VeganCulinaryExperience - Dec 2009

http://www.veganculinaryexperience.com

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Features

Sumac: May Bring You

Harmony, but Always Boasts

Great Taste 13 By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Learn about this tart, overlooked

spice that is so important to

Middle Eastern cuisine.

The Far East Meets the

Middle: Japanese and

Middle Eastern Fusion

15 By Chef Philip Gelb

Edamame hummus, miso veggie

kebabs, and more. Yum!

Raw Food: The Beautiful

Road to Health 17 By Angela Elliott

An inspirational reflection on the

transformative healing power of

raw foods through three personal

stories.

Columns

What’s Cooking? 3

Find out what’s up with the Vegan

Culinary Experience this month.

Ancient Fruit Trees of the

Near East 21 By Liz Lonetti

Growing tips, culinary uses, and a

bit of history about four ancient,

and contemporary, trees.

Tabata Intervals 23By Barry Lovelace

Maximize your efficiency in the

gym with Tabata Intervals.

The Vegan Mediterranean

Diet: A Very Compassionate

Choice 24 By Christine Watson

The Compassionate Nutritionist

shows how easy it is to take a

predominantly vegan cuisine

completely vegan.

Vegan Cuisine and the Law:

Vegan Pocketbook Power 25 By Mindy Kursban, Esq.

Find out how you can make a

difference through the mighty

influence of your spending power.

Marketplace 8

Get connected and find out about

vegan friendly businesses and

organizations.

Recipe Index 42

A listing of all the recipes found in

this issue, compiled with links.

see the following page for

interviews and reviews…

Food from the Middle East December 2009|1

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Interviews Reviews

Interview with Chef and

Host Toni Fiore 28

Angela specializes in making raw

food simple and accessible

without compromising on flavor.

Featured Artist

Poet M. Butterflies Katz 32

A love for poetry, cooking, and

animals merge in Butterflies’

inspiring words, a mix of

compassion and philosophy set to

meter and rhyme.

Restaurant Review:

Pita Jungle 36 By Madelyn Pryor

Pita Jungle boasts an extensive

menu of Mediterranean inspired

cuisine with lots of vegan options.

Product Review: Yummy

Earth Suckers and Candies 38By Madelyn Pryor

Yummy Earth produces extra‐tasty

organic suckers and other candy,

with lots of different flavors set to

tantalize and delight.

Book Review: The Sublime

Cookbook 40 By Madelyn Pryor

Sublime is one of the preeminent

vegan restaurants in the United

States. Read on to see what our

reviewer has to say about their

foray into the cookbook world.


The Vegan Culinary Experience

Food from the Middle East December 2009

Publisher Jason Wyrick

Editors Eleanor Sampson,

Carolyn Mullin,

Madelyn Pryor

Nutrition Analyst Eleanor Sampson

Web Design William Snell & Jason Wyrick

Graphics Alex Searcy & Jason Wyrick

Video Production Kristen Mozafarri

Reviewer Madelyn Pryor

Contributing Authors Jason Wyrick

Madelyn Pryor

Jill Nussinow

Mindy Kursban

Liz Lonetti

Sharon Valencik

Philip Gelb

Barry Lovelace

Christine Watson

Emilie Hardman

Photography Credits

Cover Page Jason Wyrick & Liz Lonetti

Recipe Images Jason Wyrick

Emilie Hardman

Seitan Piccata Jason Wyrick

Quince and Jam Courtesy of Classic Garden

Magazine

Sumac, Turkish Coffee GNU Free Documentation

License

Bank Notes Public Domain

M. Butterflies Katz Courtesy of M. Butterflies

Toni Fiore Courtesy of Toni Fiore

Pita Jungle Jason Wyrick

Yummy Earth Yummy Earth Website

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My first exposure to Middle Eastern

food was at an Egyptian restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. The owners, Egyptian natives themselves, had a love for food and a love for their restaurant that was both inspiring and infectious. After my first visit, I was hooked and Middle Eastern cuisine

became a weekly sojourn. It was inevitable that I would make my foray into learning how to make my own delicacies. Cumin, coriander, pomegranates, pita, tangy flavors, deep flavors, bold flavors. This was definitely a labor of love and well worth the reward. While I still love visiting that Middle Eastern restaurant whenever I’m back in Fort Worth, I love visiting my own Middle Eastern kitchen just as much. Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well!


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Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University. After graduating, she migrated to California and began a private nutrition practice providing individual consultations and workshops, specializing in nutrition for pregnancy, new mothers, and children. You can find out more about The Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com.

Jason Wyrick ‐ Chef Jason Wyrick is the Executive Chef of Devil Spice, Arizona's vegan catering company, and the publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience. Chef Wyrick has been regularly featured on major television networks and in the press. He has done demos with several doctors, including Dr. Neal Barnard of the PCRM, Dr. John McDougall, and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. Chef Wyrick was also a guest instructor in the Le Cordon Bleu program. He has catered for PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Google. Visit Chef Jason Wyrick at www.devilspice.com and www.veganculinaryexperience.com.

Madelyn Pryor ‐ Madelyn ‘the Reviewer’ Pryor is one of Amazon.com’s top 1500 reviewers, and a certified Vine Voice. She also gets several requests every day to review books, movies, and graphic novels from various publishers including Harper‐Collins. That means that people really want Madelyn’s advice and opinion, which is fine with her, because it makes it that much easier for her to enact her plans for world domination. Those plans currently involve taking a break from her Masters of Psychology program to be the Sous Chef for the Vegan Culinary Experience. You can reach her at

[email protected].

Eleanor Sampson – Eleanor is the editor for The Vegan Culinary Experience, author, and an expert vegan baker with a specialty in delicious vegan sweets (particularly cinnamon rolls!) You can reach Eleanor at [email protected].


Mindy Kursban - Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐based diet. Look for her website in the near future: www.veg‐curious.com. Contact Mindy now at [email protected].

Liz Lonetti ‐ As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site

www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan.

Sharon Valencik ‐ Sharon Valencik is the author of Sweet Utopia: Simply Stunning Vegan Desserts. She is raising two vibrant young vegan sons and rescued animals, currently a rabbit and a dog. She comes from a lineage of artistic chef matriarchs and has been baking since age five. She is working on her next book, World Utopia: Delicious and Healthy International Vegan Cuisine. Please visit www.sweetutopia.com for more information, to ask questions, or to provide feedback.

Chef Philip Gelb ‐ Philip Gelb was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. He ended up in Florida where he received a BA in cultural anthropology and did graduate studies in ethnomusicology. For the last decade he has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where he works as a professional musician and music teacher as well as a vegan chef. As a musician he has performed all over the United States and in Japan, Europe and Canada. 5 years ago he started In the Mood for Food, a vegetarian personal chef and catering company. He has been vegetarian since 17 and after becoming vegan 4 years ago, he changed his business to strictly vegan cuisine. Although totally self taught as a chef, he is a very popular vegan cooking teacher, hosting monthly classes. His other interests include hiking, travelling, and

he is an avid film buff. Of course, he loves cooking, especially for friends as well as professionally. Visit Phil at www.philipgelb.blogspot.com.


Barry Lovelace ‐ Barry Lovelace is a vegan fitness coach specializing in the functional training of athletes. He is the owner of FitQuest Fitness in Allentown, PA, and frequently produces routine fitness podcasts at his site www.barrylovelaceblog.com.

Christine Watson ‐ Christine Watson, MS, RD, has been teaching nutrition, health and wellness since 1992. She is a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and certified wellness coach. As the owner of Compassionate Nutritionist, LLC, Christine’s goal for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy vegetarian eating and green living practices into their busy lives. To learn more about the services and products offered by Christine and subscribe to her “Compassionate Living” ezine where you’ll receive a FREE copy of her Healthy & Eco‐conscious 7‐day Menu w/recipes included, visit the company website at www.CompassionateNutritionist.com or email Christine at [email protected].

Emilie Hardman ‐ Trained as a sociologist and experienced as a data archivist, Emilie Hardman took a circuitous route into the food world where she is now a popular vegan baking and cooking instructor, award‐winning blogger, restaurant reviewer, and a contributor to many food magazines and websites. Though vegan since her teens, it was a post‐college stint in the New York City bakery, Lifethyme, that first opened Emilie’s mind and mouth to the many possibilities of vegan treats. Bringing the experiences of an international childhood and the perspective of a researcher to her food, Emilie developed thoughtful recipes and started writing about her investigations into ingredients and the meaning of food in our lives, creating a regular food and food politics column called “The Conscious

Kitchen” in What’s Up Magazine. The column soon turned into her award‐winning blog. Combining classroom experience at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and the Natural Gourmet Institute with production management experience at a busy Cambridge bakery, Emilie ran her own custom vegan baked goods business for two years. She is currently working on a cookbook of sophisticated, internationally inspired vegan desserts. Visit Emilie at www.consciouskitchen.net.

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Become a Subscriber Subscribing to the VCE is FREE! Subscribers have access to our Learning Community, back issues, recipe database, and extra educational materials. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCESubscribe.htm to subscribe. *PRIVACY POLICY ‐ Contact information is never, ever given or sold to another individual or company

Not Just a Magazine Meal Service The Vegan Culinary Experience also provides weekly meals that coincide with the recipes from the magazine. Shipping is available across the United States. Raw, gluten‐free, and low‐fat diabetic friendly options are available. Visit http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEMealService.htm for more information.

Culinary Instruction Chef Jason Wyrick and many of the contributors to the magazine are available for private culinary instruction, seminars, interviews, and other educational based activities. For information and pricing, contact us at http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEContact.htm.

An Educational and Inspirational Journey of Taste, Health, and Compassion

The Vegan Culinary Experience is an educational vegan culinary magazine designed by professional vegan chefs to help make vegan cuisine more accessible. Published by Chef Jason Wyrick, the magazine utilizes the electronic format of the web to go beyond the traditional content of a print magazine to offer classes, podcasts, an interactive learning community, and links to articles, recipes, and sites embedded throughout the magazine to make retrieving information more convenient for the reader. The VCE is also designed to bring vegan chefs, instructors, medical professionals, authors, and businesses together with the growing number of people interested in vegan cuisine. Eat healthy, eat compassionately, and eat well.


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Welcome to the Marketplace, our new spot for finding vegetarian friendly companies, chefs, authors, bloggers, cookbooks, products, and more! One of the goals of The Vegan Culinary Experience is to connect our readers with organizations that provide relevant products and services for vegans, so we hope you enjoy this new feature! Click on the Ads – Each ad is linked to the appropriate organization’s website. All you need to do is click on the ad to take you there. Become a Marketplace Member – Become connected by joining the Vegan Culinary Experience Marketplace. Membership is available to those who financially support the magazine, to those who promote the magazine, and to those who contribute to the magazine. Contact Chef Jason Wyrick at [email protected] for details!

Current Members Rational Animal (www.rational‐animal.org) Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.com) GoDairyFree.org and My Sweet Vegan (www.godairyfree.org) Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen (www.theveggiequeen.com) Chef Mayra “Dr. Flavor” (www.mychefmayra.com) Sweet Utopia (www.sweetutopia.com) In The Mood for Food (www.philipgelb.blogspot.com) The Phoenix Permactulture Guild (www.phoneixpermaculture.org) Milan Photography (www.milanphotography.com)





The key to great Middle Eastern food lies in the combination of fresh ingredients and the spices, some of which are unfamiliar to us here in the US such as sumac, while many of them, such as cumin and black pepper, are used liberally in other types of cuisine. One that you may be unfamiliar with is sumac, which comes from a red berry that is most often ground into a powder. However, you can also purchase, or forage for the berries, themselves and grind them. Sumac imparts a tart, lemony flavor that is difficult to describe, as is most any other food. You can use it instead of lemon or vinegar in recipes.

The Natural Capital blog http://bit.ly/YWr78 suggests using it to make a non‐lemon lemonade. Beware that in some places Poison Sumac grows, so unless you are sure that you do not have it, do not use. Apparently, it is rare in the DC area. You can also purchase sumac berries or powder from your local Middle Eastern store or, lacking one of those, from an spice purveyor such as Mountain Rose Herbs http://www.mountainroseherbs.com.

Sumac’s history goes back thousands of years according to information from The Spice Depot http://www.thespicedepot.com/spice‐notes/Sumac/. The name sumac means “dark red” from the Aramaic summaq. Sumac berries grow on the small shrubby tree Rhus coriaria. The

Sumac – May Bring You Harmony, but Always Boasts Great Taste

By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen™

Fattoush Serves 6

Based on a traditional Middle Eastern bread salad, this

version has many more vegetables and not as much bread. It is also lower in fat but still has enough for great flavor. Flax oil obviously isn’t traditional but combined with purslane, this dish packs a good dose of Omega‐3 fatty acids, along with

great taste.

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp. flax oil 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tsp. ground sumac ½ head crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn up 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced 2 large firm tomatoes, diced 4 green onions, chopped ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped ½ red, or green, bell pepper, chopped (optional) 1 cup purslane, chopped (optional) 1 cup arugula leaves, torn into pieces (optional) 2 pita breads, split, toasted and broken into bite size pieces (I like Trader Joe’s whole wheat pita with sesame seeds for this)

To make the dressing, mix together the oils, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Put the remaining vegetables and herbs in a large bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until just before serving. Then add the broken up toasted pita bread. Add the dressing and toss well. Serve immediately. © The Veggie Queen™, Jill Nussinow, MS, R.D http://www.theveggiequeen.com


Natural Capital also suggests that other Rhus varieties grow that yield the tasty red berries. She notes that poison sumac has white berries. Traditionally sumac was used for its medicinal properties, which was mostly as a diuretic

and/or laxative. I haven’t found either to be true but I am using it in modest quantities in my recipes. According to The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. http://herb‐magic.com/sumac‐berries.html sumac may have qualities beyond culinary. It’s said that it sumac “brings harmony and resolves difficulties” in law cases and in the bedroom. Interesting, isn’t it? You might find sumac mixed with thyme and/or sesame in a typical Middle Eastern dry spice mix called Zaatar. I think that it’s a spice that deserves higher status so you might want to get some and experiment with it. Use sumac powder in this recipe for Fattoush, a Middle Eastern bread salad, or add it to hummus, or any other dish that calls for lemon to see what you think. It might just bring you luck, but it always provides unforgettable flavor.

The Author

Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie

Queen ‐ Jill is a Registered Dietitian

and has a Masters Degree in Dietetics

and Nutrition from Florida

International University. After

graduating, she migrated to California

and began a private nutrition practice

providing individual consultations and

workshops, specializing in nutrition for pregnancy, new

mothers, and children. You can find out more about The

Veggie Queen at www.theveggiequeen.com.


Last year, thanks to some amazing musicians and dancers I was collaborating with (Sami Shumays, Sinan Erdemsel, and Aubre Hill), I was challenged to come up with some Japanese‐Arabic fusion dishes. Here are a few examples that I conjured up, trying to fuse two rather different cuisines. These recipes were used as part of an evening this summer on my popular dinner/concert series, when Sami (an incredible Arabic violin player) and Sinan (an exceptional Turkish oud player) were performing during their visit to California.

edamame hummous a Japanese flavor of a classic Middle Eastern 2 cups cooked soybeans 1/3 cup tahini 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil ¼ cup yuzu juice 1 tsp. smoked paprika ½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper 1 and ¼ tsp. sea salt 1 tbsp. chopped shiso leaves blend everything together in a food processor or use a mortar and pestle.

veggie kabobs with red miso marinade the marinade ¼ cup red miso 1 tsp. cumin ¼ tsp. cardamom 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tbsp. mirin 1 yuzu juice and rind (use lime or meyer lemon if you cannot get yuzu) 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper ¼ cup stock

1 tbsp. shiso chopped Blend all ingredients well. vegetables for marinade lotus root, sliced 1/2 inch thick heirloom tomato, quartered gyspy pepper, halved yama‐imo, sliced 3/4 inch thick Japanese eggplant, sliced in 1 inch rounds zucchini or yellow squash, sliced in 1 inch rounds Let vegetables marinade for 2 hours or overnight. Arrange on skewers and grill for 10 minutes or till done, cook till just before charring for best flavor, or roast at 425 for 12 minutes or till just about to char.

pomegranate dengaku Here, the traditional miso topping is infused with Middle Eastern flavors 2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp. tamarind paste 2 tbsp. tahini 3 tbsp. white miso grated rind of half yuzu (or lime) ¾ tsp. cumin ¼ tsp. cardamom ½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper stock to thin, if necessary Combine ingredients and blend well. Cut firm tofu into 3 inch squares. Cut Japanese eggplant in half lengthwise. Deep fry tofu and eggplant in 375 degree oil till crisp. Place tofu and eggplant on broiling pan, cover with the dengaku topping and broil for 1‐2 minutes or till starts to brown. Garnish with chopped green onion

The Far East Meets the Middle: Japanese and Middle Eastern Fusion with Chef Philip Gelb


blueberry wasabi sauce A very simple and delightful summer sauce using fresh wasabi roots. Fresh wasabi is now being grown in Oregon and slowly becoming more accessible in the US. Most Americans have never had wasabi but are used to the horseradish with food coloring that is very popular in American sushi restaurants. Fresh wasabi has a milder, sweeter aroma and flavor and is worth seeking out and paying the extra price for. Simply take a quart of blueberries and place in saucepan. Grate one wasabi root and add to the berries with ½ tsp. sea salt. Simmer over very low heat, stirring often.

The Author For the last decade, Phil has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where he works as a professional musician and music teacher as well as a vegan chef. As a musician he has performed all over the United States and in Japan, Europe and Canada. Five years ago he started In the Mood for Food, a vegetarian personal chef and catering company. He has been vegetarian since 17 and after becoming vegan 4 years ago, he changed his business to strictly vegan cuisine. Although totally self taught as a chef, he is a very popular vegan cooking teacher, hosting monthly classes. His other interests include hiking, travelling, and he is an avid film buff. Of course, he loves cooking, especially for friends as well as professionally. You can reach Chef Philip Gelb at http://philipgelb.blogspot.com.


I am convinced that raw food is the fountain of youth. I marvel at the magic of raw food every day and its ability to transform my life. A dear friend of mine, Lou Corona, has been raw for over 37 years, and I swear he gets younger every single time I see him! His secret is raw fruits, veggies, greens, lots of green juice, probiotics, and enzymes. A few years ago, I saw an article online that outlined the benefits of raw food. The strange part is it wasn't written by a raw foodist, it was written by a mainstream journalist! The journalist was writing

all about scientific findings on how raw fruits, vegetables, and greens effect the human body. One of the statements that particularly caught my eye was that

scientists had discovered that raw food could be the cure for cancer and other diseases. Realizing I had found an amazing gem, I bookmarked the site to send out to friends and family, but when I went back to the site, the article had been mysteriously removed. What a shame it is that information like this isn't out there for all to read. Lou Corona cured himself of cancer and other diseases with this amazing diet. Here's Lou's story straight from his book, "Get Lean, Clean, and Serene with Lou Corona." In 1973, when I was twenty‐one I was sick and suffering and on my last breath, and I felt ready to leave this life

if that's what God wanted. Instead, through remarkable events I was directed to abstain from eating flesh and to eat only living foods. Immediately afterwards I met an extraordinary man who looked twenty years younger than his stated age of fifty‐two. This man had traveled the world for thirty years seeking truth and wisdom about how to live in the highest, best possible way. He became my mentor and friend and shared with me many secrets about caring for my body, spirit, and emotions, and he helped me change my mental perspective. Because I followed this wise man's principles and continue to do so to this day I have recovered permanently from chronic asthma, a tumor, severe acne, arthritis, candida, sinus congestion and infections, and chronic constipation. Not only did I recover from these physical ailments, but also my whole life was transformed. Now every day is a great day! Each moment is precious. And I believe that each person I meet is special, and worthy of great health and all the blessings that come with it. As a result of being so blessed, I have dedicated my life to helping, men, women, children, and pets reach this same level of vibrant, radiant health. Lou Corona really has a unique perspective on the raw food lifestyle and of all the people I have met and had the pleasure of working with, Lou is by far the most influential person I have ever known. He has helped me in so many ways, I can't even count. This man is living proof that not only can you feel better, live better, but actually live in a radiant and truly vibrant way and sustain youth. My other friend, Jay Kordich (The Juice Man) was cured of cancer by Max Gerson's program. Here's Jay's story:

Raw Food – The Beautiful Road to Health

By Angela Elliott

The recipes scattered throughout this article are crowd‐pleasers and you absolutely cannot go wrong when you serve them up! ~Angela

All recipes are from Angela’s

Book, Alive in Five.


Long, long before he became the Juiceman, and developed the Juiceman juicer, Jay Kordich was a student at the University of Southern California who had become ill and had received a very unwelcome diagnosis: he had cancer of the bladder. Instead of being crushed by the news, Jay resolved to find a doctor who could cure him, and in the process he dramatically changed the direction of his life.

A local doctor referred Jay to the legendary Dr. Max Gerson, author of A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases. Dr. Gerson put Jay on a strict diet of natural foods which included numerous glasses of juice each day. (In his book, The Juiceman's Power of Juicing, Jay indicates that Dr. Gerson had Jay consume carrot‐apple juice hourly throughout the day, from 6:00 a.m. until early evening.) The total transformation took two and a half years, but Jay finally regained his health. He was cured of cancer even though the local doctors he had originally been consulting could not assure him of a complete recovery! Jay's experience with Dr. Gerson changed

his life forever. He now had a passion for juicing that matched his passion for life, and would go on to spread the word about the power of juicing. Today, Jay is as vital as vital can be and he is living proof that juice therapy is a real therapy ‐ not just a fad.

Not only have I gotten younger on raw food, but I too had serious life threatening illnesses that were helped considerably by a raw food diet. In 1998 I became mysteriously ill and no matter how many emergency room or doctor's visits I had, no one seemed to know what was wrong. After a while I became bed ridden because my spine went completely cold and my limbs were numb. I wasn't sure if I was having a stroke or I had MS or what. The scary part was not knowing what was wrong. A year earlier I had a root canal on my top left molar and instead of putting a porcelain crown on there, the dentist for whatever strange reason put a temporary amalgam filling on it. I didn't think anything of this, because I had never had a root canal before, so what did I know? Anyway, when I went back to have the permanent crown put on, apparently unknown to me, he placed the crown right over the amalgam! Six months later my tooth

Coco Choco Heaven 1 Thai young coconut (you can buy these in any Asian store or Health food stores like Wholefoods) Use both the coconut water and the meat. 1 teaspoon agave 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder (available at most health food stores or online) 4‐5 ice cubes Open the coconut, scrape out the meat with a spoon and add to the blender, along with the cocao powder, agave, and ice cubes. Blend on high until smooth and serve immediately.

