Middle East - Anthony Ham [77]
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There are variations on the theme and a multiplicity of forms. Depending on where you are, your day may start with a French-style croissant filled with zaatar (a fragrant mix of sun-dried thyme and sesame seeds with olive oil) or a crusty white loaf to accompany white cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. In Turkey, Egypt and Jordan you’ll encounter a chewy, sesame-encrusted bread ring known respectively as a simit, semit or ka’ik. Lunch could be a felafel or shwarma stuffed into a freshly baked bread pocket (shammy), or a zaatar-smeared type of pizza known as a manaeesh. Other lunch or snack dishes include the Turkish gözleme (a thin pancake baked on a concave griddle over an open fire and filled with cheese, potato, spinach or mushrooms) or the Levantine equivalent, saj.
Salads
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In 2001 an Armenian chef saw Israeli and Palestinian chefs working together in Italy and he got an idea: Chefs for Peace. Many culinary stars have since joined to promote coexistence through special events and benefits. Contact chefsforpeace@shabaka.net.
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If you don’t order salad in the Middle East most waiters will ask, ‘Would you like a salad with that?’ That’s because it’s inconceivable for people in the region to eat a meal without salad. In summer, it’s almost sacrilegious, considering the zest and freshness that Middle Eastern salads bring to a meal, perfectly complementing a piping hot kebab. You may find a long list of ‘international’ salads on menus in restaurants frequented by tourists. But Middle Easterners are loyal to their basic salads and don’t mind eating them meal after meal. Elaborations or creative flourishes are rare and simplicity is the key: crunchy fresh ingredients (including herbs), often caressed by a shake of oil and vinegar at the table. Salads are eaten with relish as a mezze or as an accompaniment to a meat or fish main course. Three salads, found throughout the region, form an integral part of the local diet:
fattoosh – toasted khobz, tomatoes, onions and mint leaves, sometimes served with a smattering of tangy pomegranate syrup
shepherd’s salad – also known as oriental salad, a colourful mix of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion and pepper; extremely popular in Turkey, where it’s known as çoban salatası
tabbouleh – the region’s signature salad combines burghul wheat, parsley and tomato, with a tangy sprinkling of sesame seeds, lemon and garlic
Snack Foods
Forget the bland international snack food served up by the global chains; once you’ve sampled the joys of Middle Eastern street food you’ll never be able to face a quick snack in a fast-food giant again.
The regional stars of the snack food line-up are shwarma and felafel, and they are both things of joy when served and eaten fresh. Shwarma is the Arabic equivalent of the Greek gyros sandwich or the Turkish döner kebap – strips are sliced from a vertical spit of compressed lamb or chicken, sizzled on a hot plate with chopped tomatoes and garnish, and then stuffed into a pocket of bread. Felafel is mashed chickpeas and spices rolled into balls and deep-fried; a variation known as ta’amiyya, made with dried fava beans, is served in Egypt. The felafel balls are stuffed into a pocket of bread that’s been smeared with tahina (sesame paste) and then the whole thing is topped with some fresh salad, or sometimes with pickled vegetables. Delicious!
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Arabesque: Modern Middle Eastern Food, by Greg and Lucy Malouf, lists the 42 essential ingredients from the region and offers insights into how they can be used to create authentic dishes.
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Of course, each country has its particular snack food specialty. In Egypt look out for shops sporting large metal tureens in the window: these specialise in the vegetarian delight kushari, a delicate mix of noodles, rice, black lentils and dried onions, served with an accompanying tomato sauce that’s sometimes fiery with chilli. An alternative