The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Part 26

Repeat with the remaining ball of dough and the other half of the filling.

For the yogurt sauce, beat the yogurt with the garlic.

To make the garnish, heat the b.u.t.ter, and when it sizzles, add the mint or chili flakes.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil (or use 2 pans so as not to crowd the manti) manti). Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the manti manti are tender, then drain. are tender, then drain.

Serve hot with yogurt poured over each serving and a dribble of melted b.u.t.ter and mint or chili flakes on top.

Variations Use chicken broth (page 143) instead of water, or add 2-3 bouillon cubes to the cooking water.

A fresh tomato sauce may be used as a topping instead of the melted b.u.t.ter and mint or chili flakes. Saute 1 chopped clove garlic very briefly in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, add 1 pound peeled and chopped tomatoes, salt, and a good pinch of chili flakes, and cook until the tomatoes have softened.

s.h.a.ghria bi Laban wa Sn.o.bar Vermicelli with Yogurt and Pine Nuts 1. Serves 4 * People used to make 1-inch-long vermicelli by rolling tiny pieces of dough between their fingers. Make it by breaking dry vermicelli in your hand. * People used to make 1-inch-long vermicelli by rolling tiny pieces of dough between their fingers. Make it by breaking dry vermicelli in your hand.

14 ounces dry vermicelli, broken with your hand into 1-inch pieces 2 chicken bouillon cubes Salt 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature 2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional) cup pine nuts 1 tablespoon vegetable oi Cook the vermicelli in plenty of boiling water with the crumbled bouillon cubes until just tender, then drain. You may not need to add salt to the water, because of the saltiness of the cubes.

For the sauce, mix the yogurt with the garlic and a little salt.

For the topping, fry the pine nuts in the oil, shaking the pan, until lightly colored all over.

Serve the vermicelli with the yogurt poured over and sprinkled with the pine nuts.

Variation Instead of the pine nuts, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil with 2 teaspoons paprika and dribble over the yogurt.

Madzounov Champra Porag Pasta and Meatb.a.l.l.s with Yogurt 1. Serves 6 * This Armenian specialty makes a hearty main dish. It has a pure and fresh quality and is an entirely different experience from eating an Italian or Asian pasta dish. * This Armenian specialty makes a hearty main dish. It has a pure and fresh quality and is an entirely different experience from eating an Italian or Asian pasta dish.

1 pound ground lamb or beef 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 chicken bouillon cube pound pasta sh.e.l.ls or other small pasta shapes 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 quart plain whole-milk yogurt TO GARNISH.

4 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons crushed dried mint Mix the ground meat and onion and add salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Work to a soft paste with your hands and roll into /4-inch b.a.l.l.s. Bring to the boil, with the bouillon cube, enough water to cover the meatb.a.l.l.s. Drop them in and poach them for about 15 minutes.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done al dente al dente.

Beat the egg into the yogurt (so that the yogurt doesn't curdle; see page 113) and season with salt and pepper. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring every so often. Add the drained meatb.a.l.l.s and drained pasta and heat through.

For the garnish, melt the b.u.t.ter, and stir in the garlic and the mint. Let it bubble for a moment only. The garlic should not fry.

Serve hot with the garnish dribbled on top.

Bird's Tongues with Meat Stew 1. Serves 6 * This is a meat stew with pasta. I am a.s.sured that it only tastes right if small Italian pasta called "orzo," which look like tiny bird's tongues or largish grains of rice, are used. In Egypt, families used to make the pasta themselves with flour and water, rolling tiny bits of dough into little ovals between their fingers. A friend recalls spending hours doing this with her brother every Sunday as a small child. * This is a meat stew with pasta. I am a.s.sured that it only tastes right if small Italian pasta called "orzo," which look like tiny bird's tongues or largish grains of rice, are used. In Egypt, families used to make the pasta themselves with flour and water, rolling tiny bits of dough into little ovals between their fingers. A friend recalls spending hours doing this with her brother every Sunday as a small child.

2 or 3 onions, sliced 3 tablespoons vegetable oi 2 pounds lamb or beef, cubed Salt and pepper 1-1 teaspoons cinnamon pound orzo Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) In a large pan, fry the sliced onions in oil until soft and golden. Add the cubed meat and turn to brown it all over. Season with salt, pepper, and a little cinnamon. Add water to cover and cook, covered, for about 1-2 hours, or until the meat is very tender, adding water if it becomes dry.