Cucumber Pizzas (requires no equipment at all)

Makes 4 servings! One day I was in a hurry to prepare something tasty before one of my friends came over for tea, but all I had in the house were olives and cucumbers. Hence this recipe was born! My friend loved it and requests it every time she comes to visit. This is not only her favorite recipe, but also all of my clients favorite recipe too. 4 cucumbers, sliced into rounds 2 cups chopped olives green or black or both! Arrange the cucumber slices on an attractive platter. Top with chopped olives and serve.


exploded in my mouth while I was at the movie theater. I went back to the dentist and he explained that I would need some work done, but I didn't have the money to do what he thought I needed, so I left the space there. When I became so ill, I never put two and two together. It wasn't until my husband decided to take my son and I to San Diego, thinking the ocean air would do me some good. He carried me out on to the sand so I could watch the waves, smell the sea air, and feel the sand beneath my toes. While I was laying there, a woman appeared and asked me what was wrong. Now most people might think that was a bit weird, but since I have a long history of energy work, holistic health, and metaphysics, I thought it was perfect! Anyway, I proceeded to talk with her and she asked me if anyone had ever done a CAT scan, X‐ray of my brain, or an MRI, and I said no and also that no one had even suggested it. My

husband took me to the hospital that same day and insisted that I have one of these. The findings were pretty darn scary! I had a massive infection right next to my brain and left untreated would have killed me in about two weeks. That lady was truly my angel and coming to San Diego, Ca. saved my life. Not only did I have an infection, I had mercury

poisoning. It was a long road back to health, lots of juices, chelation therapy, and living foods. My immune system unfortunately had been weakened by the infection and when I thought I was well, I

helped a friend rescue a bird. We didn't realize that the bird was infected with parrot fever and I stayed in the same room as the bird. The bird was continuously flapping its wings and spreading infected spores right into my lungs as I slept. I was in the emergency room the next day on a respirator fighting for my life yet again, and had an even longer road back to health. I am most thankful to this lifestyle for saving my life. I am excited about how great I feel eating this way, as well as by its amazing ability to make me more vibrant, alive, sexy, strong, and full of vitality every day! No matter what your challenges are, you will be delighted by raw foods' ability to literally transform your life. The beauty of this lifestyle is you can start any time even people in their 80's see results. Here's a few recipes to get you started and to keep you motivated to be the best you, you can be. Many blessings to you, Angela

Creamy Tzatziki 2 cups raw nut yogurt (From Alive in Five‐recipe to follow) 2 cucumbers, diced small 1 clove garlic, minced 3 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil Himalayan salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint leaves ¼ teaspoon paprika Mix together all ingredients. NOTE: Add mint for a more traditional flavor!

Nut Yogurt

Blend one cup of your favorite raw nuts or raw seeds (pre‐soaked) in filtered or spring water for 24 hours and drained) with one cup of filtered or spring water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of probiotic powder. blend the mixture until smooth. Pour mixture into a sealable container and let stand covered with a paper towel for three hours. This process allows the mixture to culture.


The Author

Angela Elliott is the author of Alive

in Five, Holiday Fare with

Angela, The Simple Gourmet, and

more books on the way! Angela is

the inventor of Five Minute

Gourmet Meals™, Raw Nut‐Free

Cuisine™, Raw Vegan Dog

Cuisine™, and The Celestialwich™, and the owner

and operator of She‐Zen Cuisine. www.she‐

zencuisine.com

Angela has contributed to various publications,

including Vegnews Magazine, Vegetarian

Baby and Child Magazine, and has taught gourmet

classes, holistic classes, lectured, and on occasion

toured with Lou Corona, a nationally recognized

proponent of living food.


A date palm with full clusters of dates

Two years after planting and the apricot and pomegranate trees are growing well!

It is good to know the truth, but it is better to speak of palm trees. ‐ Arab Proverb This year marks the first harvest from our pomegranate tree planted only 2 years ago during the Phoenix Permaculture Guild’s Annual Fruit Tree Day. I was amazed at the variety of fruit bearing trees that would survive the harsh Phoenix climate, but many of the trees cultivated throughout the Middle East actually thrive here in the Sonoran Desert. Pomegranate, Figs, Dates, Quince and Apricots are just some of the fruit that will happily produce prodigious harvests year after year with very little maintenance, so what does an urban farmer do with all these delectable offerings? So glad you asked…

Pomegranate ‐ the pomegranate is native to the Persian region and has been widely cultivated throughout the Mediterranean for several millennia. This fruit is easily grown in our arid southwest, and will bear heavily – as my little baby tree will attest. The fruit of the pomegranate is highly prized both for the juice and for the flesh surrounding the little seeds. The pomegranate fruit is best cut apart in a

bowl of water, as the juice will stain anything it comes into contact with! Just cut off the “crown” end and score the rind in several strokes up the fruit. Submerse the scored fruit in water for about 10 minutes and then gently break apart the seeds from the pithy rind. The seeds will sink and the rind will float to the top to be easily skimmed off. The little jewel‐like seeds are one of the most delicious fruits I’ve ever eaten. Figs – The fig may well be one of the earliest domesticated plants in the world, as recent archeological finds now date the beginning of cultivation at around 11,000 years ago – that’s earlier than millet, wheat or any other seed plant by 5,000 years! It’s clear that humans have long loved the succulent first bite of a beautiful tree ripened fig. If you haven’t had a chance to get a fresh fig, the taste is nothing like its dried counterpart and well worth the effort in planting and caring for a fig tree. Last year I picked probably a full bushel of fresh figs from a neighbor’s tree. What I couldn’t eat within a few days, I portioned out in a single layer on a baking sheet, froze and then slid them all into bags for longer term storage in the deep freeze. A fresh frozen fig is a creamy summer treat, just like ice cream! Dates – The date tree has been known as “The Tree of Life” and “The King of the

Oasis”, and little wonder, with seemingly every part of the tree providing the necessities of life out in a harsh environment. There are date palms all over the

Ancient Fruit Trees of the Near East

By Liz Lonetti


metro area, just yesterday I had to step over fallen dates on a Scottsdale shopping center’s sidewalk. There were beautiful date trees tucked in the landscape doing a fine job of producing huge clusters of dates, year after year. Now is the best time to hit our local markets to get your own fresh dates from growers here in the valley. Stock up on fresh dates to use within a couple weeks, while dried dates keep best stored in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a year. My favorite quick treat is to stuff a pecan half into a creamy pitted date – instant pecan pie. YUM. Quince – The quince is a little known relative of the apple and pear and is similar in taste and texture, but somewhat harder and with a little sour bite. The long hot summers here let the fruit get sweeter than in many other regions. Here in Phoenix we’re in the middle of the Quince harvest and if you’re lucky enough to find local growers, definitely give this unique fruit a try. It adds great flavor to any fruit dishes and salads and can be baked or roasted, turning the flesh red in the slow cooked dishes. Apricots – Truly saving the best for last ‐ the Turkish phrase "bundan iyisi Şam'da kayısı" translates, "it doesn't get any better than this" or literally “better than this is an apricot in Damascus”. The Turks know what they are talking about, as this year we had a single little apricot on our newly planted tree of two years ago –one bite transported me into some other frame of mind. It was unbelievably sweet and just melted into my taste buds – heaven from a tree in our own backyard! It is hard to think about eating the apricot in any way, but fresh from the tree, but they can be dried, preserved, jammed and added to almost any dish to enhance the sweetness.

There is really no substitute for a tree ripened piece of fruit from your own backyard. I highly encourage you all to do a little research into what will grow best in your area. If you happen to live in the Phoenix area, there are Tree Classes being held around the valley that will walk you through tree selection, planting, care and maintenance. I took the class two years ago and am now beginning to reap the benefits of many of the classic Middle Eastern fruits fresh from my very own trees. Planting a tree is THE most effective return on an initial investment of time and money, the right tree in the right place will give bountiful harvests to your grandkids! Where else can a $32 dollar investment pay that kind of dividend? For more information, please check out www.phoenixpermaculture.org/events If you are in the Phoenix area, you can order fruit trees have been planted and tested in our locale: www.permaculture.net/FruitTrees/store/ The Author

Liz Lonetti ‐ As a professional urban designer, Liz Lonetti is passionate about building community, both physically and socially. She graduated from the U of MN with a BA in Architecture in 1998. She also serves as the Executive Director for the Phoenix Permaculture

Guild, a non‐profit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living through education, community building and creative cooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org). A long time advocate for building greener and more inter‐connected communities, Liz volunteers her time and talent for other local green causes. In her spare time, Liz enjoys cooking with the veggies from her gardens, sharing great food with friends and neighbors, learning from and teaching others. To contact Liz, please visit her blog site www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan. Resources www.urbanfarm.org www.phoenixpermaculture.org


TABATA INTERVAL Start with a brief warm‐up Squat Jumps (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes total) One minute break Push‐ups (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes total) One minute break Jog in Place (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes total) One minute break Tricep Dips (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes total) Cool down and stretch

Most fitness professionals will agree that the most effective way to workout is with interval training. When you do interval training you are working out by alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of light activity. This type of training is proven to increase one’s endurance and cardiovascular strength more effectively and in less time than other types of exercise. The best example of this type of training and its amazing benefits is Tabata Intervals. Tabata Intervals is a form of interval training that demands 20 seconds of high intensity work followed by 10 seconds of rest. This 30 second sequence is repeated 8 times for a total of four minutes. Yes, you read that right, four minutes. What good can four minutes do, you ask? A lot! The Tabata Interval was derived from a study performed by Dr. Izumi Tabata of the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. He discovered that the 20 seconds on/10 seconds off formula was the optimum way to challenge both the aerobic and anaerobic systems improving one’s true fitness level and endurance drastically.

This is truly a workout that you have to experience to appreciate, it’s amazing. It is also very customizable in that many, many exercises can be used within the Tabata Intervals Protocol. Of course, like all exercise, if you are not already in

pretty good shape you may want to check with your doctor and/or ease into it slowly. Here is an example of a possible Tabata Intervals workout (this entire workout will take only 25 minutes!!!)

You can get very creative with your Tabata Intervals. You can insert just about any exercise that you wish. If

you are just starting out you may want to only do one four‐minute Tabata and add others as you progress. In closing, Tabata Intervals is a super effective and super efficient way to increase endurance and cardiovascular health. It’s challenging, creative and fun. We all want to be fit and at the same time most of us do not want to spend hours on end at the gym. Tabata Intervals delivers impressive results in a very little amount of time, who wouldn’t want that?

The Author

Barry Lovelace is a vegan fitness coach specializing in the functional training of athletes. He is the owner of FitQuest Fitness in Allentown, PA, and frequently produces

routine fitness podcasts at his site www.barrylovelaceblog.com.

See Amazing Results with Tabata Intervals! by Barry Lovelace


The Mediterranean Diet, which traditionally

includes fruits, vegetables, pasta, grains, nuts,

seeds, and fish is given a “5‐star rating” as a heart‐

healthy way of eating. While all of these parts of

the healthy diet remain tried and true at reducing

the risk for heart disease, a VEGAN Mediterranean

diet, eliminating all animal food sources, is an even

healthier and more compassionate choice.

High in protein, vitamins, minerals, and Omega‐3

fats there is no wonder why this particular way of

eating takes a healthier precedence over the

Standard American Diet. Eliminating fish, dairy,

and eggs would take the diet to a greater level of

heart health benefits. Protein food sources derived

from nuts, seeds, seitan, and tempeh would still

maintain the same nutritional benefits without the

addition of fish, dairy or eggs. Nuts and seeds,

though a great source of protein and Omega‐3’s

(certain varieties), are very high in fat. Therefore,

they shouldn’t be eaten in large amounts‐ typically

a handful a day will do.

The very fragrant olive oil provides the rich source

of monounsaturated fat, which lowers LDL

cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and increases HDL

cholesterol (“good” cholesterol). Preparing your

meals with moderate amounts of olive oil can also

help you eat more healthfully on this diet since it

improves the flavor of the nutritious vegetables

and encourages the feeling of fullness. Keep in

mind also, that the focus of the Mediterranean diet

isn't to limit total fat consumption, but to make

wise choices about the types of fat you eat‐ the

better choices being olive oil, canola oil, walnuts,

and pine nuts.

Vegetables, such as roasted eggplant, fresh greens

sautéed with garlic, tomatoes with basil & olive oil,

are what really make the VEGAN Mediterranean

diet very appealing. Fruits, such as fresh berries

sprinkled over a salad, cinnamon‐baked apples with

walnuts are healthy and flavorful, too! Add to it

the grains, such as risotto, whole‐grain pasta, or

whole‐grain crusty bread from a local bakery and

you have a delicious meal. Wash it all down with a

glass of rich and robust red wine and…voila &

enjoy!

The Author

Christine Watson, MS, RD, has

been teaching nutrition, health

and wellness since 1992. She is a

registered dietitian, nutritionist,

and certified wellness coach. As

the owner of Compassionate

Nutritionist, LLC, Christine’s goal

for her clients is to help them incorporate healthy

vegetarian eating and green living practices into

their busy lives. To learn more about the services

and products offered by Christine and subscribe to

her “Compassionate Living” ezine where you’ll

receive a FREE copy of her Healthy & Eco‐conscious

7‐day Menu w/recipes included, visit the company

website at www.CompassionateNutritionist.com or

email Christine at

[email protected].

The VEGAN Mediterranean Diet: A Very Compassionate Choice by Christine Watson, MS, RD


As a lawyer, I recognize the importance that laws play in changing the way our society treats farm animals. However,

relying on the law to bring about change puts all the power in the hands of the government to address the problem – to pass the law, to enforce it, and to penalize the violators. This can be a slow and laborious process. As a consumer, I know that using the power of my pocketbook will speed up these changes. Until recently, the law was virtually silent about how animals raised for food are treated. The decisions about how those sausage links, grilled chicken breasts, cheeseburgers, and scrambled eggs got to your plate have been up to the Animal Agriculture Industry – the very companies that raise the 10 billion cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and other animals each year for human consumption. With no government intervention and little consumer awareness, the Animal Agriculture Industry set up purely profit‐based factory farms with no moral concerns, paving the animals’ path from their birth to our dinner with systematic abuse. Standard abuses include extreme confinement, forced urination and defecation in the confined living spaces, painful mutilations such as castration, tail docking, and beak searing without anesthesia, and a diet full of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals. Things are not much better for animals raised “humanely,” “cage‐free” or “organically.” (See www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/campaigns/truth_behind_labeling.html)

Laws are being enacted that take incremental steps forward to address this unimaginable cruelty. With no federal law that protects animals on the farm, in 2002, states began stepping up to the proverbial plate. Since then, Florida and Oregon have banned the confinement of pregnant pigs in gestation crates. Gestation crates are narrow metal enclosures barely bigger than the pregnant pigs who are confined in them during their nearly four‐month pregnancies. With their piglets taken away and raised for eventual human consumption, breeding pigs’ lives are a continual cycle of birth and reimpregnation, until they too are slaughtered. Arizona, Colorado, and Maine have banned both gestation crates and the confinement of calves in veal crates. Veal crates are wooden crates measuring a little more than two‐feet wide in which male calves who have been separated from their mothers within the first few days of birth will be tethered and confined for about 16 weeks until they are sent to slaughter. Both California and Michigan have passed laws requiring that factory farms provide enough space for breeding pigs, veal calves, and egg‐laying hens to stand up, turn around, and extend their limbs. Laying hens are birds used for their eggs who are typically confined for their entire lives with several other birds in tiny “battery” cages without enough room to spread a single wing. California has also passed a law to ban the tail “docking” of dairy cows, the partial amputation of up to two‐thirds of a cow’s tail typically performed without anesthesia. More legal protections for farm animals are expected. We can look forward to new laws that will further restrict how farm animals can be treated as well as more states enacting laws similar to those already passed.

Vegan Pocketbook Power! By Mindy Kursban, Esq.


These legal changes forcing the Animal Agriculture Industry to treat animals less cruelly will increase the cost of meat, eggs, and dairy, since employing methods that don’t account for the interests of the animals is cheaper. Despite higher costs and even without the force of law, some restaurant chains like Chipotle, Wolfgang Puck’s, and Red Robin Gourmet Burger have begun switching to cage‐free eggs or have stopped serving pork from crated pigs or veal from crated calves. In doing so, they pass on the increased costs to consumers, absorb the costs, or both. These corporate commitments to support less cruel practices are commendable, but they are not enough. All restaurants can minimize the predictable financial impact of legal restrictions on factory farming by thinking outside the box. Rather than just purchasing from suppliers that no longer engage in the most abusive practices, restaurants should add tasty and well‐prepared plant‐based menu items and revamp current offerings to make them vegan. Doing so can be profitable. It’s impossible not to notice the growing number of consumers interested in vegetarian and vegan eating. A 2008 Vegetarian Times study found that 10 percent of US adults say they largely follow a vegetarian‐inclined diet and, of the non‐vegetarians surveyed, 5.2 percent are “definitely interested” in following a vegetarian‐based diet in the future. A walk through the supermarket – and I don’t just mean Whole Foods – displays a continually increasing array of vegan products. The number of all‐vegetarian and vegan restaurants across the country is rising. A visit to any mainstream bookstore reveals the expanding presence of vegan cookbooks. Given that Americans consume billions of restaurant meals annually, vegan‐friendly menu changes will save the lives of countless animals. Olive Garden, for example, has eliminated veal from its menu but essentially just added more chicken items. What about enticing customers with a delicious seitan picata? Dunkin’ Donuts, which is currently the subject of a campaign by the

nonprofit advocacy group Compassion Over Killing (www.cok.com) to remove eggs and dairy from its donuts, could adapt its recipes to make them vegan with a little R&D investment. This step would be similar to Kraft‐owned Boca Burgers’ recent decision to eliminate eggs from its entire line of already‐vegetarian products. Mexican restaurants should add tofu and seitan burrito fillings, soy cheese, and soy sour cream. Veggie burgers should be a staple at every fast‐food restaurant. Restaurants that serve soup can offer at least one vegan soup, such as split pea, black bean, or lentil. Pizza joints should dish up soy cheese pizza – similar to what the chain ZPizza has done. Ice creameries can serve non‐dairy ice cream, such as Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent soy‐ and coconut‐milk‐based ice creams. All restaurants can hire chefs skilled in the proper preparation and appealing flavoring of vegetables. The possibilities, and the resulting revenues, are endless. Changes in consumer spending – in effect, harnessing our economic power — can propel this change forward. It’s surprisingly easy. When you eat out, simply choose a restaurant that has vegan options – and then order them. If you want to do more, ask restaurants to put a small vegan symbol beside plant‐based menu items. Even if a restaurant already has vegan options, ask them to add your favorite to their menu. Your favorite might be the reason someone else decides to eat at that restaurant. Politely tell restaurants without vegan options why you won’t eat there. Visit restaurant websites to email suggestions for vegan options. Approach the managers of local branches

of chain restaurants – many of which are franchises – with requests to add vegan options to their line‐ups. If they agree, make sure you patronize their stores and encourage others to do the same. These same ideas can alter the food offerings in supermarkets, convenience stores, movie theaters, caterers, online merchants, or

any other place you buy food. When wrongdoing confronts us head on, like it does with factory farming, it is comfortable to


ignore it or place full responsibility on the government to fix the problem. Failure to also examine how changes in our behavior can fix the problem, though, is to surrender. Each of us is empowered to create the change we want to see in the world. Put your money where your mouth. Buy vegan. The Author

Mindy Kursban is a practicing attorney who is passionate about animals, food, and health. She gained her experience and knowledge about vegan cuisine and the law while working for ten years as

general counsel and then executive director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Since leaving PCRM in 2007, Mindy has been writing and speaking to help others make the switch to a plant‐based diet. Look for her website in the near future: www.veg‐curious.com. Contact Mindy now at [email protected].


Please tell us a bit about yourself!

I was born in Germany and spent the better part of

my growing years in Italy. My mother is German my

father Italian so it was a real mix of cuisines in our

house. Life at home and with extended family

centered around home cooking and casual

socializing over a table of simple yet delicious food.

In Italy we would always shop at the local outdoor

fruit and vegetable markets, so it was fairly early

on that I became interested in regional seasonal

cooking and food in general. My culinary

experiences in Italy were invaluable in shaping my

style, perspective and inherent flexibility in

preparing food when I became a vegetarian more

than 25 years ago. Currently I live in the outskirts of

Portland Maine.

What is Delicious TV and how did you get started?

Delicious TV is a cooking and lifestyle media

company that produces my show

TotallyVegetarian. Totally Vegetarian has now

branched out into a web series of short weekly

vegan recipes called Delicious TV Veg. So far we’ve

had over a million downloads on iTunes and

another seven hundred thousand on the website.

New episodes can be seen at www.delicioustv.com.

When I was living in Italy I wasn’t particularly active

in any social or political movements involving

animals because there were virtually no

organizations promoting change. When I moved to

Maine in 1986 I was inspired by an ad to ban veal

crates and shortly after I found and subsequently

joined a statewide organization called Maine

Animal Coalition (MAC). There I met and became

friends with Kate Kaminski who was the President

of the organization. I became extremely focused

and passionate about the plight of farm animals

which naturally led to my becoming a vegetarian

and promoting plant based eating. Eventually Kate

moved on and I became the President of MAC.

After about fifteen years of working with MAC I

was ready for a new challenge and left. At a MAC

reunion in the fall of 2002 I reconnected with Kate

who became a filmmaker and her partner Betsy

Carson, also a filmmaker. Over a few glasses of

wine we chatted about the distinct lack of

vegetarian cooking instruction and programming

on television. We decided that afternoon we would

produce a 30 minute episode about vegetarian

holiday cooking and I would host. Two and half

years later we had 13 episodes and we were on

Public Television. Last year we finished our 52’nd

An Interview with Host and Author Toni Fiore!


episode of ‘Totally Vegetarian’. So far the show

has aired in seventy five million households twenty

six thousand times.

The companion cookbook came out in the fall of

2008 and the paperback was just released last

month.

What is the core philosophy behind Delicious TV’s

Totally Vegetarian (aside from being vegan)?

To demonstrate the importance of eating a plant

based diet for ones health, the environment, and

animals. And to show how easy, healthy, and

delicious vegan

cooking can be.

How have changes

with internet media

affected you since

you started?

When we started,

really the only

venue we were

focused on was

television. Every

year the effort and

money involved to

produce, air and

promote the

program becomes

more challenging.

The availability of

internet

programming and

podcasting has

broadened our

viewership and

allows us to provide

on demand content

worldwide to

vegetarians, vegans

or people interested

in healthy eating.

