“Dang it.” I muttered. After driving across Tulsa, fighting construction and traffic, I was staring at the dark “open” sign of Middle East Market (5459 S Mingo Rd, Tulsa, OK 74146). I looked at the hours of operation; they were supposed to be open another four hours! Squinting my eyes, I peered through the tinted windows. Were those lights on? Holding my breath, I pulled on the door handle. The door opened and a cheerful bell announced my entrance. “I thought you were closed,” I said. “We get that alot,” the young man behind the counter nodded, “Several times a day, actually.” But I was already looking around, taking inventory. A case of Middle Eastern cheeses, drinks in arabic, beautiful persian teapots, glass teacups, spices, teas, syrups, pickled vegetables, several kinds of couscous. There was even a small rack of clothing. The whole place smelled like toasted spices. I walked in circles for a while, eying everything. “I could use those glass tea cups and that giant tea pot for my Global Table dinners,” I thought, knowing full well that I …
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This menu represents what I found most exciting about Algerian food: the flavors are intense, the spices are hot, and the foods are a blend of the proverbial melting pot. Hummus bi’l Kammun (Chickpea Soup) [Recipe] Pureed chickpeas laced with garlic, cumin, paprika, and harisa. Algerian Sunset Salad [Recipe] Blood oranges, fresh fennel, black olives, and mint make up this unusual salad. Hot Algerian Lasagna (Shakhshukha al-Bisakra) [Recipe] This lasagna contains ground lamb meat, diced potatoes, chickpeas, and harisa. Two teaspoons of cayenne make this dish fire-hot. Gruyère cheese cools things down. Algerian Green Beans [Recipe] Seasoned with garlic, cumin, paprika, and cloves. Slivered almonds give this dish bite. Baguette (French Bread) [Recipe @KAF] French bread is commonplace in Algeria. The crusty bread soaks up flavor and helps diners pick up food without silverware. Bil Zbib (Sweet Couscous) [Recipe] Couscous is a staple of Algerian cuisine. My version of Bil Zbib contains dried apricots, plums, and golden raisins. Llokume (Turkish Delight) [Recipe] Since Algerians love Llokume, I am making this confection again so that I can perfect the recipe. Harissa (Harisa) [Recipe] This chili paste is used in a lot of Middle Eastern …
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Look left. Sand. Look right. More sand. Yep, you guessed correctly. There’s a whole lot of desert in Algeria. In fact, 80% of Algeria is covered by the Sahara Desert, forcing most of the population to live to the north, along the Mediterranean coast (source). The surplus of sand must have inspired the national dish: couscous (couscous is also the national dish of Morocco and Tunisia). Couscous is a very fine pasta shaped just like, well, grains of sand. A warm bed of couscous is the perfect base for intensely flavored dishes. Cayenne pepper, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves all make appearances in traditional Algerian cuisine. Algerian cusine comes from the proverbial “melting pot.” Olives, oranges, and figs are popular mediterranean components. Turkish Delight and other sweets are the mark of the Ottomans. Baguettes remain a staple due to the lasting French influence in Algeria. PS. In the spirit of authenticity, we’re eating with our right hand this week! Wash up 🙂
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Exercising Restraint in the Albanian Kitchen I’ll be honest with you. I spent most of Saturday feeling a bit put out. As I cooked my way through Albania, I rummaged through my spice drawer for nothing in particular. I picked up and put down a head of garlic at least 5 times. Cooking with just one herb or spice per dish – a trait I found in all the recipes we tried this week – felt, well, foreign to me. None of these dishes even had garlic in them. Exercising restraint was not easy but, as we all know, this is what I am here for! Turns out paring down the aromatics in a recipe amplifies the main ingredient, resulting in big dose of bright, clean flavor. As with a theater performance, when a bare stage allows for the star to shine, each of these Albanian dishes left room for the main ingredients to steal the show. The Albanian Recipes Tava Elbasani | Lamb in Yogurt [Recipe] What did I like most about this dish? The tangy yogurt laced with Hungarian paprika makes …
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Llokume was popularized in Eastern Europe and North Africa during the Ottoman empire. This recipe makes enough Turkish Delight to share. Bring the confection to a special friend or a party, and you will learn why Albanians are just one of many cultures that find this dessert delightful. (Makes approximately 50 pieces) Ingredients: For the candy: 4 cups granulated sugar 1 Tbsp real lemon juice 1 1/2 cup water, plus an additional 2 3/4 cups 1 cup cornstarch 1 tsp cream of tartar 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp rose water 1 tsp orange extract yellow food coloring red food coloring For the coating: 2-3 lbs confectioners sugar 1- 1 1/2 cups cornstarch Method: SPECIAL NOTE: Be careful when cooking with boiling hot sugars. Only use glass or metal bowls/containers. No plastic. Day One: 1. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine sugar, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture reaches 240F, or soft ball, on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. NOTE: …
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Introducing Albanian folk music from 1945. This is seriously old school. I find it electrifying in an “I like to watch old movies” kind of way.
