Kuwait

I first heard about Kuwait when I was a wee lad during the first war with Iraq after Saddam's invasion and annexation of the country.  George H.W. Bush was president, I was learning my shapes and colors, and I vaguely remember seeing Desert Storm trading cards on sale at some point.  It was a strange time for me.  That was the first war I got the chance to watch on T.V.

That war (much like the current one) was primarily fought over oil.  Kuwait has a lot of it, their economy is based on it, and the whole world wants it.  This has been the case since oil was discovered there in the 1930's.  But if you look at the food of Kuwait, you can see that it's history has certainly not always been about oil.  Long before oil was discovered, Kuwait served as an important port of trade located along the Indian ocean.  The most important commodities of this trade were spices.  And the food is absolutely filled with strong flavors and scents from these spices.  

Kuwaiti food is a great mix of Persian, Indian, and Arabic influences.  I imagine Kuwait City constantly smells like pepper, rosewater, and hookah.  My apartment smelled like this meal for about a week.  It was great!

Stuffed Dates

There's a beautiful simplicity to this method of preparing dates.  A lot of people in my life apparently hate eating dates, but when served these stuffed ones they happily consume them.  I generally just buy a tub of dates and eat them plain over the course of two weeks.  Amy seems disgusted by this, but I'm glad to see she'll eat these.

1 lb large pitted dates.

1/2 lb blanched almonds

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 tbsp rosewater

1. In a food processor combine the almonds, sugar, rosewater, and just enough water to make a thick and smooth paste.

2. Cut a slit into each date to expose the cavity where the pit once resided.  Fill this cavity with the almond paste.

3. Serve slightly chilled.

Fattoush

Pitas are great, but they go stale really fast.  But stale pitas can taste great, too.  With some random vegetables and a sauce they can become this salad.  We actually didn't have pita on hand, but that's ok because any good quality stale bread works great as well.  We used some day old white rye from our local Ukrainian bakery.  Just make sure to pour on a lot of dressing because the stale bread soaks it up quite efficiently.

For the salad

4 large romaine leaves chopped

3 stale toasted pitas cut into bite sized pieces

4 roma tomatoes chopped

1 red bell pepper sedded and thinly sliced

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

1 cucumber peeled and chopped

1 bunch of parsley finely chopped

1/4 cup mint chopped

1 cup crumbled feta

For the dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp ground pepper

2 cloves garlic chopped

Salt to taste

1. First combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk them together.

2. Toast the bread in the oven for ten minutes at 400 degrees or until slightly browned.  Set aside to cool

3. Prep and chop all the ingredients for the salad and combine them in a large bowl.

4. When ready to serve pour on the dressing and taste for seasoning.

Chicken Machboos (Chicken and Rice)

Every country has some version of chicken and rice.  In Kuwait it happens to be considered the national dish.  This dish has a lot in common with the pilau and biryani dishes of Persia and India with it's use of large amounts of spices and chilis.  The yogurt sauce helps cool down any overly spicy bites of the dish.

1 chicken cut into serving portions

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups basmati rice

1 large red onion minced

2 whole green chiles

1 garlic clove minced

1 large tomato roughly chopped

1 large pinch of saffron soaked in a tbsp of water

2 tbsp rosewater

1 tsp cinnamon

1.5 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground pepper

2 tbsp lime juice

4 cups stock

Salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375.  Grind the spices (except the saffron) and rub them into the chicken.  Set the chicken aside to marinate in the fridge at least two hours.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven and brown the chicken in two batches over medium heat for about five minutes per side.  Remove the chicken and set aside.

3. In the same pot saute the onion, garlic, and tomato for five minutes.  Add the rice and saute another minute stirring frequently for one minute.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.

4. Cut the heat, add the lime, saffron, rosewater and reserved chicken to the pot.  Cover the pot and place it into the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the top and continue cooking another 15 minutes until the chicken is browned and the rice is fully cooked.  You may have to add a bit more water if the rice is too dry.  When everything is cooked serve with the yogurt sauce.

Chickpea and Eggplant Stew

It may be time consuming to make, but very little effort is involved with this dish.  Chop some vegetables, combine everything, and wait 3 hours while it bakes.  It was so easy I nearly forgot I made it and pulled it out of the oven just before serving.  For many guests this was their favorite part of the meal.

