Kefta Kebabs

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

In my research of Middle Eastern cuisine, I read somewhere that the nomadic people often used their swords as skewers for meat kebabs. And one of the common ways to make Middle Eastern kebabs is with ground meat. So I mixed up a bowl of ground lamb, seasoned with fresh parsley, onion, garlic, cumin, and a dash of cinnamon. And not having my trusty sword handy, in a moment of inspiration, I shaped the kebabs on table knives instead. It turned out to be an attractive way to present an otherwise ordinary meat kebab. Of course, there was nothing ordinary about the taste of my Kefta Kebabs.

One of the tastiest secrets I've learned in my recent experience with making Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, is to add a hint of cinnamon to meat dishes. Not enough to distinctly identify, but just enough to bring out the rich flavor of the meat and add a little dimension without over seasoning.

The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Lawrence of Arabia' film review

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

10:14 AM PDT Permalink |

Snapper in Savory Tomato Sauce (Tajine Dial Hout)

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

This was one of the best fish dishes I've ever made. I started with two meaty filets of red snapper, pan-fried them in a crispy batter, and served them with a piquant sauce of fresh tomatoes, olives, capers, green onions, olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, and lots of garlic. This is definitely a dish I will be making again and again.

The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Lawrence of Arabia' film review

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

12:09 AM PDT Permalink |

Mediterranean Meze

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

I found this jar of pickled Mediterranean vegetables while shopping online. Included in the mix are hearts of palm, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and baby corn, packed in a rich olive oil and vinegar dressing, seasoned with a little spicy pepper and a few subtle herbs. I served it with a bowl of olives, and a plate of flatbread, which was the perfect accompaniment for soaking up all the extra dressing.

The recipes will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Lawrence of Arabia' film review

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

12:46 AM PDT Permalink |

Falafel with Tahini

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

I love falafel, but rarely think to make it except when I'm doing some kind of special food project. It's relatively easy to make from scratch, and these days, there are several commercially packaged mixes that are quite good and require almost no effort except stirring and frying. This batch I made with Near East brand falafel mix, seasoned with lots of garlic and cumin. And the sauce is a thinner version of hummus, with all the same seasonings, but about half the usual amount of chickpeas, so it's easier to dip. One box of falafel mix made about two dozen pieces, so there were plenty of leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day.

The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Lawrence of Arabia' film review

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

12:45 AM PDT Permalink |

Black Bean Hummus

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

This is a recipe I created for a magazine assignment a few months ago. I liked it so much that I decided to revisit it for this month's 'Lawrence of Arabia' Middle Eastern menu. It's made just like regular hummus, only instead of chickpeas, I used black beans. It also contains garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini paste. Not only does this dish make a tasty and satisfying appetizer, it also makes a healthy and nutritious lunch.

The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Lawrence of Arabia' film review

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

04:05 PM PDT Permalink |

Pan-Roasted Chickpeas

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

In a moment of kismet, I found some FRESH chickpeas in the shell at a supermarket near where I live called Lucky. I'd never seen them, so I didn't even know what they were. But once I figured it out, I couldn't wait to give them a try.

I had NO idea how to prepare them, so naturally, I turned to the Internet to find out. In my research, I discovered that there are several cooking methods, including steamed, boiled, oven-roasted, and pan-roasted. The pan-roasted method most appealed to me, so I doused my non-stick wok with a generous measure of olive oil, heated it up, tossed in the unshelled pound of chickpeas, reduced the heat and pan-fried them to a golden brown. I tested them a few times throughout the process, and it took about 20 minutes to get them done enough to eat.

Once done, I sprinkled them with coarse Kosher salt and served them still warm. What a rare delight. Easily as much fun as edamame, but with their own unique shape and texture. And you can bet that the next time I'm lucky enough to see them for sale, I will scoop up a bagful to enjoy again.