Pasta e Fagioli Serves 4

The Italian side of my family in America always prepared this thick dense soup

with a rich tomato base. When I moved to Italy, I was struck by how different

the Italian version was; they were utilizing the same basic ingredients, but in

different increments at different stages, resulting in a lighter version. This is

my mother’s version, and my favorite. The thick soup of beans and pasta can

be put together in minutes, making it perfect for a last minute supper or quick

hearty lunch. I usually add short tubular pasta like ditalini, but if I don’t have

that on hand, broken spaghetti makes a respectable replacement. Serve with

a few turns of black pepper, and a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

3‐4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk , finely diced 1 carrot, finely diced

Salt, to taste 2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp. minced rosemary 3 sage leaves, minced

½ tsp. dried oregano

One 15½‐ounce can organic cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

2 cups cooked pasta, such as ditalini Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium‐high heat. Add the

onion, celery, carrot, and a pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the

garlic and cook, stirring, until the carrots are firm‐tender. Add the rosemary,

sage, and oregano and blend. Add the beans, tomatoes, and 3 cups water.

Bring to a boil and quickly lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until

the vegetables are tender. I use my immersion blender and partially puree

the soup to add thickness and body, but this isn’t necessary. Season with salt

and pepper, spoon the hot soup over the cooked pasta, and serve hot.

Recipe by Toni Fiore


What trials have you had to overcome with

getting your show launched and your book

published and how did you accomplish that?

The obstacle is lack of financial support. Our

passion, and persistence to continue on a modest

budget landed us a cookbook deal. And we’ve

been blessed to have the support of non‐profit

donors along the way.

The biggest obstacle to overcome has been

maintaining the energy to keep moving forward

despite the fact that we have had little to no

support financially or otherwise. We believe deeply

about the importance of our work in promoting

plant based eating. The future for us has always

been uncertain but we do the best we can and are

determined to keep moving forward despite our

modest budget! We’ve been blessed to have the

support of a few donors along the way.

As far as the cookbook goes, my agent contacted

me after seeing the show in New York. Within two

years I was offered a cookbook deal. I’m currently

working on content for another book.

How do you decide which recipes to include in

your shows and books?

Because I am passionate about delicious food and

equally passionate about easy preparation I like to

focus on recipes that accommodate both. I began

by drawing recipes from my Mediterranean

background and then moved on to veganizing

recipes that were more common and familiar to

the general population. I’ve found that people have

very traditional ideas about what they like and how

much time they are willing or able to spend in the

kitchen. I like to work within those parameters so

that my viewers and cookbook readers don’t feel

particularly challenged. One of the most frequent

comments we receive is how great the food is and

how easy it was to prepare.

Italian cuisine has a bad reputation for being meat

and cheese heavy. Do you find that reputation

justified and how does your Italian heritage play

into your own cuisine?

I have to begin by stressing that Italian cuisine here

in America is very different than true Italian cuisine

in Italy. Italian American cooking, like most things

in America, focuses on much larger portions,

cheaper ingredients and does rely heavily on

cheese, cream and meats. When southern Italians

immigrated to America the type of food and the

seasonality of the food was radically different. You

might find some basic similarities in the foundation

of the ingredients, however the cuisine, like the

Italian spoken in New York, evolved into something

quite unique. When I talk to people who have

traveled throughout Italy they are always amazed

at the difference in the food and cooking. Having

lived in Italy for so many years and traveling back

at least once a year I am able to share with viewers

how easy, light, economical and healthy true

Mediterranean cuisine can be.

What do you like to eat at home? (please share

the recipe!)

Because I live alone, I have lapsed into being a soup

eater. I love soups and stews, one pot three meals!

One of my favorite fast easy and flexible recipes is

Pasta Fagioli. It’s not fancy but I’ve always loved

this soup.

What are your plans for the near future? What

exciting projects do you have coming up?

We are very excited and currently developing an

application for the iPhone. So I am pulling together


recipe content for that. I plan on continuing with

cooking classes and of course more weekly three

minute recipes for our iTunes broadcast, Delicious

TV Veg! I really love doing the podcast.

Do you have any advice for aspiring

authors/cooking show hosts?

I’d have to say that breaking into mainstream

media in any form is really hard work. Find good

people to work with, be clear about your goals and

content and keep your heart and soul in your work.

Thanks Toni!

Contact

You can see Chef Toni Fiore, her recipes, and her

show at www.delicioustv.com.


What led you to poetry? Was there an

inspirational moment that brought you there or a

slow series of falling in love with it?

A close friend and mentor used to recite poetry

from some of the great minds in history; one of

them was a poetess who lived over a hundred

years ago, named Ella Wheeler Wilcox. I loved how

she used poetry as a way to express poignant

messages. I was inspired to attempt that concept,

with using a more ‘up to date’ language. I’ve not

written a poem in quite some time; though I’m

mesmerized by words that rhyme.

What influences you the most when you are at

your best?

Safety, serenity and solitude… amongst mountains

of trees, flowing meadow brooks, flowers,

butterflies…at home in God’s world.

Do you find yourself gravitating towards

particular topics and is there a set of philosophical

principles that guide your writing?

The topics of my poems are animal, environmental

and human rights. My philosophy is to tell the

Truth (with a capital T). My poetry is just another,

maybe more eloquent, form of sharing insights I’ve

learned through the years. I write when I’m in a

more spiritually tuned‐in, frame of mind. I write for

the benefit of others, and also for myself. The

book’s title says it all: Metamorphosis; Poems to

Inspire Transformation. When I need some

inspiration, I can read my own book.

How does being vegan play into your poetry?

Being a staunch vegan for over 3 decades, it plays

into every aspect of my life. It is strongly tied in

with my purpose in life and thus I use poetry as one

more means of spreading the vegan message.

It is very evident in my poetry that I come from a

vegan‐point‐of‐view. Some poems are literally

about The Vegan Ideal. I have many things I would

want to tell the world, but veganism is the

strongest thing I want to voice, in order to help

stop the cruel enslavement and exploitation we

inflict on nonhuman animals. I want people to

become vegan; poetry is just another way to try to

get the message across. I also write articles, and

other activism.

What brought you to veganism?

Over 40 years ago, my brother, in an attempt to get

my dinner, told me that the tongue on the table

was, in fact, the tongue of a dead cow. It was not

disguised, and easy to see he was telling the truth. I

never ate meat again. It was harder in those pre‐

internet days to educate myself, so I remained a

vegetarian until I was 21 when I saw an AHIMSA

magazine published by The American Vegan

Society. (31 years ago) I was inspired by the

An Interview with M. Butterflies Katz


founder; Jay Dinshah’s excellent writing and

learned the horror of dairy, leather, etc. and

became vegan. My vegan perspective was

heightened by the Gentle World non‐profit

educational organization and family. I was so

inspired by their point of view, so much so, that I

stayed and never left! I’m fortunate to be able to

say that I’ve surrounded myself with vegans my

entire adult life. My veganism keeps evolving, as I

do.

How has your poetry affected the people around

you? What is the strongest reaction you’ve had

from a reader of your poems?

Just the other day, someone emailed that her sister

became vegan from one of my poems that speaks

about the feminist issue of dairy consumption. Her

sister, who is a feminist, chose to become vegan

from seeing it from that angle. What better

reaction could I possibly have from a poem?

Can you share one of your poems with us?

Right on cue…I will share the above mentioned

poem…

www.veganpoet.com/animals/because‐im‐

female.htm

Now, on to food! What do you like to eat when

you’re at home? (please share the recipe!)

I don’t use recipes. I eat very simply these days.

After all these years of eating vegan and preparing

gourmet meals, sometimes I like to eat very simply.

Just some nuts or a piece of fruit or a green drink!

Whatever cooked food I eat, I steam it or cook it

and then add oil afterwards (so I don’t cook the

oil), and flavor with tamari and Nutritional Yeast.

Then, there are times, when I have to have comfort

foods and will prepare gourmet dishes or vegan

baked goods (with cooked oil). After baking so

long, I have come to learn the correct consistency

of cookies, etc. and hardly use recipes anymore; it

just comes naturally. I have done a lot of vegan

food preparation in my day! I was a main chef at

The Vegan Restaurant (on Maui) when owned by

Gentle World. I compiled, tested, edited, (and

created many of) the recipes for Incredibly

Delicious: Recipes for a New Paradigm by Gentle

World.

www.gentleworld.org/incredibly.html

The book has over 500 recipes, and a large raw

food section too. Of recent, I’ve become addicted

to green drinks; fresh squeezed orange juice

and/or other fruit juice, a banana (frozen is nice or

fresh and ripe), a piece of fruit and a couple of

handfuls of dark greens, blended into a green

smoothie (with ice or without). I feel like I’m giving

my body high octane fuel. It’s important to get the

nourishment that dark greens give us. We need to

keep healthy in order to be a good example of the

vegan lifestyle.

The following recipe has been a favorite at our

restaurant and all our vegan outreach events:

(Raw)Carrot‐Cashew Pate serves 3‐4

2 carrots, peeled and chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped (optional) 2‐3 cloves garlic, diced 1‐2 slices of sweet onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla) 1 cup cashews, soaked for 15 minutes sea salt or substitute, to taste ¼ cup cold‐pressed olive (or other) oil

1. In a food processor, using the S‐shaped blade, blend the vegetables to a fine consistency.

2. Drain the water from the cashews. Add them to the processor and


process along with the remaining ingredients. Stop periodically and scrape the sides with a rubber spatula.

3. Continue to blend until creamy.

4. Chill until it solidifies and serve as a dip, a side dish or as a spread for wraps, etc.

How do you entice non‐vegans into trying vegan

cuisine?

By introducing with foods they already like, such as

pasta and potatoes, and by making it delectable!

That is the key factor. We had lines out the door at

our restaurant. These were not all vegans; patrons

ranged from ‘big meat‐eating truck driver’ to

‘Hawaiian hippy’ to locals. They loved the food

because it was delicious. Vegans are not deprived!

We can make any gourmet dish into a vegan

version and they are delicious, and far more

nutritious. We don’t need to nor should we

impose misery on other sentient beings just to

satisfy taste buds. It takes perhaps a couple of

weeks to learn the basic foods of plant‐based

cuisine. It’s easy! Then you will look back and

wonder how you could have ever cooked with

blood dripping and dismembered body parts and

all the greasy clean‐up.

There’s lots of online help and free vegan starter

kits. My website has an excellent Vegan Links page

at http://veganpoet.com/links.htm

For some vegan inspiration, I’m working on a

project which is a good resource tool. It’s called

Vegan Voices Around the World, seen here:

http://veganpoet.com/veganvoices/

What is the most fun experience you’ve had in the

kitchen?

All the many, many fun and rewarding experiences

of turning people onto delicious vegan food, all

wrapped up into one experience, was a highlight of

my life. Coming up with vegan companion animal

meals was a fun use of our vegan kitchens! I was

motivated to become an excellent vegan chef

solely as a means of enticing people (and

nonhumans) to become vegan.

What new projects do you have on the horizon?

Projects just seem to keep appearing in my life. I

live in the moment, so not sure what is next, stay

tuned. Check my website: www.veganpoet.com

for heaps of vegan information and resources; it’s

NOT just poetry!

If there is anything I didn’t cover that you would

like to talk about, please feel free to do so!

A statement of my position: Veganism is the purest

form of animal rights activism; it’s 24/7. Veganism

is a philosophy for those who want to rise above

unjust mindsets (such as racism, ageism, sexism)

and in this case; speciesism. Veganism is a stance

that is a universal protest to slavery.

Vegans do not pay someone to rape, enslave,

exploit, and then murder other sentient beings.

Veganism is a panacea; a solution to many of our

planetary problems. The vegan lifestyle has many

benefits to human health, relieving human hunger,

and most importantly saving the animals!

Veganic gardening is the most sustainable and does

not support the system by using slaughterhouse

products. Farmed animals are reaping havoc on our

environment causing much degradation, including

deforestation, water pollution, and possibly the

biggest contributor to global warming; possibly our

most serious problem. Veganism is a Great Truth;

as it has the potential to benefit the ‘betterment of


the whole’. Humanity has been misguided by

society and needs to re‐educate themselves – and

then go vegan!

M. Butterflies Katz, aka Vegan Poet

(www.veganpoet.com) is the co‐author of

Incredibly Delicious; Recipes for a New Paradigm by

Gentle World. She is the author of Metamorphosis:

Poems to Inspire Transformation by Vegan Poet.

She has been a volunteer member of Gentle World,

Inc for over a quarter of a century, where she has

been actively promoting the many benefits of the

vegan lifestyle. Butterflies is a veganic gardener

and a vegan‐dog innovator!

She published articles on vegan related topics and

is a regular contributor to The Vegan Voice

magazine in Australia, as well as other vegan

journals, websites and on Facebook.


Pita Jungle is one of those names that almost every vegan in Arizona knows. It is a chain of ten restaurants that now includes locations in Flagstaff, Scottsdale Fashion Square and Candler. However, all the Pita Jungles are a little different from each other. I am not taking petty things like decorations, though each store’s unique look is fun, I am referring to the fact that each restaurant has slightly different menu items from each other. For the purposes of this review I will just examine the Arrowhead location, which is on 75th Ave and Bell, in Peoria. The restaurant is not the biggest, but far from the smallest. It has a wonderful collection of tables and booths that guarantee that someone can easily find their preference. The massive amount of windows make the area feel spacious, and there is a rotating collection of artwork on the walls, most of which is for sale. However, there are a few caveats that the average vegan should be aware of before driving over. Yes, Pita Jungle is vegan friendly. They have several delicious vegan dishes, such as the 1000 Bean Pita, the Falafel Pita, and several types of hummus. Their tabouli is the best I have ever eaten, and worth the trip simply on its own merit. That is the good news. The bad news of this location is that the baba ganoush is NOT vegan. They add yogurt. This is not apparent from the menu and most vegans are used to this being a vegan dish. When Chef Jason wrote the chain and complained, they just said there

were several ways to make this dish and they opted for one with yogurt. Basically, they don’t plan on changing, so tough if that is not something you can eat. In a word, ouch. [editor’s note: My primary complaint was that Pita Jungle did not list this traditionally vegan item as having yogurt and their response flippantly informed me to check the menu for items that contain dairy. An odd response from the restaurant considering that the menu listing for the baba ganoush happens to omit the fact that it contains dairy. You can contact the restaurant about this at http://www.pitajungle.com/index.cfm/contactUs] I have also experienced some odd pricing, depending on the server. Most servers there are sweet, wonderful, and attentive. They’ll even give you to go cups for your tea or lemonade to take into the blistering Arizona heat. However, one time I asked for a few extra pickles for my falafel. I was shocked to see a seventy‐five cent charge on my bill. That had never happened before. Another time, I asked for some soy sauce for a side of veggies I ordered, and I got smacked with another seventy‐five cent charge. It all depends on the server, and the random nature of the charges is frustrating. But, before you think it is all gloom and doom, it is not. They also have generous sides of sautéed vegetables for around four dollars, that are amazing and filling. A side of fruit comes in a large cereal bowl. I can eat a lot of food but a side of veggies and a side of fruit is too filling for me. The tropical iced tea has free refills and is addictive and

Restaurant Review: Pita Jungle Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor

Pita Jungle – Arrowhead Location

7530 W. Bell Rd, Suite 106

Glendale, AZ 85308

623‐486‐2615

Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. everyday

www.pitajungle.com


their homemade lemonade is just tart enough to be interesting, and also comes with free refills. All in all, it is worth the time and effort to check out Pita Jungle if you haven’t already. Always ask about what is included in the ingredients, and ask to make substitutions. Sometimes you can, and the experience is worth it. SIDENOTE: If you go to the Chandler location on Ray and Dobson, you will notice it is by a lake. There are over one hundred ducks that make that lake their home. Please order an extra pita and go out to give the ducks a snack. You will be very glad that you did.

The Reviewer

Madelyn ‘the Reviewer’

Pryor is one of

Amazon.com’s top 1500

reviewers, and a certified

Vine Voice. She also gets

several requests every day to review books, movies, and

graphic novels from various publishers including Harper‐

Collins. That means that people really want Madelyn’s

advice and opinion, which is fine with her, because it

makes it that much easier for her to enact her plans for

world domination. Those plans currently involve taking

a break from her Masters of Psychology program to be

the Sous Chef for the Vegan Culinary Experience. You

can reach her at

[email protected].


There are some things that vegans stop eating. We all know that vegans askew animal products, because that is why we are vegan. But a growing number of vegans also choose to eliminate artificial colors and flavors. There are a few reasons for this. Some commercial dyes, actually contain insects and other dyes and flavors are animal tested. But if your sweet tooth is activated and you feel like a quick, delicious candy bite 99.99% of commercial products contain artificial color, flavor, or sugar. Ewwww! Luckily for us, there is Yummy Earth. Yummy Earth Candy was founded by two fathers who wanted to feed their children only good, delicious foods that could be made at home. Therefore, Yummy Earth candies are 100% organic and are made from only plants. The beautiful, rich color of a Tooberry Blueberry comes from black carrots and black currants. Those ingredients are so gourmet that most people would feel thrilled to eat them and when they’re included in candy… even better! Lately, Yummy Earth has also added Vitamin C pops, and Antioxidant Pops, so you can get even more health benefits while you have a treat. Moreover, not only are all the products 100% vegan, they are gluten free, corn syrup free, nut

free, GMO free, and manufactured in a plant that is tree nut and peanut free. The candy drops are all 11 calories, and the pops are 22 calories. If eaten in moderation, they are a low calorie tasty treat. And tasty these candies are! Yummy Earth had several flavors from the common favorites to the exotic. Some of my favorites are Chili Mango Mambo, Wild Peppermint, Roadside Rootbeer, Blood Orange Cocktail, Lucky Lime, Cheeky Lemon, RazzMatazz Raspberry, Tooberry Blueberry, and Strawberry Smash. Currently, Yummy Earth has about 20 flavors, but they come out with new temptations frequently. There are also a number of packing options available from the economical to the elegant. Yummy Earth has teamed with Artisanal Candy to offer artisan packing for all its flavors. These packages are perfect for gift giving and at $5.00 a package (on Yummy Earth’s website) they are a stylish but affordable option for holiday gift giving. Plus, it’s always nice to give a gift that will not only be appreciated, but is also healthy for the gift giver. Yummy Earth candies are one of the best things out there, so grab a few packages and try them out for yourself. You’ll be glad that you did.

Product Review: Yummy Earth Organic Candy Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor

Yummy Earth http://www.yummyearth.com/index.htmlRidgewood, New Jersey Can be purchased at: Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon.com and Yummy Earth Website Price: $3.50 – 1.99 depending on the store and the sale Special Information: All products are vegan, soy free, gluten free and between 11 to 22 calories a candy.


The Reviewer Madelyn ‘the Reviewer’ Pryor is one of Amazon.com’s top 1500 reviewers, and a certified Vine Voice. She also gets several requests every day to review books, movies, and graphic novels from various publishers including Harper‐Collins. That means that people really want Madelyn’s advice and opinion, which is fine with her, because it makes it that much easier for her to enact her plans for world domination. Those plans currently involve taking a break from her Masters of Psychology program to be the Sous Chef for the Vegan Culinary Experience. You can reach her at [email protected].


Unless you live in Florida, chances are that you have not had a chance to go to the Sublime Restaurant and have some yummy vegan food in person. If you have not been, you’re in good company because I have never been to the east coast at all. For us, Nanci Alexander, the founder of Sublime, has provided this cookbook with most of her famous dishes in it. What type of food might you expect? There is a range of food, most of elegant and high end. The sushi rolls alone are intriguing. I love the sound of the Yin Yang Roll, with its black rice and soy cream cheese. The Sublime Roll with aioli and scallions sounds good, too. I confess that I didn’t actually try to make either of these or any of the other sushi rolls, because mine always come out as Asian scramble. This is not a reflection of the recipes, it’s a reflection of my sushi skills (as in, I have none). If you’ve been looking for some creative sushi recipes however, this might just be the book for you. There are also a host of creative and fun pizza recipes. Seven Layer Pizza is a new take on a snacking favorite, Seven Layer Dip. Pesto Pizza is always good, so if you have not tried it before, then get to it and try some out! There is a recipe in here to help you out with that, too. The Florentine Pizza intrigued me the most, with tofu ricotta and spinach. However, the inclusion of Forest Mushroom Pizza and Pizza Margherita left me a little baffled, because they are fairly common.

This book isn’t all sushi and pizza. There are a fair smattering of traditional favorites and things that the average vegan may not have tried before, like Mushroom Ceviche – a mix of citrus, oyster mushrooms and other tasty things. But when I sat down to write this review, I couldn’t really think of what to say. When I thought of what I liked about the book it was that it was printed on recycled paper using vegetable ink, and that Nanci Alexander donates all profits from Sublime to animals. You’ll notice that neither one of these is actually the food in the cookbook. I couldn’t figure out what this meant about the food, so I kept staring at the book, pouring through its pages, trying to unlock the mystery… and then I realized what it all meant. As both a cook of sixteen years and a vegan of five years, this cookbook doesn’t inspire me to get in the kitchen. It has a few recipes I might try, but I love cookbooks that make me claw at the pictures on the page, drooling, willing the food to be made manifest so I can stuff it in my greedy face. This doesn’t do that for me. I don’t really hate the book either. I wouldn’t buy it from the bookstore, but I won’t sell it to the used bookstore. It just… is. What I would recommend is checking this book out before you buy it. Check it out at the bookstore while you have an overpriced iced soy coffee, or snag one at the library. Just don’t pay $20 of your hard earned money without looking through it and deciding if this book inspires you.

Author: Nanci Alexander Publisher: Book Publishing Company Copyright: 2009 ISBN: 978‐1‐57067‐227‐9 Price: $19.95

Book Review: The Sublime Resturant Cookbook Author: Nanci Alexander

Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor


The Reviewer Madelyn ‘the Reviewer’ Pryor is one of Amazon.com’s top 1500 reviewers, and a certified Vine Voice. She also gets several requests every day to review books, movies, and graphic novels from various publishers including Harper‐Collins. That means that people really want Madelyn’s advice and opinion, which is fine with her, because it makes it that much easier for her to enact her plans for world domination. Those plans currently involve taking a break from her Masters of Psychology program to be the Sous Chef for the Vegan Culinary Experience. You can reach her at [email protected].


RReecciippee IInnddeexx

Click on any of the recipes in the index to take you to the relevant recipe. Some recipes will

have large white sections after the instructional portion of them. This is so you need only print

out the ingredient and instructional sections for ease of kitchen use.

