VeganCulinaryExperience - Dec 2009

Table of Contents
Clickonanyofthetitlestotakeyoutotheappropriatepiece
Features
Sumac: MayBringYou TabataIntervals 23 Harmony,butAlwaysBoasts ByBarryLovelace GreatTaste13 Maximizeyourefficiencyinthe
ByJillNussinow,MS,RD
Learnaboutthistart,overlooked spicethatissoimportantto MiddleEasterncuisine.
gymwithTabataIntervals.
TheVeganMediterranean Diet:AVeryCompassionate Choice24

ByChristineWatson
TheFarEastMeetsthe Middle:Japaneseand MiddleEasternFusion 15

ByChefPhilipGelb
Edamamehummus,misoveggie kebabs,andmore.Yum!
TheCompassionateNutritionist showshoweasyitistotakea predominantlyvegancuisine completelyvegan.
VeganCuisineandtheLaw: VeganPocketbookPower25
ByMindyKursban,Esq.
RawFood:TheBeautiful RoadtoHealth17
ByAngelaElliott
Aninspirationalreflectiononthe transformativehealingpowerof rawfoodsthroughthreepersonal stories.
Findouthowyoucanmakea differencethroughthemighty influenceofyourspendingpower.
Marketplace8
Columns
Getconnectedandfindoutabout veganfriendlybusinessesand organizations.
WhatsCooking?3
RecipeIndex42
NearEast21
ByLizLonetti
FindoutwhatsupwiththeVegan Alistingofalltherecipesfoundin thisissue,compiledwithlinks. CulinaryExperiencethismonth. seethefollowingpagefor AncientFruitTreesofthe interviewsandreviews
Growingtips,culinaryuses,anda bitofhistoryaboutfourancient, andcontemporary,trees.

December 2009|1
Food from the Middle East
Table of Contents 2
Clickonanyofthetitlestotakeyoutotheappropriatepiece
Interviews
InterviewwithChefand HostToniFiore28
Reviews
RestaurantReview: PitaJungle36
ByMadelynPryor
Angelaspecializesinmakingraw foodsimpleandaccessible withoutcompromisingonflavor.
PitaJungleboastsanextensive menuofMediterraneaninspired cuisinewithlotsofveganoptions.
FeaturedArtist
PoetM.ButterfliesKatz32
ProductReview:Yummy EarthSuckersandCandies38
ByMadelynPryor
Aloveforpoetry,cooking,and animalsmergeinButterflies inspiringwords,amixof compassionandphilosophysetto meterandrhyme.
YummyEarthproducesextratasty organicsuckersandothercandy, withlotsofdifferentflavorssetto tantalizeanddelight.
BookReview:TheSublime Cookbook40
ByMadelynPryor
Sublimeisoneofthepreeminent veganrestaurantsintheUnited States.Readontoseewhatour reviewerhastosayabouttheir forayintothecookbookworld.
December 2009|2
The Vegan Culinary Experience

FoodfromtheMiddleEastDecember2009
PublisherJasonWyrick EditorsEleanorSampson, CarolynMullin, MadelynPryor NutritionAnalystEleanorSampson WebDesignWilliamSnell&JasonWyrick GraphicsAlexSearcy&JasonWyrick VideoProductionKristenMozafarri ReviewerMadelynPryor ContributingAuthorsJasonWyrick MadelynPryor JillNussinow MindyKursban LizLonetti SharonValencik PhilipGelb BarryLovelace ChristineWatson EmilieHardman
Whats Cooking?
My first exposuretoMiddleEastern foodwasatanEgyptianrestaurantin FortWorth,Texas.Theowners, Egyptiannativesthemselves,hada loveforfoodandalovefortheir restaurantthatwasbothinspiringand infectious.Aftermyfirstvisit,Iwas hookedandMiddleEasterncuisine becameaweeklysojourn.ItwasinevitablethatIwouldmakemy forayintolearninghowtomakemyowndelicacies.Cumin, coriander,pomegranates,pita,tangyflavors,deepflavors,bold flavors.Thiswasdefinitelyalaborofloveandwellworththe reward.WhileIstilllovevisitingthatMiddleEasternrestaurant wheneverImbackinFortWorth,IlovevisitingmyownMiddle Easternkitchenjustasmuch. Eathealthy,eatcompassionately,andeatwell!
PhotographyCredits
CoverPageJasonWyrick&LizLonetti
RecipeImagesJasonWyrick EmilieHardman SeitanPiccataJasonWyrick QuinceandJamCourtesyofClassicGarden Magazine Sumac,TurkishCoffeeGNUFreeDocumentation License BankNotesPublicDomain M.ButterfliesKatzCourtesyofM.Butterflies ToniFioreCourtesyofToniFiore PitaJungleJasonWyrick YummyEarthYummyEarthWebsite
December 2009|3
Contributors
JillNussinow,MS,RD,TheVeggieQueenJillisaRegisteredDietitianandhasaMasters DegreeinDieteticsandNutritionfromFloridaInternationalUniversity.Aftergraduating,she migratedtoCaliforniaandbeganaprivatenutritionpracticeprovidingindividualconsultations andworkshops,specializinginnutritionforpregnancy,newmothers,andchildren.Youcan findoutmoreaboutTheVeggieQueenatwww.theveggiequeen.com.
JasonWyrickChefJasonWyrickistheExecutiveChefofDevilSpice,Arizona'svegancatering company,andthepublisherofTheVeganCulinaryExperience.ChefWyrickhasbeenregularly featuredonmajortelevisionnetworksandinthepress.Hehasdonedemoswithseveral doctors,includingDr.NealBarnardofthePCRM,Dr.JohnMcDougall,andDr.Gabriel Cousens.ChefWyrickwasalsoaguestinstructorintheLeCordonBleuprogram.Hehas cateredforPETA,FarmSanctuary,FrankLloydWright,andGoogle.VisitChefJasonWyrickat www.devilspice.comandwww.veganculinaryexperience.com.
MadelynPryorMadelyntheReviewerPryorisoneofAmazon.comstop1500reviewers, andacertifiedVineVoice.Shealsogetsseveralrequestseverydaytoreviewbooks, movies,andgraphicnovelsfromvariouspublishersincludingHarperCollins.Thatmeans thatpeoplereallywantMadelynsadviceandopinion,whichisfinewithher,becauseit makesitthatmucheasierforhertoenactherplansforworlddomination.Thoseplans currentlyinvolvetakingabreakfromherMastersofPsychologyprogramtobetheSous CheffortheVeganCulinaryExperience.Youcanreachherat madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com. EleanorSampsonEleanoristheeditorforTheVeganCulinaryExperience,author,andan expertveganbakerwithaspecialtyindeliciousvegansweets(particularlycinnamonrolls!) YoucanreachEleanoratEleanor@veganculinaryexperience.com.
Contributors
MindyKursban - MindyKursbanisapracticingattorneywhoispassionateabout animals,food,andhealth.Shegainedherexperienceandknowledgeaboutvegan cuisineandthelawwhileworkingfortenyearsasgeneralcounselandthenexecutive directorofthePhysiciansCommitteeforResponsibleMedicine.SinceleavingPCRMin 2007,Mindyhasbeenwritingandspeakingtohelpothersmaketheswitchtoaplant baseddiet.Lookforherwebsiteinthenearfuture:www.vegcurious.com.Contact Mindynowatmkursban@aol.com. LizLonettiAsaprofessionalurbandesigner,LizLonettiispassionateaboutbuilding community,bothphysicallyandsocially.ShegraduatedfromtheUofMNwithaBAin Architecturein1998.ShealsoservesastheExecutiveDirectorforthePhoenixPermaculture Guild,anonprofitorganizationwhosemissionistoinspiresustainablelivingthrough education,communitybuildingandcreativecooperation(www.phoenixpermaculture.org). Alongtimeadvocateforbuildinggreenerandmoreinterconnectedcommunities,Liz volunteershertimeandtalentforotherlocalgreencauses.Inhersparetime,Lizenjoys cookingwiththeveggiesfromhergardens,sharinggreatfoodwithfriendsandneighbors, learningfromandteachingothers.TocontactLiz,pleasevisitherblogsite www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan. SharonValencikSharonValencikistheauthorofSweetUtopia:SimplyStunningVegan Desserts.Sheisraisingtwovibrantyoungvegansonsandrescuedanimals,currentlyarabbit andadog.Shecomesfromalineageofartisticchefmatriarchsandhasbeenbakingsince agefive.Sheisworkingonhernextbook,WorldUtopia:DeliciousandHealthy InternationalVeganCuisine.Pleasevisitwww.sweetutopia.comformoreinformation,toask questions,ortoprovidefeedback. ChefPhilipGelbPhilipGelbwasbornandraisedinBrooklynNY.HeendedupinFlorida wherehereceivedaBAinculturalanthropologyanddidgraduatestudiesin ethnomusicology.ForthelastdecadehehaslivedintheSanFranciscoBayAreawherehe worksasaprofessionalmusicianandmusicteacheraswellasaveganchef.Asamusicianhe hasperformedallovertheUnitedStatesandinJapan,EuropeandCanada.5yearsagohe startedIntheMoodforFood,avegetarianpersonalchefandcateringcompany.Hehas beenvegetariansince17andafterbecomingvegan4yearsago,hechangedhisbusinessto strictlyvegancuisine.Althoughtotallyselftaughtasachef,heisaverypopularvegan cookingteacher,hostingmonthlyclasses.Hisotherinterestsincludehiking,travelling,and heisanavidfilmbuff.Ofcourse,helovescooking,especiallyforfriendsaswellasprofessionally.VisitPhilat www.philipgelb.blogspot.com.
Contributors
BarryLovelaceBarryLovelaceisaveganfitnesscoachspecializinginthefunctionaltraining ofathletes.HeistheownerofFitQuestFitnessinAllentown,PA,andfrequentlyproduces routinefitnesspodcastsathissitewww.barrylovelaceblog.com. ChristineWatsonChristineWatson,MS,RD,hasbeenteachingnutrition,healthand wellnesssince1992.Sheisaregistereddietitian,nutritionist,andcertifiedwellnesscoach.As theownerofCompassionateNutritionist,LLC,Christinesgoalforherclientsistohelpthem incorporatehealthyvegetarianeatingandgreenlivingpracticesintotheirbusylives.To learnmoreabouttheservicesandproductsofferedbyChristineandsubscribetoher CompassionateLivingezinewhereyoullreceiveaFREEcopyofherHealthy&Eco conscious7dayMenuw/recipesincluded,visitthecompanywebsiteat www.CompassionateNutritionist.comoremailChristineat Christine@CompassionateNutritionist.com. EmilieHardmanTrainedasasociologistandexperiencedasadataarchivist,Emilie Hardmantookacircuitousrouteintothefoodworldwheresheisnowapopularvegan bakingandcookinginstructor,awardwinningblogger,restaurantreviewer,anda contributortomanyfoodmagazinesandwebsites.Thoughvegansinceherteens,itwasa postcollegestintintheNewYorkCitybakery,Lifethyme,thatfirstopenedEmiliesmindand mouthtothemanypossibilitiesofvegantreats.Bringingtheexperiencesofaninternational childhoodandtheperspectiveofaresearchertoherfood,Emiliedevelopedthoughtful recipesandstartedwritingaboutherinvestigationsintoingredientsandthemeaningof foodinourlives,creatingaregularfoodandfoodpoliticscolumncalledTheConscious KitcheninWhatsUpMagazine.Thecolumnsoonturnedintoherawardwinningblog.Combiningclassroom experienceattheCambridgeSchoolofCulinaryArtsandtheNaturalGourmetInstitutewithproduction managementexperienceatabusyCambridgebakery,Emilieranherowncustomveganbakedgoodsbusiness fortwoyears.Sheiscurrentlyworkingonacookbookofsophisticated,internationallyinspiredvegandesserts. VisitEmilieatwww.consciouskitchen.net.
About the VCE

