Ramadan Kareem

We are half way through Ramadan, a month of fasting during the day and feasting in the evening.  The eating of fresh dates is traditional when breaking the fast in the evening. 

Dates have many nutritional benefits and are absolutely delicious.  Most readers are probably familiar with dried dates.  In the US, there are limited types of dried dates that are imported.  However, in California, the infamous Shields Date Garden provides lots of information about dates, including a provocative video.  They farm a variety of dates and serve up a mean, thick, rich date shake. 

Here, in Saudi Arabia, the variety of dates is mind numbing - in the most wonderful way.  There are many stores dedicated to dates and grocery stores have special sections for dates and date related treats (date maamouls, dates covered in honey and sesame seeds, chocolate covered dates, etc.).  Lucky for us in the Kingdom, fresh dates are now in season.  We are still going through our first box of fresh dates that we bought a few weeks ago from a man selling them out of the back of his truck in our neighborhood.

Fresh dates are a unique experience.  Look at the photograph of the lovely box of dates.  See the ones that are half yellow and half brown? Those are the very special ones.  The brown part is sweet and melt-in-your-moth soft.  Tastes like a dried date, but more so, like date X 1000.  The yellowish portion is surprisingly crunchy and tart.  At first, we were put off by the combination and would only go for the all brown, sweet dates.  Do not worry, we eventually saw the error in our ways and tried the half sweet/half raw dates again.  The texture and flavor combination is one that we have never had before and we fell in love with them.  Now we only have all sweet dates left in the box because we ate all the half-and-half dates up.

Eating fresh dates with qawah is a treat, especially after fasting all day. But with such a big box, we wanted to do more.  Inspired by our trips to Shields, we've been experimenting with different date shakes - some with yogurt, some with various types of non-dairy milks, and some with vanilla ice cream.  So far, the vanilla ice cream version is the winner.

Just Say No to Frozen Veggie Burgers

I've been a vegetarian (ok, a reluctant pescetarian) for 20 years. At first, I was completely appalled by the idea of eating any type of "fake" meat. Why would anyone choose to eat fake meat and be a vegetarian? If I wanted the taste of meat, I'd rather have the real thing. Well, as time went on, I went to the dark side and indulged in all sorts of things found in the frozen food isle and refrigerated sections - "bacon", "hot dogs", and "burgers" were the ones most purchased.  The funny thing is, these were items that I didn't eat much of even when I was a meat eater. It started out with the kitsch factor, and then it was about convenience.

After learning more about what was in these prepared food items (and by learning, I mean simply reading the ingredients on the box) and going on an elimination diet to find out what foods may be exacerbating my hay fever symptoms, I swore off veggie burgers.

But what is one to do when there is a BBQ to attend? There are many options, like grilled vegetables or tofu. Yet sometimes, a burger type food, something that can be eaten with your hands between two pieces of bread product, is the only thing you desire.

Mark Bittman to the rescue! I tried one of his base bean burger recipes and made some for tonight's BBQ. Although we didn't make it to the BBQ, we did cook them on the stove in a pan with olive oil. Simply delicious, ridiculously easy, and so much cheaper than buying pre-made. And the best part of all, you know every ingredient that went into your tasty burgers.

photo credit, DG

 1st Try at a Home Made Veggie Burger (Mark Bittman saves the day!)

• 2 cups cooked lentils (I cooked mine with a dried lime in the water)
• 1 egg
• 1 small red onion (quartered)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 cloves garlic
• sea salt + fresh ground black pepper
• hand ground cumin + coriander seeds
• cayenne pepper
• handful of parsley
• handful of mushrooms
• some feta cheese

Put everything in your food processor. Pulse until it comes together nicely (don't over do it!) - must be a nice balance of wet and dry or else it will fall apart when you cook and/or the texture will be all wrong. After it's all burger like, let it rest for a few minute. Then shape into patties with dampened hands. Let chill until ready to use. We cooked ours on the stove in some olive oil - 5 minutes per side. You can also bake or grill.  For our next BBQ, I think we will pre-cook our burgers, freeze them, and then grill on-site for easier handling.

The Ethnic Food Aisle

The ethnic food aisle is an interesting place.  Who determines what is "ethnic" and when does an ethnic food item become mainstream (or "normal" as some may say)? In the USA, often foods identified as Chinese and Mexican are in a separate aisle, usually close to the pet food section.  Depending on the location of the grocery store and whom the store is catering to, things get categorized differently.  Why is the Old El Paso brand in the "normal" aisles while the Goya are "ethnic"? The list can go on and I'm sure you can come up with your own contradictions and observations.

I'm happy to see this recent story on The Huffington Post that illustrates this issue from a different standpoint - what happens when "American" foods are in the ethnic aisle? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/american-ethnic-food-groc_n_631231.html

More posts later on what is in the ethnic food aisles here in the kingdom.  Would love to hear from you - please take note of what is in your grocery store's ethnic food aisle and comment here.