Recipe Page Recipe Page

Drinks

Turkish Coffee

Cardamom Cinnamon Tea

Finjan Erfeh

Rose Petal Tea

Appetizers, Sides, & Breads

Arroz Mofalfal (Baked Rice)

Dolmas

Pita

Saudi Sambousak

Yalanchi

Pomegranate Dengaku

Cucumber Pizzas

Main Dishes

Falafels

Fava Bean Stew

Ful Medammes

Flatbread Pizza

Imam Bayildi (Stuffed Eggplant)

Kosharee

Mushroom Biryani

Orange Olive Couscous

Scabeg

Shawarma Spiced Veggies

Shish Kebabs

Tabouleh with Pine Nuts

Fattoush

Veggie Kebobs with Red Miso

Marinade

Pasta e Fagioli

43

47

50

54

57

61

66

70

75

15

18

79

83

87

91

95

100

105

110

114

118

123

127

13

15

29

Sauces and Dips

Babaganoush

Dukkah

Harissa

Hummus

Muhamarra

Taratoor Sauce

Raw Carrot Cashew Pate

Edamame Hummous

Blueberry Wasabi Sauce

Creamy Tzatziki

Nut Yogurt

Soups

Freekah Soup

Jalik

Mercimek Corbasi

Shawrbat Adas Majroosha (Pureed

Lentil Soup)

Shorba Hummus (Chickpea Soup)

Tarato

Desserts

Baklava

Boughasha

Egyptian Couscous

Halwa

Künefe

Moroccan Cookies

Poached Quince

Urfa Biber Cakes with Turkish

Coffee

Coco Choco Heaven

131

135

139

140

144

148

33

15

16

19

19

152

156

160

164

168

172

176

181

186

190

194

197

199

202

18


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick

Turk Kahvesi (Turkish Coffee) Type: Drink Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of water 1 tbsp. of finely ground coffee Option: ¼ tsp. of ground cardamom Option: 1 tsp., 2 tsp., or 4 tsp. of sugar Instructions Mix all the ingredients together, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour these in a pot just big enough to contain the liquid. Over a medium heat, bring the coffee to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove it from the heat, allowing it to sit for about 20 seconds. Repeat this two or three times and then serve. Serve immediately. Optional Method: Heat the water until. As soon as it is warm, stir in the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the coffee and cardamom, heating it as above. Sweetness Level: Sade means no sweetener, az sekerli is about ½ tsp. of sugar per cup of water, orta sekerli is about 1 tsp. of sugar per cup of water, cok sekerli is about 2 tsp. of sugar per cup of water.



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Small Pot Small Cups Presentation

This is traditionally served in tiny cups and the coffee grounds are allowed to settle before the coffee is consumed. The more foam in the coffee the better. One method to maximize the level of foam is to slowly raise the pot as you pour the coffee into the cups. The coffee is also meant to be consumed very hot and water is sometimes served just before the coffee as a palate cleanser.

Time Management This coffee takes little time to prepare and is best when fresh. Complementary Food and Drinks This goes very well with baklava and bird’s nests. Where to Shop The ingredients are fairly common. Obviously, the better quality the coffee beans, the better quality the coffee. How It Works The fine grind on the coffee exposes quite a bit of surface area to the water, which rapidly infuses the water with the coffee. The water is removed from the heat as soon as it boils so that the coffee



does not burn. With the second heating technique, mixing the sugar into the hot water raises the boiling temperature of the water before the coffee is even added. It creates a stronger, but slightly more bitter coffee. Chef’s Notes A well done Turkish coffee has an intense flavor without being harsh, a problem which happens when coffee is over brewed. In fact, I used to dislike coffee until I had my first cup of Turkish coffee! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories n/a Calories from Fat n/a Fat n/a Total Carbohydrates n/a Dietary Fiber n/a Sugars varies Protein n/a Salt n/a Vitamin A n/a Vitamin B6 n/a Vitamin C n/a Calcium n/a Iron n/a Thiamin n/a Riboflavin n/a Niacin n/a Folate n/a Phosphorous n/a Potassium n/a Zinc n/a Magnesium n/a Copper n/a



Interesting Facts Although this is called Turkish coffee, this style of coffee is found all over the Middle East and Eastern Europe. In Arabic, the coffee is qahwa arabiyah. Coffee was introduced to the Middle East in the early 15th century.



Cardamom and Cinnamon Tea Type: Drink Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 12 minutes Ingredients 3 cups of water 4 cinnamon sticks 6 whole green cardamom pods 1 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar Instructions Bring the water to a boil. Add in the cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods and reduce to a simmer. Simmer this for 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and immediately strain it. Quickly stir in the sweet agave nectar.



Kitchen Equipment Pot Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Strainer Presentation Leave a cinnamon stick in each glass of tea and lightly sprinkle the saucer with cardamom. Time Management Don’t over brew this tea unless you like potent aromatic drinks. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with bread, olive oil, and a spice mix in which to dip the bread. Where to Shop Cardamom can be expensive unless you purchase it from a bulk spice jar, which can be found Sprouts, Central Market, and sometimes Whole Foods. Approximate cost per serving is $.50. How It Works The long simmer time is necessary to draw the flavor out of the cinnamon. The cardamom gives the tea a lighter note and the sweetness of the agave enhances both the cardamom and cinnamon flavors. Whole spices are used so they are easier to remove from the tea. Chef’s Notes This is a very simple version of masala chai and very much reminds me of Fall.



Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 64.0 (16.0) Calories from Fat 0.0 (0.0) Fat 0.0g (0.0g) Total Carbohydrates 16.0g (4.0g) Dietary Fiber 0.0g (0.0g) Sugars 16.0g (4.0g) Protein 0.0g (0.0g) Salt 0mg (0mg)

Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 0% (0%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 0% (0%) Iron 0% (0%) Thiamin 0% (0%) Riboflavin 0% (0%) Niacin 0% (0%) Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 0% (0%) Potassium 0% (0%) Zinc 0% (0%) Magnesium 0% (0%) Copper 0% (0%) Interesting Facts Cardamom isn’t just used as a spice, it is sometimes used medicinally and sometimes even smoked. Ground cardamom seeds quickly lose their flavor.



Finjan Erfeh (anise and ginger tea) Type: Drin k Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 12 minutes Ingredients 1 tbsp. of anise seeds (not ground) 2 whole cloves 2” piece of ginger, sliced 4 cups of water 2 cinnamon sticks 1 ½ tbsp. of sugar 4 almonds Instructions Place the cloves and anise seed in a tea ball. Slice the ginger. Bring the water to a boil. Add in all the ingredients and reduce it to a simmer Simmer it for 10 minutes and strain it. Pour the tea into 4 glasses and put one of the simmered almonds in each glass.



Kitchen Equipment Tea Ball Pot Knife Cutting Boar Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Strainer Presentation Choose a clear glass for the tea so the almond at the bottom of the cup is visible. Time Management This tea can be made ahead of time and then quickly reheated, meaning you can make this in large batches. It does not taste nearly as good cold, so make sure you take the time to warm it back up. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this as a dessert tea or between courses, but always serve it by itself. Where to Shop All the ingredients are easy to find, but you should try to purchase your spices from bulk jars to get the best price on them. Approximate cost per serving is $.50. How It Works The cloves and anise give a very strong aromatic quality to the tea while the ginger gives it quite a bit of bite. The cinnamon imparts mellower aromatic notes while the sweetness from the sugar enhances all of the above qualities. The almond imparts a subtle nuttiness to the drink which also works well with the sugar.



Chef’s Notes This is one of my favorite teas and I particularly enjoy the touch of the whole almond at the bottom of the glass. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 139.2 (42.3) Calories from Fat 34.7 (8.7) Fat 3.9g (1.0g) Total Carbohydrates 30.9g (7.7g) Dietary Fiber 5.0g (1.3g) Sugars 18.6g (4.6g) Protein 2.8g (0.7g) Salt 5mg (1mg)

Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 4% (1%) Vitamin C 6% (1.5%) Calcium 13% (3.3%) Iron 30% (7.5%) Thiamin 3% (0.8%) Riboflavin 3% (0.8%) Niacin 3% (0.8%) Folate 2% (0.5%) Phosphorous 6% (1.5%) Potassium 7% (1.8%) Zinc 4% (1%) Magnesium 9% (2.3%) Copper 9% (2.3%) Interesting Facts Almonds are actually the seeds of the fruit of almond trees.



Wild almonds can be toxic, but the toxins have been selected out of the domesticated varieties.



Rose Petal Tea Type: Drink Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup of culinary rose petals or 3 rose tea bags 3 cups of water 1 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar Instructions Bring the water to a boil. Add in the rose petals and reduce it to a simmer. Simmer the tea for 5 minutes or until the petal become discolored. Remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the sweet agave nectar.



Kitchen Equipment Pot Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Presentation Not applicable. Time Management This tea should be served hot and the longer the petals are allowed to sit in the tea, the more powerful it gets. Complementary Food and Drinks This makes an excellent precursor to a light meal or a mezze platter. Where to Shop Culinary rose petals are not always easy to find, so you may need to go with rose tea bags. Avoid using regular rose petals as non-culinary roses are typically laden with pesticides. Approximate cost per serving is $.25. How It Works This is fairly simple. The hot water pulls the flavor from the rose petals and the sweetness of the agave complements the mellow fragrance of the flowers. Chef’s Notes This makes for a great afternoon tea and with a bit of extra agave, a nice dessert tea.



Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 64.0 (16.0) Calories from Fat 0.0 (0.0) Fat 0.0g (0.0g) Total Carbohydrates 64.0g (16.4g) Dietary Fiber 0.0g (0.0g) Sugars 64.0g (16.0g) Protein 0.0g (0.0g) Salt 0.0g (0.0g)

Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 0% (0%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 0% (0%) Iron 0% (0%) Thiamin 0% (0%) Riboflavin 0% (0%) Niacin 0% (0%) Folate 0% (0%) Phosphorous 0% (0%) Potassium 0% (0%) Zinc 0% (0%) Magnesium 0% (0%) Copper 0% (0%) Interesting Facts Roses are native to Asia. The fruit of the rose is called a rose hip.



Aroz Mofalfal (Arabian Rice) Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 40 minutes Ingredients 4 cups water 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 cup jasmine rice ¼ cup vermicelli, broken 2 tbsp. vegan margarine 1/8 tsp. salt Instructions Bring the water and lemon juice to a boil. Add the rice, boiling the rice for 7-8 minutes. While it is boiling, break the vermicelli into about 1” pieces. Bring the margarine to a medium high heat. Once it is melted and at the appropriate heat, add the vermicelli, frying them until they are brown. Drain the rice of excess water. Add the rice to a baking dish. Mix the vermicelli, remaining margarine, and salt into the rice. Cover the baking dish. Bake the rice on 325 degrees for 20 minutes.



Low-fat Version Omit the oil and cook the vermicelli in boiling water until it is just under al dente. Raw Version Use 2 cups of ground cauliflower for the rice and zucchini strings for the vermicelli. Only use ½ tsp. of lemon juice and mix everything together, allowing it to sit for about 20 minutes. Kitchen Equipment Pot Small Baking Dish Foil Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Colander Sauté Pan Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management If you’re quick, you can get the vermicelli sautéed while the rice is boiling. If you are worried about being fast, just boil the rice first, drain it, set it aside, and do the vermicelli next.



Complementary Food and Drinks Rice can be served with just about any dish, but I love serving it by itself with spicy tahini sauce on top. Where to Shop Vegan margarine can be found at places like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Sprouts while the rest of the ingredients are easy to get. Approximate cost per serving is $.50. How It Works Boiling the rice in a large amount of water keeps the grains separate, which is also why lemon juice is used. The acidity of the lemon cuts the base of the starch, keeping the grains from sticking together. Frying the vermicelli makes the pasta brown, creating a nice color contrast with the rice while baking it with the moist rice will slowly hydrate it. Covering the baking dish helps keep the rice moist. Chef’s Notes This is a great way to prepare rice, though I rarely fry the vermicelli so I can keep the fat content down. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 948.3 (237.1) Calories from Fat 162.3 (40.6) Fat 18.0g (4.5g) Total Carbohydrates 183.4g (45.9g) Dietary Fiber 1.4g (0.4g) Sugars 0.5g (0.1g) Protein 13.1g (3.3g) Salt 294mg (73mg)

Vitamin A 20% (5%)



Vitamin B6 14% (3.5%) Vitamin C 36% (9%) Calcium 5% (1.3%) Iron 13% (3.3%) Thiamin 9% (2.3%) Riboflavin 6% (1.5%) Niacin 16% (4%) Folate 3% (0.8%) Phosphorous 22% (5.5%) Potassium 5% (1.3%) Zinc 25% (6.3%) Magnesium 17% (4.3%) Copper 45% (11.3%) Interesting Facts Jasmine rice is indigenous to Thailand, though it is popular throughout the world for its fragrant characteristic.



Dolmas Type: Appetizer Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 90 minutes Ingredients 2-3 oz. of grape leaves 1 tsp. of olive oil 1 onion, minced 1 tbsp. of pine nuts 5-6 sundried tomatoes, minced ¼ cup of rice ¼ tsp. of salt ¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp. of crushed red pepper 2 tsp. of minced fresh dill 2 tbsp. of minced fresh parsley ½ cup of rice 3/8 cup of water 1 cup of water 1 ½ cups of water 2 tbsp. of olive oil Juice of 2 lemons Instructions Mince the onion and sundried tomatoes. Saute the onion in the oil on a medium heat until it is soft. Add in the rice and sauté this for about 2 minutes. Add in the pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and water. Bring this to a simmer. Allow it to simmer until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and is soft. Mince the dill and parsley. Stir these into the rice. Unfold the grape leaves. If the grape leaves are very briny, rinse them with water.



Boil them in enough water to cover them by at least 3” for about 5 minutes. Allow them to cool. Place a tbsp. of filling along one side of a leaf. Fold over the sides. Roll the leaf into a tight cigar shape. If there are tears in the leaf, you can shore them with other grape leaves. Repeat this with the filling and the other leaves. Place a layer of leaves in the bottom of a pot or deep skillet. Place the stuffed grape leaves tightly in the pot or skillet. Add one cup of water to the pot or skillet and bring the heat to medium low. Place a plate on top of the stuffed grape leaves to keep them from unfurling. Cook the stuffed grape leaves for 20 minutes. Add in 1 ½ cups of hot water and simmer this for 15 more minutes. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil on the finished grape leaves. Remove them and allow them to come to room temperature.



Kitchen Equipment 2 Pots Deep Skillet Plate Cutting Board Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

I like to arrange these in rows on a platter with a hearty serving of olives. You can also garnish these with fresh parsley, diced tomatoes, and lemon slices.

Time Management Dolmas are a lot of work, but they are easy to make in large batches and they get better as they sit, so I suggest taking the time to make a very large batch and then storing most of them in containers, saving a few to snack on the day you make them. Complementary Food and Drinks My favorite way to serve these is as part of a mezze platter with olives, hummus, babaganoush, and tomato stewed green beans. Where to Shop All of the ingredients for the dolmas should be commonly available except for the grape leaves. For those, you may have to try a Middle Eastern market or a gourmet market.



How It Works Often, the leaves are a bit tough when coming out of the can or jar, so they need to be boiled to make them pliable. This also washes away some of the salt on them. For the filling, the onion and sundried tomatoes are minced so you don’t get large pieces of them relative to the small size of the dolmas. The onion is sautéed to soften it and bring out the sweetness. The rice is then added to the pot and toasted for a couple minutes to create a deeper, rich flavor. Then the spices and sundried tomatoes are added with the water to cook down into the rice. The rice will not be completely soft at this point, but that’s good because the stuffed dolmas are going to boil in water and the rice will absorb the rest of the liquid it needs. The stuffed dolmas are boiled to soften them further and to get the flavors to meld. A layer of leaves is placed on the bottom of the skillet or pot so that those will stick to the bottom and not the delicate dolmas. These then rest so they can absorb the lemon juice and olive oil and come down to room temperature. Chef’s Notes Dolmas are a commitment, though well worth the effort. I like to spend a weekend afternoon doing a large batch of them and then snack on them throughout the week. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 691.5 (86.4) Calories from Fat 353.8 (44.2) Fat 39.3g (4.9g) Total Carbohydrates 72.6g (9.1g) Dietary Fiber 4.4g (0.5g) Sugars 7.0g (0.9g) Protein 11.9g (1.5g) Salt 3369mg (421mg) Vitamin A 105% (13.1%) Vitamin B6 22% (2.8%) Vitamin C 130% (16.3%) Calcium 32% (4%) Iron 35% (4.4%)



Thiamin 25% (3.1%) Riboflavin 23% (2.9%) Niacin 40% (5%) Folate 57% (7.1%) Phosphorous 19% (2.4%) Potassium 18% (2.3%) Zinc 11% (1.4%) Magnesium 19% (2.4%) Copper 103% (12.9%) Interesting Facts Dolma means “stuffed veggie.” Thus, dolmas can be made from cabbage, eggplant, peppers, etc. These are often called sarma because the Turkish word dolmak means stuffed and the Turkish word sarmak means wrapped.



Pita Type: Bread Serves: 6 – 10 pitas Time to Prepare: 3 hours 30 minutes (includes 3 hours for the bread to rise) Ingredients 2 tsp. of active dry yeast ¼ tsp. of sugar 1 cup of warm water 3 cups of whole wheat flour 1 tsp. of salt Instructions Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Sift together the flour and salt together in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine everything. Knead the dough for about 7 or 8 minutes. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise for about 3 hours. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Divide the dough into six portions and roll them into balls. Roll each ball of dough into a 5” diameter circle about ¼” thick. Bake the pitas on 500 degrees for about 4 minutes. Turn the pitas over and bake them for another 2 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Bowl Measuring Spoon Whisk Mixing Bowl Baking Sheet Oven Rolling Pin Presentation

Not applicable.

Time Management Be quick when you turn the pitas over to minimize the amount of time the pitas are left outside the oven. Complementary Food and Drinks Pita goes with just about every Middle Eastern dish, but my favorite pairings are with falafel and hummus. Where to Shop All the ingredients are common. Approximate cost per serving is $.50.



How It Works The dough is kneaded until it is smooth and elastic so that the gluten molecules bind together, trapping the gas from the yeast in the bread, which causes it to rise. The incredibly high heat causes the bread to puff and separate. Chef’s Notes Fresh pita is so much better than the packaged kind, but only when it is eaten relatively fresh. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1332.9 (133.3) Calories from Fat 33.3 (3.3) Fat 3.7g (0.4g) Total Carbohydrates 286.2g (28.6g)Dietary Fiber 10.1g (1.0g) Sugars 0.0g (0.0g) Protein 38.7g (3.9g) Salt 2325mg (233mg)

Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 8% (0.8%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 6% (0.6%) Iron 91% (9.1%) Thiamin 196% (19.6%) Riboflavin 109% (10.9%) Niacin 111% (11.1%) Folate 171% (17.1%) Phosphorous 40% (4%) Potassium 11% (1.1%) Zinc 18% (1.8%) Magnesium 21% (2.1%)



Copper 27% (2.7%) Interesting Facts As a flatbread recipe, pita is one of the oldest breads in the world. Pita means bread in Aramaic and spread with the Hellenistic expansion.



Saudi Sambousak Type: Condiment Serves: 16 Time to Prepare: 1 hour Ingredients The Dough

3 cups of flour ½ tsp. of ground fennel seed ½ tsp. of poppy seed Water ½ tsp. of salt 1 ½ cups of olive oil

The Filling 2 onions, grated or minced 1 red potato, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 tbsp. of oil for sautéing 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. of cumin ¼ tsp. of salt 1 cup of cooked lentils

Instructions In a deep bowl, mix together the flour, fennel, poppy seed, and salt. Stir in the oil. Add in just enough water to get the dough to bind, like a flakey pastry. Divide the dough into 1” balls. Cover the dough. Set it aside in the refrigerator. Start cooking the lentils. Grate the onion. Dice the potato and carrot. Sauté the onion, carrot, and potato until they are all soft. Add the pepper, cumin, and salt and continue sautéing the veggies 1 more minute.



Once the lentils are done, combine them with the veggies. Set the filling aside. On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough out to 1/16” handling it as little as possible. Place a tbsp. of the sautéed mix in each rolled out piece of dough. Fold the dough around the filling and twist the edges closed. Deep fry the sambousaks on 375 degrees until they are golden brown. Option: Bake the sambousaks on 350 degrees for 25 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Large Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Whisk Towel Small Pot with Lid Knife Cutting Board Sauté Pan Tongs or Fry Basket Deep Fryer Presentation

Serve only one or two of these per person and place a dipping sauce on the side of the plate. Alternatively, you can place several dipping sauces on each plate or in small bowls in the middle of the table.

Time Management This works best if you roll out each of the balls of dough before filling them, then fill them all, then twist them all closed, finally deep frying them. Creating this type of assembly line will drastically reduce the time you spend making these. You can easily freeze any left overs. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of hot sauce, harissa, or muhumarra.



Where to Shop All these ingredients are fairly common with rock salt usually being found on most baking aisles. Approximate cost per serving is $.50. How It Works The dough is fairly dry so that it crisps while it is in the deep fryer with the oil added to the dough there to make the sambousaks slightly flaky. The fennel and poppy seeds make the dough interesting, a nice contrast to similar recipes which have no flavor at all in the dough. The filling is a very peppery common set of ingredients. There is sweetness from the carrot and onion, starch from the potato, and heartiness from the lentils. The temperature is important when deep frying these. Too high and they’ll burn. Too low and they will absorb too much oil. Chef’s Notes The flavored dough is what really makes these stand out. Feel free to experiment with lot of different spices. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 5120.3 (320.0) Calories from Fat 3084.0 (192.8) Fat 342.7g (21.4g) Total Carbohydrates 440.3g (27.5g)Dietary Fiber 41.9g (2.6g) Sugars 14.4g (0.9g) Protein 68.8g (4.3g) Salt 518mg (32mg)

Vitamin A 105% (6.6%) Vitamin B6 114% (7.1%) Vitamin C 174% (10.9%) Calcium 25% (1.6%) Iron 156% (9.8%)



Thiamin 251% (15.7%) Riboflavin 133% (8.3%) Niacin 149% (9.3%) Folate 261% (16.3%) Phosphorous 112% (7%) Potassium 106% (6.6%) Zinc 47% (2.9%) Magnesium 74% (4.6%) Copper 82% (5.1%) Interesting Facts These are very similar to samosas, a deep-fried Indian pastry, with both samosas and sambousaks originating in Persia at least as far back as the Middle Ages.



Yalanchi Type: Side Serves: 6 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Ingredients 3 ½ cups water 2 cups rice 6 medium tomatoes 1 yellow onion, diced 1 tsp. olive oil ½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water, and drained ½ cup pine nuts ½ tsp. cinnamon Olive oil for brushing ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper Instructions Bring the water to a boil and add the rice. Bring the water back to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, cooking the rice for about 20 minutes. While it is cooking, prepare the tomatoes and the rest of the filling. Cut the tops off of the tomatoes about ½” down. Cut around the stems and chop what is left of the tomato tops. Scoop out the seeds and turn the tomatoes over to drain. Dice the onion. Sauté the onion on a medium heat in the 1 tsp of olive oil until the onion is soft, but not browned. Add in the pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon, and tomato tops to the pan and stir. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix this with the cooked rice, salt, and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stuff each tomato and place it on the baking sheet. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes.



Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil and pine nuts, using diced carrot for crunch instead of the nuts. Raw Version Use 3 cups of ground cauliflower for the rice and half the onion called for in the recipe. Allow all the stuffing ingredients to sit for about an hour before stuffing the tomatoes. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Pot with Lid Mixing Bowl Baking Dish Oven Brush Presentation

Save a few pine nuts to garnish the finished tomatoes and add some minced parsley or mint to the top.

Time Management Don’t start prepping the tomatoes and filling until the rice is cooking. By the time the rice is done, you should just be finishing up with the onion/pine nut mix.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of stewed fava beans. Where to Shop All the ingredients are fairly common, though you will probably get the best price on pine nuts by weight at a place like CostCo. Approximate cost is $2.25 per serving. How It Works Hollowing the tomatoes makes enough room for the stuffing and tipping them over gets rid of excess liquid from the seedy part of the tomato, which would make the rice at the bottom of the tomato mushy if left inside. The pine nuts are used for crunch while the onion and raisins are used for sweetness. The tomatoes and filling are baked so that the tomatoes can soften and the filling and spices set. Chef’s Notes I find it hard to eat just one of these! I have to set these out of sight so I don’t over indulge. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2074.0 (345.7) Calories from Fat 1164.0 (194.0) Fat 129.3g (21.6g) Total Carbohydrates 202.0g (33.7g)Dietary Fiber 12.3g (2.1g) Sugars 62.2g (10.4g) Protein 25.5g (4.3g) Salt 616mg (103mg)

Vitamin A 60% (10%) Vitamin B6 40% (6.7%)



Vitamin C 102% (17%) Calcium 16% (2.7%) Iron 41% (6.8%) Thiamin 44% (7.3%) Riboflavin 27% (4.5%) Niacin 38% (6.3%) Folate 194% (32.3%) Phosphorous 71% (11.8%) Potassium 62% (10.3%) Zinc 48% (8%) Magnesium 77% (12.8%) Copper 79% (13.2%) Interesting Facts Yalanchi can also be grape leaves stuffed with a rice and tomato filling.



Falafels Type: Main Dish Makes: 8 large falafels Time to Prepare: 1 hour + 18 hours for soaking Ingredients ½ an onion, minced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp. of minced parsley 2 tbsp. of minced cilantro ½ cup of dried chickpeas, soaked ½ cup of dried fava beans, soaked (or chickpeas if you can’t find fava beans) 1 tsp. of cumin 1 tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tsp. of baking powder ¼ cup of flour 1 tbsp. of sesame seeds Vegetable oil for frying Instructions Soak the beans for at least 18 hours. Mince the onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Mash the beans, onion, parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic until they are coarsely combined. Mix together the baking powder and flour. Combine those with the bean mix. Cover the chickpea/fava bean dough. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. Heat up enough oil at 350 degrees in a wok or fryer to cover the falafels. Lightly oil your hands to more easily work with the falafel dough without it sticking. Form the falafel balls and roll them in sesame seeds. Fry them in the oil until they outside is crispy and a dark golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). To test the falafel dough, fry one falafel and if it falls apart, add a little more flour to the dough. Option: Use cooked beans instead of soaking dried ones.



Low-fat Version The falafels can be baked on a lightly oiled pan at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Raw Version Use sprouted chickpeas and fava beans, omit the baking powder and flour, mash the dough into balls, and dehydrate them for about 6 hours. Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Masher or Food Processor Mixing Bowl Wok or Fryer Fry Basket Knife Cutting Board Presentation

I generally serve these adorned with sliced cucumber and tomato and drizzled with hot sauce.

Time Management Once you make the dough, be sure to fry up the falafel within a couple hours or the dough will become too dry.



Complementary Food and Drinks My favorite way to serve these is in a pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and spicy tahini sauce. Where to Shop All the ingredients should be fairly easy to find save the fava beans. You may need to head to a Middle Eastern market for those. Approximate cost per serving is $.25. How It Works Mashing the beans keeps them coarse, which helps create a fluffy texture. The baking powder also releases gas once it hits liquid and this also promotes a nice fluffy texture. The fava beans mixed with the chickpeas gives these falafels a heartier texture than those made with just chickpeas. Notice also that the falafels are heavily spiced. This is because the mashed beans will cut the flavors of the spices greatly and everything will mellow out in the fryer. Chef’s Notes The hallmark of a good falafel is a crispy outside and a puffy inside with lots of rich flavors. I generally don’t eat fried foods, but this is definitely an exception! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 463.40 (57.9) Calories from Fat 217.8 (27.2) Fat 24.2g (3.0g) Total Carbohydrates 43.3g (5.4g) Dietary Fiber 6.2g (0.8g) Sugars 2.4g (0.3g) Protein 18.1g (2.3g) Salt 2326mg (291mg)

Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 8% (1%)



Vitamin C 4% (0.5%) Calcium 7% (0.9%) Iron 26% (3.3%) Thiamin13% (1.6%) Riboflavin 13% (1.6%) Niacin 7% (0.9%) Folate 24% (3%) Phosphorous 26% (3.3%) Potassium 23% (2.9%) Zinc 14% (1.8%) Magnesium 28% (3.5%) Copper 18% (2.3%) Interesting Facts Falafels originated in Egypt where they were made with just fava beans instead of chickpeas.



Fava Bean and Tomato Stew Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 40 minutes Ingredients 4 cups of fava beans 1 onion, diced 6 cloves of garlic, minced 4 hot red dried peppers ½ tsp. of salt Juice of 1 lemon 4 tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp. of cumin seeds ¼ cup of chopped parsley ¼ tsp. of freshly ground pepper 1 cup of bulgur 1 cup of peas 4 cups of veggie broth 1 tsp. of olive oil Instructions Mince the garlic, dice the onion, and chop the tomatoes. On a medium heat, sauté the cumin seeds, hot peppers, and garlic for 30 seconds. Add in all the other ingredients except for the lemon juice and parsley. Simmer this for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.



Kitchen Equipment Medium sized Pot Wooden Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation

If you have some extra lemon left over, serve this with a slice of lemon on the lip of the bowl and dress the lemon and lip of the bowl with paprika.

Time Management I use canned fava beans to save myself a whole lot of time. Complementary Food and Drinks A plate of spicy cous cous makes a nice complement for this stew as it can be poured over the cous cous. Where to Shop I purchased my fava beans at a gourmet grocery store, though you can also purchase them at Middle Eastern markets and even many Asian markets. Whole Foods should also carry them. Bulgur is also known as cracked wheat and there is a good chance it will be available at your local market. If you can’t find it, feel free to substitute cous cous.



How It Works Sauteeing the cumin seeds, garlic, and hot peppers gives them a more robust flavor and helps give the stew a nice aroma. The fava beans provide the heartiness while the bulgur bulks out the stew with a complex carbohydrate. The peas add color to the stew. Finally, the lemon juice is added at the end so it stays fresh, along with the parsley. Chef’s Notes This was inspired by a Middle Eastern dish called fool madamas, made with fava beans, tomato, garlic, onion, and lemon. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1709.0 (427.3) Calories from Fat 63.7 (15.9) Fat 7.1g (1.8g) Total Carbohydrates 324.6g (81.2g) Dietary Fiber 77.3g (19.3g) Sugars 38.5g (9.6g) Protein 86.7g (21.7g) Salt 3719mg (929.8mg) Vitamin A 95% (23.8%) Vitamin B6 92% (23%) Vitamin C 257% (64.3%) Calcium 38% (9.5%) Iron 102% (25.5%) Thiamin 87% (21.8%) Riboflavin 60% (15%) Niacin 89% (22.3%) Folate 229% (57.3%) Phosphorous 156% (39%)



Potassium 114% (28.5%) Zinc 77% (19.3%) Magnesium 158% (39.5%) Copper 144% (36%) Interesting Facts Bulgur is another name for cracked wheat and is one of the main ingredients of tabouleh. Fava beans are also known as broad beans.



Ful Medammes (ancient Egyptian version with contemporary variant)

Type: Main Dish, Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 3 cups of cooked fava beans 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley leaves Juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp. of olive oil ½ tsp. of salt Option: 3 roma tomatoes, diced Option: 1 ½ cups of dried fava beans instead of cooked and 1 ½ cups of water Instructions Rinse the cooked fava beans. Mince the garlic. Chop the parsley. Juice the lemons. Mash the beans with all of the ingredients except the parsley, leaving some of the beans chunky. Stir in the parsley. Option: Stew the fava beans with the diced tomatoes until the tomatoes turn into sauce, then proceed with the recipe. Option: If you prefer to used dried fava beans, soak them over night, then drain the water. Add the fava beans, 1 ½ cups of water, the optional tomatoes, and garlic to the pot and simmer the beans until they are soft, then add the parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt once the beans are removed from the heat.



Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil and add in a like amount of water. Raw Version Sprout the fava beans, then prepare the recipe the same way. Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Masher Cutting Board Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

Don’t completely mash the beans into a paste and cut some extra parsley to garnish the finished dish.

Time Management I use canned fava beans to save a lot of time. Otherwise, I end up spending another hour or so cooking the beans. Complementary Food and Drinks Although this can be eaten on its own, it is meant to be served with some sort of flatbread, pita being the most popular.



Where to Shop Fava beans can be found at Middle Eastern markets and most gourmet markets. The rest of the ingredients should be easy to come by. Approximate price per serving is $2.00. How It Works The lemon juice serves two purposes. First, it lightens the dish. Second, it provides enough liquid to mash the beans effectively, which is also assisted by the olive oil. The garlic adds bite to the beans and the parsley gives a fresh, lightened quality to the dish. Chef’s Notes Many modern ful medammes recipes are made with tomatoes, but tomatoes were not available in the ancient world. In some ways, I like the simplicity and purity of taste in this recipe more than the modern one. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 831.8 (208.0) Calories from Fat 459.0 (114.8) Fat 51.0g (12.8g) Total Carbohydrates70.6g (17.7g) Dietary Fiber 18.2g (4.5g) Sugars 22.7g (5.7g) Protein 22.6g (5.7g) Salt 1843mg (461mg)

Vitamin A 21% (5.3%) Vitamin B6 23% (5.8%) Vitamin C 83% (20.8%) Calcium 15% (3.8%) Iron 26% (6.5%) Thiamin 26% (6.5%)



Riboflavin 19% (4.8%) Niacin 14% (3.5%) Folate 88% (22%) Phosphorous 39% (9.8%) Potassium 49% (12.3%) Zinc 21% (5.3%) Magnesium 36% (9%) Copper 41% (10.3%) Interesting Facts Medammes means “mashed.” Ful medammes has been found mentioned on Egyptian hieroglyphs.



Mediterranean Flatbread Pizza Type: Main Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 60 minutes Ingredients 8 oz. of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed ¼ cup of water ¼ cup of tahini ¼ cup of olive oil ¼ tsp. of salt 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper 1 tsp. of lemon juice 20 pitted Kalamata olives 1tbsp. of fresh tarragon leaves 1 flatbread crust Instructions Blend together the garbanzo beans, water, tahini, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice until it is smooth. *Note that not all blenders work the same, so you may have to adjust the water content to get this smooth. Spread the blend over the flatbread crust, leaving about ½” of the crust exposed. Sprinkle the cayenne pepper over the spread. Place the olives evenly on top of the spread. Bake the pizza on 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle the fresh tarragon leaves over the pizza (do not use dried tarragon).



Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Blender or Food Processor Pizza Stone Oven Spatula for spreading the “sauce” on the flatbread Presentation

This looks very nice on a long, dark, wooden plank (sometimes called a pizza piel). Also, do not bake the tarragon on the pizza as it will lose both its flavor and its beautiful, bright green color. Make sure to put it on after the baking is done.

Time Management This pizza has about 5 to 10 minutes of labor and the rest of it is the baking. It is best eaten fresh, but will keep for a day if you cover it well. Complimentary Food and Drinks The flavors of this pizza go well with most Middle Eastern drinks. Try a cinnamon tea or Arabic coffee. Where to Shop For the best flavor, get a high quality tahini. The most common brand of good quality tahini is MaraNatha, which can be found at places like Whole Foods and Wild Oats. If you want to go for a cheap tahini because of budgetary concerns, find a Middle Eastern market.



How It Works The bean spread is smooth enough and thick enough that it acts as a hearty, flavorful base for the pizza, which allows the olives and tarragon to accent the pizza instead of overwhelm it. Adding in the olive oil and water is what creates the smoothness to the spread and the olive oil keeps it from drying out during baking. Chef’s Notes The base of this is a modified hummus. It omits the garlic and paprika and goes light on the lemon juice so that the spread does not take over the pizza. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1709.8 (427.5) Calories from Fat 1045.3 (261.3) Fat 116.1g (29.0g) Total Carbohydrates 131.9g (33.0g) Dietary Fiber 22.66g (5.7g) Sugars 1.1g (0.3g) Protein 34.3g (8.6g) Salt 1870.7mg (467.7mg) Vitamin A 7% (1.8%) Vitamin B6 15% (3.8%) Vitamin C 4% (1%) Calcium 40% (10%) Iron 86% (21.5%) Thiamin 82% (20.5%) Riboflavin 43% (10.8%) Niacin 47 11.8%) Folate 86% (21.5%) Phosphorous 76% (19%)



Potassium 23% (5.8%) Zinc 38% (9.5%) Magnesium 36% (9%) Copper 74% (18.5%) Interesting Facts Kalamata is a city in southern Greece. Some olive groves are rumored to be over 3,000 years old. Olive trees often displace other vegetation in the wild.



Imam Bayildi Type: Appetizer or Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 2 hours Ingredients 2 small eggplants, about 1 ½ lbs. 1 onion, thinly sliced 3 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp. of olive oil 2 roma tomatoes 2 tbsp. of fresh chopped parsley 1 tbsp. of fresh dill ½ tsp. of sugar 1/8 tsp. of salt Juice of 1 lemon Water Instructions Remove the stems from the eggplant. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Cut a small slice on the skin sides so that when the eggplant is placed in a skillet skin side down, it does not fall over. Salt the fleshy side of the eggplant and place it fleshy side down on a plate or in a shallow mixing bowl. Allow the eggplant to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat them dry. Slice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the oil to a sauté pan and bring it to a medium high heat. Saute the eggplant flesh side down until it is golden brown (5-7 minutes.) Transfer the eggplant to a platter or large plate. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the sauté pan in which you cooked the eggplant. Saute these until the onion is soft, constantly stirring them to keep the garlic from burning. Transfer these to a mixing bowl.



Dice the tomatoes. Add the diced tomatoes, parsley, dill, sugar, and salt to the mixing bowl with the onions and garlic. For each eggplant half, cut a slit into the flesh, being careful not to break the skin and leavethe ends of the eggplant intact. Fill each eggplant with as much of the onion/tomato mix as much as you can. Dress the eggplant halves with the lemon juice. Return the eggplant halves to the sauté pan, skin side down. Fill the sauté pan with enough water to reach about ½” up the eggplant. Bring the pan to a low heat. Cover the eggplant. Cook this for 50 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the pan from drying. Remove the eggplant and allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.



Kitchen Equipment Large Sauté Pan with at least a 1 inch lip Lid for the pan Spatula Knife Cutting Board Mixing Bowl Measuring Spoon Presentation

Serve this on a white plate. This is a nice-looking recipe with lots of color and the white plate will draw the eyes to the eggplant. If you have some tomato sauce that remaining in the pan, drizzle it around the eggplant.

Time Management There is a lot of down time in this recipe, which you can use to good effect. One way to save about fifteen minutes is to cook the onions and garlic while the eggplant is sitting for the first thirty minutes. Also, while the eggplant is simmering, take the opportunity to clean up or even start another recipe. Complementary Food and Drinks This goes very well as part of a mezze platter and can also be served with a spread of toasted-cumin seed rice. Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be available at your local market, except perhaps for the dill. For that, you may need to head to a gourmet market, Sprouts, Whole Foods, or your local farmers’



market. When shopping for eggplant, look for firm skins without blemishes. Also, the wider the eggplant, the better because you can stuff it with more goodies! Price per serving is about $1.75. How It Works Salting the eggplant draws out any bitterness and softens it for a quicker sauté time. Sauteeing the fleshy side of the eggplant caramelizes it a bit and softens it for easy cutting and stuffing. The tomato base of the stuffing will soften into a chunky sauce as the eggplant simmers, allowing the flavors of the onion, garlic, tomato, and dill to penetrate into the walls of the eggplant. This, however, takes quite a bit of time which is why the eggplant is simmered after it is stuffed. Chef’s Notes This is a complex recipe, but well worth it if you have the time. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 603.7 (201.2) Calories from Fat 265.1 (88.4) Fat 29.5g (9.8g) Total Carbohydrates 75.4g (25.1g) Dietary Fiber 23.9g (8.0g) Sugars 30.5g (10.2g) Protein 9.3g (3.1g) Salt 15mg (5mg) Vitamin A 25% (8.3%) Vitamin B6 47% (15.7%) Vitamin C 105% (35%) Calcium 8% (2.7%( Iron 20% (6.7%) Thiamin 38% (12.7%) Riboflavin 12% (4%) Niacin 29% (9.7%)



Folate 41% (13.7%) Phosphorous 25% (8.3%) Potassium 73% (24.3%) Zinc 10% (3.3%) Magnesium 34% (11.3%) Copper 53% (17.7%) Interesting Facts Imam bayildi means the imam fainted. There are several stories pertaining to the name of this dish, all ending with an imam fainting. This dish is medieval in origin.



Kosharee Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients The Lentils

2 cups water 1 cup brown lentils

The Pasta Water 1 cup macaroni

The Rice ½ cup brown rice 1 cup water ¼ tsp. salt The Sauce

1 yellow onion, chopped 2 red chilies, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar 1 ½ cups tomato sauce 1 tsp. salt

Option: 1 cup of rinsed, cooked chickpeas Instructions Boil the 2 cups of water and add the lentils. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, cooking for about 20 minutes. Boil the pasta until it is al dente, then drain it and set it aside. Bring the water for the rice to a boil, add the rice and salt, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook the rice for 20 minutes. Chop the onion. Dice the chilies. Mince the garlic.



On a medium heat, sauté the onion until it browns and then add the chilies. Sauté these for another two minutes. Add the tomato sauce, vinegar, and salt and simmer this for five minutes. When the pasta, rice, and lentils are done, mix them together and pour the sauce over this mix. Option: Mix the chickpeas with the lentils.



Low-fat Version Omit the oil from the recipe, sautéing the onion over a medium high heat until it browns, then reducing the heat to medium before the tomato sauce is added. Kitchen Equipment 3 Pots and 2 Lids Sauté Pan Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Large Mixing Bowl Colander Presentation

This should be served family style in a big bowl with a wide serving spoon. For some extra color, sprinkle cut parsley or cilantro on top of the sauce.

Time Management Although there are four parts of this dish, three of them simply require boiling ingredients for an extended period of time. That means you can get the pasta, the rice, and the lentils boiling and then work on the sauce. Everything should come together at just about the same time. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of spiced walnuts.



Where to Shop All of these ingredients are fairly common. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works Pasta and rice are used to provide different textures to the starch in the dish while lentils are used to make the dish very hearty. They also provide yet another texture to the dish, making three rather plain ingredients, interesting. The onions are browned to maximize their sweetness, making the sauce a mix of sweet, tangy, and spicy. This gives the three disparate ingredients, the pasta, rice, and lentils, a common flavor framework. Chef’s Notes Kosharee is one of my favorite bulk dishes. It can be made in large amounts and then refrigerated and eaten throughout the week. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1489.2(372.3) Calories from Fat 233.6 (58.4) Fat 26.0g (6.5g) Total Carbohydrates 242.8g (60.7g)Dietary Fiber 50.0g (12.5g) Sugars 32.5g (8.1g) Protein 71.1g (17.8g) Salt 3354mg (839mg)

Vitamin A 41% (10.3%) Vitamin B6 97% (24.3%) Vitamin C 52% (13%) Calcium 26% (6.5%) Iron 137% (34.3%) Thiamin 133% (33.3%) Riboflavin 43% (10.8%)



Niacin 139% (34.8%) Folate 323% (80.8%) Phosphorous 135% (33.8%) Potassium 110% (27.5%) Zinc 70% (17.5%) Magnesium 85% (21.3%) Copper 120% (30%) Interesting Facts Kosharee is a popular Egyptian dish, though variations of this dish are found throughout the Middle East and India.



Roasted Mushroom Biryani Type: Side or Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 50 minutes Ingredients ¾ cup of basmati rice 4 cups of water Juice of 1 lemon ½ tsp. of turmeric ½ tsp. of ground cumin ¼ tsp. of ground coriander ¼ tsp. of ground cardamom ¼ tsp. of cinnamon ½ tsp. of brown mustard seed 1 tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of minced mint 1 tbsp. of minced parsley 1 tbsp. of vegan margarine or olive oil 2 tbsp. of slivered almonds 1 tbsp. of black sesame seeds 2 cups of cremini mushrooms ½ tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tbsp. of sesame oil Instructions Toss the mushrooms in the sesame oil and crushed red pepper. Roast them on 400 degrees for 25 minutes in the dish in which you plan on baking the finished biryani. While the mushrooms are roasting, boil the water and lemon juice in a large pot. Add in the rice and stir. Boil this for 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to a baking dish. Mince the parsley and mint. Combine the spices together in a small bowl or dish.



When the mushrooms are done roasting, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Add all of the spices, the rice, and the almonds to the baking dish with the mushrooms. Stir everything until it is thoroughly combined. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake it for 20 minutes.



Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Small Knife Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Baking Dish Large Pot Presentation

This looks nice in a long white porcelain dish, but if you have a mini round chafing dish, you can serve it in that and keep it warm at the table. These are the round metal serving dishes often seen in Indian restaurants.

