Arabesque - A Taste Of Morocco, Turkey, And Lebanon Part 9

SERVES 6 4 large eggs, separated cup superfine sugar3 tablespoons all-purpose flour12/3 cups strained Greek-style yogurtgrated zest of 1 unwaxed lemonjuice of 1 lemonFOR THE OPTIONAL SYRUP2/3 cup water1 cups sugar1 tablespoon lemon juicegrated zest of 1 unwaxed orange Beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a thick, pale cream. Beat in the flour, then the yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice until it is thoroughly blended.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the yogurt mixture. Pour this into a round, nonstick baking tin (about 9 inches in diameter), greased with b.u.t.ter. Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is brown. It will puff up like a souffle and then subside.

Turn out onto a serving plate, and serve warm or cold.

If you are making the syrup, boil the water with the sugar, lemon juice, and grated orange zest for 3 to 5 minutes. Let it cool, then chill in the refrigerator.

PISTACHIO CAKE This moist, nutty cake soaked in syrup is a modern pastry. Make it at least two hours before you are ready to serve it so that the syrup has time to soak in. You can buy unsalted, sh.e.l.led pistachios in Middle Eastern and Asian stores.

SERVES 10 TO 12 FOR THE SYRUP1 cups sugar cup water1 tablespoon lemon juice2 tablespoons rose water5 eggs, separated1 cup superfine sugar1 cups pistachios, ground finely1/3 cup pistachios, chopped very coa.r.s.elyTo serve: cup clotted or heavy cream (optional) Make the syrup first. Bring the sugar, water, and lemon juice to the boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, then stir in the rose water. Let the syrup cool, then chill it in the refrigerator.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a pale cream, then add the ground pistachios and mix very well. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in gently. Pour into a greased and floured nonstick cake tin 9 to 10 inches in diameter and sprinkle the coa.r.s.ely chopped pistachios on top. Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for about 45 minutes.

Turn the cake out into a deep serving dish. Make little holes over the top with a fork and pour over the syrup. The holes will let it soak in quickly.

Serve, if you like, with clotted or heavy cream.

TEL KADAYIF with CLOTTED CREAM CLOTTED CREAM and and PISTACHIOS PISTACHIOS For this luscious sweet, you need to buy the soft, white vermicelli-like pastry called kadayif kadayif by the Turks and by the Turks and knafe knafe by the Lebanese from a Turkish or Lebanese store. In Egypt we called it by the Lebanese from a Turkish or Lebanese store. In Egypt we called it konafa. konafa. I saw this pastry being prepared in a large frying pan in a restaurant in Istanbul, but it is easier to bake it in the oven. It is scrumptious both hot and cold. I even like it days after, when the syrup has soaked and softened the pastry-it keeps well in the refrigerator. You can buy unsalted, sh.e.l.led pistachios in the same stores as I saw this pastry being prepared in a large frying pan in a restaurant in Istanbul, but it is easier to bake it in the oven. It is scrumptious both hot and cold. I even like it days after, when the syrup has soaked and softened the pastry-it keeps well in the refrigerator. You can buy unsalted, sh.e.l.led pistachios in the same stores as kadayif. kadayif.In Turkey they use the cream called kaymak kaymak (see page (see page 218 218 ) but clotted cream is a very good alternative. ) but clotted cream is a very good alternative.

SERVES 12 FOR THE SYRUP2 cups sugar1 cups water1 tablespoon lemon juice2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional)1 pound kadayif kadayif or or knafe knafe pastry pastry2 sticks ( pound) unsalted b.u.t.ter, melted1 to 2 cups thick clotted cream to 1 cup pistachios, chopped medium fine Make the syrup first. Bring to the boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then add the orange blossom water, if using. Let the syrup cool, then chill it in the refrigerator.

Put the pastry in a large bowl and pull out and separate the strands as much as possible with your fingers. Pour the melted b.u.t.ter over them and work it in very thoroughly with your fingers, pulling out and separating the strands and turning them over so that they do not stick together and are entirely coated with b.u.t.ter.

Spread the greased pastry all over the bottom of a large, round pie pan measuring 10 to 12 inches in diameter (or in two smaller pans). Press it down and flatten it with the palms of your hands. Bake it in an oven preheated to 350F for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until it is golden. Then place the pan on the stove top over a medium flame and move it around for a moment or two so that the bottom of the pastry browns slightly.

Run a sharp knife around the pan to loosen the sides of the pastry, and turn it out, bottom side up, onto a large serving dish. Pour the cold syrup all over the hot pastry.

Spread the thick clotted cream all over the top and sprinkle generously with chopped pistachios.

Alternatively, you can pour over only half the syrup before serving and pa.s.s the rest around in a jug for everyone to help themselves to more.