TheVeganCulinaryExperienceisaneducationalveganculinary magazinedesignedbyprofessionalveganchefstohelpmake vegancuisinemoreaccessible.PublishedbyChefJasonWyrick, themagazineutilizestheelectronicformatofthewebtogo beyondthetraditionalcontentofaprintmagazinetooffer classes,podcasts,aninteractivelearningcommunity,andlinksto articles,recipes,andsitesembeddedthroughoutthemagazineto makeretrievinginformationmoreconvenientforthereader. TheVCEisalsodesignedtobringveganchefs,instructors, medicalprofessionals,authors,andbusinessestogetherwiththe growingnumberofpeopleinterestedinvegancuisine. Eathealthy,eatcompassionately,andeatwell.
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ChefJasonWyrickandmanyofthecontributorstothemagazineareavailableforprivateculinaryinstruction, seminars,interviews,andothereducationalbasedactivities.Forinformationandpricing,contactusat http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCEContact.htm.
An Educational and Inspirational Journey of Taste, Health, and Compassion

Food from the Middle East December 2009|7
Marketplace
WelcometotheMarketplace,ournewspotfor findingvegetarianfriendlycompanies,chefs,authors, bloggers,cookbooks,products,andmore!Oneofthe goalsofTheVeganCulinaryExperienceistoconnect ourreaderswithorganizationsthatproviderelevant productsandservicesforvegans,sowehopeyou enjoythisnewfeature! ClickontheAdsEachadislinkedtotheappropriate organizationswebsite.Allyouneedtodoisclickon theadtotakeyouthere. BecomeaMarketplaceMemberBecomeconnected byjoiningtheVeganCulinaryExperience Marketplace.Membershipisavailabletothosewho financiallysupportthemagazine,tothosewho promotethemagazine,andtothosewhocontribute tothemagazine.ContactChefJasonWyrickat chefjason@veganculinaryexperience.comfordetails!
CurrentMembers
RationalAnimal (www.rationalanimal.org) FarmSanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.com) GoDairyFree.organdMySweetVegan (www.godairyfree.org) JillNussinow,MS,RD,TheVeggieQueen (www.theveggiequeen.com) ChefMayraDr.Flavor (www.mychefmayra.com) SweetUtopia (www.sweetutopia.com) InTheMoodforFood (www.philipgelb.blogspot.com) ThePhoenixPermactultureGuild (www.phoneixpermaculture.org) MilanPhotography (www.milanphotography.com)
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Sumac May Bring You Harmony, but Always Boasts Great Taste
By Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen
Thekeytogreat MiddleEastern foodliesinthe combinationof freshingredients andthespices, someofwhichare unfamiliartous hereintheUSsuch assumac,while manyofthem,such ascuminandblack pepper,areused liberallyinother typesofcuisine. Onethatyoumay beunfamiliarwith issumac,which comesfromared berrythatismost oftengroundintoa powder.However, youcanalso purchase,orforage fortheberries, themselvesand grindthem. Sumacimpartsa tart,lemonyflavor thatisdifficultto describe,asismost anyotherfood.You canuseitinsteadof lemonorvinegarin recipes. TheNaturalCapital blog http://bit.ly/YWr78 suggestsusingitto makeanonlemon lemonade.Beware thatinsomeplaces PoisonSumacgrows, sounlessyouaresure thatyoudonothave it,donotuse. Apparently,itisrarein theDCarea.Youcan alsopurchasesumac berriesorpowder fromyourlocalMiddle Easternstoreor, lackingoneofthose, fromanspice purveyorsuchas MountainRoseHerbs http://www.mountain roseherbs.com. Sumacshistorygoes backthousandsof yearsaccordingto informationfromThe SpiceDepot http://www.thespiced epot.com/spice notes/Sumac/.The namesumacmeans darkredfromthe Aramaicsummaq. Sumacberriesgrowon thesmallshrubbytree Rhuscoriaria.The
Fattoush
Serves6 BasedonatraditionalMiddleEasternbreadsalad,this versionhasmanymorevegetablesandnotasmuchbread.It isalsolowerinfatbutstillhasenoughforgreatflavor.Flaxoil obviouslyisnttraditionalbutcombinedwithpurslane,this dishpacksagooddoseofOmega3fattyacids,alongwith greattaste.
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 head crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn up 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced 2 large firm tomatoes, diced 4 green onions, chopped cup Italian parsley, chopped cup fresh mint, chopped 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 Joes 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.
TheVeggieQueen,JillNussinow,MS,R.D http://www.theveggiequeen.com
December 2009|13
NaturalCapitalalso suggeststhatotherRhus varietiesgrowthatyield thetastyredberries. Shenotesthatpoison sumachaswhiteberries. Traditionallysumacwas usedforitsmedicinal properties,whichwas mostlyasadiuretic and/orlaxative.Ihaventfoundeithertobetrue butIamusingitinmodestquantitiesinmyrecipes. AccordingtoTheLuckyMojoCurioCo.http://herb magic.com/sumacberries.htmlsumacmayhave qualitiesbeyondculinary.Itssaidthatitsumac bringsharmonyandresolvesdifficultiesinlaw casesandinthebedroom.Interesting,isntit? Youmightfindsumacmixedwiththymeand/or sesameinatypicalMiddleEasterndryspicemix calledZaatar.Ithinkthatitsaspicethatdeserves higherstatussoyoumightwanttogetsomeand experimentwithit. UsesumacpowderinthisrecipeforFattoush,a MiddleEasternbreadsalad,oraddittohummus, oranyotherdishthatcallsforlemontoseewhat youthink.Itmightjustbringyouluck,butitalways providesunforgettableflavor.
TheAuthor
JillNussinow,MS,RD,TheVeggie QueenJillisaRegisteredDietitian andhasaMastersDegreeinDietetics andNutritionfromFlorida InternationalUniversity.After graduating,shemigratedtoCalifornia andbeganaprivatenutritionpractice providingindividualconsultationsand workshops,specializinginnutritionforpregnancy,new mothers,andchildren.YoucanfindoutmoreaboutThe VeggieQueenatwww.theveggiequeen.com.
December 2009|14
The Far East Meets the Middle: Japanese and Middle Eastern Fusion
with Chef Philip Gelb
Lastyear,thankstosomeamazingmusiciansand dancersIwascollaboratingwith(SamiShumays, SinanErdemsel,andAubreHill),Iwaschallenged tocomeupwithsomeJapaneseArabicfusion dishes.HereareafewexamplesthatIconjured up,tryingtofusetworatherdifferentcuisines. Theserecipeswereusedaspartofaneveningthis summeronmypopulardinner/concertseries, whenSami(anincredibleArabicviolinplayer)and Sinan(anexceptionalTurkishoudplayer)were performingduringtheirvisittoCalifornia. 1tbsp.shisochopped Blendallingredientswell. vegetablesformarinade lotusroot,sliced1/2inchthick heirloomtomato,quartered gyspypepper,halved yamaimo,sliced3/4inchthick Japaneseeggplant,slicedin1inchrounds zucchinioryellowsquash,slicedin1inchrounds Letvegetablesmarinadefor2hoursorovernight. Arrangeonskewersandgrillfor10minutesortill done,cooktilljustbeforecharringforbestflavor, orroastat425for12minutesortilljustaboutto char.
edamamehummous
aJapaneseflavorofaclassicMiddleEastern 2cupscookedsoybeans 1/3cuptahini 2tbsptoastedsesameoil cupyuzujuice 1tsp.smokedpaprika tsp.freshlycrackedblackpepper 1andtsp.seasalt 1tbsp.choppedshisoleaves blendeverythingtogetherinafoodprocessoror useamortarandpestle.
pomegranatedengaku
Here,thetraditionalmisotoppingisinfusedwith MiddleEasternflavors 2tbsp.pomegranatemolasses 1tbsp.tamarindpaste 2tbsp.tahini 3tbsp.whitemiso gratedrindofhalfyuzu(orlime) tsp.cumin tsp.cardamom tsp.freshlycrackedblackpepper stocktothin,ifnecessary Combineingredientsandblendwell.Cutfirmtofu into3inchsquares.CutJapaneseeggplantinhalf lengthwise.Deepfrytofuandeggplantin375 degreeoiltillcrisp.Placetofuandeggplanton broilingpan,coverwiththedengakutoppingand broilfor12minutesortillstartstobrown. Garnishwithchoppedgreenonion
December 2009|15
veggiekabobswithredmisomarinade
themarinade cupredmiso 1tsp.cumin tsp.cardamom 2clovesgarlic,minced 1/3cupoliveoil 2tbsp.mirin 1yuzujuiceandrind(uselimeormeyerlemonif youcannotgetyuzu) 1tsp.freshlycrackedblackpepper cupstock
blueberrywasabisauce
Averysimpleanddelightfulsummersauceusing freshwasabiroots.Freshwasabiisnowbeing growninOregonandslowlybecomingmore accessibleintheUS.MostAmericanshavenever hadwasabibutareusedtothehorseradishwith foodcoloringthatisverypopularinAmericansushi restaurants.Freshwasabihasamilder,sweeter aromaandflavorandisworthseekingoutand payingtheextrapricefor. Simplytakeaquartofblueberriesandplacein saucepan.Grateonewasabirootandaddtothe berrieswithtsp.seasalt.Simmeroververylow heat,stirringoften.
TheAuthor Forthelastdecade,Philhaslivedin theSanFranciscoBayAreawhere heworksasaprofessional musicianandmusicteacheraswell asaveganchef.Asamusicianhe hasperformedallovertheUnited StatesandinJapan,Europeand Canada.Fiveyearsagohestarted IntheMoodforFood,avegetarianpersonalchef andcateringcompany.Hehasbeenvegetarian since17andafterbecomingvegan4yearsago,he changedhisbusinesstostrictlyvegancuisine. Althoughtotallyselftaughtasachef,heisavery popularvegancookingteacher,hostingmonthly classes.Hisotherinterestsincludehiking, travelling,andheisanavidfilmbuff.Ofcourse,he lovescooking,especiallyforfriendsaswellas professionally.YoucanreachChefPhilipGelbat http://philipgelb.blogspot.com.
December 2009|16
Raw Food The Beautiful Road to Health