Time Management Boil the rice while the mushrooms are roasting and then use the extra time left before the mushrooms are done to mince the herbs and put the spice mix together. If you are worried about the time, mince the herbs and prepare the spice mix while preheating the oven for the mushrooms. Complementary Food and Drinks Potatoes and spinach with a savory masala (a.k.a. curry) make a great accompaniment to this recipe. Where to Shop This recipe contains a lot of spices (perhaps that’s an understatement for this one, too.) Go to a store that carries spices in bulk so you can get small amounts of them. Sprouts is perfect for that as well as Wild Oats. If you don’t have one of those stores in your area, look for a market that does carry spices in bulk. Cremini mushrooms are the small brown mushrooms that look like white



mushrooms. How It Works Boiling the rice in a large amount of water keeps the grains separate. The acid from the lemon juice also keeps the rice separate as the stickiness in rice is a base and acids counter bases. It is then baked to finish softening the rice and this is the point where the spices are added so they can slowly release their flavors into the rice. The spices should be mixed together before being added to the rice to ensure even distribution. The mushrooms are roasted before being added to the rice as the direct heat on the mushrooms will quickly darken and intensify their flavor. If they were baked solely in the rice, they would be cooked as much by contact with the hot rice as the oven and that wouldn’t allow them to darken as much. Chef’s Notes If you are a fan of biryani, make a large batch of the spice mix without the herbs so it is ready made to use later on. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 935.9 (234.0) Calories from Fat 358.4 (89.6) Fat 39.8g (10.0g) Total Carbohydrates 125.8g (31.5g) Dietary Fiber 6.8g (1.7g) Sugars 3.4g (0.9g) Protein 18.6g (4.6g) Salt 2342mg (585.6mg) Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 21% (5.3%) Vitamin C 41% (10.3%) Calcium 9% (2.3%) Iron 48% (12%) Thiamin 55% (13.8%)



Riboflavin 40% (10%) Niacin 63% (15.8%) Folate 89% (22.3%) Phosphorous 44% (11%) Potassium 26% (6.5%) Zinc 26% (6.5%) Magnesium 31% (7.8%) Copper 64% (16%) Interesting Facts Biryani means “roasted” and is Persian in origin. Yogurt is often added to biryani. Vegetarian biryani are sometimes called tehari.



Orange and Olive Couscous Salad Type: Salad Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients 1 ½ cups of water 1 ½ cups of Israeli couscous 8 oranges 20-30 Kalamata olives, pitted Juice of 1 lemon 1/8 tsp. of cumin ¼ tsp. of crushed red pepper 1/8 tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of chopped mint leaves Instructions Warm the water. Place the cous cous in a mixing bowl. Pour the warm water over the cous cous. Peel the oranges. Separate them into their natural sections. Once the cous cous has absorbed all of the water (about 10 minutes,) toss the orange sections and all of the ingredients together with the cous cous.



Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Pan Stirring Spoon Presentation

To garnish the salad, take an orange section and dress it with some crushed red pepper (if you have extra orange slices.)

Time Management This salad gets even better as it sits, but don’t let it sit for more than an hour. After that, the cous cous gets a bit soggy. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a chilled mint tea to accent the mint in the salad. Where to Shop I’ve found Israelis cous cous, which is the large cous cous, is at Central Market and Whole Foods. It is a bit more expensive than regular cous cous. If you don’t have access to Israeli cous cous, it is ok to use a like amount of regular cous cous, prepared the same way. For the olives, head to a store with an olive bar. You’ll get a better price on them. Make sure you purchase pitted olives or else you’ll spend a lot of time pitting them. Price per serving is about $4.00.



How It Works Allowing the cous cous to soak up the warm water keeps it from becoming mushy and sticking together. The kalamata olives add a rich, salty taste to the salad which is balanced by the fresh, sweetness of the orange. The mint adds a strong refreshing quality and the crushed red pepper makes all the flavors pop. Chef’s Notes This has now become one of my favorite ways to prepare cous cous! When working with Israeli cous cous, I used to make an olive, vinegar, bell pepper mix, but I like this one much better. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1324.9 (331.2) Calories from Fat 120.1 (30.0) Fat 13.3g (3.3g) Total Carbohydrates 268.1g (67.0g) Dietary Fiber 37.4g (9.4g) Sugars 99.1g (24.8g) Protein 33.1g (8.3g) Salt 1321mg (330mg) Vitamin A 52% (13%) Vitamin B6 43% (10.8%) Vitamin C 967% (241.8%) Calcium 56% (14%) Iron 37% (9.3%) Thiamin 61% (15.3%) Riboflavin 28% (7%) Niacin 45% (11.3%) Folate 90% (22.5%) Phosphorous 44% (11%)



Potassium 64% (16%) Zinc 17% (4.3%) Magnesium 47% (11.8%) Copper 60% (15%) Interesting Facts Regular cous cous is tiny pasta made from semolina flour. Israeli cous cous is made from a mix of bulgur and semolina flour.



Scabeg Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients ½ yellow onion, diced 5 cloves of garlic, sliced 6 tomatoes, chopped 15 whole okra 2 tsp. olive oil 2 tsp. white wine vinegar 1 tbsp. turmeric 1 tsp. coriander seeds ½ tsp. salt Instructions Dice the onion. Slice the garlic. Chop the tomatoes. Sauté the onion in 1 tsp. of olive oil until it is soft. Add all of the ingredients and simmer everything until the okra is soft and the tomatoes have turned into a sauce. Remove from the heat. Add in the last tsp. of olive oil.



Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil and simmer the onion with the tomatoes, okra, etc. Raw Version Use lemon juice instead of vinegar and puree the tomatoes, spices, and salt into a sauce. Kitchen Equipment Sauté Pan Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation

Serve this on a lightly colored plate with a garnish of cut fresh parsley or minced parsley sprinkled all over the scabeg.

Time Management This dish requires little labor and because of the vinegar, will keep for quite awhile in the refrigerator, so it’s perfect for making in large batches. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of rice and another side of red beans with lots of garlic.



Where to Shop I usually have to purchase whole, fresh okra at my local Asian market, though it occasionally shows up in more conventional grocery stores. For the tomatoes, I generally choose whichever type is in season. Approximate cost per serving is $3.00. How It Works The okra is left whole in this dish so it doesn’t get its notorious slimy texture, which happens when the inside of the okra is exposed to hot liquid. The tomatoes are chopped so that they reduce into a sauce quickly. Since the okra and tomatoes go in at the same time, this is particularly important so that the okra does not become over done. The vinegar makes the tomato sauce tangy and brightens the flavor of the dish. Chef’s Notes I’ve noticed this is one of those dishes that people love or hate and a lot of it has to do with the vinegar and okra. If you don’t like the vinegar taste, try lemon juice instead, added fresh after the dish has cooked. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 251.1 (125.5) Calories from Fat 93.9 (46.9) Fat 10.4g (5.2g) Total Carbohydrates 31.5g (15.8g) Dietary Fiber10.6g (5.3g) Sugars 16.3g (8.2g) Protein 7.8g (3.9g) Salt 1184mg (592mg)

Vitamin A 75% (37.5%) Vitamin B6 27% (13.5%) Vitamin C 131% (65.5%)



Calcium 24% (12%) Iron 12% (6%) Thiamin 28% (14%) Riboflavin 17% (8.5%) Niacin 21% (10.5%) Folate 58% (29%) Phosphorous 15% (7.5%) Potassium 37% (18.5%) Zinc 14% (7%) Magnesium 34% (17%) Copper 21% (10.5%) Interesting Facts Scabeg sauce is made from tomatoes and vinegar and the dish can be made from any veggie, as long as that veggie is cooked in the scabeg sauce. The recipe for scabeg is several centuries old.



Shawarma Type: Side or Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 1 day to marinate the veggies + 30 minutes of prep time Ingredients The Marinade… ½ tsp. of ground cardamom

½ tsp. of cinnamon ½ tsp. of grated nutmeg ½ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp. of cayenne pepper ½ tsp. of salt 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 bay leaf ½ cup of lemon juice ½ cup of white wine vinegar

The Veggies… 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 cucumber, diced 1 small pickle, diced 1 tomato, diced 2 cups of cubed eggplant 1 tsp. of olive oil

The Sauce… 3 tbsp. of tahini 3 tbsp. of water 1/8 tsp. of salt Juice of 1 half of a lemon 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper Instructions Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a glass bowl and set it aside. Slice the onion.



Dice the bell pepper, cucumber, and tomato. Chop the eggplant. Place the veggies in the marinade, toss them, and cover them. Allow them to sit overnight. Remove the veggies from the marinade. Dice the pickle and add that to the veggies, setting them aside. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and set it aside. Over a medium heat, sauté the veggies in the olive oil until they are all completely soft. Add in the sauce and cook it until it is warm (about 1-2 minutes.) Serve immediately.



Kitchen Equipment Glass Bowl to marinade the veggies Plastic Wrap or Towel Mixing Bowl for the sauce Saute Pan Cutting Board Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Spatula Presentation

This makes an excellent pita sandwich, so what I like to do is place lettuce in the pita and then place the veggie shwarma in the fold of the pita and lettuce. Garnish it with chopped fresh parsley.

Time Management The marinade takes a long time, but the active cooking time is rather brief. Don’t cook it until you are ready to eat. Otherwise, the sauce will get gummy and the veggies will lose their shine. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of rice cooked with a few sautéed bits of vermicelli pasta. On the sandwich, you can add hummus and/or amba, a pickled mango sauce. Where to Shop All of the ingredients should be easy to find save for the tahini, which can be found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, most health food stores, Middle Eastern markets, and many



better conventional markets. However, I like to go to Sprouts to purchase the spices because I can purchase them from the bulk spice section and get exactly the amount I need and pay much less than if I bought them jarred. Price per serving is about $3.00 with the pita and lettuce. How It Works The glass bowl is important because the marinade is rather acidic. If you use a metal bowl, the acid will draw a metallic taste into the marinade. That acidity will pickle the veggies and will also cut into the veggies and help them absorb all of the other spices. A quick sauté softens and heats the veggies over which is poured a thin, spicy tahini sauce. Be sure not to overcook the spicy tahini sauce because the water will evaporate and the sauce will become too thick. If that happens, turn the heat down to low and stir some water back into the pan until you get the right consistency. Chef’s Notes Although shwarma is typically a meat dish, I first encountered it as a vegetarian dish at an amazing Egyptian restaurant in Texas called King Tut’s. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 564.1 (282.0) Calories from Fat 261.4 (130.7) Fat 29.0g (14.5g) Total Carbohydrates 61.0g (30.5g) Dietary Fiber 14.9g (7.5g) Sugars 18.0g (9.0g) Protein 14.7g (7.3g) Salt 1453mg (727mg) Vitamin A 40% (20%) Vitamin B6 32% (16%) Vitamin C 318% (159%) Calcium 16% (8%) Iron 26% (13%) Thiamin 56% (28%)



Riboflavin 13% (6.5%) Niacin 28% (14%) Folate 45% (22.5%) Phosphorous 55% (27.5%) Potassium 52% (26%) Zinc 22% (11%) Magnesium 35% (17.5%) Copper 65% (32.5%) Interesting Facts Shwarma is a popular Middle Eastern fast food. Shwarma is closely related to the Turkish doner kebab and is called the same thing in many places.



Shish Kebabs with Coriander Sauce Type: Main Dish Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients The Kebabs

1 red pepper, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 1 small potato, chopped ¼ yellow or red onion, sliced large 1 tsp. olive oil ¼ tsp. salt

The Sauce 2 bunches of cilantro 1 small hot green pepper Juice of 1 lemon 1/8 tsp. of salt 1/8 tsp. of pepper ¼ tsp. of ground cumin 1 clove of garlic 3 tbsp. of water Option: 1 cup of cubed tempeh or seitan Instructions Light your grill and allow the flames to die down and the coals to get hot. Chop the pepper, zucchini, and potato. Slice the onion into large chunks. Toss the veggies in the oil and salt. Skewer the veggies and optional tempeh or seitan. Grill them until they are slightly soft all around and slightly charred. Chop the cilantro. Puree all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth.



Low-fat Version Spritz the veggies with water every minute or two while they are on the grill instead of coating them in oil. Raw Version Instead of potato, used cauliflower and allow the veggies to sit for about an hour. Kitchen Equipment Grill Skewer Mixing Bowl Knife Cutting Board Presentation

Leave the kebabs on the skewers and either serve the sauce on the side or drizzle it over the kebabs.

Time Management Once the kebabs go on the grill, you need to pay attention to them to ensure they don’t burn. Rotate the veggies as soon as you see char marks on them. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with pita, lettuce, cherry tomato halves, and garlic sauce.



Where to Shop All the ingredients are fairly common. Approximate cost per serving is $.75. How It Works The oil keeps the veggies hydrated on the grill and also helps the spices stick to the veggies. The veggies are cut large so that they can be skewered and still remain intact on the grill. Chef’s Notes Kebabs are simple to do and make for a great excuse to use leftover veggies when you’re grilling other recipes. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 583.2 (291.6) Calories from Fat 129.2 (64.6) Fat 14.4g (7.2g) Total Carbohydrates 101.1g (50.6g)Dietary Fiber 15.8g (7.9g) Sugars 10.3g (5.2g) Protein 12.4g (6.2g) Salt 611mg (306mg)

Vitamin A 115% (57.5%) Vitamin B6 92% (46%) Vitamin C 395% (197.5%) Calcium 10% (5%) Iron 27% (13.5%) Thiamin 31% (15.5%) Riboflavin 19% (9.5%) Niacin 44% (22%) Folate 35% (17.5%) Phosphorous 38% (19%)



Potassium 78% (39%) Zinc 13% (6.5%) Magnesium 42% (21%) Copper 35% (17.5%) Interesting Facts Shish kebabs refer to the skewered and grilled style of kebab, while kebab usually just refers to some sort of grilled or broiled meat.



Tabouleh with Toasted Pine Nuts Type: Side Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup bulgur (cracked wheat) 3 cups warm water 2 Roma tomatoes, diced ¼ red onion, minced 1 cucumber, peeled and diced 4 bunches fresh parsley (3 cups chopped, with stems discarded) ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped Juice of 2 to 3 lemons 1 tbsp. olive oil ½ tsp. black pepper ¼ cup of pine nuts, lightly toasted Option: 8 green onions, sliced thinly Instructions Soak the bulgur in the warm water until it is soft (about 10 minutes). Dice the tomatoes. Mince the red onion. Peel and dice the cucumber. Remove the parsley leaves from the stems and roughly chop them. Remove the mint leaves from the stems and roughly chop them. Combine the parsley and mint into a tight pile on your cutting board. Mince the parsley and mint leaves as best you can. Option: Pulse the parsley and mint in a food processor. Option: Slice the green onion and mix it with the parsley and mint. Drain any excess liquid from the bulgur. Juice the lemons. Toast the pine nuts over a medium heat for about 1 minute. Combine all the ingredients together.



Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil and the pine nuts. Raw Version Do not toast the pine nuts and omit the bulgur or use sprouted wheat. Kitchen Equipment Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Large Mixing Bowl Medium Sized Bowl Presentation

Make sure everything is well-tossed so that the disparate ingredients do not clump together. This goes well stuffed inside a large tomato or served plain on a white dish.

Time Management I prefer my tabouleh when it has had about an hour to sit, though it can be served immediately. Complementary Food and Drinks This goes well with a combination of dolmas, hummus, and veggies in tomato sauce.



Where to Shop Asian markets and farmers’ markets usually have the best price on large bunches of mint. Bulgur can be found at Asian markets, Whole Foods, and in most stores that have bulk bins. The rest of the ingredients should be fairly common. Approximate cost per serving is $3.00. How It Works Tabouleh is mostly parsley with a heavy mint flavor made light and refreshing by the lemon juice and cucumber and given depth and heartiness by the bulgur and tomato. Chef’s Notes The pine nuts are my addition to the traditional tabouleh recipe. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1414.9 (353.7) Calories from Fat 960.5 (240.1) Fat 106.7g (26.7g) Total Carbohydrates 92.5g (23.1g) Dietary Fiber 24.2g (6.1g) Sugars 20.4g (5.1g) Protein 21.1g (5.3g) Salt 7064mg (1766mg)

Vitamin A 212% (53%) Vitamin B6 40% (10%) Vitamin C 334% (83.5%) Calcium 25% (6.3%) Iron 59% (14.8%) Thiamin 41% (10.3%) Riboflavin 24% (6%) Niacin 44% (11%)



Folate 62% (15.5%) Phosphorous 57% (14.3%) Potassium 59% (14.8%) Zinc 38% (9.5%) Magnesium 77% (19.3%) Copper 57% (14.3%) Interesting Facts Tabouleh means “a bit spicy.” This dish is also popular in certain parts of South America and variations of it have been popular in the Middle East since the middle ages.



Baba Ganoush Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Ingredients 1 whole eggplant ½ tsp. salt ¼ cup tahini Juice of1 lemon (about 1 tbsp.) 1 clove of garlic 1 tbsp. olive oil Options: ¼ tsp. paprika, ½ tsp. ground cumin,1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. pomegranate syrup, 1 tsp. minced parsley, 1 tsp. minced mint, 2 tbsp. chopped walnuts Instructions The Grill Method

Light your grill and allow the flames to die down and the coals to come to about a medium heat. Brush the whole eggplant with oil. Place it on the grill, rotating it every 7-10 minutes, grilling it until it is soft. Scoop out the inside, pureeing it with all the ingredients except the paprika. Plate up the babaganoush and top it with any of the optional ingredients.

The Oven Method Roast the eggplant on 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop the eggplant out of the skin and into the blender. Puree all the ingredients except the paprika. Plate up the babaganoush and top it with any of the optional ingredients.



Low-fat Version Omit the tahini and olive oil. Raw Version Peel the eggplant and slice it thinly. Salt the eggplant slices and then put a heavy weight on them, allowing them to sit for at least 6 hours. Rinse the eggplant and blend it with all the other ingredients. Kitchen Equipment Grill or Oven Tongs or Baking Dish Brush Blender or Food Processor Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Spatula Presentation

If you are using paprika, sprinkle it around the baba ganoush. If you are using minced parsley or mint, you can sprinkle it evenly or you can do several areas of mint and parsley around the dip. If you are using pomegranate syrup, drizzle it around the dip, but do not spread it evenly across.

Time Management This is best when eaten fresh, but it will last several days in your refrigerator.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with pita, tomato, olives, and sliced cucumber. Where to Shop When choosing your eggplant, make sure the skin is firm without any blemishes. The green stem should still look relatively fresh. Tahini can be found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Central Market, any Middle Eastern market, and most Asian markets. Approximate cost per serving is $.75. How It Works Grilling the baba ganoush gives the eggplant a mild smoky flavor while softening the inside and crisping the skin, making the inside of the eggplant easy to remove. The garlic gives bite, the lemon juice lightens the taste, and the tahini makes it very creamy. Chef’s Notes I used to make baba ganoush by roasting the eggplant in the oven until I took the time to roast it on my grill. Now, the oven baba ganoush always tastes insufficient! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1092.0 (273.0) Calories from Fat 702.0 (175.5) Fat 78.0g (19.5g) Total Carbohydrates 72.6g (18.2g) Dietary Fiber 24.4g (6.1g) Sugars 13.5g (3.4g) Protein 24.9g (6.2g) Salt 2463mg (616mg)

Vitamin A 25% (6.3%) Vitamin B6 32% (8%) Vitamin C 102% (25.5%)



Calcium 54% (13.5%) Iron 68% (17%) Thiamin 125% (31.3%) Riboflavin 39% (9.8%) Niacin 49% (12.3%) Folate 49% (12.3%) Phosphorous 97% (24.3%) Potassium 33% (8.3%) Zinc 43% (10.8%) Magnesium 44% (11%) Copper 112% (28%) Interesting Facts Baba ganoush is also known as eggplant salad.



Dukkah Type: Spice Mix Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients ¼ cup of coriander seeds 3 tbsp. of sesame seeds 2 tbsp. of cumin seeds 1 tsp. of fennel seeds 1 tbsp. of black peppercorns ¼ tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tsp. of dried mint leaves 1 tsp. of salt ½ cup of hazelnuts ¼ cup of walnuts Instructions On a medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and crushed red pepper until you can smell the spice aroma wafting up from the pan (about 2-3 minutes.) Make sure to slowly and continuously stir the spices so they do not burn. Remove the spices from the pan and place them in a mortar. Grind the spices using a pestle until they are coarsely ground. Add in the mint leaves, salt, and nuts. Grind these together until very coarsely ground. Serve everything mixed together. Option: Use a small blender to grind the spices and nuts.



Kitchen Equipment Saute Pan Spatula Mortar and Pestle or Small Blender Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Presentation

Leave the spice mix in the mortar or place it in a shallow bowl. A stone bowl or dish looks best.

Time Management This mix will last for days, so you can make a large batch and then store it in a sealed jar in your pantry. Complementary Food and Drinks This is traditionally served with olive oil and bread. The bread is dipped in the olive oil and then dipped in the dukkah. It is also used as a garnish for veggies and salads. Where to Shop Sprouts is the best place to get these ingredients as they have an amazing bulk spice selection. Buying in bulk helps keep down the cost of the ingredients significantly. Price per serving is approximately $3.00.



How It Works Toasting the spices activates the volatile oils in them, causing them to release quite a bit of flavor. It also deepens the flavors of the spices. These are then coarsely ground instead of finely ground so that there are small areas of different flavors when the spice mix hits the tongue instead of one homogenous flavor. Chef’s Notes There are hundreds of different dukkah recipes and each one is very personal. The above example, however, is one of my favorite and makes a great springboard for making your own! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 758.9 Calories from Fat 548.3 Fat 60.9g Total Carbohydrates 34.2g Dietary Fiber 18.9g Sugars 0.0g Protein 18.5g Salt 2356mg Vitamin A 3% Vitamin B6 27% Vitamin C 18% Calcium 38% Iron 92% Thiamin 29% Riboflavin 11% Niacin 13% Folate 23% Phosphorous 42%



Potassium 30% Zinc 26% Magnesium 66% Copper 93% Interesting Facts Dukkah can be used as a salad topping and is sometimes used like bread crumbs. Dried chickpeas are sometimes used instead of walnuts.



Harissa Sauce Type: Condiment Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Ingredients 2 tbsp. of crushed red pepper flakes 2 tomatoes ¼ cup of water ½ tsp. of cumin seed ¼ tsp. of caraway seed ½ tsp. of coriander seed 1 tsp. of olive oil Option: 1 roasted red bell pepper Option: 1 slice of preserved lemon Instructions Take the crushed red pepper flakes, cumin seed, caraway seed, and coriander seed and sauté them in a small, dry pot for about 1 minute on a medium heat. Add in the tomatoes and water and boil them until they are soft. Smash the tomatoes until they turn into a sauce and add in the olive oil. Option: Blend everything with the roasted red bell pepper and/or preserved lemon.



Hummus Type: Appetizer Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) ½ cup of tahini 2 tbsp. of olive oil ¼ tsp. of salt 1 clove of garlic Juice of 1 lemon Water Paprika for garnish Instructions Rinse the beans. Juice the lemon. Blend everything together except for the water and paprika until you have a smooth dip. You will need to add just enough water to get your blender to blend the dip, which varies from blender to blender (you can also use water content to modify the consistency of your hummus.) Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika.