2 cloves garlic minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion minced

1.5 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight

2 green bell peppers seeded and chopped

1 eggplant cut into 1 inch cubes

1/2 tsp cayenne

3 cups water

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 325 f.  Heat the olive oil in a deep heavy three quart pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onion and sauté for several minutes.

2. Now add the eggplant and brown the pieces on all side for about 8 minutes.

3. Add everything else but the parsley and bring to a boil.

4. Cut the heat and put the pan into the oven and cook for 2.5-3 hours or until the chickpeas are tender.  If you only have canned chickpeas throw them in for the last half hour.

5. Taste for salt, garnish with parsley, and serve.

In Conclusion

This was our first feast in the new apartment (sorry for the delay).  Judging by the photos of this post we have some work to do with the light in the dining room.  All the pictures look like bad food shots of the 60's.  It may finally be time to break down and buy a real camera.  But what a joy it was to actually have a meal in our home on a huge dining room table!  It was a great feeling to be able to sit down with all the food and people at the same table.  As usual we made way too much food and nobody left with an empty belly. Cuba is next! 

Turkey

Turkey is the country I chose for my birthday dinner, so yet again, we did not stick by the rules of the random picking. Sorry about that, but in my defense, I think I made the right birthday choice. Turkish food is, in my opinion, some of the best flavors to ever hit your palate. It's just the right amount of savory, sweet and dishes that sound very elegant without breaking the bank.

Taramasalata: Caviar Dip

Here, as you can see and read, is a perfect example of something that sounds really expensive but isn't at all! Tom and I noticed jars of taramasalata popping up all over at our neighborhood grocers about 2 months ago and our curiosity got the best of us. We bought 2 or 3 jars until we realized how easy it was to make. The caviar used in this dip is that of a carp, which may sound a bit iffy and awful, but it is quite tasty and addictive. Most importantly it is cheap. We definitely made way too much of this and ate it throughout the next week.

3 heaping tablespoons of carp roe (may be found at greek and middle eastern grocers for cheap)

1.5 cups of white rye bread with crusts removed

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup olive oil

1 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp. water if needed.

(There is no need to add any salt to this recipe since the caviar contains more than enough.)

1. Soak the bread in a bit of water and squeeze as dry as you can.

2. Add the soaked bread, roe, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse several times to distribute them evenly.

3. Combine both oils and slowly drizzle them into the mixture with the motor running. If the mixture get's too thick simply pour in a few tablespoons of water.

4. Continue adding the oil until a thick mayonnaise-like substance forms. Chill until ready to serve. This stuff kept well in our fridge for two weeks.

Feta and Walnut Dip

It seems that this was the favorite of the two dips. Our guests really gobbled this one up. I barely ate 2 pieces of matza with it before it was all gone. I wasn't mad about this fact, just happy everyone enjoyed it so much. Here's our good friend Marco enjoying it:

2/3 cup walnuts

1/2 pound feta

1/4 cup yogurt

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1. Simply combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend into a rough paste.

Red Pepper and Chickpea Soup

Let me just say, I love this soup! Tom found and made this recipe about 2-3 weeks before the Turkey dinner and we automatically knew we had to make it again. It is flavorful and includes two of the best soup ingredients: bulgur and chickpeas. Just read through the recipe and tell me that isn't the most Turkish dish ever.

1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight

1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 bell peppers seeded and finely cut

2 tsp dried mint

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 cups chopped canned tomatoes

1.5 quarts water

1/2 cup bulgur

1/3 cup chopped mint

1/2 tsp hot paprika or cayenne

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium low heat and add the onion and pepper. Cook for five minutes stirring frequently until the vegetables soften. Add the pomegranate molasses and dried mint. Cook for another minute.

2. Drain the chickpeas and add them along with the tomatoes and stock to the pan. Simmer this mixture covered for an hour or until the chickpeas are tender.

3. Add the bulgur to the pot, and simmer a further ten minutes adding more water if necessary.

4. Before serving, stir in the lemon juice and paprika. Salt and pepper to taste. And distribute the soup into individual bowls. Garnish each bowl with some chopped mint and serve immediately. Steps 1-2 can be done up to a day in advance.