By Angela Elliott
Iamconvincedthatrawfoodisthefountainof youth.Imarvelatthemagicofrawfoodeveryday anditsabilitytotransformmylife.Adearfriendof mine,LouCorona,hasbeenrawforover37years, andIswearhegetsyoungereverysingletimeIsee him!Hissecretisrawfruits,veggies,greens,lotsof greenjuice,probiotics,andenzymes.Afewyears ago,Isawanarticleonlinethatoutlinedthe benefitsofrawfood.Thestrangepartisitwasn't writtenbyarawfoodist,itwaswrittenbya mainstreamjournalist!Thejournalistwaswriting allabout scientific findingson Therecipesscattered howraw throughoutthisarticleare fruits, crowdpleasersandyou vegetables, absolutelycannotgowrong andgreens whenyouservethemup! effectthe humanbody. ~Angela Oneofthe statements AllrecipesarefromAngelas that Book,AliveinFive. particularly caughtmy eyewasthat scientistshaddiscoveredthatrawfoodcouldbe thecureforcancerandotherdiseases.RealizingI hadfoundanamazinggem,Ibookmarkedthesite tosendouttofriendsandfamily,butwhenIwent backtothesite,thearticlehadbeenmysteriously removed.Whatashameitisthatinformationlike thisisn'toutthereforalltoread.LouCoronacured himselfofcancerandotherdiseaseswiththis amazingdiet. Here'sLou'sstorystraightfromhisbook,"Get Lean,Clean,andSerenewithLouCorona."In1973, whenIwastwentyoneIwassickandsufferingand onmylastbreath,andIfeltreadytoleavethislife
ifthat'swhatGodwanted.Instead,through remarkableeventsIwasdirectedtoabstainfrom eatingfleshandtoeatonlylivingfoods. ImmediatelyafterwardsImetanextraordinary manwholookedtwentyyearsyoungerthanhis statedageoffiftytwo.Thismanhadtraveledthe worldforthirtyyearsseekingtruthandwisdom abouthowtoliveinthehighest,bestpossibleway. Hebecamemymentorandfriendandsharedwith memanysecretsaboutcaringformybody,spirit, andemotions,andhehelpedmechangemymental perspective.BecauseIfollowedthiswiseman's principlesandcontinuetodosotothisdayIhave recoveredpermanentlyfromchronicasthma,a tumor,severeacne,arthritis,candida,sinus congestionandinfections,andchronic constipation.NotonlydidIrecoverfromthese physicalailments,butalsomywholelifewas transformed.Noweverydayisagreatday!Each momentisprecious.AndIbelievethateachperson Imeetisspecial,andworthyofgreathealthandall theblessingsthatcomewithit.Asaresultofbeing soblessed,Ihavededicatedmylifetohelping,men, women,children,andpetsreachthissamelevelof vibrant,radianthealth. LouCoronareallyhasauniqueperspectiveonthe rawfoodlifestyleandofallthepeopleIhavemet andhadthepleasureofworkingwith,Louisbyfar themostinfluentialpersonIhaveeverknown.He hashelpedmeinsomanyways,Ican'tevencount. Thismanislivingproofthatnotonlycanyoufeel better,livebetter,butactuallyliveinaradiantand trulyvibrantwayandsustainyouth. Myotherfriend,JayKordich(TheJuiceMan)was curedofcancerbyMaxGerson'sprogram.Here's Jay'sstory:
December 2009|17
Long,longbeforehebecametheJuiceman,and developedtheJuicemanjuicer,JayKordichwasa studentattheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia whohadbecomeillandhadreceivedavery unwelcomediagnosis:hehadcancerofthe bladder.Insteadofbeingcrushedbythenews,Jay resolvedtofindadoctorwhocouldcurehim,andin theprocesshedramaticallychangedthedirection ofhislife.
hislifeforever.Henowhadapassionforjuicing thatmatchedhispassionforlife,andwouldgoon tospreadthewordaboutthepowerof juicing.Today,Jayisasvitalasvitalcanbeandhe islivingproofthatjuicetherapyisarealtherapy notjustafad.
CucumberPizzas(requiresnoequipment atall) Makes4servings! OnedayIwasinahurrytoprepare somethingtastybeforeoneofmyfriends cameoverfortea,butallIhadinthe housewereolivesandcucumbers.Hence thisrecipewasborn!Myfriendlovedit andrequestsiteverytimeshecomesto visit.Thisisnotonlyherfavoriterecipe, butalsoallofmyclientsfavoriterecipe too. 4cucumbers,slicedintorounds 2cupschoppedolivesgreenorblackor both! Arrangethecucumberslicesonan attractiveplatter.Topwithchoppedolives andserve.
CocoChocoHeaven 1Thaiyoungcoconut(youcanbuythese inanyAsianstoreorHealthfoodstores likeWholefoods)Useboththecoconut waterandthemeat. 1teaspoonagave 3tablespoonsrawcacaopowder (availableatmosthealthfoodstoresor online) 45icecubes Openthecoconut,scrapeoutthemeat withaspoonandaddtotheblender, alongwiththecocaopowder,agave,and icecubes.Blendonhighuntilsmoothand serveimmediately.
AlocaldoctorreferredJaytothelegendaryDr.Max Gerson,authorofACancerTherapy:Resultsof50 Cases.Dr.GersonputJayonastrictdietofnatural foodswhichincludednumerousglassesofjuice eachday.(Inhisbook,TheJuiceman'sPowerof Juicing,JayindicatesthatDr.GersonhadJay consumecarrotapplejuicehourlythroughoutthe day,from6:00a.m.untilearlyevening.)Thetotal transformationtooktwoandahalfyears,butJay finallyregainedhishealth.Hewascuredofcancer eventhoughthelocaldoctorshehadoriginally beenconsultingcouldnotassurehimofacomplete recovery!Jay'sexperiencewithDr.Gersonchanged
NotonlyhaveIgottenyoungeronrawfood,butI toohadseriouslifethreateningillnessesthatwere helpedconsiderablybyarawfooddiet.In1998I becamemysteriouslyillandnomatterhowmany emergencyroomordoctor'svisitsIhad,noone seemedtoknowwhatwaswrong.AfterawhileI becamebedriddenbecausemyspinewent completelycoldandmylimbswerenumb.Iwasn't sureifIwashavingastrokeorIhadMSorwhat. Thescarypartwasnotknowingwhatwaswrong.A yearearlierIhadarootcanalonmytopleftmolar andinsteadofputtingaporcelaincrownonthere, thedentistforwhateverstrangereasonputa temporaryamalgamfillingonit.Ididn'tthink anythingofthis,becauseIhadneverhadaroot canalbefore,sowhatdidIknow?Anyway,whenI wentbacktohavethepermanentcrownputon, apparentlyunknowntome,heplacedthecrown rightovertheamalgam!Sixmonthslatermytooth
December 2009|18
explodedinmymouthwhileIwasatthemovie theater.Iwentbacktothedentistandhe explainedthatIwouldneedsomeworkdone,butI didn'thavethemoneytodowhathethoughtI needed,soIleftthespacethere.WhenIbecame soill,Ineverputtwoandtwotogether.Itwasn't untilmyhusbanddecidedtotakemysonandIto SanDiego,thinkingtheoceanairwoulddome somegood.HecarriedmeoutontothesandsoI couldwatchthewaves,smelltheseaair,andfeel thesandbeneathmytoes.WhileIwaslaying there,awomanappearedandaskedmewhatwas wrong.Nowmostpeoplemightthinkthatwasabit weird,butsinceIhavealonghistoryofenergy work,holistichealth,andmetaphysics,Ithoughtit wasperfect!Anyway,Iproceededtotalkwithher andsheaskedmeifanyonehadeverdoneaCAT scan,Xrayofmybrain,oranMRI,andIsaidno andalsothatnoonehadevensuggestedit.My
poisoning.Itwasalongroadbacktohealth,lotsof juices,chelationtherapy,andlivingfoods.My immunesystemunfortunatelyhadbeenweakened bytheinfectionandwhenIthoughtIwaswell,I
NutYogurt Blendonecupofyourfavoriteraw nutsorrawseeds(presoaked)in filteredorspringwaterfor24hours anddrained)withonecupoffiltered orspringwater.Add1/2teaspoonof probioticpowder.blendthemixture untilsmooth.Pourmixtureintoa sealablecontainerandletstand coveredwithapapertowelforthree hours.Thisprocessallowsthemixture toculture.
CreamyTzatziki 2cupsrawnutyogurt(FromAlivein Fiverecipetofollow) 2cucumbers,dicedsmall 1clovegarlic,minced 3tablespoonlemonjuice 1tablespooncoldpressedextravirgin oliveoil Himalayansaltandpeppertotaste 1tablespoonfreshchoppedmint leaves teaspoonpaprika Mixtogetherallingredients. NOTE: Addmintforamoretraditional flavor!
husbandtookmetothehospitalthatsamedayand insistedthatIhaveoneofthese.Thefindingswere prettydarnscary!Ihadamassiveinfectionright nexttomybrainandleftuntreatedwouldhave killedmeinabouttwoweeks.Thatladywastruly myangelandcomingtoSanDiego,Ca.savedmy life.NotonlydidIhaveaninfection,Ihadmercury
helpedafriendrescueabird.Wedidn'trealizethat thebirdwasinfectedwithparrotfeverandIstayed inthesameroomasthebird.Thebirdwas continuouslyflappingitswingsandspreading infectedsporesrightintomylungsasIslept.Iwas intheemergencyroomthenextdayona respiratorfightingformylifeyetagain,andhadan evenlongerroadbacktohealth.Iammost thankfultothislifestyleforsavingmylife.Iam excitedabouthowgreatIfeeleatingthisway,as wellasbyitsamazingabilitytomakememore vibrant,alive,sexy,strong,andfullofvitalityevery day! Nomatterwhatyourchallengesare,youwillbe delightedbyrawfoods'abilitytoliterallytransform yourlife.Thebeautyofthislifestyleisyoucanstart anytimeevenpeopleintheir80'sseeresults. Here'safewrecipestogetyoustartedandtokeep youmotivatedtobethebestyou,youcanbe. Manyblessingstoyou, Angela
December 2009|19
TheAuthor AngelaElliottistheauthorofAlive inFive,HolidayFarewith Angela,TheSimpleGourmet,and morebooksontheway!Angelais theinventorofFiveMinute GourmetMeals,RawNutFree Cuisine,RawVeganDog Cuisine,andTheCelestialwich,andtheowner andoperatorofSheZenCuisine.www.she zencuisine.com Angelahascontributedtovariouspublications, includingVegnewsMagazine,Vegetarian BabyandChildMagazine,andhastaughtgourmet classes,holisticclasses,lectured,andonoccasion touredwithLouCorona,anationallyrecognized proponentoflivingfood.
December 2009|20
Ancient Fruit Trees of the Near East

By Liz Lonetti
Itisgoodtoknowthetruth,butitisbettertospeak ofpalmtrees. ArabProverb Thisyearmarksthefirstharvestfromour pomegranatetreeplantedonly2yearsagoduring thePhoenixPermacultureGuildsAnnualFruitTree Day.Iwasamazedatthevarietyoffruitbearing treesthatwouldsurvivetheharshPhoenixclimate, butmanyofthetreescultivatedthroughoutthe MiddleEastactuallythrivehereintheSonoran Desert.Pomegranate,Figs,Dates,Quinceand Apricotsarejustsomeofthefruitthatwillhappily produceprodigiousharvestsyearafteryearwith verylittlemaintenance,sowhatdoesanurban farmerdowithallthesedelectableofferings?So gladyouasked bowlofwater,asthejuicewillstainanythingit comesintocontactwith!Justcutoffthecrown endandscoretherindinseveralstrokesupthe fruit.Submersethescoredfruitinwaterforabout 10minutesandthengentlybreakaparttheseeds fromthepithyrind.Theseedswillsinkandthe rindwillfloattothetoptobeeasilyskimmedoff. Thelittlejewellikeseedsareoneofthemost deliciousfruitsIveevereaten. FigsThefigmaywellbeoneoftheearliest domesticatedplantsintheworld,asrecent archeologicalfindsnowdatethebeginningof cultivationataround11,000yearsagothats earlierthanmillet,wheatoranyotherseedplant by5,000years!Itsclearthathumanshavelong lovedthesucculentfirstbiteofabeautifultree ripenedfig.Ifyouhaventhadachancetogeta freshfig,thetasteisnothinglikeitsdried counterpartandwellworththeeffortinplanting andcaringforafigtree.LastyearIpicked probablyafullbusheloffreshfigsfroma neighborstree.WhatIcouldnteatwithinafew days,Iportionedoutinasinglelayeronabaking sheet,frozeandthenslidthemallintobagsfor longertermstorageinthedeepfreeze.Afresh frozenfigisacreamysummertreat,justlikeice cream! Dates Thedate treehas been knownas TheTree ofLife andThe Kingof the Oasis,and A date palm with full clusters of dates little wonder,withseeminglyeverypartofthetree providingthenecessitiesoflifeoutinaharsh environment.Therearedatepalmsalloverthe
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Two years after planting and the apricot and pomegranate trees are growing well!
Pomegranatethepomegranateisnativetothe Persianregionandhasbeenwidelycultivated throughoutthe Mediterraneanfor severalmillennia.This fruitiseasilygrownin ouraridsouthwest,and willbearheavilyasmy littlebabytreewill attest.Thefruitofthe pomegranateishighly prizedbothforthejuice andfortheflesh surroundingthelittle seeds.Thepomegranatefruitisbestcutapartina
metroarea,justyesterdayIhadtostepoverfallen datesonaScottsdaleshoppingcenterssidewalk. Therewerebeautifuldatetreestuckedinthe landscapedoingafinejobofproducinghuge clustersofdates,yearafteryear.Nowisthebest timetohitourlocalmarketstogetyourownfresh datesfromgrowershereinthevalley.Stockupon freshdatestousewithinacoupleweeks,while drieddateskeepbeststoredinanairtight containertokeepthemfreshforuptoayear.My favoritequicktreatistostuffapecanhalfintoa creamypitteddateinstantpecanpie.YUM. QuinceThe quinceisalittle knownrelativeof theappleandpear andissimilarin tasteandtexture, butsomewhat harderandwitha littlesourbite. Thelonghot summersherelet thefruitget sweeterthanin manyother regions.Herein PhoenixwereinthemiddleoftheQuinceharvest andifyoureluckyenoughtofindlocalgrowers, definitelygivethisuniquefruitatry.Itaddsgreat flavortoanyfruitdishesandsaladsandcanbe bakedorroasted,turningthefleshredintheslow cookeddishes. ApricotsTrulysavingthebestforlastthe Turkishphrase"bundaniyisiam'dakays" translates,"itdoesn'tgetanybetterthanthis"or literallybetterthanthisisanapricotin Damascus.TheTurksknowwhattheyaretalking about,asthisyearwehadasinglelittleapricoton ournewlyplantedtreeoftwoyearsagoonebite transportedmeintosomeotherframeofmind.It wasunbelievablysweetandjustmeltedintomy tastebudsheavenfromatreeinourown backyard!Itishardtothinkabouteatingthe apricotinanyway,butfreshfromthetree,but theycanbedried,preserved,jammedandadded toalmostanydishtoenhancethesweetness.
Thereisreallynosubstituteforatreeripened pieceoffruitfromyourownbackyard.Ihighly encourageyoualltodoalittleresearchintowhat willgrowbestinyourarea.Ifyouhappentolivein thePhoenixarea,thereareTreeClassesbeingheld aroundthevalleythatwillwalkyouthroughtree selection,planting,careandmaintenance.Itook theclasstwoyearsagoandamnowbeginningto reapthebenefitsofmanyoftheclassicMiddle Easternfruitsfreshfrommyveryowntrees. PlantingatreeisTHEmosteffectivereturnonan initialinvestmentoftimeandmoney,therighttree intherightplacewillgivebountifulharveststo yourgrandkids!Whereelsecana$32dollar investmentpaythatkindofdividend? Formoreinformation,pleasecheckout www.phoenixpermaculture.org/eventsIfyouare inthePhoenixarea,youcanorderfruittreeshave beenplantedandtestedinourlocale: www.permaculture.net/FruitTrees/store/ TheAuthor LizLonettiAsaprofessional urbandesigner,LizLonettiis passionateaboutbuilding community,bothphysicallyand socially.Shegraduatedfromthe UofMNwithaBAin Architecturein1998.Shealso servesastheExecutiveDirector forthePhoenixPermaculture Guild,anonprofitorganizationwhosemissionisto inspiresustainablelivingthrougheducation, communitybuildingandcreativecooperation (www.phoenixpermaculture.org).Alongtime advocateforbuildinggreenerandmoreinter connectedcommunities,Lizvolunteershertimeand talentforotherlocalgreencauses.Inherspare time,Lizenjoyscookingwiththeveggiesfromher gardens,sharinggreatfoodwithfriendsand neighbors,learningfromandteachingothers.To contactLiz,pleasevisitherblogsite www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profile/LizDan. Resources www.urbanfarm.org www.phoenixpermaculture.org
December 2009|22
See Amazing Results with Tabata Intervals!