When I was a child in Egypt, Beirut was the Paris of the Middle East, and the mountain resorts of Lebanon were our Switzerland. People went there to "recuperate"-at least that was the reason members of my extended family gave-and they came back with fantastic stories of the unending a.s.sortments of mezze mezze (appetizers) they were offered in the resort cafes. My family was from Aleppo in Syria, which was considered the pearl of the Arab kitchen, so praise from them was special. Today, Lebanese restaurants, with their typical menus, have come to represent Arab food everywhere around the world. So big is their reputation that when a Syrian restaurant opens in London, it calls itself "Lebanese," and when hotels in Egypt put on a special Egyptian buffet, the dishes are Lebanese. How did that come about? One reason is that the Lebanese are famously (appetizers) they were offered in the resort cafes. My family was from Aleppo in Syria, which was considered the pearl of the Arab kitchen, so praise from them was special. Today, Lebanese restaurants, with their typical menus, have come to represent Arab food everywhere around the world. So big is their reputation that when a Syrian restaurant opens in London, it calls itself "Lebanese," and when hotels in Egypt put on a special Egyptian buffet, the dishes are Lebanese. How did that come about? One reason is that the Lebanese are famously bons viveurs bons viveurs who know how to make the best of their culinary heritage. They are also great entrepreneurs and they were the first in the Middle East to develop a restaurant trade. That trade spread to Europe and elsewhere when the civil war forced many to seek their fortunes abroad in the 1970s and '80s. who know how to make the best of their culinary heritage. They are also great entrepreneurs and they were the first in the Middle East to develop a restaurant trade. That trade spread to Europe and elsewhere when the civil war forced many to seek their fortunes abroad in the 1970s and '80s.

A Cuisine That Reflects the Past The cooking of Lebanon has much in common with that of Turkey, and is also similar to that of Syria, Palestine, and Jordan, countries that share with it a long history of constant change of foreign rule. These countries were all part of the Ottoman Empire until the early twentieth century, when Lebanon was part of historic Syria. National borders here are recent-since the 1940s when the countries became independent nation states-but the culture Lebanon shares with her neighbors is very old and has absorbed a wide range of influences.

The Lebanese like to attribute their famous worldliness and entrepreneurial ac.u.men to the Phoenicians, who dominated the Mediterranean and colonized their coast around 2500 B.C., creating cities along the sh.o.r.e and opening trade routes across the sea. Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Roman civilizations have left their traces in the form of monuments and artifacts. In the fourth century, the area became part of the Byzantine Empire, and h.e.l.lenic culture and strict Christian religious orthodoxy were introduced. The influence of Christian religion on the food today can be felt through a wide repertoire of meatless vegetarian and Lenten dishes.

A distinctive Levantine Muslim cuisine began to develop with the arrival of Islam and the establishment of the first great dynasty of the Muslim Empire, the Umayyads, in Damascus in 658. The Umayyads were overthrown after a hundred years, and a new dynasty, the Abbasids, moved their capital to Baghdad, where Persian cooking traditions dominated in the court kitchens. By the ninth century, historic Syria, including the part which is now Lebanon, was ruled by a succession of small Egyptian-based dynasties. In 1095 the Crusaders joined the Byzantine army in a thrust to liberate the Holy Land and established themselves on the Syrian and Lebanese coasts. They were finally pushed out in the late thirteenth century. The Mameluks, originally slave soldiers who took over from their masters based in Egypt, ruled Syria and Egypt for 300 years, until the Ottoman Turks seized the area in the sixteenth century.

Each occupation left a legacy in architecture-there are palaces, mosques, khan khans (caravanserais), and hamam hamams (baths)-and each also brought something to the kitchen. A few of the dishes in this book, such as the meat cooked in vinegar with onions and eggplants, could have come out of a thirteenth-century Baghdad culinary ma.n.u.script. Falafel and broad bean salad came through the early a.s.sociation with Egypt. The Ottoman Turks kept control of the region by co-opting local feudal lords (emirs) as governors, but their influence was powerful, and in the kitchen it was also lasting. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the League of Nations awarded France the mandate for Syria and Mount Lebanon in 1920, and in 1946 Lebanon became an independent state. European missionary schools in the mountains and the American University in Beirut had already, by the late nineteenth century, opened Lebanon up to Western cultural influences; the French added a certain style and elegance to the table.

Extraordinary Culinary Diversity in a Tiny Country The standard Lebanese restaurant menu is set in stone with items that never change, but at home in the cities and villages there is extraordinary culinary diversity. You might wonder how in a tiny country less than half the size of Wales the cooking could be so varied, but when you visit Lebanon it becomes clear. It is a land of high mountains and a long, narrow seacoast with three different climate zones. Roads into the previously inaccessible interior are as recent as the 1960s, and access is still difficult so villages nestling in the mountains and valleys have remained isolated from each other, retaining the individuality of their cooking, which is based on local produce. Communities have been further separated in this Muslim-Christian country by their division into many religious and sectarian groups, most of them living in their own villages or in separate quarters in the cities. There are s.h.i.+te, Sunni, and Druze Muslims. The Maronites are the largest Christian group-theirs is a Roman Catholic church of Eastern origin. It is followed by Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syrian Catholic, Chaldean Catholic, Protestant, and Armenian churches.

I am, nevertheless, forever surprised and fascinated when I discover a new dish or variation of a dish. When I was invited by my friends Mai Ghous...o...b..and her husband, Hazim Saghie, to watch Hazim's mother cook for a party when she came to stay with them in London, every dish she made was new to me, and each one was delicious. Khalida Saghie comes from the village of Beino, in the region of Akkar, which is close to the Syrian border; originally all the people in the village were Greek Orthodox but now they have been joined by a few Maronite and Muslim families. Khalida had arrived with her homemade pomegranate syrup, her fermented cheese, and her freshly milled, fine-ground bulgur (called burghul burghul in Lebanon). She went to work and never stopped until all the guests had arrived and then she quickly went to change into beautiful silks. in Lebanon). She went to work and never stopped until all the guests had arrived and then she quickly went to change into beautiful silks.