Add the pasta, cover with water, and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Add more water if necessary. Quite a bit of sauce must be left at the end of cooking.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese-an Italian influence in Egypt.

Breads KHUBZ.

In the Middle East, bread really is the staff of life. The region is famous for its many types of flatbreads: leavened and unleavened, with or without a pocket, thick and thin like a cloth. They are baked over a domed metal sheet, in clay-lined ovens called tannour tannour, and in wood-fired baker's ovens. The most common type of Arab bread-now ubiquitous in America as pita-is round, flat, and leavened, with a hollow pouch running right through. It is made with various qualities of wheat flours. A coa.r.s.e wholewheat flour makes a dark, earthy bread with a strong taste; a refined unbleached white flour results in a softer white bread. Even the outer crust is not crisp but soft, while the inside is chewy, and good for absorbing sauces. In Egypt they believe that the same bread was made in pharaonic times. Wall paintings in tombs and clay models depict what seems to be its making. Although bread is available commercially everywhere in towns, many people still prefer to make their own in an outdoor clay-lined brick oven or send it to be baked in the communal oven.

The religious and superst.i.tious feeling attached to bread is stronger in some countries than in others. To some it is, more than any other food, a direct gift from G.o.d. An invocation to G.o.d is murmured before kneading the dough, another before placing it in the oven. A hungry man will kiss a piece of bread given to him as alms. A piece of bread found lying on the ground is immediately picked up, kissed, and respectfully placed on a wall or a table. At a gastronomic conference in Istanbul, I will always remember the look of horror on the Turks' faces when one of the foreign contributors placed a piece of bread under the leg of a wobbly table to steady it. They all swooped to retrieve it.

Bread is eaten with every meal and with every type of food. It is used instead of a fork-people break off a piece and double it over to enclose and pick up a morsel-or to dip in a sauce or cream salad, held delicately between the thumb and the first two fingers. In the street, pocket bread is cut in half and the pocket is filled with hot foods and salads. The bread is also toasted and broken into pieces and used as croutons or as abase for various dishes, such asfatta asfatta (page 222), (page 222), fattoush fattoush (page 74), and in soups and stews. Some people, my father among them, claim that they cannot truly savor a sauce, or anything in fact, without a piece of bread. (page 74), and in soups and stews. Some people, my father among them, claim that they cannot truly savor a sauce, or anything in fact, without a piece of bread.

Toasted Croutons and Fried Bread To make toasted croutons, open out pita or other flat Arab breads, splitting them in half, and put them straight on the shelves of the hottest oven, or under the broiler, until crisp and lightly browned. Break into small pieces by crushing in your hands.

Serve in a pile to accompany soup, or to line the bottom of a salad bowl to absorb the dressing (in which case they become pleasantly soft and soggy).

Deep-fried pita bread is as tasty as it is rich. Cut the bread into triangles with scissors, open them out, and drop into very hot oil. Use this to garnish salads and cold vegetable dishes. Many dishes called fatta fatta (page 222), after the manner of breaking the bread, make use of these croutons. (page 222), after the manner of breaking the bread, make use of these croutons.

Khubz Arab Bread-Pita Makes 16 8-inch breads The flatbread with a pouch which we know as pita is The flatbread with a pouch which we know as pita is khubz khubz, which means "bread," in the Arab world. In Egypt, eish baladi (eish eish baladi (eish means "life" and means "life" and baladi baladi means "local") is made with a mix of whole-wheat and unbleached white flour, while the one made with white flour is called means "local") is made with a mix of whole-wheat and unbleached white flour, while the one made with white flour is called eish shami (shami eish shami (shami means "Syrian"). The bread is round and 8 inches in diameter. means "Syrian"). The bread is round and 8 inches in diameter.

1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or 1 package) 2 cups lukewarm water teaspoon sugar About 6 cups unbleached white bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour 1 -2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in cup of the warm water. Add the sugar, and when it begins to froth (this will be proof that the yeast is still active), stir in the remaining water. Add 3 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, gradually, stirring vigorously. Let this sponge rest for 10 minutes, or until it froths.