by Barry Lovelace
prettygoodshapeyoumaywanttocheckwith Mostfitnessprofessionalswillagreethatthemost yourdoctorand/oreaseintoitslowly.Hereisan effectivewaytoworkoutiswithintervaltraining. exampleofapossibleTabataIntervalsworkout Whenyoudointervaltrainingyouareworkingout (thisentireworkoutwilltakeonly25minutes!!!) byalternatingburstsofintenseactivitywith intervalsoflightactivity.Thistypeoftrainingis Youcanget proventoincreaseonesenduranceand verycreative cardiovascularstrengthmoreeffectivelyandinless withyour timethanothertypesofexercise. Tabata Intervals. Thebestexampleofthistypeoftrainingandits Youcan amazingbenefitsisTabataIntervals.Tabata insertjust Intervalsisaformof TABATAINTERVAL aboutany intervaltrainingthat exercisethat demands20seconds Startwithabriefwarmup youwish.If ofhighintensity workfollowedby10 SquatJumps(20secondson,10seconds youarejuststartingoutyoumaywantto secondsofrest.This offfor4minutestotal) onlydoonefourminuteTabataandadd Oneminutebreak othersasyouprogress. 30secondsequence Pushups(20secondson,10secondsoff isrepeated8times for4minutestotal) Inclosing,TabataIntervalsisasuper foratotaloffour Oneminutebreak effectiveandsuperefficientwayto minutes.Yes,you JoginPlace(20secondson,10seconds increaseenduranceandcardiovascular readthatright,four health.Itschallenging,creativeandfun. minutes.Whatgood offfor4minutestotal) Oneminutebreak Weallwanttobefitandatthesame canfourminutesdo, TricepDips(20secondson,10seconds youask?Alot! timemostofusdonotwanttospend offfor4minutestotal) hoursonendatthegym.TabataIntervals Cooldownandstretch deliversimpressiveresultsinaverylittle TheTabataInterval wasderivedfroma amountoftime,whowouldntwantthat? studyperformedbyDr.IzumiTabataofthe NationalInstituteofFitnessandSportsinTokyo, TheAuthor Japan.Hediscoveredthatthe20secondson/10 secondsoffformulawastheoptimumwayto BarryLovelaceisavegan challengeboththeaerobicandanaerobicsystems fitnesscoachspecializing improvingonestruefitnesslevelandendurance inthefunctionaltraining drastically. ofathletes.Heisthe ownerofFitQuestFitness Thisistrulyaworkoutthatyouhavetoexperience inAllentown,PA,and toappreciate,itsamazing.Itisalsovery frequentlyproduces customizableinthatmany,manyexercisescanbe routinefitnesspodcastsathissite usedwithintheTabataIntervalsProtocol.Of www.barrylovelaceblog.com. course,likeallexercise,ifyouarenotalreadyin
Food from the Middle East December 2009|23
A Very Compassionate Choice

TheMediterraneanDiet,whichtraditionally includesfruits,vegetables,pasta,grains,nuts, seeds,andfishisgivena5starratingasaheart healthywayofeating.Whileallofthesepartsof thehealthydietremaintriedandtrueatreducing theriskforheartdisease,aVEGANMediterranean diet,eliminatingallanimalfoodsources,isaneven healthierandmorecompassionatechoice. Highinprotein,vitamins,minerals,andOmega3 fatsthereisnowonderwhythisparticularwayof eatingtakesahealthierprecedenceoverthe StandardAmericanDiet.Eliminatingfish,dairy, andeggswouldtakethediettoagreaterlevelof hearthealthbenefits.Proteinfoodsourcesderived fromnuts,seeds,seitan,andtempehwouldstill maintainthesamenutritionalbenefitswithoutthe additionoffish,dairyoreggs.Nutsandseeds, thoughagreatsourceofproteinandOmega3s (certainvarieties),areveryhighinfat.Therefore, theyshouldntbeeateninlargeamountstypically ahandfuladaywilldo. Theveryfragrantoliveoilprovidestherichsource ofmonounsaturatedfat,whichlowersLDL cholesterol(badcholesterol)andincreasesHDL cholesterol(goodcholesterol).Preparingyour mealswithmoderateamountsofoliveoilcanalso helpyoueatmorehealthfullyonthisdietsinceit improvestheflavorofthenutritiousvegetables andencouragesthefeelingoffullness.Keepin mindalso,thatthefocusoftheMediterraneandiet isn'ttolimittotalfatconsumption,buttomake wisechoicesaboutthetypesoffatyoueatthe betterchoicesbeingoliveoil,canolaoil,walnuts, andpinenuts.
The VEGAN Mediterranean Diet:

by Christine Watson, MS, RD
Vegetables,suchasroastedeggplant,freshgreens sautedwithgarlic,tomatoeswithbasil&oliveoil, arewhatreallymaketheVEGANMediterranean dietveryappealing.Fruits,suchasfreshberries sprinkledoverasalad,cinnamonbakedappleswith walnutsarehealthyandflavorful,too!Addtoit thegrains,suchasrisotto,wholegrainpasta,or wholegraincrustybreadfromalocalbakeryand youhaveadeliciousmeal.Washitalldownwitha glassofrichandrobustredwineandvoila& enjoy! TheAuthor ChristineWatson,MS,RD,has beenteachingnutrition,health andwellnesssince1992.Sheisa registereddietitian,nutritionist, andcertifiedwellnesscoach.As theownerofCompassionate Nutritionist,LLC,Christinesgoal forherclientsistohelpthemincorporatehealthy vegetarianeatingandgreenlivingpracticesinto theirbusylives.Tolearnmoreabouttheservices andproductsofferedbyChristineandsubscribeto herCompassionateLivingezinewhereyoull receiveaFREEcopyofherHealthy&Ecoconscious 7dayMenuw/recipesincluded,visitthecompany websiteatwww.CompassionateNutritionist.comor emailChristineat Christine@CompassionateNutritionist.com.
December 2009|24
Vegan Pocketbook Power!

By Mindy Kursban, Esq.
Asalawyer,I recognizethe importancethat lawsplayin changingthe wayoursociety treatsfarm animals. However, relyingonthelawtobringaboutchangeputsall thepowerinthehandsofthegovernmentto addresstheproblemtopassthelaw,toenforce it,andtopenalizetheviolators.Thiscanbeaslow andlaboriousprocess.Asaconsumer,Iknowthat usingthepowerofmypocketbookwillspeedup thesechanges. Untilrecently,thelawwasvirtuallysilentabout howanimalsraisedforfoodaretreated.The decisionsabouthowthosesausagelinks,grilled chickenbreasts,cheeseburgers,andscrambled eggsgottoyourplatehavebeenuptotheAnimal AgricultureIndustrytheverycompaniesthat raisethe10billioncows,pigs,chickens,turkeys andotheranimalseachyearforhuman consumption.Withnogovernmentintervention andlittleconsumerawareness,theAnimal AgricultureIndustrysetuppurelyprofitbased factoryfarmswithnomoralconcerns,pavingthe animalspathfromtheirbirthtoourdinnerwith systematicabuse.Standardabusesincludeextreme confinement,forcedurinationanddefecationin theconfinedlivingspaces,painfulmutilationssuch ascastration,taildocking,andbeaksearing withoutanesthesia,andadietfullofantibiotics, hormones,andotherchemicals.Thingsarenot muchbetterforanimalsraisedhumanely,cage freeororganically.(See www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/campaigns/truth_b ehind_labeling.html) Lawsarebeingenactedthattakeincrementalsteps forwardtoaddressthisunimaginablecruelty.With nofederallawthatprotectsanimalsonthefarm,in 2002,statesbegansteppinguptotheproverbial plate.Sincethen,FloridaandOregonhavebanned theconfinementofpregnantpigsingestation crates.Gestationcratesarenarrowmetal enclosuresbarelybiggerthanthepregnantpigs whoareconfinedinthemduringtheirnearlyfour monthpregnancies.Withtheirpigletstakenaway andraisedforeventualhumanconsumption, breedingpigslivesareacontinualcycleofbirth andreimpregnation,untiltheytooareslaughtered. Arizona,Colorado,andMainehavebannedboth gestationcratesandtheconfinementofcalvesin vealcrates.Vealcratesarewoodencrates measuringalittlemorethantwofeetwidein whichmalecalveswhohavebeenseparatedfrom theirmotherswithinthefirstfewdaysofbirthwill betetheredandconfinedforabout16weeksuntil theyaresenttoslaughter. BothCaliforniaandMichiganhavepassedlaws requiringthatfactoryfarmsprovideenoughspace forbreedingpigs,vealcalves,andegglayinghens tostandup,turnaround,andextendtheirlimbs. Layinghensarebirdsusedfortheireggswhoare typicallyconfinedfortheirentireliveswithseveral otherbirdsintinybatterycageswithoutenough roomtospreadasinglewing.Californiahasalso passedalawtobanthetaildockingofdairy cows,thepartialamputationofuptotwothirdsof acowstailtypicallyperformedwithoutanesthesia. Morelegalprotectionsforfarmanimalsare expected.Wecanlookforwardtonewlawsthat willfurtherrestricthowfarmanimalscanbe treatedaswellasmorestatesenactinglawssimilar tothosealreadypassed.
December 2009|25
TheselegalchangesforcingtheAnimalAgriculture Industrytotreatanimalslesscruellywillincrease thecostofmeat,eggs,anddairy,sinceemploying methodsthatdontaccountfortheinterestsofthe animalsischeaper.Despitehighercostsandeven withouttheforceoflaw,somerestaurantchains likeChipotle,WolfgangPucks,andRedRobin GourmetBurgerhavebegunswitchingtocagefree eggsorhavestoppedservingporkfromcratedpigs orvealfromcratedcalves.Indoingso,theypasson theincreasedcoststoconsumers,absorbthecosts, orboth.Thesecorporatecommitmentstosupport lesscruelpracticesarecommendable,buttheyare notenough.Allrestaurantscanminimizethe predictablefinancialimpactoflegalrestrictionson factoryfarmingbythinkingoutsidethebox. Ratherthanjustpurchasingfromsuppliersthatno longerengageinthemostabusivepractices, restaurantsshouldaddtastyandwellprepared plantbasedmenuitemsandrevampcurrent offeringstomakethemvegan.Doingsocanbe profitable. Itsimpossiblenottonoticethegrowingnumberof consumersinterestedinvegetarianandvegan eating.A2008VegetarianTimesstudyfoundthat 10percentofUSadultssaytheylargelyfollowa vegetarianinclineddietand,ofthenon vegetarianssurveyed,5.2percentaredefinitely interestedinfollowingavegetarianbaseddietin thefuture.AwalkthroughthesupermarketandI dontjustmeanWholeFoodsdisplaysa continuallyincreasingarrayofveganproducts.The numberofallvegetarianandveganrestaurants acrossthecountryisrising.Avisittoany mainstreambookstorerevealstheexpanding presenceofvegancookbooks. GiventhatAmericansconsume billionsofrestaurantmeals annually,veganfriendlymenu changeswillsavethelivesof countlessanimals.OliveGarden, forexample,haseliminatedveal fromitsmenubutessentiallyjustaddedmore chickenitems.Whataboutenticingcustomerswith adeliciousseitanpicata?DunkinDonuts,whichis currentlythesubjectofacampaignbythe
nonprofitadvocacygroupCompassionOverKilling (www.cok.com)toremoveeggsanddairyfromits donuts,couldadaptitsrecipestomakethem veganwithalittleR&Dinvestment.Thisstepwould besimilartoKraftownedBocaBurgersrecent decisiontoeliminateeggsfromitsentirelineof alreadyvegetarianproducts. Mexicanrestaurantsshouldaddtofuandseitan burritofillings,soycheese,andsoysourcream. Veggieburgersshouldbeastapleateveryfast foodrestaurant.Restaurantsthatservesoupcan offeratleastonevegansoup,suchassplitpea, blackbean,orlentil.Pizzajointsshoulddishupsoy cheesepizzasimilartowhatthechainZPizzahas done.Icecreameriescanservenondairyice cream,suchasTurtleMountainsPurelyDecadent soyandcoconutmilkbasedicecreams.All restaurantscanhirechefsskilledintheproper preparationandappealingflavoringofvegetables. Thepossibilities,andtheresultingrevenues,are endless. Changesinconsumerspendingineffect, harnessingoureconomicpowercanpropelthis changeforward.Itssurprisinglyeasy.Whenyou eatout,simplychoosearestaurantthathasvegan optionsandthenorderthem.Ifyouwanttodo more,askrestaurantstoputasmallvegansymbol besideplantbasedmenuitems.Evenifa restaurantalreadyhasveganoptions,askthemto addyourfavoritetotheirmenu.Yourfavorite mightbethereasonsomeoneelsedecidestoeat atthatrestaurant.Politelytellrestaurantswithout veganoptionswhyyouwonteatthere.Visit restaurantwebsitestoemailsuggestionsforvegan options.Approachthemanagersoflocalbranches ofchainrestaurantsmanyofwhichare franchiseswithrequeststoaddvegan optionstotheirlineups.Iftheyagree, makesureyoupatronizetheirstoresand encourageotherstodothesame.These sameideascanalterthefoodofferingsin supermarkets,conveniencestores,movie theaters,caterers,onlinemerchants,or anyotherplaceyoubuyfood. Whenwrongdoingconfrontsusheadon,likeit doeswithfactoryfarming,itiscomfortableto
December 2009|26
ignoreitorplacefullresponsibilityonthe governmenttofixtheproblem.Failuretoalso examinehowchangesinourbehaviorcanfixthe problem,though,istosurrender.Eachofusis empoweredtocreatethechangewewanttoseein theworld.Putyourmoneywhereyourmouth.Buy vegan. TheAuthor MindyKursbanisa practicingattorneywhois passionateaboutanimals, food,andhealth.She gainedherexperienceand knowledgeaboutvegan cuisineandthelawwhile workingfortenyearsas generalcounselandthenexecutivedirectorofthe PhysiciansCommitteeforResponsibleMedicine. SinceleavingPCRMin2007,Mindyhasbeen writingandspeakingtohelpothersmakethe switchtoaplantbaseddiet.Lookforherwebsitein thenearfuture:www.vegcurious.com.Contact Mindynowatmkursban@aol.com.
December 2009|27
An Interview with Host and Author Toni Fiore!