Hazim, a columnist for Al Hayat Al Hayat, the Arabic daily newspaper, gave me a little background to the food in Lebanon. The country is extremely fertile-together with Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq, it is known as "The Fertile Crescent"-and most of the population used to live off the land. It is a peculiarity of Lebanon that it is the only place in the Middle East where a cla.s.sic type of feudalism exists. Elsewhere, it is a case of absentee landlords, but in Lebanon, from the Middle Ages onward, the land was divided into fiefs, and the feudal lords lived among their peasants. Families like the Maan and the Chehabs established feudal princ.i.p.alities and built themselves palaces in the mountains. This has meant that the countryside was sustainable and that a rich rural culinary tradition developed in the mountain villages. They grew wheat in the valleys, and olive trees, vines, mulberry trees for silk worms, and fruit trees on terraces. Some of the villages, such as Zahle, Beit Chehab, and Mashgara, grew into towns and cities.

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, when Beirut became a mini cosmopolitan city and a commercial and intellectual center, there was a Christian migration from the mountains to Beirut and the coastal cities where the inhabitants were mainly Sunni Muslims and Greek Orthodox. (Christians, like other minorities, had moved high up into the mountains to ensure their survival and independence.) It is through the meeting of the Ottoman cooking of the main cities along the coast and the cooking of the mountains, between the urban rice culture and the rural burghul burghul (bulgur) culture, that the cla.s.sic Lebanese cuisine of today took shape. (bulgur) culture, that the cla.s.sic Lebanese cuisine of today took shape.

An all-important part of rural tradition is the preservation of food. The provisions made in the summer to last over the winter form the basis of Lebanese cooking and provide its distinctive flavors. These traditions, called the mune mune, were originally a means of survival in a country whose seasons alternated dramatically with short periods of great abundance and long ones of scarcity. Figs, apricots, and tomatoes were laid out on trays in the fields to dry in the sun. Grains, pulses, and nuts were dried on rooftops. Meats were slowly cooked and preserved in their fat. The juice of sour pomegranates was boiled down to syrupy mola.s.ses; tomatoes were reduced to paste. Yogurt was drained to make a soft cheese, which was rolled into b.a.l.l.s and preserved in olive oil. b.u.t.ter was clarified to last. Fruit and vegetables were made into jams and pickles. Olives were preserved in salt or crushed for their oil. Distilled rose and orange blossom waters were produced by boiling petals in alembics. Nowadays, all these things are made commercially, and in the cities they are considered delicacies, but there are still those who make them at home, and peasants in their rural hinterland still live off their produce. Every country dwelling once had a special storeroom for the mune mune (many still do), and the woman of the house held the key to the supplies she had labored to produce, usually with the help of neighbors. During the last, long, civil war when routes were barred and people were afraid to travel, the (many still do), and the woman of the house held the key to the supplies she had labored to produce, usually with the help of neighbors. During the last, long, civil war when routes were barred and people were afraid to travel, the mune mune became important again. became important again.

The Lebanese are famously great immigrants and immigration abroad, mainly to Africa and the Americas, was a Christian phenomenon that began in the late nineteenth century. It is said that there are more Lebanese living abroad than in Lebanon-but many of them return home. When families returned, they brought with them the quality of life to which they had grown accustomed. They built beautiful houses (you can see big cars outside) and began to spend money on eating well. They were no longer cooking like the local "peasants" with clarified b.u.t.ter and sheep's-tail fat, but took to lighter cooking with fresh b.u.t.ter and oil. They saw themselves as neither mountain nor coastal people, but in the middle, and having a touch of worldliness.

Social and economic contrasts have also contributed, along with the country's geography, to culinary diversity and are a reason why you can find many versions of every dish. Prosperity is concentrated in Beirut and on the coast. Apart from the mountain "aristocracies" and the rich villages of returnees from Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere, the hinterland is, in the main, poor and has traditionally subsisted on agriculture.

The Mezze Mezze Tradition Tradition One important factor in the development of a sophisticated Lebanese cuisine was that drinking was not banned in this pluralistic country. The Church owned vineyards, and monasteries produced wine. The role of wine and especially arak arak, a powerful distilled spirit made from sweet, white grapes flavored with aniseed, was crucial in refining Lebanese food.

The drinking of arak arak (it is (it is raki raki in Turkey and in Turkey and ouzo ouzo in Greece) is behind the whole philosophy and practice of the in Greece) is behind the whole philosophy and practice of the mezze mezze tradition. The tradition. The mezze mezze, a national inst.i.tution, represents an art of living where socializing is all-important. The tradition developed as a way of soaking up the national drink, affectionately called "lion's milk" because it turns cloudy when water is added. It is mixed with cold water (one part arak arak to two of water, but this can vary) and served with a large piece of ice. to two of water, but this can vary) and served with a large piece of ice.

