a pressure cooker to save time. A pressure cooker is a special pot with an airtight lid and a vent or pressure release valve (newer models have more safety features and slightly fancier lids). So how does a pressure cooker speed up cooking? Food and liquid are put into the pressure cooker and the lid is sealed on top; the pot is then placed on a heat source. Once the liquid boils, the steam that would normally escape has nowhere to go since the pressure cooker’s lid is airtight; instead, the steam remains trapped and causes the pressure inside the pot to increase. As the pressure increases, so does the temperature at which the liquid boils, allowing foods to cook more quickly (foods cooked under pressure typically cook in about one-third of the time). In Middle Eastern cooking, foods with long simmering times (such as meat, beans, etc.) are well suited for pressure-cooking. (Note: Make sure to thoroughly read the manufacturer’s instructions before getting started.)
Coffee the Middle Eastern Way:
what is commonly known as turkish Coffee (Qaweh turkiyeh) is drunk all day long in the Middle East; it’s what you wake up to, what you drink as an afternoon pick-me-up, and what you serve to guests. (For more information, see turkish Coffee, page 139.) traditional Arabic coffee (called Qaweh Arabi or Qaweh Mourra) is generally reserved for a few special occasions, such as holidays, weddings, and funerals. Green coffee beans are roasted in a pan over a fire and then coarsely ground with cardamom using a large brass mortar and pestle. Water and the ground coffee are added to the pot used for making Arabic Coffee (see Middle Eastern Coffee Pot, page 16), and then placed on the fire to brew. Once the coffee boils, it is typically left to simmer for around 10 minutes, and then it’s removed from the heat and steeped for about another 10 minutes. At this point, other spices such as cloves may be added, but sugar and milk are never added. Dates may or may not be offered along with the coffee. A small amount of coffee—usually just enough to cover the bottom of the cup—is poured into a small cup without a handle called a finjan (which is about the same size as a demitasse cup). (A small but important note, coffee should be poured from a pot held in the left hand into a cup held in the right; it should always be drunk from the right hand.) Guests are served in the order of their importance and then the host serves himself last. Empty cups are handed back to the host; if the cup is shaken, it signifies to the host that the drinker is finished. If the cup isn’t shaken when it’s handed back, it signifies that the drinker would like more coffee. The first time I had this coffee was at a restaurant in Syria; I was quite surprised at its bitterness. I asked a friend about the coffee’s bitterness and he told me that it isn’t a matter of liking Arabic coffee. He said that in Middle Eastern culture, it’s just something you know you’ll taste a couple times a year.
Basic Cooking Tools
Glancing through the list of cooking tools, you'll notice that some are very traditional (mortar and pestle) and others are for today's modern kitchen (think food processor!). Modern kitchen tools and appliances are by no means necessities (that is, if time is not of the essence), since cooking tasks can always be done by hand the traditional way … but these amenities sure do make our lives easier. And on the flip side, traditional tools still have their place too; I use my mortar and pestle nearly every day, even if it's to do nothing more than crush garlic or grind spices. Many of the tools listed here are probably already in your kitchen; others can be found in any department store, and there are a select few that you will probably only be able to find in Middle Eastern stores.
Cookie Molds (Alleb Ma’amoul): there are three different types of mold used for making Date-Filled Cookies (page 118), and each is used for a different filling. The mold for date filling is circular with a flat top, the mold for pistachio filling is circular with a pointed top, and the mold for walnut filling is oval shaped. Some molds are made of plastic, but most are made of wood with intricate carvings inside and a flat rim above the well, which is where you firmly tap on a hard surface to remove the pastry. Most molds are about the same size: the date and pistachio molds are approximately 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, and the walnut mold is about 2.5 inches x 1.5 inches (6.5 cm x 3.75 cm).
Food Processor (Khulat): this modern-day kitchen tool has become a very handy addition to today’s Middle Eastern kitchen. Things that were traditionally made by hand with a mortar and pestle (see page 17), such as Creamy Garlic Sauce on page 24, Eggplant Dip on page 64, and Bell Pepper walnut Dip on page 72, now take a fraction of the time to make in a food processor.
Large Cutting Board/Utility Board (Methrameh): A large cutting board is handy for so many kitchen tasks; in the Middle Eastern kitchen, a large board is particularly useful for making salads since they frequently have many different components, most of which are meticulously chopped (see Making Middle Eastern Salads, page 12). I prefer sturdy plastic boards over other materials, since they can be thoroughly disinfected; also, I like to keep a separate board for cutting meats and vegetables/fruits.
Middle Eastern Coffee Pot (Della): there are two kinds of pots used: one for traditional/special occasion Arabic coffee (called Qaweh Arabi or Qaweh Mourra, which means “bitter coffee”), and one for everyday coffee, which is commonly known as turkish coffee (Qaweh Turkiyeh); these pots are called the same thing, but are differentiated by the type of coffee you want to make. The pot used for Arabic coffee comes in many sizes and styles but has a pointed, beak-like spout. The pot used to brew everyday coffee also comes in many sizes and styles, but it’s sloped, with a narrower top leading down to a slightly wider base.
Mincing Knife/Mezzaluna (Ferrameh): this knife has a single or double curved blade with a handle on both ends, allowing food (such as herbs or other vegetables) to be minced in a back-and-forth rocking motion. The good thing about this tool is that it typically makes quick work out of mincing; however, the downside is that it’s easy to bruise herbs using it. Generally, if an herb is being added to a cooked dish, such as cilantro to Sautéed Greens and Cilantro on page 58, this tool works just fine, otherwise, herbs should be minced using a regular mincing technique (also see Chiffonading herbs, page 10). This tool is most frequently used to mince fresh jute mallow to make Roast Chicken with Rice and Vegetable Soup (page 90).
Mortar and Pestle (Mudukka): A mortar is a bowl-shaped object and a pestle is a blunt, elongated object; you need them both to get the job done. Food (such as spices or garlic) is placed into the mortar, and the pestle is used to crush or grind the food, or create an emulsion such as Garlic Mayonnaise (page 24). Both mortars and pestles are usually made out of heavy material, such as stone or hard wood, since this helps grind the food faster. For many purposes nowadays, a Food Processor (page 16) is used instead of a mortar and pestle to save time.
Round Baking Pan (Saynieh): these resemble round cake pans; they are about 2 inches (5 cm) deep and come in a variety of sizes from very small to very, very large. They are useful for cooking any number of things, such as Coconut Semolina Cake (harissa) (page 130) or Meatballs with Potato in tomato Sauce (page 113). Extra large pans are also very useful for kneading dough with easy clean up.