Pleasetellusabitaboutyourself! IwasborninGermanyandspentthebetterpartof mygrowingyearsinItaly.MymotherisGermanmy fatherItaliansoitwasarealmixofcuisinesinour house.Lifeathomeandwithextendedfamily centeredaroundhomecookingandcasual socializingoveratableofsimpleyetdeliciousfood. InItalywewouldalwaysshopatthelocaloutdoor fruitandvegetablemarkets,soitwasfairlyearly onthatIbecameinterestedinregionalseasonal cookingandfoodingeneral.Myculinary experiencesinItalywereinvaluableinshapingmy style,perspectiveandinherentflexibilityin preparingfoodwhenIbecameavegetarianmore than25yearsago.CurrentlyIliveintheoutskirtsof PortlandMaine. WhatisDeliciousTVandhowdidyougetstarted? DeliciousTVisacookingandlifestylemedia companythatproducesmyshow TotallyVegetarian.TotallyVegetarianhasnow branchedoutintoawebseriesofshortweekly veganrecipescalledDeliciousTVVeg.Sofarweve hadoveramilliondownloadsoniTunesand anothersevenhundredthousandonthewebsite. Newepisodescanbeseenatwww.delicioustv.com.
WhenIwaslivinginItalyIwasntparticularlyactive inanysocialorpoliticalmovementsinvolving animalsbecausetherewerevirtuallyno organizationspromotingchange.WhenImovedto Mainein1986Iwasinspiredbyanadtobanveal cratesandshortlyafterIfoundandsubsequently joinedastatewideorganizationcalledMaine AnimalCoalition(MAC).ThereImetandbecame friendswithKateKaminskiwhowasthePresident oftheorganization.Ibecameextremelyfocused andpassionateabouttheplightoffarmanimals whichnaturallyledtomybecomingavegetarian andpromotingplantbasedeating.EventuallyKate movedonandIbecamethePresidentofMAC. AfteraboutfifteenyearsofworkingwithMACI wasreadyforanewchallengeandleft.AtaMAC reunioninthefallof2002IreconnectedwithKate whobecameafilmmakerandherpartnerBetsy Carson,alsoafilmmaker.Overafewglassesof winewechattedaboutthedistinctlackof vegetariancookinginstructionandprogramming ontelevision.Wedecidedthatafternoonwewould producea30minuteepisodeaboutvegetarian holidaycookingandIwouldhost.Twoandhalf yearslaterwehad13episodesandwewereon PublicTelevision.Lastyearwefinishedour52nd
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episodeofTotallyVegetarian.Sofartheshow hasairedinseventyfivemillionhouseholdstwenty sixthousandtimes. Thecompanioncookbookcameoutinthefallof 2008andthepaperbackwasjustreleasedlast month.
WhatisthecorephilosophybehindDeliciousTVs TotallyVegetarian(asidefrombeingvegan)? Todemonstratetheimportanceofeatingaplant baseddietforoneshealth,theenvironment,and animals.Andtoshowhoweasy,healthy,and deliciousvegan cookingcanbe. Pasta e Fagioli Howhavechanges Serves4 withinternetmedia affectedyousince TheItaliansideofmyfamilyinAmericaalwayspreparedthisthickdensesoup youstarted? witharichtomatobase.WhenImovedtoItaly,Iwasstruckbyhowdifferent theItalianversionwas;theywereutilizingthesamebasicingredients,butin Whenwestarted, differentincrementsatdifferentstages,resultinginalighterversion.Thisis reallytheonly mymothersversion,andmyfavorite.Thethicksoupofbeansandpastacan venuewewere beputtogetherinminutes,makingitperfectforalastminutesupperorquick focusedonwas heartylunch.Iusuallyaddshorttubularpastalikeditalini,butifIdonthave television.Every thatonhand,brokenspaghettimakesarespectablereplacement.Servewith yeartheeffortand afewturnsofblackpepper,andadrizzleoffruityoliveoil. moneyinvolvedto produce,airand 34tbsp.extravirginoliveoil 1mediumyellowonion,finelydiced promotethe 1celerystalk,finelydiced 1carrot,finelydiced programbecomes Salt,totaste 2garliccloves,chopped morechallenging. 1tsp.mincedrosemary 3sageleaves,minced Theavailabilityof tsp.driedoregano internet One15ouncecanorganiccannellinibeans,drainedandrinsed programmingand 1cupcannedSanMarzanotomatoes,crushed podcastinghas 2cupscookedpasta,suchasditalini Freshlygroundblackpepper,totaste broadenedour viewershipand HeattheoilinastockpotorDutchovenovermediumhighheat.Addthe allowsustoprovide onion,celery,carrot,andapinchofsaltandsautfor5minutes.Addthe ondemandcontent garlicandcook,stirring,untilthecarrotsarefirmtender.Addtherosemary, worldwideto sage,andoreganoandblend.Addthebeans,tomatoes,and3cupswater. vegetarians,vegans Bringtoaboilandquicklylowertoasimmer.Cookfor15to20minutesuntil orpeopleinterested thevegetablesaretender.Iusemyimmersionblenderandpartiallypuree inhealthyeating. thesouptoaddthicknessandbody,butthisisntnecessary.Seasonwithsalt andpepper,spoonthehotsoupoverthecookedpasta,andservehot. RecipebyToniFiore
December 2009|29
Whattrialshaveyouhadtoovercomewith gettingyourshowlaunchedandyourbook publishedandhowdidyouaccomplishthat? Theobstacleislackoffinancialsupport.Our passion,andpersistencetocontinueonamodest budgetlandedusacookbookdeal.Andweve beenblessedtohavethesupportofnonprofit donorsalongtheway. Thebiggestobstacletoovercomehasbeen maintainingtheenergytokeepmovingforward despitethefactthatwehavehadlittletono supportfinanciallyorotherwise.Webelievedeeply abouttheimportanceofourworkinpromoting plantbasedeating.Thefutureforushasalways beenuncertainbutwedothebestwecanandare determinedtokeepmovingforwarddespiteour modestbudget!Wevebeenblessedtohavethe supportofafewdonorsalongtheway. Asfarasthecookbookgoes,myagentcontacted meafterseeingtheshowinNewYork.Withintwo yearsIwasofferedacookbookdeal.Imcurrently workingoncontentforanotherbook. Howdoyoudecidewhichrecipestoincludein yourshowsandbooks? BecauseIampassionateaboutdeliciousfoodand equallypassionateabouteasypreparationIliketo focusonrecipesthataccommodateboth.Ibegan bydrawingrecipesfrommyMediterranean backgroundandthenmovedontoveganizing recipesthatweremorecommonandfamiliarto thegeneralpopulation.Ivefoundthatpeoplehave verytraditionalideasaboutwhattheylikeandhow muchtimetheyarewillingorabletospendinthe kitchen.Iliketoworkwithinthoseparametersso thatmyviewersandcookbookreadersdontfeel particularlychallenged.Oneofthemostfrequent
commentswereceiveishowgreatthefoodisand howeasyitwastoprepare. Italiancuisinehasabadreputationforbeingmeat andcheeseheavy.Doyoufindthatreputation justifiedandhowdoesyourItalianheritageplay intoyourowncuisine? IhavetobeginbystressingthatItaliancuisinehere inAmericaisverydifferentthantrueItaliancuisine inItaly.ItalianAmericancooking,likemostthings inAmerica,focusesonmuchlargerportions, cheaperingredientsanddoesrelyheavilyon cheese,creamandmeats.WhensouthernItalians immigratedtoAmericathetypeoffoodandthe seasonalityofthefoodwasradicallydifferent.You mightfindsomebasicsimilaritiesinthefoundation oftheingredients,howeverthecuisine,likethe ItalianspokeninNewYork,evolvedintosomething quiteunique.WhenItalktopeoplewhohave traveledthroughoutItalytheyarealwaysamazed atthedifferenceinthefoodandcooking.Having livedinItalyforsomanyyearsandtravelingback atleastonceayearIamabletosharewithviewers howeasy,light,economicalandhealthytrue Mediterraneancuisinecanbe. Whatdoyouliketoeatathome?(pleaseshare therecipe!) BecauseIlivealone,Ihavelapsedintobeingasoup eater.Ilovesoupsandstews,onepotthreemeals! Oneofmyfavoritefasteasyandflexiblerecipesis PastaFagioli.ItsnotfancybutIvealwaysloved thissoup. Whatareyourplansforthenearfuture?What excitingprojectsdoyouhavecomingup? Weareveryexcitedandcurrentlydevelopingan applicationfortheiPhone.SoIampullingtogether
December 2009|30
recipecontentforthat.Iplanoncontinuingwith cookingclassesandofcoursemoreweeklythree minuterecipesforouriTunesbroadcast,Delicious TVVeg!Ireallylovedoingthepodcast. Doyouhaveanyadviceforaspiring authors/cookingshowhosts? Idhavetosaythatbreakingintomainstream mediainanyformisreallyhardwork.Findgood peopletoworkwith,beclearaboutyourgoalsand contentandkeepyourheartandsoulinyourwork. ThanksToni! Contact YoucanseeChefToniFiore,herrecipes,andher showatwww.delicioustv.com.
December 2009|31
An Interview with M. Butterflies Katz
Whatledyoutopoetry?Wastherean inspirationalmomentthatbroughtyouthereora slowseriesoffallinginlovewithit? Aclosefriendandmentorusedtorecitepoetry fromsomeofthegreatmindsinhistory;oneof themwasapoetesswholivedoverahundred yearsago,namedEllaWheelerWilcox.Ilovedhow sheusedpoetryasawaytoexpresspoignant messages.Iwasinspiredtoattemptthatconcept, withusingamoreuptodatelanguage.Ivenot writtenapoeminquitesometime;thoughIm mesmerizedbywordsthatrhyme. Whatinfluencesyouthemostwhenyouareat yourbest? Safety,serenityandsolitudeamongstmountains oftrees,flowingmeadowbrooks,flowers, butterfliesathomeinGodsworld. Doyoufindyourselfgravitatingtowards particulartopicsandisthereasetofphilosophical principlesthatguideyourwriting? Thetopicsofmypoemsareanimal,environmental andhumanrights.Myphilosophyistotellthe Truth(withacapitalT).Mypoetryisjustanother, maybemoreeloquent,formofsharinginsightsIve learnedthroughtheyears.IwritewhenImina morespirituallytunedin,frameofmind.Iwritefor thebenefitofothers,andalsoformyself.The
bookstitlesaysitall:Metamorphosis;Poemsto InspireTransformation.WhenIneedsome inspiration,Icanreadmyownbook. Howdoesbeingveganplayintoyourpoetry? Beingastaunchveganforover3decades,itplays intoeveryaspectofmylife.Itisstronglytiedin withmypurposeinlifeandthusIusepoetryasone moremeansofspreadingtheveganmessage. ItisveryevidentinmypoetrythatIcomefroma veganpointofview.Somepoemsareliterally aboutTheVeganIdeal.IhavemanythingsIwould wanttotelltheworld,butveganismisthe strongestthingIwanttovoice,inordertohelp stopthecruelenslavementandexploitationwe inflictonnonhumananimals.Iwantpeopleto becomevegan;poetryisjustanotherwaytotryto getthemessageacross.Ialsowritearticles,and otheractivism. Whatbroughtyoutoveganism? Over40yearsago,mybrother,inanattempttoget mydinner,toldmethatthetongueonthetable was,infact,thetongueofadeadcow.Itwasnot disguised,andeasytoseehewastellingthetruth.I neveratemeatagain.Itwasharderinthosepre internetdaystoeducatemyself,soIremaineda vegetarianuntilIwas21whenIsawanAHIMSA magazinepublishedbyTheAmericanVegan Society.(31yearsago)Iwasinspiredbythe
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founder;JayDinshahsexcellentwritingand learnedthehorrorofdairy,leather,etc.and becamevegan.Myveganperspectivewas heightenedbytheGentleWorldnonprofit educationalorganizationandfamily.Iwasso inspiredbytheirpointofview,somuchso,thatI stayedandneverleft!Imfortunatetobeableto saythatIvesurroundedmyselfwithvegansmy entireadultlife.Myveganismkeepsevolving,asI do. Howhasyourpoetryaffectedthepeoplearound you?Whatisthestrongestreactionyouvehad fromareaderofyourpoems? Justtheotherday,someoneemailedthathersister becameveganfromoneofmypoemsthatspeaks aboutthefeministissueofdairyconsumption.Her sister,whoisafeminist,chosetobecomevegan fromseeingitfromthatangle.Whatbetter reactioncouldIpossiblyhavefromapoem? Canyoushareoneofyourpoemswithus? RightoncueIwillsharetheabovementioned poem www.veganpoet.com/animals/becauseim female.htm Now,ontofood!Whatdoyouliketoeatwhen youreathome?(pleasesharetherecipe!) Idontuserecipes.Ieatverysimplythesedays. Afteralltheseyearsofeatingveganandpreparing gourmetmeals,sometimesIliketoeatverysimply. Justsomenutsorapieceoffruitoragreendrink! WhatevercookedfoodIeat,Isteamitorcookit andthenaddoilafterwards(soIdontcookthe oil),andflavorwithtamariandNutritionalYeast. Then,therearetimes,whenIhavetohavecomfort foodsandwillpreparegourmetdishesorvegan
bakedgoods(withcookedoil).Afterbakingso long,Ihavecometolearnthecorrectconsistency ofcookies,etc.andhardlyuserecipesanymore;it justcomesnaturally.Ihavedonealotofvegan foodpreparationinmyday!Iwasamainchefat TheVeganRestaurant(onMaui)whenownedby GentleWorld.Icompiled,tested,edited,(and createdmanyof)therecipesforIncredibly Delicious:RecipesforaNewParadigmbyGentle World. www.gentleworld.org/incredibly.html Thebookhasover500recipes,andalargeraw foodsectiontoo.Ofrecent,Ivebecomeaddicted togreendrinks;freshsqueezedorangejuice and/orotherfruitjuice,abanana(frozenisniceor freshandripe),apieceoffruitandacoupleof handfulsofdarkgreens,blendedintoagreen smoothie(withiceorwithout).IfeellikeImgiving mybodyhighoctanefuel.Itsimportanttogetthe nourishmentthatdarkgreensgiveus.Weneedto keephealthyinordertobeagoodexampleofthe veganlifestyle. Thefollowingrecipehasbeenafavoriteatour restaurantandallourveganoutreachevents: (Raw)CarrotCashewPate serves34 2carrots,peeledandchopped 1celerystalk,chopped(optional) 23clovesgarlic,diced 12slicesofsweetonion(Vidalia, WallaWalla) 1cupcashews,soakedfor15minutes seasaltorsubstitute,totaste cupcoldpressedolive(orother)oil 1.Inafoodprocessor,usingtheS shapedblade,blendthevegetablesto afineconsistency. 2.Drainthewaterfromthecashews. Addthemtotheprocessorand
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processalongwiththeremaining ingredients.Stopperiodicallyand scrapethesideswitharubber spatula. 3.Continuetoblenduntilcreamy. 4.Chilluntilitsolidifiesandserveasa dip,asidedishorasaspreadfor wraps,etc. Howdoyouenticenonvegansintotryingvegan cuisine? Byintroducingwithfoodstheyalreadylike,suchas pastaandpotatoes,andbymakingitdelectable! Thatisthekeyfactor.Wehadlinesoutthedoorat ourrestaurant.Thesewerenotallvegans;patrons rangedfrombigmeateatingtruckdriverto Hawaiianhippytolocals.Theylovedthefood becauseitwasdelicious.Vegansarenotdeprived! Wecanmakeanygourmetdishintoavegan versionandtheyaredelicious,andfarmore nutritious.Wedontneedtonorshouldwe imposemiseryonothersentientbeingsjustto satisfytastebuds.Ittakesperhapsacoupleof weekstolearnthebasicfoodsofplantbased cuisine.Itseasy!Thenyouwilllookbackand wonderhowyoucouldhaveevercookedwith blooddrippinganddismemberedbodypartsand allthegreasycleanup. Thereslotsofonlinehelpandfreeveganstarter kits.MywebsitehasanexcellentVeganLinkspage athttp://veganpoet.com/links.htm Forsomeveganinspiration,Imworkingona projectwhichisagoodresourcetool.Itscalled VeganVoicesAroundtheWorld,seenhere: http://veganpoet.com/veganvoices/ Whatisthemostfunexperienceyouvehadinthe kitchen?
Allthemany,manyfunandrewardingexperiences ofturningpeopleontodeliciousveganfood,all wrappedupintooneexperience,wasahighlightof mylife.Comingupwithvegancompanionanimal mealswasafunuseofourvegankitchens!Iwas motivatedtobecomeanexcellentveganchef solelyasameansofenticingpeople(and nonhumans)tobecomevegan. Whatnewprojectsdoyouhaveonthehorizon? Projectsjustseemtokeepappearinginmylife.I liveinthemoment,sonotsurewhatisnext,stay tuned.Checkmywebsite:www.veganpoet.com forheapsofveganinformationandresources;its NOTjustpoetry! IfthereisanythingIdidntcoverthatyouwould liketotalkabout,pleasefeelfreetodoso! Astatementofmyposition:Veganismisthepurest formofanimalrightsactivism;its24/7.Veganism isaphilosophyforthosewhowanttoriseabove unjustmindsets(suchasracism,ageism,sexism) andinthiscase;speciesism.Veganismisastance thatisauniversalprotesttoslavery. Vegansdonotpaysomeonetorape,enslave, exploit,andthenmurderothersentientbeings. Veganismisapanacea;asolutiontomanyofour planetaryproblems.Theveganlifestylehasmany benefitstohumanhealth,relievinghumanhunger, andmostimportantlysavingtheanimals! Veganicgardeningisthemostsustainableanddoes notsupportthesystembyusingslaughterhouse products.Farmedanimalsarereapinghavoconour environmentcausingmuchdegradation,including deforestation,waterpollution,andpossiblythe biggestcontributortoglobalwarming;possiblyour mostseriousproblem.VeganismisaGreatTruth; asithasthepotentialtobenefitthebettermentof
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thewhole.Humanityhasbeenmisguidedby societyandneedstoreeducatethemselvesand thengovegan! M.ButterfliesKatz,akaVeganPoet (www.veganpoet.com)isthecoauthorof IncrediblyDelicious;RecipesforaNewParadigmby GentleWorld.SheistheauthorofMetamorphosis: PoemstoInspireTransformationbyVeganPoet. ShehasbeenavolunteermemberofGentleWorld, Incforoveraquarterofacentury,whereshehas beenactivelypromotingthemanybenefitsofthe veganlifestyle.Butterfliesisaveganicgardener andavegandoginnovator! Shepublishedarticlesonveganrelatedtopicsand isaregularcontributortoTheVeganVoice magazineinAustralia,aswellasothervegan journals,websitesandonFacebook.
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Restaurant Review: Pita Jungle