Stir in the salt and 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix well. Add the remaining flour gradually, a little at a time (you may need less), until you have a dough that holds together in a ball. Knead well by hand in the bowl, or on a floured board, for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth, shiny, and elastic and no longer sticks to your fingers, dusting with a little flour occasionally if it is too sticky.

Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in the (continued) Khubz (continued) bottom of the bowl and roll the ball of dough around to grease it all over. This will prevent the surface from becoming dry and crusty. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place free of drafts for about 2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven set at the maximum, 500F temperature for at least 20 minutes, and place a large baking sheet in the hottest part.

Punch the dough down and knead again for a few minutes, then divide in half. Divide the first half into 8 lumps. Flatten each one on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin sprinkled with flour, into rounds between and 1 inch thick and about 7-8 inches in diameter. Dust with flour and lay the rounds on a cloth sprinkled with flour. Arrange them 1 inch apart, so that they do not touch as they grow. Cover with another lightly floured cloth, and leave to rest and rise again for about 20 minutes at room temperature.

When the bread has risen again, place 2 rounds at a time on the hot baking sheets sprinkled lightly with flour, and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until they puff up like balloons and are slightly brown on top.

Wrap the breads together in a cloth while still hot, or put them in a plastic bag to keep them soft and pliable, while you bake the remaining breads and repeat with the second half of the dough.

Note: You can make the bread under the broiler. Place it far enough underneath so that it does not touch the broiler when it puffs up (it will burn). Turn over as soon as it balloons, and leave only a minute longer. You can make the bread under the broiler. Place it far enough underneath so that it does not touch the broiler when it puffs up (it will burn). Turn over as soon as it balloons, and leave only a minute longer.

Variations To make eish baladi eish baladi, use whole-wheat bread flour or a half-and-half mixture of unbleached white and whole-wheat bread flours. (Whole- wheat alone doesn't allow the bread to rise enough.) To make khubz sarj khubz sarj, which means "bread cloth" and is used to roll up food in, you need a convex (dome-shaped) metal plate heated over a fire (an open fire or a gas fire). With a rolling pin, roll the b.a.l.l.s of dough as thin as you possibly can without making any holes, on a floured cloth. When the dome is hot enough, carefully place the sheet of dough on it. To do this, lift up the dough by rolling it up on the rolling pin and then gently unrolling it over the dome. When bubbles appear, in about 3-5 minutes, the bread is ready.

For mafrooda mafrooda of the Gulf States, make the same dough as for of the Gulf States, make the same dough as for khubz khubz, using white flour or a mix with whole-wheat. Roll out the rounds and p.r.i.c.k them all over with a fork so as not to have a pouch. Bake quickly without letting them rise.

Iranian breads called nane lavash nane lavash (a very large one) and (a very large one) and taftoon taftoon are leavened flatbreads without a pouch. They are p.r.i.c.ked all over with a fork and pressed down on the baking sheet or griddle with a cushion to prevent the bread from puffing up. They are baked 3 minutes on one side, until the dough bubbles, then turned over and cooked on the other side for 2 minutes more. are leavened flatbreads without a pouch. They are p.r.i.c.ked all over with a fork and pressed down on the baking sheet or griddle with a cushion to prevent the bread from puffing up. They are baked 3 minutes on one side, until the dough bubbles, then turned over and cooked on the other side for 2 minutes more.

An excellent snack can be made with the above recipe by making a depression in the flattened dough and breaking an egg into it before it goes in the oven. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. The egg will set firm as the bread bakes.

To make olive bread, work black olives, pitted and chopped, into the dough, and p.r.i.c.k all over with a fork so as not to have a pouch.

Mana'eesh or Fatayer bi Zaatar Thyme Breads Makes about 18 5-inch breads These very thin, soft breads, which you can roll up, are like Bedouin skillet breads. They work very well for me in a skillet, and I finish them under a broiler, but you can also bake them. For the topping, you can buy ready-made These very thin, soft breads, which you can roll up, are like Bedouin skillet breads. They work very well for me in a skillet, and I finish them under a broiler, but you can also bake them. For the topping, you can buy ready-made zaatar zaatar mixtures, which contain thyme and the tangy spice sumac, in Middle Eastern stores. You need only add olive oil. But it is easy enough to make your own mixtures, which contain thyme and the tangy spice sumac, in Middle Eastern stores. You need only add olive oil. But it is easy enough to make your own zaatar zaatar mix at home. My favorite is simply thyme and sesame seeds with salt and olive oil. The quant.i.ties here make for a richer than usual topping. Serve the breads for breakfast, with labneh (see page 112), as a snack with a salad, or as an appetizer, cut into wedges. mix at home. My favorite is simply thyme and sesame seeds with salt and olive oil. The quant.i.ties here make for a richer than usual topping. Serve the breads for breakfast, with labneh (see page 112), as a snack with a salad, or as an appetizer, cut into wedges.