According to legend, the special character of the Lebanese mezze mezze was born in the Bekaa Valley, where was born in the Bekaa Valley, where arak arak is produced and where the Lebanese vineyards such as Kefraya and Ksara are situated. The Bekaa Valley is a high valley, cradled between two parallel high mountain ranges, the Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon. Renowned for its fresh air, its natural springs, and the Bardaouni River, which cascades down the mountain, it is a major agricultural region. It is also the stopping place for travelers on their way from Damascus in Syria. is produced and where the Lebanese vineyards such as Kefraya and Ksara are situated. The Bekaa Valley is a high valley, cradled between two parallel high mountain ranges, the Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon. Renowned for its fresh air, its natural springs, and the Bardaouni River, which cascades down the mountain, it is a major agricultural region. It is also the stopping place for travelers on their way from Damascus in Syria.

Zahle, the resort where Lebanon's favorite riverside restaurants are situated, acquired a mythical reputation for gastronomy. In 1920, the first two cafes opened by the river. They gave away a.s.sorted nuts, seeds, olives, bits of cheese, and raw vegetables with the local arak. arak. Gradually, the entire valley became filled with open-air cafes, each larger and more luxurious than the next, each vying to attract customers who flocked from all over the Middle East with ever more varied Gradually, the entire valley became filled with open-air cafes, each larger and more luxurious than the next, each vying to attract customers who flocked from all over the Middle East with ever more varied mezze. mezze. The reputation of the local mountain village foods they offered spread far and wide, both at home and abroad. It is on these The reputation of the local mountain village foods they offered spread far and wide, both at home and abroad. It is on these mezze mezze that the ubiquitous menu of Lebanese restaurants around the world is based. While in the countryside, hands cross amicably over the table to pick at the foods even when individual plates are offered, in the cities you are given plates to help yourself and you select foods only from your corner of the table. That, Hazim says, is a less sociable way, not quite in the original spirit of the that the ubiquitous menu of Lebanese restaurants around the world is based. While in the countryside, hands cross amicably over the table to pick at the foods even when individual plates are offered, in the cities you are given plates to help yourself and you select foods only from your corner of the table. That, Hazim says, is a less sociable way, not quite in the original spirit of the mezze. mezze.

Whereas restaurant food is based on mezze mezze and grilled meats, family meals in the home revolve around a main dish, usually a meat and vegetable stew, or stuffed vegetables such as zucchini, served with and grilled meats, family meals in the home revolve around a main dish, usually a meat and vegetable stew, or stuffed vegetables such as zucchini, served with burghul burghul or rice and sometimes also yogurt. It is accompanied by radishes, little cuc.u.mbers, scallions, and pickled turnips or by a salad, and followed by fruit, and it ends with Turkish coffee. Desserts and pastries are not always served at the end of the meal but to visitors who may turn up during the afternoon. or rice and sometimes also yogurt. It is accompanied by radishes, little cuc.u.mbers, scallions, and pickled turnips or by a salad, and followed by fruit, and it ends with Turkish coffee. Desserts and pastries are not always served at the end of the meal but to visitors who may turn up during the afternoon.

Hospitality and convivial social life are an all-important part of Lebanese life. I am used to high Middle Eastern standards of hospitality, but I have never experienced anything like the gracious, warm, and joyful way in which I was entertained in Lebanon. Everybody is always out and about, meeting friends and enjoying themselves. I wondered how they could ever get any work done in this famously entrepreneurial part of the Middle East. People entertain constantly and mezze mezze are the favorite way of entertaining. If you visit a home unexpectedly, you are invariably asked to stay for a drink, and a colorful a.s.sortment of are the favorite way of entertaining. If you visit a home unexpectedly, you are invariably asked to stay for a drink, and a colorful a.s.sortment of mezze mezze appears as if by magic. A modest a.s.sortment may comprise such items as roasted pumpkin seeds or chickpeas, pistachios, olives, pickled turnips and cuc.u.mbers, tomatoes, baby romaine lettuce hearts, radishes, scallions, appears as if by magic. A modest a.s.sortment may comprise such items as roasted pumpkin seeds or chickpeas, pistachios, olives, pickled turnips and cuc.u.mbers, tomatoes, baby romaine lettuce hearts, radishes, scallions, labne labne (yogurt cheese), feta, and haloumi cheese. (yogurt cheese), feta, and haloumi cheese.

Extended family reunions always turn into gargantuan feasts that begin with mezze. mezze. There will be There will be kibbeh kibbeh (see page 311), small savory pies, little meat pizzas, a variety of stuffed vegetables, tiny omelettes, grilled quails, (see page 311), small savory pies, little meat pizzas, a variety of stuffed vegetables, tiny omelettes, grilled quails, bottarga bottarga, and a variety of dips and salads. They will be served with Arab flat breads or pieces of the very thin large Lebanese markouk markouk (see page 245), used for picking up morsels of food. The (see page 245), used for picking up morsels of food. The mezze mezze is followed by main dishes and pastries. is followed by main dishes and pastries.

It was during the 1960s, between the civil war of 1958 and that of 1975, during the seventeen years of relative calm, when roads were built and communications became easy, that a unified Lebanese cuisine came into its own and the restaurant trade flourished. Unlike some other Middle Eastern countries at that time, such as Syria and Egypt, Lebanon did not have a socialist or military regime. It encouraged private enterprise and attracted money and investment, creating a prosperity unprecedented in that part of the Middle East. The opportunities also created the broadest middle cla.s.s in the region that could patronize a restaurant trade. Many restaurants were opened during this time, and when the last civil war broke out, many restaurateurs left and opened establishments abroad. That is when Lebanese restaurants mushroomed in Britain, France, the United States, and elsewhere.