Reviewer: Madelyn Pryor
PitaJungleArrowheadLocation 7530W.BellRd,Suite106 Glendale,AZ85308 6234862615 Hours:10:30a.m.10:00p.m.everyday www.pitajungle.com PitaJungleisoneofthosenamesthatalmostevery veganinArizonaknows.Itisachainoften restaurantsthatnowincludeslocationsinFlagstaff, ScottsdaleFashionSquareandCandler.However, allthePitaJunglesarealittledifferentfromeach other.Iamnottakingpettythingslikedecorations, thougheachstoresuniquelookisfun,Iam referringtothefactthateachrestauranthas slightlydifferentmenuitemsfromeachother.For thepurposesofthisreviewIwilljustexaminethe Arrowheadlocation,whichison75thAveandBell, inPeoria. Therestaurantisnotthebiggest,butfarfromthe smallest.Ithasawonderfulcollectionoftablesand boothsthatguaranteethatsomeonecaneasilyfind theirpreference.Themassiveamountofwindows maketheareafeelspacious,andthereisarotating collectionofartworkonthewalls,mostofwhichis forsale.However,thereareafewcaveatsthatthe averageveganshouldbeawareofbeforedriving over. Yes,PitaJungleisveganfriendly.Theyhaveseveral deliciousvegandishes,suchasthe1000BeanPita, theFalafelPita,andseveraltypesofhummus. TheirtabouliisthebestIhaveevereaten,and worththetripsimplyonitsownmerit.Thatisthe goodnews. Thebadnewsofthislocationisthatthebaba ganoushisNOTvegan.Theyaddyogurt.Thisisnot apparentfromthemenuandmostvegansareused tothisbeingavegandish.WhenChefJasonwrote thechainandcomplained,theyjustsaidthere wereseveralwaystomakethisdishandthey optedforonewithyogurt.Basically,theydont planonchanging,sotoughifthatisnotsomething youcaneat.Inaword,ouch.[editorsnote:My primarycomplaintwasthatPitaJungledidnotlist thistraditionallyveganitemashavingyogurtand theirresponseflippantlyinformedmetocheckthe menuforitemsthatcontaindairy.Anodd responsefromtherestaurantconsideringthatthe menulistingforthebabaganoushhappenstoomit thefactthatitcontainsdairy.Youcancontactthe restaurantaboutthisat http://www.pitajungle.com/index.cfm/contactUs] Ihavealsoexperiencedsomeoddpricing, dependingontheserver.Mostserversthereare sweet,wonderful,andattentive.Theyllevengive youtogocupsforyourteaorlemonadetotake intotheblisteringArizonaheat.However,onetime Iaskedforafewextrapicklesformyfalafel.Iwas shockedtoseeaseventyfivecentchargeonmy bill.Thathadneverhappenedbefore.Another time,Iaskedforsomesoysauceforasideof veggiesIordered,andIgotsmackedwithanother seventyfivecentcharge.Italldependsonthe server,andtherandomnatureofthechargesis frustrating. But,beforeyouthinkitisallgloomanddoom,itis not.Theyalsohavegeneroussidesofsauted vegetablesforaroundfourdollars,thatare amazingandfilling.Asideoffruitcomesinalarge cerealbowl.Icaneatalotoffoodbutasideof veggiesandasideoffruitistoofillingforme.The tropicalicedteahasfreerefillsandisaddictiveand
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theirhomemadelemonadeisjusttartenoughto beinteresting,andalsocomeswithfreerefills. Allinall,itisworththetimeandefforttocheckout PitaJungleifyouhaventalready.Alwaysaskabout whatisincludedintheingredients,andaskto makesubstitutions.Sometimesyoucan,andthe experienceisworthit. SIDENOTE:IfyougototheChandlerlocationon RayandDobson,youwillnoticeitisbyalake. Thereareoveronehundredducksthatmakethat laketheirhome.Pleaseorderanextrapitaandgo outtogivetheducksasnack.Youwillbeveryglad thatyoudid.