Spinach and Feta Pies: Pide

Tom and I enjoyed these wonderful little pies for the first time while we were in New York City this year. Of course the ones we had were filled with pastrami and mozzarella in true Manhattan fashion. We decided to go with a more traditional and not to mention, less filling version of feta and spinach. The dough was so perfect that the next day, we made another batch with sausage, tomato and mozzarella for dinner.

1 quantity of pide dough (recipe follows)

2/3 cup yellow raisins soaked 15 minutes

1 lb spinach washed

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 tsp salt

1/2 red onion finely sliced

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

2/3 pound feta

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1. Divide the dough into twelve even portions by cutting it in half and dividing each half until you have 12 even portions. Cover and set aside.

2. Prepare the filing by blanching and cooling the spinach in batches. Then chop the spinach and mix it with everything else except for the egg and milk.

3. Preheat your oven to it's highest setting. On a floured surface roll out each piece of dough into a long and thin oval of about 13 by 4 inches. Place several tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the dough and fold the sides over without allowing them to touch. Twist the ends securely. The final result should look a bit like a canoe.

4. Mix the egg and milk in a bowl and brush the pides with a bit of the mixture.

5. Bake the pide two at a time in the oven on a large baking sheet for 7-8 minutes a batch. Remove when the crust is a golden brown. (I find it's easiest to prep the next batch of pide while the other batch is baking.) Serve immediately or warm later in a 320 f oven.

Dough

2 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 cups flour

4 tbsp oil

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp salt

1. Soak the yeast in warm water and let rest for ten minutes to activate the culture.

2. Combine everything else either in a food processor or mixer and knead until smooth (about five minutes in the mixer)

3. Place in an oiled bowl and leave covered in a warm place for 1 hour.

4. Follow the assembly instructions in the above recipe.

Pistachio and Spinach Pilaf

The best part of this dish is the use of all the fresh herbs. Pilafs always seem to act as a perfect side to meals, but I think this one could stand alone. It just was a good combination of nutty and fresh flavors and got me a little excited about the upcoming farmer's markets for even better herbs.

1 cup basmati rice

1.5 cups water

1/2 stick butter

1 medium onion finely chopped

1.5 lbs spinach washed and roughly chopped

4 tbsps shelled pistachios

1/2 cup chopped mint

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup chopped dill

1. Melt 2 tbsps butter in a medium sized heavy saucepan. Cook the onions in the butter over low heat until they soften.

2. Add the spinach and stir until it has wilted and reduced.

3. Add the rice and stock and bring to a simmer. Season the liquid with salt and pepper to your taste and cover and cook for 12 minutes over very low heat.

4. Cook the pistachios in a small pan with the remaining butter until they brown. Open the lid to the rice and put the pistachios and chopped herbs on top. Cut the heat and leave covered for 15 minutes allowing the pilaf to steam.

5. Fluff the grains and stir the pilaf to distribute everything. Serve on a a large platter.

Circassian Chicken

This is Turkey's national cold buffet dish. This is what you would you would bring to a picnic and is much like a chicken salad we would make, you know, without the mayo. Personally, I did not enjoy this. I think it would be good actually on some bread maybe with some sprouts and stone ground mustard, but on it's own it is a bit boring. This is probably my American taste buds talking but I think it was just lacking some pizazz. You can see it below with the fork in it.

4 chicken breasts

2 stalks of celery

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 large red onion chopped

1 bay leaf

1 carrot peeled and chopped

1/2 cup parsley

1 sprig thyme

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 cup toasted walnuts

2 slices white bread

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp paprika

1. Combine the chicken, celery, carrot, onion, thyme, pepper, and coriander with a liter of water and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 25 minutes and remove the chicken to cool and continue cooking the leftover stock for 25 more minutes.

2. When the chicken is cool shred it with your hands and remove any bones and set aside in a bowl.

3. In a food processor combine the walnut, garlic, cayenne, and paprika. Grind all this and gradually add enough of the prepared stock to make a thick sauce. Salt it to taste.

4. Mix half the sauce with the chicken thoroughly, and top all of this with the rest of the sauce and several dustings of paprika. Serve cold or at room temp.