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1. Businesses shut down around noon for a few hours to enjoy the main meal of the day. I could get behind this. Really, I could. 2. Dessert is not common, but oranges, apples, nuts, and berries are. The question is not if, but how my husband would murder me if I removed sweets from our home. 3. Men and women traditionally eat at separate tables. I was always a fan of the children’s table, but not so much this. Afterall, I have opinions and they need to be heard by as many people as possible! 4. Albanians eat dinner around 8pm. I’m already in my pyjamas at 8pm. This would never work in our home. 5. Heart disease and obesity are rare due to low consumption of meat and high consumption of vegetables. Yum, vegetables! Eat more vegetables! 6. Heart disease and obesity are due to low consumption of meat and high consumption of vegetables. Repeated for my husband’s benefit. Source: Albania, Enchantment of the World, by David K. Wright Lifestyle influences diet: Historically, rural Albanians spent most of their time outdoors …
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When the weather drops below 30, I crave hot, filling food. This last month Oklahoma saw snow, sleet, and ice, so I filled our menu with Albanian comfort food. Mmm, I can hardly wait! Byrek ose Lakror (Leek Pie) [Recipe] Sautéed leeks and cottage cheese are the stars of this dish. Tava Elbasani (Lamb baked in yogurt) [Recipe] In central Albania lamb is traditionally baked in yogurt custard. This dish even makes mutton moist. Turli Perimesh (Vegetables with parsley) [Recipe] A distinctly mediterranean blend of tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, potato, and parsley. Albanian Cornbread [Recipe] Scallions and feta make this cornbread memorable. Llokume (Turkish Delight) [Recipe] Plan four days ahead to indulge in this delectable confection. Our recipe comes in two flavors: orange and rose.
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“A pinch of this, a dash of that.”
That’s how I cook.
This is not, however, how Albanians cook.
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Skipping Silverware No one moved an inch. Afghan music tiptoed softly about the room. Steam rose from our plates. I knew, as hostess to our dinner party of four, I had to make the first move. Holding my breath, I dipped my fingers into the slimy eggplant and brought the food to my lips. There was a pause. “Wow. This is…. good!” I said. The tension gave way to giggles. My friends gingerly dug their fingers into their meal. I waited, searching their faces. One by one, they smiled. “Yes, this is good!” Skipping silverware is not a simple proposal. Out of consideration for my friends, I had put a few forks by their plates – “just in case”they (or Mr. Picky) weren’t game. Even after everyone began eating with their hands, the challenge remained: not making a complete mess of our plates, our hands, and our faces. Even using a napkin became confusing; our hands just got dirty again. I can’t get over how much enjoyment I got out of being so uncomfortable. The awkward experience of using my hand as silverware gave me a fresh dining experience. I kept a …
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After hours going through my cookbook collection, browsing through library shelves, and surfing online, I can honestly say that I am ready to eat some Afghan food! I put together a menu for this weekend, but not without some heartache (I had a tough time eliminating potential dishes – everything sounded so good!). Here’s what I came up with: Sabse Borani [Recipe] Traditional Afghan spinach-yogurt dip Burani Bonjon [Recipe] Spicy Braised Eggplant in a Garlic Mint Sauce (Garlic Mint Sauce recipe) Kabeli Palau [Recipe] Twice-cooked Basmati Rice with Chicken and Carrots. This traditional party dish is seasoned with graham masala and saffron. Noni Afghani [Recipe] Noni Afghani is a flatbread similar to Naan. Noni is used to scoop up food in the place of silverware. Firnee [Recipe] Firnee is a sweet custard seasoned with cardamom, rose water and dusted with finely ground pistachios. Dried Apricots Many Afghans enjoy the sweet taste of apricots after dessert. Connecting Cuisines You will notice several similarities between Afghan and Indian cuisines. This regional influence is just one of many. In Afghanistan, Enchantment of the World Terry Willis remarks: The flavors of several different …
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Dining under duvets I keep a cold house in the winter. Icicle nose cold. Sure, the frigid air makes me irritable, but usually throwing on another sweater solves that problem. Unless I am getting out of the shower, in which case I just have to grit my teeth and dry off quickly. Well, imagine my delight when I uncovered this gem of a fact about Afghan culture: In the depth of winter food is eaten around the sandali, the traditional form of Afghan heating. A sandali consists of a low table covered with a large duvet called a liaf which is also big enough to cover the legs of the occupants, sitting on their cushions or mattresses and supported by large pillows called balesht or poshty. Under the table is a charcoal brazier called a manqal. The charcoal has to be thoroughly burned previously and covered with ashes. (Afghan Food and Cookery, Helen Saberi) What a cozy atmosphere! A few items of cultural significance Saberi tells us that guests are given the honor of sitting at the head of the table (when there is a table …
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