recipe Arab bread dough (page 395) recipe Arab bread dough (page 395) FOR THE ZAATAR TOPPING.

cup dried thyme cup sesame seeds 3 tablespoons powdered sumac cup dried thyme cup sesame seeds 3 tablespoons powdered sumac (optional) cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt to taste Follow the instructions for making the bread dough.

Mix the topping ingredients into an oily paste.

After you have punched the dough down, divide into 3 or 4 b.a.l.l.s and roll out one ball at a time, wrapping the remaining ones in plastic wrap. Roll out on a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, to about inch thickness. Cut into 2 -inch rounds with a pastry cutter. Pick up the sc.r.a.ps, roll into b.a.l.l.s, and flatten again to make more rounds. Now roll out each round as thinly as possible (the dough is very elastic and springs back), lifting it up, dusting the surface with flour, and turning the round over so that the dough does not stick. Then pull and stretch the dough with your hands until it is paper-thin and about 5-6 inches in diameter.

Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a skillet and place it over high heat. Taking one round of dough at a time, spread about 1 tablespoons of zaatar zaatar paste over its surface with your hand. When the skillet is very hot, turn the heat down as low as possible; then gently pick up the dough and lower it in. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat in the skillet, then put under the broiler (about 3 inches from the heat) for about 1 minute, until the top is browned. Continue with the remaining rounds of dough and paste over its surface with your hand. When the skillet is very hot, turn the heat down as low as possible; then gently pick up the dough and lower it in. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat in the skillet, then put under the broiler (about 3 inches from the heat) for about 1 minute, until the top is browned. Continue with the remaining rounds of dough and zaatar zaatar paste, rubbing the skillet with an oiled paper towel between rounds. paste, rubbing the skillet with an oiled paper towel between rounds.

Alternatively, if you want to bake the breads, place on lightly greased baking sheets, spread the paste over each round, and bake in a preheated 450F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Place in plastic bags (with toppings facing each other) to keep them soft. They keep for several days and also freeze well.

Serve hot or warm.

Variations For a hot chili bread, instead of zaatar zaatar use as a topping cup olive oil mixed with 4 tablespoons dried chili flakes. use as a topping cup olive oil mixed with 4 tablespoons dried chili flakes.

For chickpea breads, fatayer bi hummus fatayer bi hummus, a Lebanese Lenten specialty, press into the dough a handful of cooked chickpeas before baking. Omit the topping.

Semit Bread Rings Covered with Sesame Seeds Cairo vendors sell these bread rings covered with sesame seeds from large baskets, or sometimes threaded onto long wooden poles. They often sell them with zaatar zaatar (page 47) or (page 47) or do'a do'a (page 55) to dip in. In summer, they cry their wares at the entrances of open-air cinemas, or carry them round the tables and across the rows of chairs, chanting (page 55) to dip in. In summer, they cry their wares at the entrances of open-air cinemas, or carry them round the tables and across the rows of chairs, chanting "Semit! Semit!" "Semit! Semit!" The audience eagerly collect provisions to last them through the performance: rings of The audience eagerly collect provisions to last them through the performance: rings of semit semit, cheese, salted grilled melon seeds or leb leb, peanuts, and Coca-Colas. They while away the time as they wait for darkness to fall and the film to start by eating and chatting; or they watch the children running up and down the aisles, and dancing on the cinema stage to popular Arab and Greek tunes. (We danced when we were children.) You can make excellent semit semit at home. Make an ordinary bread dough. After its first rising, knead and divide the dough in 2. Roll each piece backwards and forwards between the palms of your hands until the dough forms a long, fat, evenly thick rope about 22 inches long. Place both ropes on oiled baking sheets in the form of rings, pinching the ends and sticking them together. Cover the breads with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes. Brush them with an egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water, and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F, and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the rings are golden and sound hollow when tapped. at home. Make an ordinary bread dough. After its first rising, knead and divide the dough in 2. Roll each piece backwards and forwards between the palms of your hands until the dough forms a long, fat, evenly thick rope about 22 inches long. Place both ropes on oiled baking sheets in the form of rings, pinching the ends and sticking them together. Cover the breads with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes. Brush them with an egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water, and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325F, and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the rings are golden and sound hollow when tapped.

