Serves 2-4 Ava’s my little alarm clock. Most days we get up about 8 am (bless her). On the mornings that I wake up before Ava, I like to sit in the drowsy quiet, by the window. I’m not really asleep. I’m not really awake. I’m just glad for a few minutes to stare into the stillness and daydream. Often my thoughts turn to people in other countries. Slowly, I sip my tea and wonder … what are they doing, right now? Are they sleeping? Awake? Are they happy? Sad? Do they Tweet? Are they obsessively checking their Facebook? Are they sitting by a window wondering about me? Hello? Is any body out there? And then Ava wakes up and the excitement of the day begins. I can tell you one thing for sure – right now, somewhere in Israel, someone is eating Shakshouka, breaking their bread and dipping it in the rich sauce. This simple one-pot dish was once considered the working man’s food and is balanced – loaded up with protein, veggies, and …
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Makes 1 loaf I like a bread that can stick to my ribs, but not necessarily to my hips. I don’t think I’m asking too much, and I think I just may have found the answer to my prayers with this Irish Brown n’ Oat Soda Bread. It’s healthy (75% whole wheat) and hearty (thanks to a happy sprinkle of oats). This dense, savory, crusty quickbread is best eaten warm, slathered with butter, even though the butter will definitely stick to your ribs and your hips. It’s worth it, though. Feel free to thank Ireland. Ingredients: 3 cups wheat pastry flour 1 cup white pastry flour 1/2 cup steel cut Irish oats (I used the 3 min oats by McCain’s) 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 cups buttermilk (a bit more or less, as needed to get a sticky texture) butter, for brushing top of loaf (optional) Method: This recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3….4. 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Whisk together the dry ingredients: whole wheat and regular pastry flour, …
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Makes an 8″ layered cake So here we are, cooking the world A-Z… and I come across this epic Irish cake. I make this adaptation and… just like that – my life is complete. I don’t have time to do my hair or makeup, but – I promise you – I’ll always have time for this cake. It’s rich and dark, like an Irish sky at midnight… brightened by sweet, sweet Bailey’s buttercream, which gilds everything like moonlight. The perfect pair. The perfect balance. Especially for breakfast. In my slippers. When no one is looking. (Possibly with a big cup of Irish coffee). Don’t worry – the alcohol cooks off, and the Bailey’s frosting? It simply contains the same amount of alcohol as you’d find in vanilla extract. So, go for it, take a bite of Irish nighttime. NOTE: You may find it easiest to bake the cake and do the frosting “crumb coat” one day, then the next day decorate it with the final layer of frosting. Update, March 2013: I added more powdered …
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Serves 4 If you’re feeling a bit cloudy, a bit rainy, a bit under the weather – let the bright flavor of lemons and parsley uplift you. Tabbouleh is a quintessential Middle Eastern salad recipe. No mezze is complete without it. While most authentic recipes include more parsley than bulgur, you can play around until you have the quantity you like best. NOTE: All parsley, green onion, and mint quantities came out rather heaping (see photos) Ingredients: 1/2 cup bulgur (I used coarse, but medium or fine is traditional) 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (measured, then strained) 1 bunch parsley, minced (1 heaping cup) 2 tomatoes, diced 3 green onions, minced 1/4 heaping cup minced mint 1/3 cup olive oil salt Method: Rinse bulgur in a little water. Then add to a bowl and pour on the strained lemon juice. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. The bulgur will absorb the lemon juice as you work. Chop a mountain of parsley, mint, tomatoes, and green onions. Whistle while you chop. Ahh, beautiful. As …
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Makes 3 cups If you’re wilting and melting and generally crying for a reprieve from the heat, try Muhummara. This Middle Eastern roasted pepper dip takes the heat out of summer in the most fingerlicking way. The walnuts add body, but you don’t taste them. The pomegranate syrup gives a slightly tart tang and the cumin gives earthy warmth, but the ingredients are so balanced and subtle you’ll be seduced before you know it – and you won’t exactly know why. Just like falling in love with the most wonderful person you know. NOTE: Some like to add hot paprika or cayenne to this recipe. I liked the mellow sweetness without the spice, but feel free to punch it up a notch. Ingredients: 4 red peppers, roasted or grilled until blackened 2 cloves garlic 1 cup walnuts 1/8 cup pomegranate syrup (available at health stores and Middle Eastern markets – or you can reduce your own juice) 1/8 cup olive oil 1 tsp cumin salt pepper Method: First step? Let’s go to the market and pick …
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As far as I’m concerned, the best – and quite possibly the only way to time travel is to cook. Reading gets us only partway there – we dream ourselves into other times, other lands. But they remain just that – dreams. Visiting ruins gets us a little closer. But, at the end of the day, ruins are simply ruins – fragments of the splendor that what once was. But, when it comes to cooking food from ancient times? Instant time travel. In my mouth. When I cook I am potentially eating exactly what someone long ago ate. I can shut my eyes and focus in on the beautiful flavors of that time and place. I might as well be there. Want to join me? Let’s do it. Introducing date balls. One of the world’s earliest treats. Fit enough for a king. The most amazing thing about Date Balls is exactly how long they’ve been around. You’ll find them in Iraq today, but you also would have found them in ancient Babylon, when they were called Mersu. …