Low-fat Version Omit the tahini and olive oil and add a little extra water to get the beans to blend into a smooth dip. Kitchen Equipment Colander to rinse the beans Small Knife Blender or Food Processor Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

Place this in a shallow bowl and/or sprinkle paprika over the top, add an olive to the middle, drizzle olive oil around the edges.

Time Management This takes very little time to make, but will keep for a week if covered and left refrigerated. Generally, I cheat a bit and purchase canned chickpeas instead of spending hours cooking my own. Complementary Food and Drinks The obvious choice is to serve this with pita bread, but you can also use this as a pizza spread, a veggie burger spread, or mixed in with rice. Where to Shop All of the ingredients except for the tahini are commonly available. For the tahini, check out Whole Foods, Sprouts, Central Market, any Middle Eastern market, and most gourmet markets.



How It Works The tahini and olive oil make the chickpeas creamy when they are blended, the lemon juices brightens what would otherwise be a heavy dip, and the garlic gives it a pungent bite. Chef’s Notes I’ve been told that this hummus is as good as the hummus served in the Middle East! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1246.2 (311.5) Calories from Fat 617.3 (154.3) Fat 68.6g (17.1g) Total Carbohydrates 115.3g (28.8g) Dietary Fiber 31.2g (7.8g) Sugars 1.1g (0.3g) Protein 41.9g (10.5g) Salt 603mg (151mg) Vitamin A 3% (0.8%) Vitamin B6 30% (7.5%) Vitamin C 48% (12%) Calcium 24% (6%) Iron 60% (15%) Thiamin 66% (16.5%) Riboflavin 18% (4.5%) Niacin 24% (6%) Folate 96% (24%) Phosphorous 97% (24.3%) Potassium 38% (9.5%) Zinc 52% (13%) Magnesium 49% (12.3%) Copper 90% (22.5%)



Interesting Facts Hummus can be made with or without tahini, the Turkish version usually made without. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds.



Muhammara Type: Side Serves: 4 large servings Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients ¾ cup bread crumbs Cold water (about 3 tbsp.) 1 onion, diced ½ cup olive oil ¾ cup crushed walnuts 2 tbsp. paprika ¼ tsp. cumin ¼ tsp. salt 2 roasted red bell peppers 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper (1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper can be substituted) 1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp. pine nuts or crushed walnuts Instructions Add enough cold water to the bread crumbs to make a thick puree (the amount of water will depend on how dry your bread crumbs are). Dice the onion. Sauté the onions on a medium heat in the oil until lightly browned. Add in the walnuts, paprika, cumin, and salt. Sauté this for about 3 minutes, reducing the heat to medium low if necessary. Remove from the heat. Puree all the ingredients except the pine nuts or crushed walnuts. Garnish the dip with pine nuts or crushed walnuts.



Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil from the dish. Raw Version Only use 1 ½ onions and do not sauté anything. Allow the dip to sit for about an hour before serving. Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Sauté Pan Blender or Food Processor Spatula Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation

Sprinkle some of the Aleppo peppers in the middle of the dish or give the dish a swirl of chili oil.

Time Management Start getting all your ingredients in the blender while the onion is sautéing so that as soon as it’s done, you can get to work.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with pita or zucchini medallions. Where to Shop Look for pomegranate molasses at an Asian or Middle Eastern market. Both Trader Joe’s and Fresh & Easy have great prices on roasted red peppers if you don’t want to make your own. You’ll also be able to find vegan bread crumbs at Trader Joe’s. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works The soaked breadcrumbs serve to bind all the ingredients of the dip. The walnuts make it thick and give it a strong depth. The oil makes it creamy while the roasted red pepper imparts sweetness, color, and a soft, silky texture to the dip. The Aleppo pepper gives it heat while the onion adds pungent sweetness. This is sautéed first so that it softens and so its sugars start to caramelize, giving greater weight to the flavor of the onion. Chef’s Notes If you can find Aleppo pepper (I usually get mine at Penzey’s spice store), I very much suggest using it. It gives a much more unique, complex flavor to the dish than the standard crushed red pepper. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 2124.1 (531.0) Calories from Fat 1543.3 (385.8) Fat 171.5g (42.9g) Total Carbohydrates 115.3g (28.8g)Dietary Fiber 17.7g (4.4g) Sugars 20.1g (5.0g) Protein 29.9g (7.5g)



Salt 1195mg (299mg)

Vitamin A 0% (0%) Vitamin B6 59% (14.8%) Vitamin C 62% (15.5%) Calcium 36% (9%) Iron 43% (10.8%) Thiamin 87% (21.8%) Riboflavin 36% (9%) Niacin 35% (8.8%) Folate 29% (7.3%) Phosphorous 59% (14.8%) Potassium 37% (9.3%) Zinc 33% (8.3%) Magnesium 57% (14.3%) Copper 90% (22.5%) Interesting Facts Muhammara can be used as a sauce as well as a dip. This dip originated in Aleppo, hence the use of Aleppo peppers.



Taratoor Type: Condiment Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Ingredients 1 clove of garlic, minced Juice of 3 lemons (about 3 tbsp.) ¼ cup of tahini ¼ tsp. salt ¼ cup of water Option: ½ tsp. of fresh dill Option: Pinch of cayenne pepper Instructions Mince the garlic. Juice the lemons. Combine all the ingredients together.



Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation

Garnish the top of the sauce, once it is served, with paprika or cayenne.

Time Management This will keep in your refrigerator for several weeks, though it will get thick after the first day, so you’ll need to add extra water just before serving. Complementary Food and Drinks This is perfect over rice or with sandwiches. It also makes a great salad dressing. Where to Shop Tahini can be found at any Middle Eastern market, most Asian markets, Sprouts, Whole Foods, and it is starting to even show up in some conventional markets. Approximate cost per serving is $2.00.



How It Works The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the tahini and thins it a bit while the water is used to further thin this into a sauce. The garlic gives the sauce a bit of a bite. Chef’s Notes I’ve also made this with chipotle powder for a spicy, smoky flavor with the sauce. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 393 Calories from Fat 288 Fat 32g Total Carbohydrates 15.4g Dietary Fiber 8.8g Sugars 3.0g Protein 11.3g Salt 702mg

Vitamin A 3% Vitamin B6 21% Vitamin C 94% Calcium 73% Iron 31% Thiamin 52% Riboflavin 21% Niacin 17% Folate 14% Phosphorous 45% Potassium 10% Zinc 19% Magnesium 17% Copper 51%



Interesting Facts Tahini was considered a holy food in Persia during the height of the Persian empire.



Freekah Soup Type: Soup Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 35 minutes Ingredients 1 yellow onion, diced 2 tsp. olive oil 1 cup uncooked roasted cracked green wheat (freekah) Option: 1 cup of bulgur instead of freekah 1 ½ tsp. harissa (a garlic, chili, and olive oil puree) 4 cups of vegetable stock ½ cup of loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped Juice of 1 lemon 1 tomato, diced ½ tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper 1 bunch of spinach, leaves only Option: ½ cup of split green peas Instructions Dice the onion. Sauté the onion on a medium heat until it is soft and then add in the freekah and harissa. Stir until everything is coated in the harissa. Slowly add in the vegetable stock, keeping the soup simmering. While it is simmering, chop the cilantro, juice the lemon, and dice the tomato. Let it cook for about 20 minutes and then add in all of the other ingredients, simmering for another five minutes. Option: Add the peas as soon as the veggie broth comes to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low, cooking the soup for 20 minutes before adding in the tomato, cilantro, etc.



Low-fat Version Omit the oil, sautéing the onion in a dry pot until it is soft. Raw Version Use sprouted wheat and blend half the onion, tomato, with 2 cups of water instead of 4 cups of stock to make the soup broth. Kitchen Equipment Medium Size Pot Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation

If you have left over lemons, you can garnish the sides of the bowl with sliced lemons with sprigs of cilantro wedged between the lemon and the bowl.

Time Management This is something that should be eaten within a few minutes of the soup being finished or else the cracked wheat will continue to absorb the liquid and it will turn into a stew. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of toasted bread dressed with a touch of chili oil and garlic.



Where to Shop Cracked wheat can be found most Middle Eastern and Asian markets. Bulgur can be substituted for freekah. Harissa sauce can usually be found at Middle Eastern markets. If you can’t find it, you can substitute a puree of roasted red pepper, cayenne pepper, a dash of cumin, a dash of coriander, and juice of a lemon. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works The onion makes the soup slightly sweet and pungent and enhances the flavor of the veggie broth. Harissa is used not only to impart heat to the broth, but to impart tanginess from the lemon used in it and cumin and coriander flavors, which are also used in making harissa. The cracked wheat will absorb all these flavors and thicken the soup. The tomato, cilantro, etc. are added at the end so that their flavors remain relatively fresh. Chef’s Notes I used to get this soup as an appetizer at my favorite Egyptian restaurant, which I would go to at least once a week! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 982.2 (245.4) Calories from Fat 274.0 (68.5) Fat 30.4g (7.6g) Total Carbohydrates 147.8g (37.0g)Dietary Fiber 36.5g (9.1g) Sugars 13.5g (3.4g) Protein 27.3g (7.3g) Salt 3163mg (791mg)

Vitamin A 423% (105.8%) Vitamin B6 69% (17.3%) Vitamin C 228% (57%)



Calcium 43% (10.8%) Iron 74% (18.5%) Thiamin 47% (11.8%) Riboflavin 52% (13%) Niacin 51% (12.8%) Folate 189% (47.3%) Phosphorous 65% (16.3%) Potassium 81% (20.3%) Zinc 33% (8.3%) Magnesium 131% (32.8%) Copper 51% (12.8%) Interesting Facts Freekah is also called farik, which is Arabic for “rubbed.”



Jalik Type: Soup Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 20 minutes Ingredients 2 cucumbers (preferably Persian), peeled ½ tsp. of salt 3 cups of plain soy yogurt 1 clove of garlic, minced Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1 tbsp.) 2 tsp. dill, minced 2 tbsp. of sesame oil 1 tsp. of chopped mint Instructions Peel the cucumbers and slice them in half. Deseed them and chop them into about 2” long pieces. Toss them in the salt and let them stand for about 15 minutes. Mix together the soy yogurt, garlic, dill, and lemon juice. Chop the mint. Pour the sesame oil over the top and garnish with the mint.



Low-fat Version Omit the sesame oil. Raw Version Use pureed coconut instead of soy yogurt. Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Presentation

Garnish with a sprig of mint or with diced mint sprinkled in the center of the bowl.

Time Management The longer you let the soup sit, the better it gets. Overnight in the refrigerator is preferable. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of olives.



Where to Shop All these ingredients should be fairly common, though you’ll get the best price on the mint at an Asian market. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50. How It Works Salting the cucumber draws out some of the liquid from it, which combines with the yogurt to make the sauce for the soup. The lemon juice brightens the flavor and the salt makes a nice contrast to the freshness of the lemon and cucumber. Chef’s Notes This soup looks like it should be a sweet soup, so be prepared for something more tart and salty than sweet. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 644.2 (161.0) Calories from Fat 275.8 (68.9) Fat 30.6g (7.7g) Total Carbohydrates 74.7g (18.7g) Dietary Fiber 5.8g (1.5g) Sugars 23.6g (5.9g) Protein 17.4g (4.4g) Salt 679mg (170mg)

Vitamin A 6% (1.5%) Vitamin B6 10% (2.5%) Vitamin C 57% (14.3%) Calcium 126% (31.5%) Iron 29% (7.3%) Thiamin 8% (2%) Riboflavin 6% (1.5%) Niacin 1% (0.3%)



Folate 14% (3.5%) Phosphorous 8% (2%) Potassium 16% (4%) Zinc 5% (1.3%) Magnesium 12% (3%) Copper 14% (3.5%) Interesting Facts This is very similar to a Jewish cucumber and yogurt soup called tarato.



Mercimek Corbasi (Turkish Red Lentil Soup) Type: Soup, Middle Eastern, Low-fat Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Ingredients 1 onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 carrot, diced 1 tsp. of olive oil 4 cups of water or veggie stock 1 tbsp. of tomato paste 1 tbsp. of roasted red pepper ½ tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 cup of red lentils 1 tsp. of salt Option: 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of sweet paprika as a garnish Instructions Dice the onion and carrot. Crush the garlic. Saute the onion and carrot over a medium heat until the onion is slightly browned (about 5 minutes.) Add in the crushed garlic and sauté this for another 3 minutes. Add in the water, tomato paste, roasted red pepper, and crushed red pepper, stirring everything together until it is thoroughly combined. Once the liquid is simmering, add in the lentils. Bring this to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low. Cook this for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat. Blend the soup with the tsp. of salt until it is smooth. Option: Heat the olive oil and paprika on a medium heat, stirring them together until they are combined into paprika oil. Allow this to cook for no more than a minute. Swirl the paprika oil onto the finished soup.



Low-fat Version (no oil added) Sautee the onion, carrot, and garlic in a thin layer of water instead of olive oil. Kitchen Equipment Medium-sized Pot Stirring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Blender or Immersion Blender Presentation

This soup is rather red, so it needs a splash of color. I find a single basil leaf in the center of the soup or a sprinkling of cilantro make a large difference in the presentation. The paprika oil also looks very nice. It presents swirls of a deeper red against the lighter backdrop of the soup.

Time Management If you want to save a few minutes on the recipe or avoid more clean-up, you don’t have to blend the soup. The texture will be different, but the taste will still be great. If you don’t blend it, reduce the amount of liquid by 1 cup. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a few triangles of toasted pita and a side of tomato-stewed green beans.



Where to Shop All of these ingredients should be commonly available. Price per serving is about $1.00. How It Works The onion and carrot provide a sweet base for the soup and also acquire a deep flavor as their sugars caramelize. The tomato paste is used because it creates a rich broth when stirred into the water and the flavor of this broth then cooks into the lentils. The roasted red pepper adds smoothness and even more sweetness which is balanced by the heat of the crushed red pepper. Chef’s Notes I enjoy the paprika flavor from the paprika oil, so I sometimes add the paprika to the sautéing onions and carrot to get that flavor in the soup without adding in all the extra oil. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 764.8 (254.9) Calories from Fat 53.3 (17.8) Fat 5.9g (2.0g) Total Carbohydrates 127.0g (42.3g) Dietary Fiber 46.9g (15.6g) Sugars 8.5g (2.8g) Protein 50.9g (17.0g) Salt 2365mg (788mg) Vitamin A 352% (117.3%) Vitamin B6 61% (20.3%) Vitamin C 46% (15.3%) Calcium 15% (5%) Iron 104% (34.7%) Thiamin 51% (17%) Riboflavin 25% (8.3%)



Niacin 35% (11.7%) Folate 251% (83.7%) Phosphorous 105% (35%) Potassium 72% (24%) Zinc 50% (16.7%) Magnesium 53% (17.7%) Copper 76% (25.3%) Interesting Facts Mercimek corbasi translates into “lentil soup.” Variations of mercimek abound all over the Middle East, with the northern Turkish variation using green lentils instead of red.



Shawrbat Adas Majroosha (Pureed Lentil Soup) Type: Soup Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 40 minutes Ingredients 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 small, hot red pepper, minced 1 tsp. of toasted cumin seed 1 tbsp. of olive oil 1 tsp. of coriander seed ½ tsp. of freshly ground pepper ½ tsp. of saffron 4 cups water 1 cup of red lentils 1 tsp. of salt Juice of 2 lemons (approximately 2 tbsp.) Instructions Chop the onion. Mince the pepper. Sauté the onion in the olive oil on a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes and then add in the pepper. Sauté this for another 2 minutes. Add the coriander, black pepper, and saffron, sautéing everything one more minute. Add in the water, bringing it to a boil. Add the lentils and return the soup to a boil. Cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook the soup for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup and continue simmering it for another 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and add in the lemon juice and salt.



Low-fat Version Instead of sautéing the ingredients before adding the water, simply add all the ingredients with the water and omit the oil. Raw Version Use 2 cups of water and blend half the onion and all the chili pepper with it to create the broth. Use sprouted lentils and once everything is pureed, allow the soup to sit for about 30 minutes. Kitchen Equipment Medium Size Pot with Lid Stirring Spoon Blender or Immersion Blender Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Presentation

Garnish this with cut parsley and/or whole, hot, red peppers or tomatoes.

Time Management Watch the soup once you start sautéing the spices to ensure that they don’t burn. If they start to blacken, immediately take the pot off the heat and add the water to the pot as fast as possible. Also, pay attention to the pepper. If it starts to release capsaicin in the air, remove the pot from the heat, stir the spices into the pot, and then add the water to the pot.



Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a side of toasted pita bread dressed in garlic. Where to Shop All the ingredients should be fairly common, though you’ll get the best price on the spices and lentils if you can get them from bulk bins. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00. How It Works The onion should turn slightly brown and the chili pepper should just start to caramelize before the spices are added. Cooking the pepper longer will make the pepper bitter and also release a lot of heat into the air, making the kitchen a tough place to operate! The spices are toasted for at most a minute to deepen their flavors. The lentils are cooked extra long so that they are easy to puree and the lemon juice is added at the end so it retains its fresh flavor. The salt is added at the end so that it does not toughen the lentils while they cook. Chef’s Notes I love this version of lentil soup, but beware the heat! If you can’t handle the heat, omit the pepper or use 2 tbsp. of roasted red pepper instead. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 549.9 (137.5) Calories from Fat 133.7 (33.4) Fat 14.9g (3.7g) Total Carbohydrates 76.6g (19.2g) Dietary Fiber 32.7g (8.2g) Sugars 4.7g (1.2g) Protein 27.4g (6.9g) Salt 2348mg (587mg)



Vitamin A 10% (2.5%) Vitamin B6 47% (11.8%) Vitamin C 77% (19.3%) Calcium 10% (2.5%) Iron 45% (11.3%) Thiamin 63% (15.8%) Riboflavin 17% (4.3%) Niacin 17% (4.3%) Folate 55% (13.8%) Phosphorous 50% (12.5%) Potassium 37% (9.3%) Zinc 34% (8.5%) Magnesium 36% (9%) Copper 31% (7.8%) Interesting Facts Shawrbat is a name for soup. Lentils are the most common thickening ingredient in Middle Eastern soups and stews.



Shorba Hummus (Chickpea Soup) Type: Soup Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 20 minutes + time to soak the chickpeas Ingredients 3 cups of soaked chickpeas, rinsed 2 onions, chopped 8 cups of water 2 potatoes, diced 2 tsp. of salt ½ tsp. of turmeric 1 tsp. of cumin 1 tsp. of coriander seeds 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp. of lemon juice Option: 3 cups of spinach leaves Instructions Soak the chickpeas overnight, rinsing them and discarding the liquid. Chop the onion. Boil the 8 cups of water and add the chickpeas and onion. Reduce to a simmer and let it simmer for 1 hour. Towards the end of simmering, chop the potatoes. Add in the potatoes, salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and simmer this for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and black pepper. Option: Add in the spinach leaves just after the soup comes off the heat.



Kitchen Equipment Large Bowl to soak the chickpeas Colander Large Pot Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation

Sprinkle the top of the soup with minced cilantro and a few chopped nuts.

Time Management You can save time by using canned chickpeas. If you do this, boil the onion in the water and don’t add the canned chickpeas until you add the potato. You’ll need about twice as many canned chickpeas as you do dried. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with baked rice or toasted bread. Where to Shop All the ingredients should be readily available, though you’ll get the best price on the spices if you get them from bulk bins. Approximate cost per serving is $.50.



How It Works Soaking the chickpeas hydrates them, allowing them to cook quicker, and also gets rid of most of the indigestible sugars from the outer coating of the chickpeas. They are then cooked with the onion so the onion can infuse the broth with the long cook time and that, in turn, infuses the chickpeas. Turmeric is used for tanginess and color, cumin for depth, and coriander for an aromatic quality. Lemon juice lightens the flavor of the soup, makes it tangy, and is added at the end so it can maintain its fresh flavor. Chef’s Notes This is a very easy soup to make and goes incredibly well with hot sauce mixed into the broth. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1734.7 (433.7) Calories from Fat 76.7 (19.2) Fat 8.5g (2.1g) Total Carbohydrates 356.3g (89.1g)Dietary Fiber 57.7g (14.4g) Sugars 13.4g (3.4g) Protein 58.2g (14.6g) Salt 4696mg (1174mg)

Vitamin A 3% (0.8%) Vitamin B6 322% (80.5%) Vitamin C 332% (83%) Calcium 43% (10.8%) Iron 98% (24.5%) Thiamin 66% (16.5%) Riboflavin 36% (9%) Niacin 53% (13.3%) Folate 160% (40%) Phosphorous 129% (32.3%) Potassium 161% (40.3%)



Zinc 73% (18.3%) Magnesium 114% (28.5%) Copper 119% (29.8%) Interesting Facts The Latin name for chickpea is cicer, from which Cicero derived his name. Chickpeas have been domesticated since at least 7,000 B.C.



Tarato Type: Soup Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes + 2 hours to chill Ingredients 2 cucumbers, diced 3 cups of plain soy yogurt 3 cups of water 1/8 tsp. of salt 2 tbs. of olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp. of crushed walnuts Instructions Dice the cucumbers. Combine all of the ingredients except the walnuts. Chill this for 2-3 hours. Sprinkle the crushed walnuts on top just before serving.



Kitchen Equipment Cutting Board Knife Large Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Stirring Spoon Presentation

Serve this in a small, deep bowl. If the bowl is too wide and shallow, the walnuts will seem to be swallowed by the soup.

Time Management To save on the chilling time, use soy yogurt, water, and lemon juice straight from the refrigerator to make the soup. That way, it’s ready to go as soon as you’re done mixing everything. The flavors won’t mingle as well since they won’t have time to sit, but you don’t have to wait two extra hours either. Complementary Food and Drinks Cous cous with fresh mint is a great accompaniment to this soup. Where to Shop You can find soy yogurt at most stores, though the easiest places to get it will be Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Central Market, and Fresh & Easy. I like to get walnuts at Sprouts so I can purchase them in bulk.