Semolina Aniseed Bread Makes 2 9-inch loaves There are many North African semolina breads. I love this crusty, crumbly one with a rich aniseed flavor. There are many North African semolina breads. I love this crusty, crumbly one with a rich aniseed flavor.

1 tablespoons active dry yeast tablespoons active dry yeast About 1 cups lukewarm water Pinch of sugar 3 cups fine semolina 3 cups unbleached white bread flour cup vegetable or olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 -2 tablespoons green aniseed 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 egg yolk Dissolve the yeast in A cup of the warm water and add a pinch of sugar. Leave for 10 minutes, until it froths.

In a large bowl, mix the semolina and flour, add the oil and salt, and mix well. Beat the whole eggs lightly with the aniseed and sesame, and blend into the flour mixture. Add the yeast mixture and work it in well with your hand. Then add the remaining water, working it in gradually, adding just enough to have a ball of dough that holds together. (You may need to add more water, but the dough must not be too wet.) Knead the dough vigorously in the bowl or on a board for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Pour a little oil in the bottom of the bowl and roll the dough in it to grease it all over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down and divide in 2. Knead each piece for a minute and roll into a ball. Flatten each ball into a round about 9 inches in diameter and inch thick, and place on baking sheets that have been oiled and lightly dusted with cornmeal or semolina. Brush the tops with egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to rise again.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes, until it is brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

Variation An Algerian version adds the zest of 1 orange or 2 teaspoons dried ground orange zest.

Matlouk Plain Semolina Bread Makes 1 9-inch loaf* In Algeria they sometimes bake it on a griddle or skillet, but that didn't work well for me. In Algeria they sometimes bake it on a griddle or skillet, but that didn't work well for me.

1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 cup lukewarm water Pinch of sugar teaspoon salt 3 cups fine semolina 1 egg yolk Dissolve the yeast in half the water and add a pinch of sugar. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, until it froths.

In a bowl, sprinkle the salt over the semolina and add the yeast mixture. Work it in with your hand and add the remaining water gradually, adding just enough so that the dough sticks together in a ball. Pour a drop of oil in the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough in it so that it is greased all over.

Knead vigorously for 10 minutes in the bowl or on a board. Then roll into a ball and flatten with your hands into a round about 9 inches in diameter. Place it on an oiled baking sheet lightly dusted with cornmeal or semolina. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hours, until doubled in bulk.

Brush the top with egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes, or until the bread is brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

Tsoureki Sweet Greek Easter Bread Makes 3 large breads * There are many feast days in the Greek Orthodox calendar which are marked in the kitchen. Easter is the most important. The date is movable, fixed on the first Sunday following the full moon of the spring equinox, but generally falling within the first half of April. There are many feast days in the Greek Orthodox calendar which are marked in the kitchen. Easter is the most important. The date is movable, fixed on the first Sunday following the full moon of the spring equinox, but generally falling within the first half of April.

Houses are whitewashed and decorated with lilac, clothes are made, and new shoes are bought. There is much activity in the kitchen, for the feast also marks the breaking of forty days' Lenten fast and a complete fast on Good Friday. Solemn candlelit processions are followed by national rejoicing to celebrate the Resurrection. Paschal Lambs are roasted on spits in gardens and open s.p.a.ces, and the innards are used for mayeritsa soup, which is finished with the favorite egg-and-lemon mixture. Hard-boiled eggs are dyed red, a color supposed to have protective powers, and polished with olive oil, and a sweet braided bread is adorned with them.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast cup warm water cup sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted b.u.t.ter 5 eggs 1 cups warm milk 10 cups flour Oil 2 egg yolks Sesame seeds (optional) Split almonds (optional) Hard-boiled eggs dyed red (optional) (see Note) Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, adding 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes, until it bubbles.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining sugar and b.u.t.ter to a light cream, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Slowly pour in the warm milk and the yeast mixture, beating well.

