ingredient... that is, if you add the right combination of spices, and give it the time and effort to cook it properly with the passion and attention it deserves, or as they say in Arabic, nefus ala el ekel (literally meaning to “have breath that is good for food”).
I discovered even more exotic and wonderful foods the longer I stayed in Syria and I even started to enjoy Middle Eastern foods that I didn't care for originally, like slimy green soup (Molokhia) and super tangy yogurt cheese (Labneh). As I was experiencing all these new foods, I was also learning how to cook them from my mother-in-law, Sahar, a fantastic cook, who, in true Syrian tradition, knew her way around the kitchen before the age of ten. The only way to learn how to cook from authentic old world cooks is to watch them in action. Nothing is written down, there are no cooking times, very few enumerated steps, and certainly no measurements. I remember one night Mike requested I make him rice pudding, so he asked his mom for the recipe. This is the translation of what she told him: “Cook some rice and warm some milk. Add cornstarch and sugar and boil. Make sure to add rosewater.” When I asked how much milk, the answer was “as much as you want to make.” And what about the rice? “A small coffee cup of rice.” Keep in mind that Middle Eastern coffee, like espresso, is served in tiny demitasse cups... luckily I knew this before I made the pudding! Those were only the start of my questions though. From then on, I realized that if I wanted to learn how to cook Middle Eastern food I would have to watch Sahar. But even this wasn't as easy as it sounds.
There was a language barrier between Sahar and I: she spoke only a little English and I spoke even less Arabic. In the beginning, much of our time together in the kitchen was spent pointing to ingredients and both excitedly exclaiming what they were. Then I would watch her cook and, as she was working, I took the time to intricately write down ingredients, measurements, methods, steps, and cooking times. Finally, it got to the point where I had mastered a few recipes and I was the one making family meals... and with a family of about ten this was no small feat! As I fell in love with Middle Eastern cuisine and culture, learning the art of Middle Eastern cooking became a passion for me. When Mike and I left the Middle East after spending six months there, I left with a knowledge of and a great appreciation for Middle Eastern fare; more than that though, I truly felt like I had been accepted into his family.
Since then I've had the opportunity to travel to the Middle East four other times. After mastering a number of basic recipes and techniques, I've been able to delve even deeper into the cuisine and culture of the region, which has given me an even deeper passion for Middle Eastern fare.
When Mike and I arrived in the U. S., I felt prepared to make him his favorite Middle Eastern foods; actually, by then my passion for cooking had grown immensely and I began to take every opportunity to learn about new dishes, techniques, and regional cuisines. As my love for cooking grew, so did my talent. I began planning special occasion menus for my family, which evolved into family and friends asking me to cater events for them. After making a Mother's Day meal for my mom in 2009, I decided to start a food blog (www.AnEdibleMosaic.com) to share the meal that I had made for her. In initiating my blog, I hoped to be an inspiration to home cooks who were looking for a little bit of encouragement to experiment in the kitchen (because after all, I'm a home cook myself... and if I can do it, so can they!). My other reason for starting An Edible Mosaic was to have a venue to share the wealth of information I had learned about Middle Eastern cuisine. Authentic old world recipes are typically shared orally and aren't put into writing, but since I had the good fortune of being able to watch a master Middle Eastern cook in the kitchen, I knew this information had to be memorialized and shared with the world.
Through this book, I'm sharing the recipes that I've lovingly learned to make in hopes that they become new favorites and the basis of new traditions for other families. I'm hoping to show home cooks that Middle Eastern food is not only delicious but also attainable, and goes well beyond the commonly known Middle Eastern favorites. Another of my aspirations for this book is that it serves as a written collection of authentic Middle Eastern fare for those who are looking for traditional recipes. I think it will be indispensible to people who have traveled to the Middle East or have married into a Middle Eastern family and want to be able to replicate authentic Middle Eastern recipes at home. My final goal is that this book teaches a bit of Middle Eastern culture along with cuisine, as the two are so closely intertwined.
May you always have a healthy appetite. Saha (to your health)!
Faith Gorsky
author of An Edible Mosaic
Cooking Tips and Techniques
This section is meant as a guide for some of the most commonly used techniques in Middle Eastern cooking. As I learned how to cook, I was surprised that even a small amount of extra effort can make a huge difference in a finished product. Brining chicken, for example, requires minimal effort and you will be able to taste the difference from the first bite: not only is brined chicken more tender and juicy, but it tastes fresher and has less of a fishy flavor than non-brined chicken. This section also shows you that some kitchen tasks are much easier to do at home than you might have thought. For example, I used to buy blanched almonds at the grocery store before I realized how easy it is to blanch them at home (and it saves money too!). And there are other tasks that I did well enough (ahem, cooking eggplant) and was happy with the results, but wasn't very impressed by the food's flavor until I learned the proper way to handle it (like giving it a little time alone with some salt). Little tricks like these will transform your food from good to fantastic.
Blanching Almonds: Blanched almonds are frequently used as a garnish for both sweet and savory dishes. They are wonderful on top of puddings or as a garnish for other desserts, like Coconut Semolina Cake (Harissa) (page 130), or sautéed up in a little bit of clarified butter or olive oil, they add flavor and crunch to rice dishes like upside-Down Rice Casserole (Maqluba) (page 114) and Baked Chicken with Red Rice Pilaf (Kebseh) (page 96). Blanched almonds are commonly available at grocery stores, but in a pinch it’s good to know how to make them at home. There are four steps to the process: (1) place fresh, shelled (raw and unsalted) almonds in a heat-safe bowl; (2) pour in enough boiling water to fully cover the almonds; (3) let the almonds sit for 1 minute, then pour into a mesh sieve, rinse under cold water, and drain; and (4) hold one almond at the wide end between your thumb and forefinger and gently squeeze—the skin should slip right off. (Note: if your almonds aren’t the freshest, you can use a slightly different method to blanch them. Pour them into a saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring up to a rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, then pour into a mesh sieve, rinse under cold water, and drain. The skins should slip right off.) Blanching can cause almonds to lose a bit of their crispness, as they tend to absorb water. To dry them out, pat them dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, and then spread them in an even layer on a large baking pan. Let them sit in a sunny spot for a full day, or transfer them to an oven that has been preheated to 200˚F (95˚C) and then turned off. Once dried, store blanched almonds in the freezer.
Chiffonading Herbs: this technique is used to shred herbs into thin, confetti-like strips. The purpose of this technique is to keep the herbs as fresh and crisp as possible, with minimal wilting or bruising. For most salads that use minced herbs such as Middle Eastern Salad (page 47) and Colorful Cabbage with Lemony Salad Dressing (page 40), a regular mincing technique
