like it! And yes...I'll eat it.

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs. lamb neck or other tender cut of lamb, with bone
5-6 cups water
1 tsp. salt

In large stockpot, bring water, salt, and lamb to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to make a light stock, reduced to approximately 4 cups. After 30 minutes, remove from heat, allow to cool, and chill overnight. Skim hardened fat from the stock.

1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/8 tsp. ground cardamon
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
6 Tablespoons tomato paste, preferably Tukas brand
1 lb. frozen cut okra
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Saute onion and spices in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Add lamb, stock and tomato paste, stir to combine and heat to simmer. Add okra and sugar, then simmer 15 minutes (do not boil or overcook) or until okra is cooked. Remove from heat, then squeeze lemon juice over everything and stir lightly.

Serve over basmati rice. Makes good leftovers!

Fasoolyah Beytha

Hi Jenni and Charisma! This is one of the easiest dishes to prepare or pronounce that I make (Fa SOOL yah Bey THAH). It means "white beans" in English. There are many variations on this soupy, rich and flavorful curry, depending upon who you are and where you're from, but this is how we do it around here. It's really simple to throw together, and has so few ingredients; it just works for us. Each time I whip this up, the Scientist insists it's the best I've ever made...ever (but I swear I stick to this formula)! P.S. Someday I swear I'll replace this awful photo. Ahem.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 cup great northern beans
3 cups water, more if needed
6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
1 quart of water (more if needed)
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1/4 to 1/3 cup madras curry, to taste
1/8 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
1-3 dashes cayenne pepper, or to taste
1-1.5 6 oz. cans tomato paste, or 3/4 cup Tukas brand tomato paste, or to taste
1/2 white or vidalia onion, cut in half

Preparation
Bring water and beans to a boil over high heat in a large, preferably non-stick saucepan. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until soft and fully cooked, 45-60 minutes. Keep an eye on 'em and add water if it evaporates away before the chicken is cooked.

Meanwhile, in a 6 (or more) quart stockpot over medium high heat, bring salted water and chicken to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep at a low boil for 25 minutes or so, or until chicken is cooked through and you've prepared a really great (and quick) mini-stock. Add water if the levels gets too low.

Add fully cooked beans to chicken, then add curry and tomato paste. Adjust curry, salt, and tomato paste to taste. Simmer on low for an additional half-hour.

Serving Suggestion
Serve over basmati rice, being sure to dish out a piece of chicken, soupy sauce and plenty of beans for everyone. By the time it's served the beans should be a beautiful golden color. And this looked crazy the first time I saw it, but it's great...put raw white or vidalia onion on the table, cut in quarters, and take a nibble (or chunk) with each bite of curried goodness. Beware, lovers and friends, this is potent stuff. You can always skip the onion, but it's soooooooo good!

Good cooks'll tell ya...
...when making the stock, don't go overboard with the water. Your end result is something between a soup and a stew, but closer to a soup. Since you're going to combine it with beans and additional liquid from cooking the beans, don't drown the chicken. Ha!

...I use a brand of tomato paste that can be found in in Middle Eastern markets, Tukas, which is more concentrated and has, I think, a slightly more pleasant taste straight-out-of-the-jar than the American brands I know. Tukas comes in a biggish jar that can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks, and is great substitute in any recipe that uses tomato paste. Use Tukas if you can get it, it's great!

...don't salt the beans, they'll never soften if you do, and the chicken stock is plenty salty enough.

...when making soup or stock, choose meat with bones.

...you can substitute navy beans for great northern, but I like the latter because they're bigger.

Eat up!

P.S. Neither Ship nor Tukas pays me anything to promote their products, I use and recommend them because they're awesome and I love them. Mmmmm.

Crock Pot Iraqi Daube

This is my streamlined and oh-so-easy version of the meltingly delicious Iraqi daube my mother-in-law taught me this Christmas. The Scientist has done repeated taste tests on the subsequent reincarnations of said daube, and this is our mutual favorite. When we can't get hers, that is. :o)

Crock Pot Iraqi Daube
2 1/2 lbs. boneless chuck roast
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1/4 tsp. whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp. whole cardamon seeds
1/8 tsp. whole peppercorns
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 oz. tomato paste (1/2 a 4 oz. can)
1 cup lower sodium beef broth (Swanson's is great)
1/2 tsp. salt, if desired

Generously season chuck roast with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, then sear all sides of the meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer to a Crock Pot. Add all other ingredients.