Add the flour gradually, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition, using enough to form a soft dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (at least 10 minutes by hand), adding flour if it is too sticky. Oil the top with your hands, cover with a damp cloth, and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in bulk.

Punch the dough down, knead again, oil the top, and let it rise once more. When it has risen a second time, punch down again and divide in 9 equal parts. Roll each part into a long strand, about 1 inches thick and 18 inches long, pulling to stretch it farther. Join 3 strands together and braid. Do the same with the other strands. Place the braided loaves on well-oiled baking sheets. Brush the loaves with the egg yolks mixed with 1 tablespoon water. If you like, sprinkle with sesame seeds, press in a few split almonds, and push 1 or 2 eggs into the braiding in each loaf.

Set aside to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F. Bake about 50 minutes, or until the loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped. Place on a rack to cool.

Note: To dye hard-boiled eggs, leave them in a bright-red food coloring until the intensity of the color is strong enough. Drain, and when they are dry, make them shine by rubbing them gently with an oiled paper towel. To dye hard-boiled eggs, leave them in a bright-red food coloring until the intensity of the color is strong enough. Drain, and when they are dry, make them shine by rubbing them gently with an oiled paper towel.

Kahk Savory Bracelets Makes about 46 Three recipes for Three recipes for "ka'ak" "ka'ak" are given in the medieval are given in the medieval Kitab al Wusla il al Habib Kitab al Wusla il al Habib (see appendix). Here is my mother's. It makes rather a large quant.i.ty, but they keep for a long time in a box. My mother kept a biscuit tin permanently full of them. She said she used margarine rather than b.u.t.ter because it did not become rancid if you kept the (see appendix). Here is my mother's. It makes rather a large quant.i.ty, but they keep for a long time in a box. My mother kept a biscuit tin permanently full of them. She said she used margarine rather than b.u.t.ter because it did not become rancid if you kept the kahk kahk a long time. a long time.

1 tablespoon active dry yeast About 2 cups lukewarm water Pinch of sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or b.u.t.ter 6 cups bread flour 1- tablespoons salt (or less) -1 tablespoon ground c.u.min -1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water Sesame seeds Vegetable oil Dissolve the yeast in a little of the warm water. Add a small pinch of sugar and let it stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes, until it begins to bubble. Melt the margarine or b.u.t.ter and let it cool.

Put the flour in a large bowl. Add salt, c.u.min, and coriander to taste (I prefer the larger quant.i.ty of spices given), mixing them in well. Work in the melted b.u.t.ter or margarine and the yeast mixture. Add the remaining warm water gradually, working it in, adding just enough to make a stiff dough that holds together in a ball. Knead vigorously for about 10 minutes, until smooth, shiny, and elastic.

Take walnut-sized lumps of dough and roll (continued) Kahk (continued) them into thin cigarette shapes about 4 inches long. Bring the ends together and press them firmly against each other to make little bracelets. Paint their tops with the egg mixed with water, using a pastry brush or a piece of cotton. Dip the egg-coated surface in a plate containing sesame seeds. Some will stick.

Place the bracelets on oiled baking sheets and allow them to rest and rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

I am told that a good way of knowing when the bracelets are ready for the oven is to put a small lump of dough in a gla.s.s of water when it is first made. It will sink to the bottom, but then it will slowly rise again. When this happens, the rest of the dough is ready for baking.

Bake the bracelets in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 300F and bake for 1 hour longer. Then leave them to dry out for up to 2 or 3 hours in the lowest (225F) oven, until they are firm and crisp right through and a pale-golden color. Let them cool before you put them in a box.

Note: Some people allow the dough to rise once in the large bowl first. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough around in it to grease it all over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead again for a minute or so before shaping the little bracelets. Brush with egg and dip in sesame seeds. Place them on baking sheets and let them rise again for 20 minutes. Some people allow the dough to rise once in the large bowl first. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in the bottom of the bowl and turn the dough around in it to grease it all over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead again for a minute or so before shaping the little bracelets. Brush with egg and dip in sesame seeds. Place them on baking sheets and let them rise again for 20 minutes.

Variations We sometimes vary our kahk kahk by sprinkling with by sprinkling with mahlab mahlab (the ground kernel of a type of black cherry) as well as sesame seeds. (the ground kernel of a type of black cherry) as well as sesame seeds.