Tabouleh, another gateway food to vegetarianism

The origins of tabouleh (spelling varies depending on transliteration system used) are decidedly Middle Eastern.  Exactly where is up for debate, although Lebanon is claiming the titile.  If a restaurant serves mezes (appetizers or small dishes), then they serve tabouleh.  Tabouleh is a lovely and refreshing salad that is perfect for the hot desert climate.  I remember as a teenager making tabouleh out of a box (gasp!).  In NYC, tabouleh is plentiful at falafel or fast food type spots that serve Middle Eastern and Israeli cuisine.  What I love about the tabouleh in the Kingdom is that the focus is more on the fresh herbs - the mint and the parsley is the star of the show and not the bulgur wheat.

Serves 8 (if you are serving it as a meze)

1/2 cup of bulgur wheat

1-cup water

2 tomatoes, diced

1-cup of fresh parsley, chopped (stems and all)

1/4-1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped (leaves only) - optional

1/2-1 lemon

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 of one red onion (finely chopped) or some scallions (whites and greens, chopped)

Fresh ground black pepper

•  Heat the water and pour it over the bulgur wheat.  Cover and let sit for 15-30 minutes.  All of the water should be absorbed and the wheat should be tender.  If it is too watery, drain the excess water.
• Squeeze half a lemon and the olive oil into the prepared bulgur wheat, stir.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, stir.
• Taste!  If the salad needs more acidity, add the other half of the lemon.  More olive oil can be added if necessary.

What you can buy with 10SR

It's Thursday morning, the first day of the weekend. At 10:30am the temperature is already at 108ºF. I'm set on making a couscous salad today and need to run out to get a few more ingredients. Raisins could not be found at either of my local small grocers [which actually is quite fine since I really don't like raisins and was thinking of eliminating them from the salad to begin with].

I walk into the local vegetable store and did not immediately see the shop keeper, as he was sitting on the floor surrounded by beautiful bouquets of mint that were about 2-3 feet in length. As he was smoking a cigarette, he was gathering and tying mint bunches together for smaller bags for sale. The smell of the shop was quite nice and not very strong - the mint was actually overpowering the cigarette smoke. After Arabic pleasantries were exchanged (good morning, how are you, I'm fine, how are you, I'm fine, thank you, thank you, your Arabic is very good, thank you and thanks to god, etc.), it was time to get down to business.

All in all, a bag of radishes (roots only), 7 lemons, 5 tomatoes, a large bunch of mint, and a large bunch of parsley were all purchased for 9SR (Saudi Riyals), which is equivalent to $2.40. Perfect - with one riyal left I could get my fix of fresh bread. I walked to the bakery next door and had to make a difficult choice: whole wheat or white, large or small? After staring at the recently packed bags of bread that were still hot, I choose the small sized whole wheat khubz. Seven pieces for 1SR.

Radish Radish

I am amazed by the quality of produce available here.  I mean, I am in the middle of the desert and can find beautiful, fresh and tasty produce for less than half of what I used to pay and in much greater quantity.  As in most mega marts in The States, the produce in grocery stores here are usually not as good as the produce found at smaller fruit and vegetable stands or street markets. 

The curse/blessing is that when buying vegetables you get a lot of vegetables for a two-person household.  And because of extreme heat, they do not stay fresh for very long.

I had a beautiful bunch of radishes – so spicy and crisp.  What to do?  And the leaves were in tact as well, which were looking leafy and ready to be eaten.  After a brief internet search, I found that radish greens could be braised similarly to any other greens. 

First, I made a simple salad with the root part of the radish.  I like to use my secret weapon with radishes, which I refer to as my “Secret Indo Salt”.  It is a combination of sea salt ground in a mortar and pestle with toasted cumin and coriander seeds.  I tossed the sliced radishes with the salt, then added a dash of sesame oil and some acid (either lemon juice or a vinegar).  Throw in a bit of fresh coriander (also known as cilantro), and you have yourself a fresh salad.

After washing the greens, I roughly chopped them and put them in a pan that already had some garlic toasting in sesame oil.  Some dried red chilies, and maybe I even threw in an onion or some scallions.  After tasting, I knew it needed a bit more something, so I added some store bought black bean sauce.  Perfection!

It was a last minute decision to try putting the greens in some fresh bread made by our local Egyptian baker.  I don’t remember the name of this bread, but the closest thing it looks like to the western eye is a hot dog bun.  But please, it is nothing like a hot dog bun in taste – only in shape.  The taste is delicious and fresh.  After my first bite, I reminisced about having bánh mì in Hawaii.  At first glance, the combination seems odd, but when together it makes so much sense.