The Important Role of Vegetables Vegetables and pulses are extremely popular in Lebanon and appear in both everyday and celebratory dishes -mezze -mezze, pickles, salads, and main and side dishes. The Arabs introduced the cultivation of certain vegetables such as spinach and eggplants to the country at an early point, while the crops from the New World of the Americas arrived late in the Arab world-some as late as the nineteenth century. The tomato, for instance, was introduced in Syria in 1851 when it was labeled "franji," which means French, as everything that came from Europe was then called.

Vegetables are always considered important in areas where much of the population is composed of peasants who can rarely afford meat, but in Lebanon they have a particularly vital role. Many vegetarian dishes are a.s.sociated with the Christian communities because of the fasts prescribed by the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Armenian Churches. Until a few decades ago, Christians from these churches felt compelled to abide by the strict rules that obliged them to either partial abstinence, when meat could be taken only once a day at the princ.i.p.al meal, or complete abstinence from meat. All foods derived from animals, sometimes including eggs and dairy products, were prohibited for forty days before Christmas, fifteen days before the a.s.sumption of the Virgin Mary, during Lent, which begins seven weeks before Easter, as well as on every Wednesday and Friday in the year. Nowadays, although restrictions have generally been dropped, many of the traditional, meatless dishes of grains, vegetables, and pulses have been adopted by the general population in the cities where they represent the trendy healthy diet that city people now aspire to.

On a recent visit to Lebanon, I spent much time in the kitchen with someone who is a genius with vegetables. Kamal Mouzawak, a food writer and TV chef, teaches vegetarian and gourmet healthy eating. He is the Lebanese coordinator of the Slow Food movement and has started a farmers' market in Beirut. He lives with his fas.h.i.+on-designer partner, Rabih Kayrouz. They are celebrated for their dinner parties (Rabih is in charge of the dramatic decor) that they hold in their fabulous, old-style apartment and on their roof garden. On one occasion, I helped with the cooking when they were entertaining sixty people. Kamal also took me to meet his mother, Fariba, at her village. Several of the dishes in this book are inspired by him and by his mother.

I was a guest on the Lebanese TV program presented by Kamal and Mariam Nour, which is popular all over the Arab world. Mariam is famously dedicated to spreading her ideas on the healing power of vegetarian and macrobiotic foods, which she intermingles with ideas about spirituality, philosophy, the art of living, self-knowledge, ident.i.ty, meditation, and similar therapies. We were joined by two women who brought baskets full of produce such a lentils still on the plant, and wild endive and herbs from their peasants' cooperative in the south of the country. They made for us a salad of burghul burghul and tomato paste and a porridge of wheat and yogurt. and tomato paste and a porridge of wheat and yogurt.

About Bread Bread is used for picking up morsels of food, for dipping into purees, or soaking up a sauce. People also roll up pieces into small cornets and fill them with food. A common Lebanese bread is like a very thin, round pita, called khobz halabi khobz halabi (Aleppo bread), which comes in varying sizes. Another more typical bread, called (Aleppo bread), which comes in varying sizes. Another more typical bread, called markouk markouk, is made on a curved metal saj saj and is like a very large, very thin giant pancake. There is also a sesame bread called and is like a very large, very thin giant pancake. There is also a sesame bread called ka'ak bil semsum ka'ak bil semsum, which is sold in the street and looks like a handbag with a ring handle. It is eaten with za'tar za'tar, a mix of dried thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt.

About Beverages Beverages are much like those in Turkey-the cool yogurt drink ayran; ayran; the heartwarming thick, milky drink the heartwarming thick, milky drink sahlab sahlab ( (salep in Turkey-see page 151), Turkish coffee; mint and cinnamon tea; infusions such as in Turkey-see page 151), Turkish coffee; mint and cinnamon tea; infusions such as karkade karkade (made with hibiscus); syrups such as apricot, date, tamarind, and licorice. A typically Lebanese after-dinner drink that is offered as an alternative to Turkish coffee is "white" coffee, which is boiling water with a drop of orange blossom water. You should try it. (made with hibiscus); syrups such as apricot, date, tamarind, and licorice. A typically Lebanese after-dinner drink that is offered as an alternative to Turkish coffee is "white" coffee, which is boiling water with a drop of orange blossom water. You should try it.

Starters and Mezze The tradition of the mezze- mezze- the little appetizers and hors d'oeuvres served with drinks- goes right across the Mediterranean, but Lebanon beats every country by the sheer quant.i.ty and variety that is offered in restaurants, with some serving as many as forty and even fifty different ones. At home, some of these little dishes appear on the Sunday lunch tables when extended families get together (everybody goes to visit their parents in the mountain villages on Sunday) and no buffet table could be without a familiar selection. the little appetizers and hors d'oeuvres served with drinks- goes right across the Mediterranean, but Lebanon beats every country by the sheer quant.i.ty and variety that is offered in restaurants, with some serving as many as forty and even fifty different ones. At home, some of these little dishes appear on the Sunday lunch tables when extended families get together (everybody goes to visit their parents in the mountain villages on Sunday) and no buffet table could be without a familiar selection.