Moroccans add teaspoon allspice and a pinch of chili pepper to the dough.

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Desserts, Pastries, and Sweetmeats HALAWEYAT.

Throughout the Middle East, the usual conclusion to a meal is fruit. The pastries, puddings, jams, and preserves which have given the region its reputation for a sweet tooth are prepared to mark special occasions and to entertain guests, at different times of the day, when they are served with coffee or tea. Pastries are symbols of generosity and friendship, happiness, rejoicing, and success. Quant.i.ties are made regularly and stored away, ready for the casual caller and the unexpected guest, who, by convention, expects and enjoys a warm, enthusiastic welcome at any time of the day. He or she will invariably be received, even at an awkward time, with the famous Oriental hospitality, the ingrained courtesy and decorum that have been rooted deeply by centuries of custom. Sweet delicacies will be pressed upon them with a Turkish coffee or a mint tea.

Besides spontaneous calls, there are special occasions when visiting is obligatory. A new arrival in town, a return home from a trip, a sickness, a death, a birth, a circ.u.mcision, a wedding, and the innumerable Muslim festivals, the mulids mulids, all set the pastry-making and -eating rituals in motion. Certain occasions call for a particular sweet. Beautifully colored and decorated pastries and confectionery, sweet-scented creams, and delicately fragrant dried-fruit salads are made days in advance and served to commemorate or celebrate an event, as symbols of joy or sadness.

Muslim festivals sometimes last for as long as ten days-ten days of continuous merry-making. Nearly every week brings some excitement and has some saint to be honored, some memory to be cherished, or some rite to be performed. The first ten days of the sacred Moharram, the opening month of the year, are holy. The pa.s.sion play of Hasan and Husein follows, performed in reverence to the memory of the martyrs. In the second month, caravans of pilgrims returning from Mecca are welcomed with picnic celebrations. In the third month comes the Rabi el Awal or Mulid el Nabi, the festival of the Prophet's birth. Then come the Mulid el Bulak, the feast of the Lady Zeinab, and the feast of the "miraculous ascent"-the visit to paradise. After the great fast of Ramadan follow the Id es-Saghir and the visiting of cemeteries. There are also the processions of Kisweh, of the Holy Carpet, and that of the Mahmal, the Ark of the Covenant.

In Egypt, many of the festivals are not based on either the Muslim or Coptic religions, but derive from ancient Egyptian pagan rites and customs. People want to enjoy themselves, and any occasion is a pretext for fun, for laughter and merrymaking, for dancing and singing in the streets. Fire eaters and magicians perform, Kara Guz (the Egyptian Punch and Judy) stands appear. Children tie colored papers to their bicycle spokes, young girls put on dresses in fabulous colors-sugar pink, scarlet, orange, mauve, lilac, and acid green-young men wear Western pajamas in the street. It is a time for buying from street vendors brilliantly colored syrups and sweet pastries made with nuts, honey, and sugar and colored yellow, pink, and green for joy and happiness.

At one particular festival, the day of the sacrifice of the bride of the Nile (the Bent el Nil), we used to buy a large sugar doll painted in many different colors, with red lips and pink cheeks, and dressed in frilled and pleated multicolored tissue and silver papers. To my mother's horror, I once ate the whole doll, licking and chewing it for a month, undressing it and dressing it again after every repast.

For me, sweets are a.s.sociated with feelings of well-being, warmth, and welcome, of giving and receiving, of crowds of people smiling, kissing, hugging, and showering hospitality. I remember how hard it was to refuse, when visiting our many relatives and friends, the delicacies and pastries that were forced upon us, after our mother had impressed on us that we should not take more than three stuffed grape leaves, two kahk kahk, and two ma'amoul ma'amoul, because it was discourteous to be too eager and it might appear that we were not properly fed at home.

Pastries are sold in shops that specialize. They are also made at home. Housewives pride themselves on making a perfect konafa konafa or the lightest fillo pastries, and will rarely divulge their secrets of success to anyone but their daughters. Or they or the lightest fillo pastries, and will rarely divulge their secrets of success to anyone but their daughters. Or they may may give the recipe under pressure, but with one deliberate mistake, so as to ensure failure when a rival attempts it. give the recipe under pressure, but with one deliberate mistake, so as to ensure failure when a rival attempts it.