How It Works The yogurt itself is a bit too thick to make a palatable soup, which is why it is thinned with the water. Lemon juice is added to it to give it tartness while the cucumber provides some texture and coolness. Chilling the soup adds to its refreshing quality and gives the flavors time to meld. The small amount of salt enhances the other flavors. The walnuts are added for a contrasting deep flavor and are not mixed in for presentation purposes. Chef’s Notes This soup reminds me of tzatziki sauce, a yogurt-based sauce with dill. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 582.5 (194.2) Calories from Fat 174.8 (58.3) Fat 19.4g (6.5g) Total Carbohydrates 82.2g (27.4g) Dietary Fiber 7.0g (2.3g) Sugars 41.5g (13.8g) Protein 19.8g (6.6g) Salt 389mg (130mg) Vitamin A 6% (2%) Vitamin B6 19% (6.3%) Vitamin C 55% (18.3%) Calcium 128% (42.7%) Iron 30% (10%) Thiamin 8% (2.7%) Riboflavin 3% (1%) Niacin 3% (1%) Folate 20% (6.7%) Phosphorous 13% (4.3%) Potassium 21% (7%) Zinc 7% (2.3%)



Magnesium 19% (6.3%) Copper 19% (6.3%) Interesting Facts Tarato originated in Bulgaria and was brought to Israel by the Bulgarian Jews. Tarato is often eaten during hot summer days.



Baklava Type: Dessert Serves: 32 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes + 8 hours to set Ingredients The Pastries

1 ½ pounds blanched almonds 1 pound walnuts 15-16 whole allspice berries or 2 tsp. ground allspice 2/3 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 8 oz. vegan margarine 1 pound phyllo dough ¼ cup of water 1 tbsp. of rose water

The Syrup 2 cups sweet agave nectar 1 ½ cups water 2 cups sugar ½ tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 whole vanilla bean 1 tsp. orange zest

Instructions Melt the margarine. Grind the nuts and allspice in a food processor until they are coarse. Mix the nuts with the cinnamon, allspice, and sugar. Combine the water with the rose water in a spritzer and set it aside. Brush a 13” x 9” x 2” pan with some of the melted margarine. Take a sheet of phyllo dough and place it on the bottom of the pan. Brush it lightly with the margarine. Repeat the layering and brushing so you have ten sheets total. Place a layer of 1/3 of the nut and spice mix on this. Spritz the nut layer with the water/rose water.



Cover the nut layer with six sheets of phyllo, brushing each layer with melted margarine. Add another layer of 1/3 of the nuts and spritz with the rose water solution. Repeat the process for adding another six layers of phyllo. Top this with the remaining 1/3 of the nut mixture, spritzing it with more rose water. Add 8 more layers of phyllo dough, brushing each one with melted margarine. Cut the baklava into 32 triangles by making three cuts along the width of the pan so that you have four rows. Slice down the middle of each row such that you are slicing down the length of the pan. Slice each of those rows in half again along the length of the pan. There should now be 16 rectangles of baklava. To make the triangles, slice along one diagonal of each of the rectangles. Give the baklava one last spritz of rose water. Bake the baklava on 350 degrees for 45 minutes. While it is baking, make the syrup. Zest the orange. Simmer all the syrup ingredients together for about ten minutes. Once the baklava is done baking, pour the syrup on it and allow it to sit for at least 8 hours.



Kitchen Equipment 13” x 9” x 2” Baking Dish Brush Food Processor Very Sharp Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Spritzer Small Pot Presentation

Sprinkle some smashed pistachios on top, prop a cinnamon stick against the baklava, and sprinkle cinnamon around the plate.

Time Management There are a couple tricks you can do to make the recipe easier. First, add the melted margarine to a spritzer so that you can spray each layer of phyllo instead of brushing it. Second, you can place the unbaked baklava in the refrigerator for an hour to tighten it so that it is easier to cut. Finally, if you are not quick at doing the phyllo layers, cover your phyllo with a barely damp towel so that it does not dry out. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve baklava with a strong cup of coffee. Where to Shop I prefer to use whole wheat phyllo, which I usually have to purchase at Sprouts or Whole Foods. If



you can get the nuts and spices from bulk bins, you’ll save quite a bit of money. Vegan margarine can be found at the above mentioned stores as well as Trader Joe’s, Central Market, and Fresh & Easy. It’s even showing up in some conventional markets. For the rose water, you’ll probably have to go to a Middle Eastern or Asian market and if you can’t find it, just use plain water. Approximate cost per serving is $.75. How It Works Brushing each piece of phyllo crisps the phyllo as it bakes and also gives it a very rich taste as well as keeping it hydrated while you make the baklava. Sugar is added to the nut mix so that it caramelizes during the baking process, making the nut layer tight. Rose water is spritzed on these layers not only to add a subtle fragrance, but to help keep the sugar from burning. It’s sprinkled on the topmost layer so that it will slightly puff. The baklava is baked before the syrup is added so that the phyllo is a bit dry, which helps it absorb all the gooey liquid. You will find that the syrup is a bit runny, but that helps all the phyllo sheets absorb it by making sure there is enough liquid to penetrate to the bottom of the baklava. I cut my baklava before baking because I find it much easier to handle that way. Chef’s Notes Making baklava is a chore, but with the amount that you get, it’s well worth it, especially if you use fresh ingredients like vanilla bean. The taste is complex and decadent! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 15,230.3 (475.9) Calories from Fat 8423.1 (263.2) Fat 935.9g (29.2g) Total Carbohydrates 1453.0g (45.4g)Dietary Fiber 119.3g (3.7g) Sugars 1064.0g (33.3g) Protein 248.7g (7.8g) Salt 5970mg (187mg)

Vitamin A 327% (10.2%)



Vitamin B6 182% (5.7%) Vitamin C 11% (0.3%) Calcium 272% (8.5%) Iron 372% (11.6%) Thiamin 381% (11.9%) Riboflavin 465% (14.5%) Niacin 254% (7.9%) Folate 257% (8.0%) Phosphorous 532% (16.6%) Potassium 264% (8.3%) Zinc 266% (8.3%) Magnesium 704% (22%) Copper 838% (26.2%) Interesting Facts There is a great deal of debate amongst food historians about the place and time of origin of baklava, with some claiming it was created during the height of ancient Mesopotamia, others claiming it was served during the reign of the Byzantine empire, and others claiming that the modern version of baklava didn’t spring up until the early stages of the Ottoman empire



Boughasha (cigar pastries) Type: Dessert Serves: 14 Time to Prepare: 40 minutes Ingredients The Pastry

½ cup of chopped walnuts 1 ½ tbsp. of sugar ¼ lb. of vegan margarine, melted 14 sheets of phyllo dough

The Syrup 1 ¼ lb. of sugar 1 cup of water 1 ½ tsp. of lemon juice 1 tsp. of rose water

Instructions Combine the chopped walnuts and sugar in a bowl and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil 2 baking sheets with ¼ of the melted margarine. With each sheet of phyllo, brush it with melted margarine and then fold it in half along the diagonal, making a double layered triangle. Again, brush the top of the triangle. Fold in the closed side of the phyllo triangles about 1”. Along that inch, sprinkle some of the filling (about 1 tsp.) Roll into a cigar shape. It is best if you brush all the phyllo triangles before filling them as this will help keep the phyllo from drying out. Place the finished rolls on the baking sheets and bake them for 20 minutes. While they bake, make the syrup. Boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice over a medium high heat, continuously stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Once it has dissolved, stop stirring and let it continue to boil for about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and add in the rose water.



When the pastries are done, moisten each one with a little syrup and serve the rest of the syrup in a dipping dish.



Kitchen Equipment Mixing Bowl Small Pot Brush Baking Dish Stirring Spoon Small Spoon Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation

Sprinkle each cigar pastry with a touch of confectioner’s sugar and sprinkle some around the plate, too. You can also make dots of syrup on the plate amongst the sprinkled sugar.

Time Management This works best if you do them in assembly line fashion, doing each stage for every serving before moving on to the next stage. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a glass of lemon ginger tea. Where to Shop Whole wheat phyllo dough can be purchased at Sprouts and Whole Foods and rose water can be purchased at an Middle Eastern or Asian market. Approximate cost per serving is $.50.



How It Works Brushing the phyllo with melted margarine keeps it hydrated and also crisps it in the oven, allowing it to better absorb the lemony syrup. The phyllo is folded into triangles before filling so that there is less chance that the nuts will tear the phyllo. The syrup is a very light, fragrant syrup, which makes this dessert feel brighter than most phyllo based desserts. Chef’s Notes These are a great alternative to the labor intensive process of making baklava and are much better to eat on a warm day. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 4032.1 (288.0) Calories from Fat 1099.8 (78.6) Fat 122.2g (8.7g) Total Carbohydrates 704.4g (50.3g)Dietary Fiber 9.1g (0.7g) Sugars 557.8g (39.8g) Protein 28.7g (2.0g) Salt 2399mg (171mg)

Vitamin A 81% (5.8%) Vitamin B6 33% (2.4%) Vitamin C 25% (1.7%) Calcium 60% (4.3%) Iron 118% (8.4%) Thiamin 114% (8.1%) Riboflavin 62% (4.4%) Niacin 59% (4.2%) Folate 70% (5%) Phosphorous 56% (4%) Potassium 71% (5.1%)



Zinc 28% (2%) Magnesium 76% (5.4%) Copper 146% (10.4%) Interesting Facts Phyllo was originally created in the kitchens of the Topkapi palace of the Ottoman Empire.



Egyptian Couscous Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of couscous 1 ¼ cups of warm water ½ tsp. of cinnamon 1 tbsp. of freshly chopped mint leaves ½ cup of pistachios ¼ cup of raisins or currants ¼ cup of sweet agave nectar Instructions Warm the water and add the cinnamon. Let the couscous sit in it until it is all absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork every 30 seconds or so. Add in the mint, pistachios, raisins, and agave nectar. Serve at room temperature.



Raw Version Use 2 cups of sprouted quinoa instead of couscous and omit the water, simply stirring the mint, cinnamon, agave, raisins, and pistachios into the quinoa. Kitchen Equipment Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Small Pot Mixing Bowl Fork Presentation

Don’t stir all the nuts, mint, and raisins into the couscous, but save half of them to scatter around the top of the plated dish.

Time Management This is a very fast dessert to make. If you decide not to serve it immediately, don’t add the agave until you are ready to serve it. Otherwise, the couscous tends to clump around the syrup once it sets. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with a cup of hot mint tea. Where to Shop



Couscous can be found at Trader Joe’s and most stores with bulk bins while Asian markets will have the best price on fresh mint. Approximate cost per serving is $1.25. How It Works The couscous will quickly absorb the warm water, but it will clump unless you continually fluff it with a fork or whisk. The nuts add crunch while the raisins add color and sweetness. The agave is added last so the couscous doesn’t become to condensed with the sweetener. Chef’s Notes This is a great dessert that’s very filling and quick to make. It’s got a nice refreshing quality that I find perfect for warm months. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1186.7 (296.7) Calories from Fat 131.1 (32.8) Fat 14.6g (3.6g) Total Carbohydrates 234.5g (58.6g)Dietary Fiber 13.0g (3.3g) Sugars 90.5g (22.6g) Protein 29.4g (7.4g) Salt 110mg (28mg)

Vitamin A 2% (0.5%) Vitamin B6 31% (7.8%) Vitamin C 2% (0.5%) Calcium 9% (2.3%) Iron 21% (5.3%) Thiamin 38% (9.5%) Riboflavin 14% (3.5%) Niacin 33% (8.3%) Folate 16% (4%)



Phosphorous 47% (11.8%) Potassium 25% (6.3%) Zinc 15% (3.8%) Magnesium 31% (7.8%) Copper 46% (11.5%) Interesting Facts This is a variation on a contemporary Egyptian dessert made from couscous, mint, and honey.



Halwa Type: Dessert Serves: 16 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes + time to cool Ingredients ½ cup sugar ½ cup sweet agave nectar 1 cup water ¼ cup vegan margarine ¼ cup finely ground almonds Option: tahini instead of ground almonds ½ cup semolina flour Cinnamon or powdered sugar for sprinkling Option: Dried fruit, nuts Instructions Combine the sugar, sweet agave nectar, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Grind the almonds to almond meal. While the syrup is cooking, melt the margarine in a skillet. Add the almonds and the semolina flour. Cook over low heat, stirring steadily, until lightly browned. Add to the syrup (after syrup has cooked 20 minutes), mix well, cover, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add any optional dried fruit or nuts during the final stages of cooking. Pour the mix into an oiled, shallow (1” to 1.5”) pan. Let it cool to room temperature. Cut into squares and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon.



Raw Version Take 1 cup of pitted dates and combine them with ½ cup of almond butter. Form these into squares and refrigerate them for about an hour. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Kitchen Equipment Blender 2 Small Pots 2 Stirring Spoons Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Pan Knife Presentation

Halva looks great with shaved chocolate on top!

Time Management This can be made in large batches and then frozen. Complementary Food and Drinks Serve this with Arabic coffee. Where to Shop Semolina can usually be found at Asian and Middle Eastern markets as well as Sprouts and



Whole Foods. Some of these stores may have almond meal, which means you won’t have to grind your own almonds. Cost per serving is about $.75. How It Works The water, sugar, and agave reduce into a thick, heavy tasting syrup. The heavy taste is important because the semolina will cut the syrup’s flavor. The almonds are finely ground so they can help thicken the halva while disappearing evenly into the dessert. Chef’s Notes Halva has an intensely sweet flavor, so serve this in small doses! Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories 1656.9 (103.6) Calories from Fat 423.9 (26.5) Fat 47.1g (2.9g) Total Carbohydrates 293.8g (18.4g)Dietary Fiber 6.1g (0.4g) Sugars 224.2g (14.0g) Protein 14.4g (0.9g) Salt 493mg (31mg)

Vitamin A 41% (2.6%) Vitamin B6 8% (0.5%) Vitamin C 0% (0%) Calcium 41% (2.6%) Iron 153% (9.6%) Thiamin 34% (2.1%) Riboflavin 21% (1.3%) Niacin 23% (1.4%) Folate 28% (1.8%) Phosphorous 24% (1.5%) Potassium 18% (1.1%)



Zinc 11% (0.7%) Magnesium 29% (1.8%) Copper 37% (2.3%) Interesting Facts Halva can be made from just semolina flour or just almond butter or tahini.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Emilie Hardman of The Conscious Kitchen

Künefe Type: Dessert Serves: 24 Time to Prepare: 1 hour Ingredients Filling

½ cup raw cashews 1 cup blanched almonds 1 cup warm water 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. cane sugar ½ tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. cardamom

Pastry 1 pound kadayif, thawed for 3 hours at room temperature if frozen ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup canola oil 1/3 tsp. sea salt

Syrup 1 cup cane sugar ¾ cup water ½ cup agave syrup 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. rosewater

Instructions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 9x12 inch baking pan with parchment. In a food processor, combine all ingredients for the filling and process for 3-5 minutes or until smooth. In a large mixing bowl gently breakup the kadayif, loosening the tight coils. In a measuring cup, beat the two oils and salt together. When well combined, pour mixture over the kadayif and use your hands to work the oil over all of the pastry.



Remove half of the kadayif mixture and press it in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Scrape all filling from the food processor onto the kadayif and smooth it to the edges of the pan. Press the remaining kadayif on top of the filling and press gently to compress the pastry and make the top even. Place in the upper half of the oven for 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar, water, agave and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a low boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until reduced by about half and golden in color. Stir in rosewater. After 35 minutes, check künefe. If golden brown, remove from oven. If not, allow more baking time, checking in 5 minute increments. When golden brown, remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Ladle the syrup evenly over the pastry until it has all been used. Cut into two inch squares and serve immediately or let store covered until ready to serve. Warm lightly before serving, if desired.



Chef’s Notes Traditionally, Künefe is a sweet cheese filled pastry made with whatever cheese is most accessible in the area. In Turkey, a water buffalo cheese or cream is used between layers of kadayif. Kadayif or kunafah, as it is called in Arabic regions (kadafi in Mediterranean areas), can be translated to something like “shredded phyllo.” The

pastry bears a resemblance to shredded wheat or a jumble of soft little vermicelli noodles. It can be found fresh and frozen in a variety of specialty food stores. Here the butter, cheese and sugar laden treat gets a vegan makeover with cashews and almonds, agave and olive oil. Though different from the original, it holds up well to the guilty pleasure of a Middle Eastern-style cheesecake. Interesting Facts Künefe dough comes in three types: khishnah, which is rough and looks like noodle threads, na’ama, which is fine and looks like small bits of dough clumped together, and mhayara, which is a mixture of the other two.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia, Simply Stunning Desserts

Moroccan Almond Orange Cookies Type: Dessert Serves: 12 Time to Prepare: 30 minutes Ingredients ½ cup vanilla flavored soy or almond milk ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vegan butter 1/3 cup sliced almonds (raw or lightly toasted) 1/3 cup chopped candied orange peel ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional) Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and oil a baking sheet. Cook the milk, flour, sugar, and vegan butter in a small saucepan over low heat for 1 minute or until melted. Use a wooden spoon to mix until integrated with no lumps. Do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds, orange peel and optional orange zest. The mixture will be somewhat thin. Spoon evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies firm and the edges just begin to brown very lightly. Let the cookies cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove them with a spatula. Cool on racks. Store in a sealed container.


The Vegan Culinary Experience – Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia, Simply Stunning Desserts

Kitchen Equipment Small heavy-bottomed saucepan Baking sheet Wooden spoon Citrus zester/Microplane/fine grater Spatula Chef’s Notes Not your typical cookies, these are bursting with flavor, and very quick to make. Interesting Facts Citrus is a primary ingredient in Moroccan cuisine.



Riesling Poached Quince Type: Dessert Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes Ingredients 2 cups water 2 cups dry or semi-dry Riesling ¾ cup cane sugar 1 stick cinnamon (preferably not cassia) 5 cardamom pods, smashed 2 star anise 2 fresh bay leaves ½ tsp. black peppercorns ⅓ vanilla bean, split ¼ teaspoon fennel seed 4 quince, peeled, halved and seeded Instructions Combine the water, Riesling, sweetener and spices in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Stir to combine over medium heat until all sugar is dissolved. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the quince halves. Cover pot and let simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn each quince half and replace the cover on the pot, allowing the quince to cook for an additional 20-40 minutes or until the halves are soft and easily pricked with a fork.



Kitchen Equipment Dutch Oven Stirring Spoon Fork Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Presentation and Complementary Food and Drink

Serve warm or chilled with a generous spoonful of the wine syrup. It is also a lovely accompaniment for vegan ice cream or almond cake. Puréed it makes an unexpected and very flavorful filling between cake layers or spread beneath apples or pears in a galette.

Chef’s Notes There’s no substitute for the ancient quince. A popular Middle Eastern crop, the quince is hard, astringent and inedible when raw, but a gentle poaching transforms it into the most fragrantly lovely fruit imaginable. Though Riesling is an untraditional component in this classic dish, the honey tones, fruity apple-peach warmth and light mineral tang of this German wine is a great backdrop for the array of spices and adds a sweet complexity that sugar alone couldn’t match. Nutritional Facts (individual servings in parentheses, does not include any options) Calories Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0g (0g) Total Carbohydrates 206g (27g) Dietary Fiber 8g (1g) Sugars 150g (18g)



Protein 0g (0g) Salt 16mg (2mg) Vitamin A n/a (n/a) Vitamin B6 4% (.5%) Vitamin C 92% (11.5%) Calcium 4% (.5%) Iron 12% (1.5%) Thiamin 4% (.5%) Riboflavin 4% (.5%) Niacin n/a (n/a) Folate n/a (n/a) Phosphorous 4% (.5%) Potassium 28% (3.5%) Zinc n/a (n/a) Magnesium 4% (.5%) Copper 20% (2.5%) Interesting Facts Quince require a cold spell to properly flower. Many ancient references to apples are suspected to actually be references to quinces.



Turkish Coffee and Urfa Biber Cakes Type: Dessert Serves: 6 cakes in 3" Panettone baking cups or 1 8” cake Time to Prepare: Ingredients The Turkish Coffee 4 tbsp. very finely ground espresso 4 tsp. brown sugar 2 cardamom pods, black seeds finely ground ¼ tsp. ground green anise ⅓ cup cold water The Cakes ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3 tbsp. semolina flour ½ tsp. baking powder ⅛ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. urfa biber dried chili flakes ¼ tsp. ground green anise ¼ tsp. ground cardamom ½ cup unsweetened soymilk 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar ¼ cup cane sugar ¼ tsp. sea salt 2 tbsp. walnut oil (or any oil of your choice) 2 tbsp. brown sugar The Whipped Ganache 8 oz. dark chocolate (55-68%), chopped ¾ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk 2 tbsp. agave syrup Pinch of sea salt



Instructions To Make the Turkish Coffee Pour ground coffee, sugar and spices in the bottom of the pot and pour cold water over top.

Do not stir. With a high flame, cook until the sugar melts, about three minutes.

When the coffee grounds collapse into the liquid and the liquid rises around it, immediately return the mixture to the flame and allow the liquid to rise again. Remove from heat just before boil. Allow coffee to sit for about 1 minute before returning to heat and allowing it to rise. When it rises again, remove and allow to sit once more for a minute before returning it to heat one final time to rise. Note that each rise will take progressively less time, so watch carefully.

Allow coffee to cool. To Make the Cakes Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk in the ground spices and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine the unsweetened soymilk and apple cider vinegar, whisking to combine. The mixture should almost immediately thicken like a thin yogurt. Whisk in the cooled coffee, sugars, salt and oil, continuing to whisk until well combined. With the whisk in one hand, pour the wet mixture into the dry, whisking to incorporate as you pour. Whisk vigorously until batter is smooth and well combined. Divide the batter evenly among six panettone papers and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If making an 8” inch cake, oil the sides of the pan and line bottom with parchment. Bake for 30 minutes to until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Optional: Top with whipped ganache, chopped pistachios and a sprinkling of urfa.

To Make the Whipped Ganache In a microwave safe bowl or on the stove top in a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Chocolate is very delicate and can easily burn. Use a low heat if on the stove (and avoid any contact between chocolate and water) or heat in no more than 30 second increments in the microwave.



Combine non-dairy milk, agave and salt. Gently heat the mixture until steaming, either on the stove top or in the microwave. Pour the heated liquid mixture over the melted chocolate and briskly incorporate, stirring until the mixture comes together in a cohesive, smooth and shiny way. At this point, it may be poured over the cakes or cooled and whipped in a stand mixer. Once whipped, the ganache is airy and light and pipes beautifully onto cakes.



Complementary Food and Drinks These are great with a cup of Turkish coffee or strong black tea. Chef’s Notes

Drawing on the seductive, dark and delicately spicy flavors of Turkey, these cakes star thick, pleasantly bitter Turkish and urfa biber chilies. Urfa biber chilies are a striking burgundy-colored pepper grown in the Urfa region of Turkey. They are sun dried during the day and wrapped up tight to "sweat" through the night. The result is often described as a spicy raisin and there is definitely a sense of dried fruit, a highly

concentrated sweetness with richness and depth to its flavor, married to a full-bodied warmth that makes the urfa really special. Interesting Facts Urfa is a city in south eastern Turkey and was known as Edessa.


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VeganCulinaryExperience - Dec 2009