I went to Zahle, the "world capital" of the Arab mezze mezze (see page 240). My father and many of my cousins in Egypt had been regular visitors to the mountain resort and their descriptions were the basis of an idyllic, rural image I had formed in my imagination. It is now the main city of the Bekaa Valley, full of concrete housing and, in season, a tourist trap of the Arab world. But the rows of open-air restaurants along the river are still immensely appealing with their (see page 240). My father and many of my cousins in Egypt had been regular visitors to the mountain resort and their descriptions were the basis of an idyllic, rural image I had formed in my imagination. It is now the main city of the Bekaa Valley, full of concrete housing and, in season, a tourist trap of the Arab world. But the rows of open-air restaurants along the river are still immensely appealing with their mezze mezze menus rooted in the local rural traditions. menus rooted in the local rural traditions.

Mezze are the best part of a Lebanese meal. Picking at a variety of delicious foods with different flavors and textures is a wonderful way to eat. But the convivial aspect of the tradition is equally important. The highlight of a recent stay in Lebanon was a wedding party near the ancient city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley. Nadim Khattar, an architect based in London, and Andrea Kowalski, a Venezuelan working at the BBC, had organized a sumptuous feast for their guests who came from all over the world; it was held in a field in the middle of the countryside. The lunch went on for hours as little dish upon little dish arrived at the long tables, one more exquisite than the other, each jostling for s.p.a.ce, while baby lambs roasted on fires and musicians played. It was pure joy-better than the scenes imagined in my childhood. The wedding party went on for two days. The spirit of fun and conviviality attached to the lingering over are the best part of a Lebanese meal. Picking at a variety of delicious foods with different flavors and textures is a wonderful way to eat. But the convivial aspect of the tradition is equally important. The highlight of a recent stay in Lebanon was a wedding party near the ancient city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley. Nadim Khattar, an architect based in London, and Andrea Kowalski, a Venezuelan working at the BBC, had organized a sumptuous feast for their guests who came from all over the world; it was held in a field in the middle of the countryside. The lunch went on for hours as little dish upon little dish arrived at the long tables, one more exquisite than the other, each jostling for s.p.a.ce, while baby lambs roasted on fires and musicians played. It was pure joy-better than the scenes imagined in my childhood. The wedding party went on for two days. The spirit of fun and conviviality attached to the lingering over mezze mezze is something everyone should try to emulate. is something everyone should try to emulate.

Start a dinner party with a carefully chosen variety of mezze mezze (it could be just two or three). Serve them with warm bread-the thin round Lebanese pita-like bread called (it could be just two or three). Serve them with warm bread-the thin round Lebanese pita-like bread called khobz halabi khobz halabi or the very thin sheets called or the very thin sheets called markouk markouk (see page 245) or with pita bread, and put olives and raw vegetables-radishes, tomatoes, cuc.u.mbers, scallions-on the table. (see page 245) or with pita bread, and put olives and raw vegetables-radishes, tomatoes, cuc.u.mbers, scallions-on the table.

All the dishes in this chapter, except the soups, can be served as part of a mezze mezze selection. Some make good finger food and, with the dips, can be served with drinks at a party. Some can make a wonderful first course on their own. selection. Some make good finger food and, with the dips, can be served with drinks at a party. Some can make a wonderful first course on their own.

EGGPLANT and and TAHINI DIP TAHINI DIP Baba Ghanouj This version of the famous dip-an unusual one with added yogurt-is particularly delicious and creamy. Serve with pita or Lebanese bread.

SERVES 6 TO 8 2 eggplants (about 1 pounds)3 tablespoons tahinijuice of 2 lemons to 4/5 cup strained Greek-style yogurt2 garlic cloves, crushedsalt2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley p.r.i.c.k the eggplants in a few places with a pointed knife to prevent them from exploding. Turn them over the flame of the gas burner or a hot barbecue, or under the broiler, until the skin is charred all over (this gives them a distinctive smoky flavor) and they feel very soft when you press them. Alternatively, place them on a sheet of foil on an oven tray and roast them in the hottest preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until the skins are wrinkled and they are very soft.

When cool enough to handle, peel and drop them into a strainer or colander with small holes. Press out as much of the water and juices as possible. Still in the colander, chop the flesh with a pointed knife, then mash it with a fork or wooden spoon, letting the juices escape through the holes. Adding a tiny squeeze of lemon juice helps to keep the puree looking pale and appetizing.

In a bowl, beat the tahini with the lemon juice (the tahini stiffens at first then softens), then beat in the yogurt. Add the mashed eggplants, garlic to taste, and some salt. Beat vigorously and taste to adjust the flavoring.

Spread the puree onto a flat serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parsley.

VARIATION My friend Kamal, whom I watched in his kitchen in Beirut, adds the juice of a bitter orange. In this case, omit the yogurt.

HUMMUS - CHICKPEA and and TAHINI DIP TAHINI DIP Hummus Bi Tehine Hummus is popular in America now. It is the kind of thing you make to taste, adding a little more garlic, salt, or tahini as you go along. Serve it with warmed pita bread.

SERVES 6 1 cups chickpeas, soaked in water overnight3 to 4 tablespoons tahinijuice of 2 lemons3 garlic cloves, crushedsalt4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Drain the soaked chickpeas and put them in a pan with plenty of fresh water. Bring to the boil, remove the sc.u.m, and simmer for 1 hours, until they are very soft. Drain, reserving the cooking water.