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Makes 8 Pita Light, airy, grilled pita bread spells summer. Flip flops and ice water. Sunglasses and big smiles. Making this recipe just might help you get to know your neighbors. After all, the fresh smell of grilled pita bread is nearly impossible to resist. As long as you’re willing to share… So, let’s take a cue from the fine people of Iraq and enjoy pita, just like they have in this region (not only the Middle East, but the Mediterranean and also the Balkans) for millennia. Today, let’s serve it up with your favorite Middle Eastern food – falafel, kababs, muhummara, and tabouleh. Come to think of it, any way is a good way to eat pita. Based on the recipe in The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. You can also bake this recipe. Simply cook on a stone or cast iron pan in an oven set to 500F for a few minutes per side. Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp salt 2 tsp yeast 2 tsp …
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It’s been a long week. You’re tired. You might even be cranky (I won’t tell). I’ve got good news. Now is the perfect time to put on your superhero cape and make kababs on swords. (Ok. They aren’t really swords. They’re sword-like skewers. But they might as well be swords because they are that wonderful. You can buy them at your local Middle Eastern market and you’ll be forever glad you did.) Iranians – and people all across the Middle East – love to use these mega skewers to make their kababs – meat, tomatoes, all of it! After cooking, they slide the sausage-like portion either into pita bread or next to rice. Koobideh is almost always served with whole grilled tomatoes (on the skewers). Serves 4-6 Ingredients: 1 onion 2 lbs ground beef or lamb 1 Tbsp turmeric 1 Tbsp sumac 1 or 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 egg, beaten Method: Today’s stove top travel takes us to the old city of Kharanaq. The golden tan against the deep blue sky bursts …
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Serves 6 Take a look around you. I mean really, really look around. Every little thing – that weathered window sill, the sparkly vase, even that fuzzy gray pillow – they can all be your inspiration. Your muse. The catalyst to the next great idea. Take this Persian Sour Cherry Rice, for example. When I look at this masterpiece in form and taste – I can’t help but wonder what inspired someone to create such a dish. Who was the clever soul that first made this tower of deliciousness infused with cinnamon, nutmeg – punctuated by soft pistachio nuggets, sour cherries and sweet caramelized onion? What were they looking at that sparked the idea? There had to be something. Let’s see if we can make some guesses… Recipe adapted from The Silk Road Gourmet by Laura Kelley. You can find more recipes and fascinating history on her blog Silk Road Gourmet. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice 2 Tbsp butter (or vegetable oil/vegan butter) 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tsp gr0und cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg salt …
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Serves 2-4 Do you get hungry late, late, late – in the dark corners of the night? Does your stomach growl? Your mind race? Do you ever feel like you need a big bite of goodness before you can roll over and snooze? Me, too. Indonesian Beef Satay is just the ticket. Believe me when I say I would turn on my grill at midnight to eat this satay. Here’s the truth: I’ve never simply sat and eaten a half pound of meat in my entire life. I’m just not that into meat. Until today. Completely, and without remorse, I ate an entire half pound and would have continued on to eat more skewers, if I could have weaseled some away from Keith and Ava. The Satay are rich and sweet from the kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), wonderfully fragrant, and incredibly addictive. Apparently I’m not alone because many Indonesians are known to eat up to 6 skewers in one sitting. Ingredients: 1 small onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger …
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Makes 2 1/2 cups I’ve discovered the secret to a happy belly. Indonesian Peanut Sauce. This is not just any peanut sauce. This is the kind of peanut sauce that leaves you wondering. Hoping. Dreaming. Wishing for more. This sauce is complex. Interesting. Mysterious – full of wonderful flavors you can’t quite identify. Flavors that’ll make you nibble and nibble – until, eventually, you give up trying to figure everything out all the time and simply enjoy. NOTE: Vegetarians and vegans can also enjoy this sauce by simply leaving out the shrimp paste. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil 1 candle nut*, grated 1 large shallot, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped chili pepper (to taste), seeded 1 tsp shrimp paste (sweet or hot)*, optional 5.5 oz can of coconut milk 1 tsp ground coriander 1 cup roasted peanuts 2/3 cup water salt Season with: 2 Tbsp kecap manis* 1-2 limes juiced *available at most Asian markets. Method: There are so many ways to make this peanut sauce. Your best bet is to pull up …
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Serves 2-4 Let’s get up and greet the day like an Indonesian. Stretch your arms to the sky. Touch the earth. Pile your plate with fried rice. And cow’s eyes. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean a cow’s cow eyes. I mean fried eggs. That’s simply what they call them in Indonesia. As far as breakfast goes, Nasi Goreng is incredibly satisfying. Especially if you eat it on top of an 8th century Buddhist monument. And why not? With stove-top travel, we can go wherever we want. Note: This recipe is best made with day-old rice. If you cannot take the time for this, cool your rice in a thin layer on a cookie sheet in the fridge. You should be able to use it after an hour or two. You’re basically looking for it to be dry to the touch. Moist rice will not fry up right – it will get mushy. Also, I left out the chili pepper so Ava could eat it, but locals would often add sliced red chili pepper …
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