Conclusions

There are so many interesting tidbits and facts I could share with you about Turkey. The Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, the trade of the Silk Road, the Orient Express, and complicated issues with European and Middle Eastern identities are just the tip of the iceberg. I still think what fascinates me most about Turkey is their road to EEC status and their still pending EU status. I remember having a geography professor my sophomore year telling us that he was betting on 2010 for the year that they finally gain membership. Alas, he was wrong, but it seems to be this struggle that Turkey has with Europe despite having just about equal trade with each other at this point. Someday, Turkey, someday.

As far as the food goes, it is the perfect mixture of Middle Eastern, Balkan and Mediterranean. With this meal, we tried to find the perfect balance of all of these cuisines and produce something that would satisfy and surprise our guests. I think everyone has an idea of what Turkish food is and should taste like, and we'd like to think we exceeded some expectations.

So remember, if you want to see Greek or Roman ruins...go to Turkey.

Up next is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Until then, Sagligina!

Oman

In our little realm, it just would not be the holiday season if we didn't have to travel near and far for various events and gatherings of kith and kin. Thus, this celebration of the food of Oman was actually done before the holidays, we apologize for the delay and hope you had many wondrous celebrations of your own.

Oman, despite having a lot of dependence on British political and military systems, was never actually a British colony. They have also been a loyal US ally apparently since the end of our Revolutionary War. Oman was one of only 3 Arab League states that stood behind Egypt after the signing of the Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979 (the other two were Somalia and Sudan, if you were wondering). In other words, Oman is a good friend to have and this friend just happens to have some wonderfully exciting dishes.

Dill Hummus

What some of you may not know is that Tom is quite the hummus maker. He actually used to make it for a sandwich shop he worked at in college. It has since been his signature staple dish at parties. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a giant bowl of mashed beans and tahini? For Oman, we decided to jazz it up slightly by adding some fresh dill.

1/2 pound dried chickpeas soaked at least 8 hours (or use 32 oz canned, or better yet pressure cook the dried beans)

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

3/4 cup chopped dill

Salt to taste

1. In a large pot cover the chickpeas with lots of water and bring to a boil on the stove. Simmer the beans for 1.5 hours or until tender

2. Drain the beans in a colander and run under cold water until cool.

3. In a processor combine the dill, lemon juice, and garlic and process them into a paste.

4. Add the chickpeas, tahini, and salt. Process for five minutes. While the motor is running pour the olive oil into the mixture slowly.

5. Taste for salt and refrigerate for at least two hours to let the flavors mature.

6. Serve with any flat bread or crackers.

Shuwa: Spiced Lamb Braised in Banana Leaves

It's hard to imagine a Middle Eastern feast without a lamb dish. Our humble attempt at Shuwa gave us a wonderful opportunity to again use banana leaves. If you are wondering where to purchase banana leaves, we usually get ours from this lovely Mexican grocery in Wicker Park, however, if you do not have a Mexican grocery, Asian groceries usually carry them. It should also be mentioned that this dish would normally use palm leaves, but these are not available to us. If you can find them, go for it. If you live near Chicago and know where to get them, please do not hesitate to leave the location in the comments.

Traditionally this would be a whole lamb cooked for two days under the ground. Right now the ground is frozen, and I'm pretty sure it's not very safe to cook food in Chicago's dirt. We did our best to replicate the recipe on a smaller scale in our oven. Feel free to use other large cuts of lamb.

Shoulder of lamb (5-7 lbs) cut into several large pieces

1 tbsp cumin

6 cardamon pods

1 tsp coriander

1.5 tsp red pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp salt

3 tbsp vinegar

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons ginger

Banana leaves soaked in warm water for two hours

1. Bring meat to room temp and rub with ground spices.

2. In a large cast iron pot, layer the bottom with several pieces of banana leaf. Put the lamb on top of this layer of leaves and rest another layer of leaves on top and cover everything with a lid.

3. Set the oven at 250. Put the pot in the oven and walk away for the day. Allow the meat at least 7 hours to cook. Don't worry about drying it out it will only taste better with time.

4. When the time is finally up and you've finished doing whatever it is you did during all this time (we had lunch in Chinatown and cooked the rest of this meal), take the meat from the oven, uncover and let cool for a good while.