Blend the chickpeas to a puree in the food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and a little of the cooking water-just enough to blend it to a soft, creamy paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Pour the hummus hummus into a shallow dish and drizzle over the olive oil. into a shallow dish and drizzle over the olive oil.

OPTIONAL GARNISHES Sprinkle on plenty of finely chopped parsley; or make a star design with lines of paprika and ground c.u.min; or sprinkle with ground sumac (see page 7) and a little chopped flat-leaf parsley; or garnish with a few whole boiled chickpeas, or with pine nuts lightly fried in b.u.t.ter.

VARIATION For a hot version, pour the hummus hummus into a shallow baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 400F. Lightly fry cup pine nuts in 4 tablespoons of b.u.t.ter or extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them, with the melted b.u.t.ter or oil, over the dish. into a shallow baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 400F. Lightly fry cup pine nuts in 4 tablespoons of b.u.t.ter or extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them, with the melted b.u.t.ter or oil, over the dish.

Balila is a warm chickpea salad. Boil the soaked and drained chickpeas in plenty of water for 1 hours. Turn them out into a serving bowl with just a little of their reduced cooking water and crush them only slightly with a fork. Stir in, to taste, plenty of extra virgin olive oil, a generous amount of crushed garlic, a pinch of chili pepper (optional), and some finely chopped mint. is a warm chickpea salad. Boil the soaked and drained chickpeas in plenty of water for 1 hours. Turn them out into a serving bowl with just a little of their reduced cooking water and crush them only slightly with a fork. Stir in, to taste, plenty of extra virgin olive oil, a generous amount of crushed garlic, a pinch of chili pepper (optional), and some finely chopped mint.

CHEESE and and YOGURT DIP YOGURT DIP Jibne Wa Labneh This dip is quick to make. Serve it with crisp toasted flat bread and, if you like, black olives, cuc.u.mbers cut into little sticks, plum tomatoes cut in wedges, and scallions. You can now find labneh, labneh, the very thick Lebanese strained yogurt, in Middle Eastern stores. the very thick Lebanese strained yogurt, in Middle Eastern stores.

SERVES 6 TO 8 pound feta cheese1 cup thick Lebanese or strained Greek-style yogurt cup extra virgin olive oil Crush the feta cheese with a fork, then add the yogurt and mash together. Spread the dip in a shallow serving dish and drizzle over the olive oil.

WALNUT and and POMEGRANATE SALAD POMEGRANATE SALAD Muhammara This is a version of a surprising paste that you also find in Turkey. Pomegranate mola.s.ses (or concentrate) gives it an intriguing sweet-and-sour flavor (see page 7 7 ). Some like it peppery-hot with chili flakes or puree (see Variation below); personally, I like it with only a touch of ground chili pepper. ). Some like it peppery-hot with chili flakes or puree (see Variation below); personally, I like it with only a touch of ground chili pepper.

SERVES 6 1 cup sh.e.l.led walnuts1 thick slice of whole wheat bread, crusts off1 tablespoon pomegranate mola.s.ses to teaspoon ground c.u.minpinch of ground chili peppersalt4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil3 tablespoons pine nuts (optional) Grind the walnuts in the food processor. Soak the bread in water, squeeze it dry, and put it in the processor with the walnuts. Add the pomegranate mola.s.ses, c.u.min, chili pepper, a little salt, the olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of water and blend to a soft paste. If it is too stiff, add another tablespoon or so of water.

Serve spread on a flat plate, sprinkled, if you like, with the pine nuts fried in a drop of oil until they only just begin to color.

VARIATION If you want it hot, add 1 teaspoon or more of harissa harissa, the North African chili puree that you can buy in jars or tubes in Middle Eastern and North African stores. A few stores sell an "artisan" quality that is particularly good.

Another version of muhammara muhammara is a 50/50 blend of walnuts and pine nuts. is a 50/50 blend of walnuts and pine nuts.

TABBOULEH There is a mystique around the preparation of this famous salad. I watched my friend Kamal make it in Beirut, and his main tip was that you must slice, not chop, the parsley, so that it does not get crushed and mushy. Use the fine-ground bulgur, which is available in Middle Eastern stores. These stores and Asian ones also sell parsley in tied bunches that weigh between 7 7 ounces and ounces and 10 10 ounces with stems. Mix and dress the salad only when you are ready to serve. ounces with stems. Mix and dress the salad only when you are ready to serve.

SERVES 6 large bunch of flat-leaf parsley (about pound) (3 to 4 cups of leaves, loosely packed)bunch of mint (about 3 ounces) (1 cups of leaves, loosely packed)1/3 cup fine-ground bulgurjuice of 2 lemons14 ounces firm ripe tomatoes, finely diced6 scallions, thinly sliced5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilsalt and black pepper1 romaine or 2 Little Gem (baby romaine) lettuces Keeping the parsley in its bunch, wash it by holding the stems and plunging the leaves in a bowl of water. Shake the water out and leave it to dry on a cloth. Holding the bunch tightly with one hand on a chopping board, slice the leaves with a very sharp knife as finely as you possibly can. Wash and slice the mint leaves in the same way and add them to the parsley.