Set the Crock Pot to "high" (300 F) and cook for 3 1/2 hours. That's it!

Serve with plenty of basmati rice for sure, and tabbouli if you're feeling especially kind. Otherwise a simple salad will suffice.

Good cooks'll tell ya: Be ye conservative with the spices. If I say 1/4 tsp, I don't mean a heaping 1/4 tsp. Which is difficult, I know, since unlike well-behaved (but boring) ground spices, whole spices tend to protrude in funny ways, but you'll work it out. I could tell a funny story about too many spices, but that would be telling...maybe later, if I get permission from the one who is essentially the subject of the humor.

Why You Might Choose This Recipe Over the Other One especially since my MIL's daube is awesome:

-First, mine is considerably more economical, since it uses chuck roast vs. leg of lamb.
-Second, chuck roast doesn't require any stabbing, peeling, pre-boiling, or other simple but time-consuming preparation.
-Third, it requires zero attention while cooking, as it's done in the Crock Pot.
-Fourth, it's scaled down to serve 4-5 adults vs. many many more.
-Fifth (and last), it's not just good, it's grrrrreat!!!! I mean it. And the leftovers are the stuff dreams are made of.

My suggestion: make this one first to see if you like it. If you enjoy the flavors and texture, try the other one. There's something truly wonderful about having a big 'ol beefy soup bone in your dish that is sacrificed in this recipe.

Truth be told, I never thought there would be a day when I'd stock ingredients like whole allspice, cloves, and cardamon, much less that I'd cook meat with them, but here you have it, folks. This is one of the nicest and easiest things I would ever serve an adventurous, meat-eating dinner guest. I'm afraid that my chicken-eating little sister Grover simply won't appreciate this one. Sigh. But my formerly vegetarian sister K-Rob just might. You never know when K-Rob's steely sense of adventure is going to triumph over plain crazy Grover (crazy in a very lovable, reassuringly stable, non-clinical way). By that I mean I'm sometimes surprised what K-Rob will eat (and enjoy) that Grover won't. That's what's cool about growing up and getting re-acquainted with your family. People I think I know just keep surprising me.

The moral of the story: try this daube. If you like pot roast and you like Middle Eastern flavors, you'll love this!

And Now, Presenting...

...drumroll please...

Marriage of Taste (!!!!!)

(cue band music, drop confetti, applause)

The contributing finalists in this friendly competition will receive a 6 oz. brick of Scharffen Berger Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate (Perfect for Baking) in their choice of 62 or 70% cacao. So Lori J. (Food with Flair...it is, rather!) and Joan M. (Kibbe et al...simultaneously cute and intelligent-sounding!), I'll be in contact with you to find out which % you'd prefer...If you need ideas on what to do with your newly acquired chocolate, check out www.epicurious.com or www.scharffenberger.com. Good stuff over there!



And now, dear readers, I have a confession to make. I feel quite sheepish as I write, and as though a fair-blogging rulebook should be thrown at me. You see, as you may have noticed, there were only two finalists awarded with chocolate, and as you will no doubt recollect, there were five distinct entries in the poll (audience murmurs, putting 2 + 2 together). Here's what happened: the Scientist and I were discussing good blog names one night before the competition began, and we both decided to enter it ourselves, just to see...and the entry which won the popular vote was, er, mine! And I didn't even vote for it! My husband says I'm weird for being upset that my own entry won, and I have to agree, in a weird sort of way. But he's used to it now, I think. Or at least, he's getting used to it. And I love him for it. So since tomorrow is his birthday, I'll whip something chocolaty up for him as his prize. As for me, well, I've got this newly-re-christened blog, I've got the Scientist, and *hopefully* you'll all keep reading, and that's more than enough for me.