5. When the meat is cool enough to handle separate the stringy meat from the bones with your hands. Discard the bones and pour off most of the fat. The fat can be reserved for other things, but make sure to leave enough to keep the meat juicy.

6. Reheat the meat gently in the oven at 320 before serving. Serve with flat bread and tahini sauce.

Tahini Sauce

1/2 cup tahini
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped mint
water

Combine everything in a food processer adding just enough water to form a thin paste of a sauce. Serve drizzled over lamb.

Red Lentil Salad

Being winter and all, and being honest, we threw this dish together using what we already had in our pantry. Lucky for us, Omanis like bean dishes and our pantry is always fulls of them.

2 cups red lentils

4 cups stock

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar

1 red bell pepper sliced into strips

1 large red onion diced

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup chopped dill

1/4 cup chopped mint

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

1. Combine lentils with stock, cumin, and pepper in a saucepan set over medium high. Raise to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender.

2. In a large strainer, drain and rinse the lentils under cold water until they are cooled. Set aside over the sink for five minutes to drain.

3. Combine the cooled and drained lentils in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Eggplant with Date Sauce

I almost feel like we need to defend ourselves here, because if you are a regular reader then you know we often make a dish of eggplant. This one is way different though, I promise. It has dates. And if you've never experienced the combination of eggplant and dried fruit, you are in for quite a treat.

1 large eggplant peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

3 onions sliced thinly

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

stock to cover

1/4 pound dates

2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Salt the eggplant cubes and set aside for 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, heat the sliced onions gently with the oil until they are browned (about 15 minutes)

3. Add the eggplant pieces and cook gently for another 20 minutes until they are browned and tender on all sides.

4. Add the spices and enough stock to barely cover the vegetables. Cover and cook over medium low heat for another 20 minutes.

5. In a blender combine the dates and garlic with enough water to make a smooth paste.

6. Uncover the saucepan and add the date sauce to the eggplant. Raise the heat to high and reduce the sauce to a thick consistency.

7. Garnish with cilantro and lemon. Serve.

Za'atar Bread

Za'atar is the name for a spice mix of thyme, sage, sesame and other various things that we're not quite sure about. You actually buy it mixed together at your local Middle Eastern grocery. If you can't find it, just grind up these and other spices to make your own.


1 tbp. dried yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. za'tar
2 tsp. sea salt

1.Mix yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water together until it is dissolved and let it stand for 10 minutes. The mix should appear frothy, if it doesn't, you have bad yeast. Throw it away and try again.
2. Mixer with kneading attachment: Place flour, 1/2 tsp of salt and yeast mixture in the mixer and add 1 1/4 cups warm water. Turn on a lower setting and "knead" for about 5 minutes. Gradually add the olive oil during this time. Cover and set aside for about an hour

Without a mixer: Combine the same as about but knead by hand for about 15 minutes.

3. Punch down the dough and either throw it back in the mixer, or knead by hand for a little longer. Let it stand again for about a half an hour.
4. Knead again shortly and divide dough into about 10 pieces. Roll out each piece into a circle.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and put the dough onto greased cookie sheets. Press your finger into the dough to make little dimples. Brush each piece with the remaining oil and sprinkle the za'atar and sea salt on top. Bake for about 12-15 minutes and serve them right out of the oven.

Oman: Conclusions

Oman was a success for many reasons. First off, it was the first Middle Eastern country we have had the pleasure of cooking for this blog. In our everyday lives and meals, we have been trying to cook more Middle Eastern food and I have a hunch that a few of these dishes will be repeated again.

Second, we had a lot of rotating guests throughout the night and had more than enough to feed them all. I think in the end we had about 8 dinner guest and we finished all but a fist full of lamb. This made for a long exquisite feasting experience and a few empty wine bottles.

Last but not least, we found a few great Omani radio stations. The first of which played a lot of Supertramp, which neither Tom nor myself minded at all. The second was a more traditional station that we did not have the knowledge to translate, but we do know they wished us a Happy Channukah (which just gives away how long ago we actually did Oman).

The Namibia post should be up in the next few days. Until next time, shucram!!!