TheReviewer MadelyntheReviewer Pryorisoneof Amazon.comstop1500 reviewers,andacertified VineVoice.Shealsogets severalrequestseverydaytoreviewbooks,movies,and graphicnovelsfromvariouspublishersincludingHarper Collins.ThatmeansthatpeoplereallywantMadelyns adviceandopinion,whichisfinewithher,becauseit makesitthatmucheasierforhertoenactherplansfor worlddomination.Thoseplanscurrentlyinvolvetaking abreakfromherMastersofPsychologyprogramtobe theSousCheffortheVeganCulinaryExperience.You canreachherat madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Product Review: Yummy Earth Organic Candy

YummyEarth http://www.yummyearth.com/index.html Ridgewood,NewJersey Canbepurchasedat:Sprouts,Whole Foods,Amazon.comandYummyEarth Website Price:$3.501.99dependingonthestore andthesale SpecialInformation:Allproductsare vegan,soyfree,glutenfreeandbetween 11to22caloriesacandy.
Therearesomethingsthatvegansstopeating.We allknowthatvegansaskewanimalproducts, becausethatiswhywearevegan.Butagrowing numberofvegansalsochoosetoeliminateartificial colorsandflavors.Thereareafewreasonsforthis. Somecommercialdyes,actuallycontaininsects andotherdyesandflavorsareanimaltested.Butif yoursweettoothisactivatedandyoufeellikea quick,deliciouscandybite99.99%ofcommercial productscontainartificialcolor,flavor,orsugar. Ewwww!Luckilyforus,thereisYummyEarth. YummyEarthCandywasfoundedbytwofathers whowantedtofeedtheirchildrenonlygood, deliciousfoodsthatcouldbemadeathome. Therefore,YummyEarthcandiesare100%organic andaremadefromonlyplants.Thebeautiful,rich colorofaTooberryBlueberrycomesfromblack carrotsandblackcurrants.Thoseingredientsareso gourmetthatmostpeoplewouldfeelthrilledtoeat themandwhentheyreincludedincandyeven better!Lately,YummyEarthhasalsoadded VitaminCpops,andAntioxidantPops,soyoucan getevenmorehealthbenefitswhileyouhavea treat.Moreover,notonlyarealltheproducts100% vegan,theyareglutenfree,cornsyrupfree,nut
free,GMOfree,andmanufacturedinaplantthatis treenutandpeanutfree.Thecandydropsareall 11calories,andthepopsare22calories.Ifeatenin moderation,theyarealowcalorietastytreat. Andtastythesecandiesare!YummyEarthhad severalflavorsfromthecommonfavoritestothe exotic.SomeofmyfavoritesareChiliMango Mambo,WildPeppermint,RoadsideRootbeer, BloodOrangeCocktail,LuckyLime,CheekyLemon, RazzMatazzRaspberry,TooberryBlueberry,and StrawberrySmash.Currently,YummyEarthhas about20flavors,buttheycomeoutwithnew temptationsfrequently.Therearealsoanumberof packingoptionsavailablefromtheeconomicalto theelegant.YummyEarthhasteamedwith ArtisanalCandytoofferartisanpackingforallits flavors.Thesepackagesareperfectforgiftgiving andat$5.00apackage(onYummyEarthswebsite) theyareastylishbutaffordableoptionforholiday giftgiving.Plus,itsalwaysnicetogiveagiftthat willnotonlybeappreciated,butisalsohealthyfor thegiftgiver. YummyEarthcandiesareoneofthebestthings outthere,sograbafewpackagesandtrythemout foryourself.Youllbegladthatyoudid.
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TheReviewer MadelyntheReviewer Pryorisoneof Amazon.comstop1500 reviewers,andacertified VineVoice.Shealsogets severalrequestseverydaytoreviewbooks,movies, andgraphicnovelsfromvariouspublishers includingHarperCollins.Thatmeansthatpeople reallywantMadelynsadviceandopinion,whichis finewithher,becauseitmakesitthatmucheasier forhertoenactherplansforworlddomination. Thoseplanscurrentlyinvolvetakingabreakfrom herMastersofPsychologyprogramtobetheSous CheffortheVeganCulinaryExperience.Youcan reachherat madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Book Review: The Sublime Resturant Cookbook

Author: Nanci Alexander
UnlessyouliveinFlorida,chancesarethatyou havenothadachancetogototheSublime Restaurantandhavesomeyummyveganfoodin person.Ifyouhavenotbeen,youreingood companybecauseIhaveneverbeentotheeast coastatall.Forus,NanciAlexander,thefounderof Sublime,hasprovidedthiscookbookwithmostof herfamousdishesinit. Whattypeoffoodmightyouexpect?Thereisa rangeoffood,mostofelegantandhighend.The sushirollsaloneareintriguing.Ilovethesoundof theYinYangRoll,withitsblackriceandsoycream cheese.TheSublimeRollwithaioliandscallions soundsgood,too.IconfessthatIdidntactuallytry tomakeeitheroftheseoranyoftheothersushi rolls,becauseminealwayscomeoutasAsian scramble.Thisisnotareflectionoftherecipes,its areflectionofmysushiskills(asin,Ihavenone).If youvebeenlookingforsomecreativesushirecipes however,thismightjustbethebookforyou. Therearealsoahostofcreativeandfunpizza recipes.SevenLayerPizzaisanewtakeona snackingfavorite,SevenLayerDip.PestoPizzais alwaysgood,soifyouhavenottrieditbefore,then gettoitandtrysomeout!Thereisarecipeinhere tohelpyououtwiththat,too.TheFlorentinePizza intriguedmethemost,withtofuricottaand spinach.However,theinclusionofForest MushroomPizzaandPizzaMargheritaleftmea littlebaffled,becausetheyarefairlycommon.
Author:NanciAlexander Publisher:BookPublishing Company Copyright:2009 ISBN:9781570672279 Price:$19.95 Thisbookisntallsushiandpizza.Thereareafair smatteringoftraditionalfavoritesandthingsthat theaverageveganmaynothavetriedbefore,like MushroomCevicheamixofcitrus,oyster mushroomsandothertastythings. ButwhenIsatdowntowritethisreview,Icouldnt reallythinkofwhattosay.WhenIthoughtofwhat Ilikedaboutthebookitwasthatitwasprintedon recycledpaperusingvegetableink,andthatNanci AlexanderdonatesallprofitsfromSublimeto animals.Youllnoticethatneitheroneoftheseis actuallythefoodinthecookbook.Icouldntfigure outwhatthismeantaboutthefood,soIkept staringatthebook,pouringthroughitspages, tryingtounlockthemysteryandthenIrealized whatitallmeant.Asbothacookofsixteenyears andaveganoffiveyears,thiscookbookdoesnt inspiremetogetinthekitchen.Ithasafewrecipes Imighttry,butIlovecookbooksthatmakeme clawatthepicturesonthepage,drooling,willing thefoodtobemademanifestsoIcanstuffitinmy greedyface.Thisdoesntdothatforme.Idont reallyhatethebookeither.Iwouldntbuyitfrom thebookstore,butIwontsellittotheused bookstore.Itjustis.WhatIwouldrecommendis checkingthisbookoutbeforeyoubuyit.Checkit outatthebookstorewhileyouhaveanoverpriced icedsoycoffee,orsnagoneatthelibrary.Just dontpay$20ofyourhardearnedmoneywithout lookingthroughitanddecidingifthisbookinspires you.
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TheReviewer MadelyntheReviewer Pryorisoneof Amazon.comstop1500 reviewers,andacertified VineVoice.Shealsogets severalrequestseverydaytoreviewbooks,movies, andgraphicnovelsfromvariouspublishers includingHarperCollins.Thatmeansthatpeople reallywantMadelynsadviceandopinion,whichis finewithher,becauseitmakesitthatmucheasier forhertoenactherplansforworlddomination. Thoseplanscurrentlyinvolvetakingabreakfrom herMastersofPsychologyprogramtobetheSous CheffortheVeganCulinaryExperience.Youcan reachherat madelyn@veganculinaryexperience.com.
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Clickonanyoftherecipesintheindextotakeyoutotherelevantrecipe.Somerecipeswill havelargewhitesectionsaftertheinstructionalportionofthem.Thisissoyouneedonlyprint outtheingredientandinstructionalsectionsforeaseofkitchenuse.
Recipe Index
Recipe
Drinks TurkishCoffee CardamomCinnamonTea FinjanErfeh RosePetalTea Appetizers,Sides,&Breads ArrozMofalfal(BakedRice) Dolmas Pita SaudiSambousak Yalanchi PomegranateDengaku CucumberPizzas MainDishes Falafels FavaBeanStew FulMedammes FlatbreadPizza ImamBayildi(StuffedEggplant) Kosharee MushroomBiryani OrangeOliveCouscous Scabeg ShawarmaSpicedVeggies ShishKebabs TaboulehwithPineNuts Fattoush VeggieKebobswithRedMiso Marinade PastaeFagioli
Page
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
Recipe
SaucesandDips Babaganoush Dukkah Harissa Hummus Muhamarra TaratoorSauce RawCarrotCashewPate EdamameHummous BlueberryWasabiSauce CreamyTzatziki NutYogurt Soups FreekahSoup Jalik MercimekCorbasi ShawrbatAdasMajroosha(Pureed LentilSoup) ShorbaHummus(ChickpeaSoup) Tarato Desserts Baklava Boughasha EgyptianCouscous Halwa Knefe MoroccanCookies PoachedQuince UrfaBiberCakeswithTurkish Coffee CocoChocoHeaven
Page
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
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Turk Kahvesi (Turkish Coffee)

Type: Drink Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
1 cup of water 1 tbsp. of finely ground coffee
Ingredients
Option: 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.
has dissolved, add the coffee and cardamom, heating it as above.
Optional Method: Heat the water until. As soon as it is warm, stir in the sugar. Once the sugar Sweetness Level: Sade means no sweetener, az sekerli is about 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.
The Vegan Culinary Experience Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com

Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick
December 2009|43
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 birds 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
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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.
Chefs 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 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
Calories from Fat n/a
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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.