The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Lawrence of Arabia' film review

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

02:05 PM PDT Permalink |

Spotlight on Spice: Sumac

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

As a child growing up in Alabama, I was deathly allergic to a wild plant called sumac, which grew in the woods that bordered our yard. It produces a rash, similar to that of poison ivy or poison oak, and I was forbidden to play in the woods, because every time I did, it meant a trip to the doctor for a pricey bottle of special lotion to soothe the itching. But despite my compliance with the edict set forth by my mother, we also discovered that I didn't even have to touch the sumac to get an allergic reaction to it. On my eighth birthday, I awoke with my face swollen up like a cherry pie because one of our neighbors had burned sumac clippings on their trash pile, and I had breathed the smoke from it. Yikes!

So when I saw 'sumac' listed as one of the spices on the menu at an Egyptian restaurant called Pasha in San Francisco, I was surprised and naturally leery, and therefore didn't order any of the dishes that contained it. With a little investigation on the Internet the following day, I learned that the 'sumac' used as a spice in Middle Eastern cuisine is, in fact, related to the wild variety that I'm so allergic to. Both are members of the genus Rhus, with the toxic variety being Toxicodendron vernix,

I later asked my friend, Michael Alimusa, who owns a Middle Eastern restaurant called Small World, about sumac, and it turns out that I'd been eating it all along. Michael uses sumac in several of the dishes on his menu, including the spice rub on the grilled lamb that I order every time I visit Small World.

And amazingly enough, a few days before I made my first Middle Eastern menu for Chopstick Cinema, my sister-in-law, Jane Derrick, a lovely Canadian woman who is married to my older brother Steven, sent me the first sample of sumac I used in my own kitchen. They live in Ottawa, and, being the genteel lady that she is, Jane still practices the vanishing art of handwritten correspondence. She writes the most fascinating letters, filled with news of their artistic and musical activities, often accompanied by unexpected enclosures such as snippets of fabric, magazine clippings, and small handicrafts. I never know what I will find inside an envelope with her handwriting on it.

Well...this time, it was a recipe for fatoosh, and a tiny packet of a ground sumac. It's almost as if she'd tapped into my psyche. At the time she mailed the letter, she couldn't possibly have known that I was making a Middle Eastern menu. I hadn't announced it yet. And after the Middle Eastern dinner I had at Pasha for Rene's birthday, I was most curious to investigate this newly-discovered spice with the scary name.

In my further research, I discovered that sumac is one of about 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and the family Anacardiaceae. It grows in subtropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world. Sumac plants have long, pointed leaves that grow in pairs along each branch, and sumac bushes can grow up to 10 meters tall. The flowers that produce the berries grow in thick red clusters called drupes or bobs.

The clusters of berries are dried and ground into a tangy powder, which gives a lemon-like flavor to recipes. In some parts of the world, sumac is also used to make a tea-like beverage, and may also be used as a flavoring agent for tobacco. Sumac is also used in tanning leather. And in some places, sumac is grown simply as an ornamental shrub, favored for its showy blossoms and brilliant autumn foliage.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

01:46 PM PDT Permalink |

Shopping for My "Lawrence of Arabia" Menu

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Shopping for my Middle Eastern menu was easy this time. I keep my spice rack well stocked with all the requisite seasonings, and our local supermarkets carry things like tahini, couscous, falafel mix, and pita bread. So most of what I needed to shop for were the fresh ingredients, which included lamb, fish, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, garlic, onions, and lemons.

And in a moment of kismet, I even found some FRESH chickpeas in the shell. I'd never seen them, so I didn't even know what they were. But once I figured it out, I couldn't wait to give them a try.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

01:41 PM PDT Permalink |

Sources for Middle Eastern Ingredients

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

If your community doesn't have a Middle Eastern or international market, and your supermarkets don't carry the Middle Eastern ingredients you seek, for a modest shipping fee, you can always find them online. While seeking online sources for Middle Eastern ingredients, I came across this one-stop venue with links to the Top 9 Online Middle Eastern Food Stores, and I know firsthand that the recommendations are sound, as I've made purchases from some of them.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

01:37 PM PDT Permalink |

Middle Eastern Serving Dishes

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Middle Eastern food always makes me think of exotic serving wares. Copper samovars, pieces made of polished brass, silver filigree, and porcelain with arabesque and mosaic patterns. I have a few such pieces in my collection, albeit none nearly so grand. And this menu may even inspire me to go in search of a few more. Browsing the local thrift shops has always been one of my favorite ways to while away an afternoon.

To subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

12:39 AM PDT Permalink |

Beverages to Go With a Middle Eastern Meal

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

On the subject of Middle Eastern beverages, the first that springs to mind is the legendary Turkish coffee. I once heard it described as 'Black as death, hot as fire, and sweet as love...' But despite the instant association of coffee with Middle Eastern cuisine and culture, my research has revealed that tea served in crystal stemware is far more common and popular, especially in the daytime. My friend Michael Alimusa also mentioned a few days ago that warm rose water and orange blossom water served in demitasse cups has become quite trendy.

Other beverages include sahlep, a fermented barley beverage flavored with cinnamon, as well as a variety of other brews made with apple peels, roses, or linden flowers. The juice of sour cherries, and even the juice of turnips are also popular beverages. And when it comes to spirits, an anise flavored liqueur called raki is the elixir of choice.

Alcoholic beverages are banned in many Middle Eastern countries, however, some of the earliest historical records of wine production and consumption, dating back as far a 6000 B.C, were found around the Caspian Sea and in Mesopotamia, near present-day Iran.

An ancient legend tells the tale of a Persian princess who inadvertantly discovered wine. In a state of anguish over a dispute with her father, the king, she attempted to poison herself with grapes she believed had spoiled while stored in an earthenware jar. Instead, she became intoxicated and soon fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke the next morning, she remembered the euphoria she'd experienced the night before, and returned to the jar for a second helping of this newfound elixir. Thereafter, her disposition improved so dramatically that the dispute with the king was forgiven and the gift of wine was introduced to his royal court.

With my Middle Eastern dinner, I will probably serve a full-bodied Chardonnay, and my favorite... a nice rosy Pinot Noir.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

03:04 AM PDT Permalink |

Deciding on My 'Lawrence of Arabia' Middle Eastern Menu

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

For my 'Lawerence of Arabia' Middle Eastern menu, I've decided upon:

Pan-Roasted Chickpeas
Black Bean Hummus
Falafel with Tahini
Mediterranean Meze
Tajine Dial Hout (Snapper in Savory Tomato Sauce)
Kefta Kebabs (Ground Lamb Skewers)
Koshari (Rice,Couscous & Lentil pilav)
Oumek Houria (Spicy Carrots)
Kaygana (Yogurt Fritters in Rose Syrup)

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

01:02 AM PDT Permalink |

Researching Middle Eastern Recipes

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

As always with cuisines I've already featured, I like to mix it up a bit and try a few new dishes when I revisit that country. When it comes to Middle Eastern cuisine, I've already featured most of the classics: Borek, Hummus, Dolmas, Fatoosh, Roast Lamb, Spiced Lentils, Kufteh Sabzi, Couscous, Rice Pilav, and Baklava. So this time, I'm hoping to find a few lesser known dishes, or maybe some interesting variations on the ones I've already tried.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

01:56 AM PDT Permalink |

My Middle Eastern Cookbooks

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

There are hundreds of Middle Eastern cookbooks. However, for inspiration, I am perusing Mediterranean Cooking With Olive Oil, an old favorite, and one of the most beautiful cookbooks in my library. It features recipes from all around the Mediterranean Sea.

I will also be taking another look at Imperial Mongolian Cooking by Marc Cramer, as it contains many classic Middle Eastern recipes, since the Middle East was once part of the Mongolian Empire.

Amazingly, these two cookbooks contain enough recipes to inspire my entire menu.

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

03:12 PM PDT Permalink |

Middle Eastern Recipes on the Web

This Month's Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Although I have lots of cookbooks in my kitchen library, the Internet is always a source of inspiration for me when researching recipes for any type of cuisine. In my search for Middle Eastern recipes, I've found several websites that are both user-friendly, and abundantly filled with Middle Eastern recipes:

Middle Eastern Recipes

Sudairy

The Spice House

Chef Mufeed

Zawaj

For questions, comments, or to subscribe to Chopstick Cinema's monthly menu and film review, send e-mail to cheiter at thingsasian dot com

03:06 PM PDT Permalink |