The Spice Route

Being in the Arabian Peninsula, one has easy access to spices from around the world.  Food is quite international, with neighboring countries influencing one another along with the large amount of expats from India and other South Asian countries.  I have yet to visit the major spice souq (seller/store), but still have had plenty of spice choices.  Easy access to quality spices is one of the things I was looking forward to upon preparing for my first trip to the Middle East.  I am still asked by my father about the prices and quality of the saffron, and when will I be shipping some over.  [Sorry Dad, I am still looking for the best deal…]

In every neighborhood or town, it seems as if there is a local dry goods shop, featuring spices and nuts in bulk.  Our local shop is right next to a major park that also caters to families and children, keeping the sodas and candies towards the front of the store.  Towards the back is a tempting display of various nuts, spices, and coffees (Turkish and Arabic beans).  We have purchased whole bean Arabic coffee and whole cardamom pods.  While the store clerk can and will grind coffee and cardamom, I prefer to grind them myself.  Coffee and cardamom, like other spices, taste better and are closer to their original state when ground just before use.

Even in New York City, one must know exactly where to go for bulk spices: in Hell’s Kitchen a friend of mine introduced me to an amazing bulk store for za’atar, and I would go out of my way to the Indian neighborhoods in Jackson Heights, Queens or by 28^th Street for Indo-Pak bulk spices.  Growing up with a family who heavily relies on spices, I was taught that one must go to specialty stores (or “ethnic” stores as some may say) for quality goods.  I admit that I am disturbed that people purchase and use spices from the spice isle of their grocery store or mega mart.  It has been instilled in me from a young age that those pre-packaged spices in the little glass jars are overpriced and stale.  Growing up, our coffee grinder was not used for coffee, but for grinding spices such as coriander, cumin, black pepper, dried chili peppers, and other non-coffee items.  I was taught that whenever possible, spices should be bought whole and ground according to the chef’s preference.  However, I understand that for an unfortunate portion of the population, spices do not extend further than salt and pepper, or maybe some dried mélange of “Italian” spices tucked in the back of the kitchen cupboard.

To my delight, in every full sized grocery store that I have been to in the Kingdom, there is a separate dry good section that sells bulk spices and nuts.  This section is in addition to the typical, Western spice isle that has your pre-packaged spices with the McSpice label in the glass jar.  The grocer’s spice section is similar to your deli section – a separate counter person is in charge of scooping and weighing out customers requests.  Several varieties of cardamom, saffron, peppercorns, za’atar, other spices, dals, nuts, and other dried goods.  Unfortunately, my Arabic is not good enough to identify the items that I am unfamiliar with.  The amount of products available is overwhelming and I often get lost just staring at the options.  I cannot adequately describe the joy I have when standing in front of all of these bins.  I guess it’s like being a girl in a spice shop…  What to do with blackened, dried lemons?  Do I need a half-kilo of sumac?  The nut offerings are much more than salted or unsalted, shelled or whole – there are spicy almonds, lemon pistachios, raw pine nuts, sesame crusted  whatnot, Brazil nuts, and all manner of sweet, savory, salty and in-between.  As with our local dry goods shop, there is a grinder for coffee and cardamom.  But why get anything ground when I would much rather grind them myself, allowing the perfume to fill our home.  Besides Arabic coffee and cardamom pods, we have purchased lemon almonds, popcorn, za’atar, turmeric, chili powder, black peppercorns, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds,  coriander seeds, black chickpeas, couscous, lentils, tamarind paste and shredded coconut.  I have my eye out for the pistachios of different flavors, saffron, and red za’atar, which I believe has more sumac than the green variety.  As in the west, grocery stores also have separate deli sections that include meats, cheeses, and pickled goods.  It will take several months to try all the varieties that tempt me from behind the glass.  To date, we have had purchased varieties of labneh (a thick yogurt, almost like a paste), olives from Turkey, Jordan, and beyond, and “feta” cheese that is not quite as crumbly as I have had in the USA, but just as salty and strong with flavor.  Oh, and all items may be sampled before purchase!

We didn’t pack many kitchen items with us.  In the spice department, we only brought our electric coffee grinder and quickly determined that a suitable mortar and pestle was essential for cooking.  I have been partial to Japanese varieties, and had a small porcelain one back in NYC.  While waiting for the perfect tool to present itself, we settled for grinding our spices by hitting them with the side of a cleaver between pieces of paper towel. Although not the ideal or safest method of spice grinding, the flavor is still superior to pre-ground spices lurking in the back of the cupboard.  Our new mortar and pestle was purchased in the food section of a pretty famous outdoor market here in Riyadh (unfortunately, I did not visit this market as I was abaya shopping).  It is made of cast aluminum, and is heavy with high sides, keeping those pesky seeds inside when smashing them.  I’ve never used a metal mortar and pestle before, but I must say that I am quite happy with the switch.