Rinse the bulgur very briefly in a strainer under cold running water, then press out the excess water. About 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, mix the bulgur with the lemon juice and chopped tomatoes so that it softens in their juices.

Just before serving, mix all the ingredients gently together. The traditional way of eating tabbouleh is to scoop it up with romaine lettuce leaves cut in half or the leaves of Little Gem lettuces. Serve the leaves separately, or stick them in the bowl around the salad.

NOTE If you cannot get fine-ground bulgur you can use the usual medium-ground one, in which case it will need to soak in water for 20 minutes.

BREAD SALAD with with SUMAC SUMAC Fattoush This bread salad is the favorite everyday, Lebanese salad. Sumac (see page 7 7 ) gives it a distinctive sharp flavor. The old traditional way was to moisten the toasted bread with water and a little lemon juice before soaking it further with the dressing, which made it deliciously soft and soggy. Nowadays, the toasted bread is broken into pieces and added to the salad at the last minute while it is crisp. You can buy purslane and small cuc.u.mbers (they have a better flavor than our large ones) in Middle Eastern stores. ) gives it a distinctive sharp flavor. The old traditional way was to moisten the toasted bread with water and a little lemon juice before soaking it further with the dressing, which made it deliciously soft and soggy. Nowadays, the toasted bread is broken into pieces and added to the salad at the last minute while it is crisp. You can buy purslane and small cuc.u.mbers (they have a better flavor than our large ones) in Middle Eastern stores.

SERVES 6 TO 8 1 pita breads1 romaine lettuce, cut into -inch ribbonsabout 2 cups purslane leaves or lamb's lettuce (mache)4 firm ripe tomatoes, cut into medium pieces4 small cuc.u.mbers, peeled and cut into thick slices1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small slices1 mild onions or 8 scallions, choppedlarge handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley4 to 5 sprigs of mint, shredded1/3 to cup extra virgin olive oiljuice of 1 lemonsalt and black pepper1 tablespoon ground sumac Cut around the pita and open them out. Toast them under the broiler or in the oven until they are crisp; turn them over once. Break them into small pieces in your hands.

Put all the vegetables and herbs in a large bowl. For the dressing, mix the olive oil with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sumac.

Just before serving, sprinkle the toasted pita pieces over the salad and toss the salad well with the dressing.

BULGUR and and CHICKPEA SALAD CHICKPEA SALAD Safsouf This rustic salad from the Bekaa Valley does not feature on the standard restaurant menu. It began originally as the leftover, meatless filling for vine leaves. Make it with fine-ground bulgur.

SERVES 6 1 cup fine-or medium-ground bulgur2 garlic cloves, crushedjuice of 2 to 3 lemonssalt and black pepper7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilone 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained3 cups loosely packed finely chopped flat-leaf parsley1 cup loosely packed finely chopped mint leaves

Soak the bulgur in plenty of cold water for 20 minutes, until tender, then drain and squeeze out the excess water. In a bowl, mix the garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Soak the drained chickpeas in this for 10 minutes, then stir in the bulgur.

Mix in the chopped herbs when you are ready to serve.

MINT and and PARSLEY SALAD PARSLEY SALAD with with RICE RICE Tabbouleh Bi Roz This is a very green and appealing herby salad, also born as the leftover filling of vegetables cooked in oil. It is meant to be very sharp, but start with the juice of one lemon and add more, if you wish, after tasting.

SERVES 4 1 cup basmati ricesalt2 cups loosely packed chopped flat-leaf parsley5 sprigs mint, chopped7 scallions, thinly slicedjuice of 1 to 1 lemons5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilblack pepper5 ripe and firm tomatoes, finely diced1 Little Gem (baby romaine) lettuce (optional) Wash and rinse the basmati rice. Cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 to 20 minutes. (Some brands that claim not to be parboiled or precooked now take as little as 8 to 10 minutes, so read the information on the package and watch the rice carefully so it does not overcook.) When it is just tender, drain quickly and leave to cool.

Just before serving, mix the rice with the parsley, mint, and scallions. Dress with a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix well. Serve on a flat plate, topped with the diced tomato lightly seasoned with salt.

Garnish, if you like, with a ring of lettuce leaves stuck around the edges of the salad.

EGGPLANT and and TOMATO SALAD TOMATO SALAD Batinjan Raheb This is beautiful to look at and delicious.

SERVES 6 TO 8 2 to 3 eggplants (weighing about 2 pounds)juice of to 1 lemon3 garlic cloves, crushed4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilsalt and black pepperlarge handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley4 sprigs of mint, chopped4 scallions, finely sliced4 plum tomatoes, unpeeled, dicedhandful of fresh pomegranate seeds (optional) p.r.i.c.k the eggplants in a few places with a pointed knife to prevent them from exploding. Turn them over the flame of the gas burner or a hot barbecue, or under the broiler, until the skin is charred all over (this gives them a distinctive smoky flavor) and they feel very soft when you press them. Alternatively, place them on a sheet of foil on an oven tray and roast them in the hottest preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the skins are wrinkled and they are very soft.

When cool enough to handle, peel and drop them into a strainer or colander with small holes. Press out as much of the water and juices as possible. Still in the colander, chop the flesh with a pointed knife, then mash it with a fork or wooden spoon, letting the juices escape through the holes.