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Cardamom and Cinnamon Tea

Type: Drink Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 12 minutes
3 cups of water 4 cinnamon sticks 6 whole green cardamom pods 1 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar
Ingredients
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.

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Kitchen Equipment
Pot Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Strainer Measuring Spoon
Presentation
Leave a cinnamon stick in each glass of tea and lightly sprinkle the saucer with cardamom.
Time Management
Dont over brew this tea unless you like potent aromatic 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.
Chefs Notes
This is a very simple version of masala chai and very much reminds me of Fall.
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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 isnt just used as a spice, it is sometimes used medicinally and sometimes even smoked. Ground cardamom seeds quickly lose their flavor.

December 2009|49
Finjan Erfeh (anise and ginger tea)

Type: Drin k Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 12 minutes
1 tbsp. of anise seeds (not ground) 2 whole cloves 2 piece of ginger, sliced 4 cups of water 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tbsp. of sugar 4 almonds
Ingredients
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.

December 2009|50
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.

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.
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Chefs Notes
This is one of my favorite teas and I particularly enjoy the touch of the whole almond at the bottom of the glass.
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.
December 2009|52
Wild almonds can be toxic, but the toxins have been selected out of the domesticated varieties.

December 2009|53
Rose Petal Tea

Type: Drink Time to Prepare: 5 minutes Serves: 3
cup of culinary rose petals or 3 rose tea bags 3 cups of water 1 tbsp. of sweet agave nectar
Ingredients
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.

December 2009|54
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.

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.
Chefs Notes
This makes for a great afternoon tea and with a bit of extra agave, a nice dessert tea.

December 2009|55
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.

December 2009|56
Aroz Mofalfal (Arabian Rice)

Type: Side Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 40 minutes
4 cups water 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 cup jasmine rice cup vermicelli, broken 2 tbsp. vegan margarine 1/8 tsp. salt
Ingredients
Instructions
Bring the water and lemon juice to a boil. Add the rice, boiling the rice for 7-8 minutes. 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. Cover the baking dish. Bake the rice on 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix the vermicelli, remaining margarine, and salt into the rice. While it is boiling, break the vermicelli into about 1 pieces.

December 2009|57
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 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 Saut Pan
Presentation
Not applicable.
Time Management
If youre quick, you can get the vermicelli sauted 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.

December 2009|58

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 Joes, 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.
Chefs Notes
This is a great way to prepare rice, though I rarely fry the vermicelli so I can keep the fat content down.
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%)
December 2009|59
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.

December 2009|60
Dolmas
Type: Appetizer Time to Prepare: 90 minutes Serves: 8
2-3 oz. of grape leaves 1 tsp. of olive oil 1 onion, minced 1 tbsp. of pine nuts 5-6 sundried tomatoes, minced cup of rice tsp. of salt tsp. of freshly ground black pepper tsp. of crushed red pepper 2 tsp. of minced fresh dill cup of rice 3/8 cup of water 1 cup of water 1 cups of water 2 tbsp. of olive oil Juice of 2 lemons 2 tbsp. of minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
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 saut this for about 2 minutes. 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.
Add in the pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and water.
December 2009|61
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. Cook the stuffed grape leaves for 20 minutes. Add in 1 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. Place a plate on top of the stuffed grape leaves to keep them from unfurling.

December 2009|62
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.

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.

December 2009|63
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 dont get large pieces of them relative to the small size of the dolmas. The onion is sauted 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 thats 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.
Chefs 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.
Calories 691.5 (86.4) 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%)
Calories from Fat 353.8 (44.2)

December 2009|64
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.

December 2009|65
Pita
Type: Bread Serves: 6 10 pitas Time to Prepare: 3 hours 30 minutes (includes 3 hours for the bread to rise)
2 tsp. of active dry yeast tsp. of sugar 1 cup of warm water 3 cups of whole wheat flour 1 tsp. of salt
Ingredients
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. Bake the pitas on 500 degrees for about 4 minutes. Turn the pitas over and bake them for another 2 minutes. Roll each ball of dough into a 5 diameter circle about thick.

December 2009|66
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.

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.

December 2009|67
How It Works
The dough is kneaded until it is smooth and elastic so that the gluten molecules bind together, causes the bread to puff and separate.
trapping the gas from the yeast in the bread, which causes it to rise. The incredibly high heat
Chefs Notes
Fresh pita is so much better than the packaged kind, but only when it is eaten relatively fresh.
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%)
December 2009|68
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.

December 2009|69
Saudi Sambousak
Type: Condiment Time to Prepare: 1 hour Serves: 16
The Dough 3 cups of flour tsp. of ground fennel seed tsp. of poppy seed Water tsp. of salt The Filling 2 onions, grated or minced 1 red potato, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 tbsp. of oil for sauting 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. of cumin tsp. of salt 1 cup of cooked lentils 1 cups of olive oil
Ingredients
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. Saut the onion, carrot, and potato until they are all soft. Add the pepper, cumin, and salt and continue sauting the veggies 1 more minute.
December 2009|70
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 sauted 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.

December 2009|71
Kitchen Equipment
Large Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Whisk Towel Small Pot with Lid Knife Cutting Board Saut Pan Tongs or Fry Basket Deep Fryer Measuring Spoon
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.

Serve this with a side of hot sauce, harissa, or muhumarra.

December 2009|72
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 theyll burn. Too low and they will absorb too much oil.
Chefs Notes
The flavored dough is what really makes these stand out. Feel free to experiment with lot of different spices.
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%)
December 2009|73
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.

December 2009|74
Yalanchi
3 cups water 2 cups rice 6 medium tomatoes 1 yellow onion, diced 1 tsp. olive oil cup raisins, soaked in warm water, and drained cup pine nuts tsp. cinnamon Olive oil for brushing tsp. salt tsp. freshly ground pepper
Ingredients
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 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. Saut 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. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Stuff each tomato and place it on the baking sheet.
December 2009|75
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 Stirring Spoon Pot with Lid Mixing Bowl Oven Brush Baking Dish Measuring Spoon
Presentation
Save a few pine nuts to garnish the finished tomatoes and add some minced parsley or mint to the top.
Time Management
Dont 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.
December 2009|76

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.
Chefs Notes
I find it hard to eat just one of these! I have to set these out of sight so I dont over indulge.
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%)
December 2009|77
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.

December 2009|78
Falafels
Type: Main Dish Makes: 8 large falafels Time to Prepare: 1 hour + 18 hours for soaking
an onion, minced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp. of minced parsley 2 tbsp. of minced cilantro cup of dried chickpeas, soaked cup of dried fava beans, soaked (or chickpeas if you cant find fava beans) 1 tsp. of cumin 1 tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tsp. of baking powder cup of flour 1 tbsp. of sesame seeds Vegetable oil for frying
Ingredients
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).
Option: Use cooked beans instead of soaking dried ones.
To test the falafel dough, fry one falafel and if it falls apart, add a little more flour to the dough.
December 2009|79
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 Fry Basket Knife Cutting Board Wok or Fryer
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.

December 2009|80

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.
Chefs Notes
The hallmark of a good falafel is a crispy outside and a puffy inside with lots of rich flavors. I
generally dont eat fried foods, but this is definitely an exception!
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%)
December 2009|81
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.

December 2009|82
Fava Bean and Tomato Stew

Type: Main Dish Time to Prepare: 40 minutes Serves: 4
4 cups of fava beans 1 onion, diced 6 cloves of garlic, minced 4 hot red dried peppers tsp. of salt Juice of 1 lemon 4 tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp. of cumin seeds cup of chopped parsley tsp. of freshly ground pepper 1 cup of bulgur 1 cup of peas 4 cups of veggie broth 1 tsp. of olive oil
Ingredients
Instructions
Mince the garlic, dice the onion, and chop the tomatoes. On a medium heat, saut 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.

December 2009|83
Kitchen Equipment
Medium sized Pot Wooden Stirring Spoon Measuring Cup Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon
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.

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 cant find it, feel free to substitute cous cous.

December 2009|84
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 the end so it stays fresh, along with the parsley.
with a complex carbohydrate. The peas add color to the stew. Finally, the lemon juice is added at
Chefs Notes
This was inspired by a Middle Eastern dish called fool madamas, made with fava beans, tomato, garlic, onion, and lemon.
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%) 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%) Vitamin C 257% (64.3%)

December 2009|85
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.

December 2009|86
Ful Medammes (ancient Egyptian version with contemporary variant)
Type: Main Dish, Side Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
3 cups of cooked fava beans 1 clove of garlic, minced Juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp. of olive oil tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley leaves
Ingredients
Option: 3 roma tomatoes, diced Option: 1 cups of dried fava beans instead of cooked and 1 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.
proceed with the recipe.
Option: Stew the fava beans with the diced tomatoes until the tomatoes turn into sauce, then Option: If you prefer to used dried fava beans, soak them over night, then drain the water. Add
the fava beans, 1 cups of water, the optional tomatoes, and garlic to the pot and simmer the removed from the heat. beans until they are soft, then add the parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt once the beans are

December 2009|87
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
Dont 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.

Although this can be eaten on its own, it is meant to be served with some sort of flatbread, pita being the most popular.
December 2009|88
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.
Chefs 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.
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%)
December 2009|89
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.

December 2009|90
Mediterranean Flatbread Pizza

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

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Measuring Cup
Kitchen Equipment
Measuring Spoon Pizza Stone Oven
Blender or Food Processor
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.
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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 drying out during baking.
the olive oil and water is what creates the smoothness to the spread and the olive oil keeps it from
Chefs 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.
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%) Iron 86% (21.5%) Thiamin 82% (20.5%) Niacin 47 11.8%) Folate 86% (21.5%) Phosphorous 76% (19%) Riboflavin 43% (10.8%) Calcium 40% (10%)

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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.

December 2009|94
Imam Bayildi
Type: Appetizer or Main Dish Time to Prepare: 2 hours Serves: 4
2 small eggplants, about 1 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 tsp. of sugar 1/8 tsp. of salt Juice of 1 lemon Water
Ingredients
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 saut 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 saut 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.
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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 saut pan, skin side down. Fill the saut pan with enough water to reach about 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.

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Kitchen Equipment
Large Saut 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 minutes. Also, while the eggplant is simmering, take the opportunity to clean up or even start another recipe.
about fifteen minutes is to cook the onions and garlic while the eggplant is sitting for the first thirty

This goes very well as part of a mezze platter and can also be served with a spread of toastedcumin 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
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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 saut 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.
Chefs Notes
This is a complex recipe, but well worth it if you have the time.
Calories 603.7 (201.2) 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%)

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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.

December 2009|99
Kosharee
The Lentils 2 cups water The Pasta Water The Rice 1 cup macaroni 1 cup brown lentils
Ingredients
cup brown rice 1 cup water The Sauce tsp. salt 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 red chilies, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar 1 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.
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On a medium heat, saut the onion until it browns and then add the chilies. Saut 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.

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Low-fat Version
Omit the oil from the recipe, sauting 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 Saut Pan Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Knife Cutting Board Colander Large Mixing Bowl
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.

Serve this with a side of spiced walnuts.
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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.
Chefs Notes
Kosharee is one of my favorite bulk dishes. It can be made in large amounts and then refrigerated and eaten throughout the week.
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%)
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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.

December 2009|104
Roasted Mushroom Biryani

Type: Side or Main Dish Time to Prepare: 50 minutes Serves: 4
cup of basmati rice 4 cups of water Juice of 1 lemon tsp. of turmeric tsp. of ground cumin tsp. of ground coriander tsp. of cinnamon 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 tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tbsp. of sesame oil tsp. of ground cardamom
Ingredients
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.
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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.

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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.

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 thats 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 dont 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
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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 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 wouldnt allow them to darken as much. to the rice to ensure even distribution. The mushrooms are roasted before being added to the rice
Chefs 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.
Calories 935.9 (234.0) Fat 39.8g (10.0g) Calories from Fat 358.4 (89.6)
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%)
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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.

December 2009|109
Orange and Olive Couscous Salad

Type: Salad Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes
1 cups of water 1 cups of Israeli couscous 8 oranges 20-30 Kalamata olives, pitted Juice of 1 lemon 1/8 tsp. of cumin 1/8 tsp. of salt 1 tbsp. of chopped mint leaves tsp. of crushed red pepper
Ingredients
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.

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Kitchen Equipment
Mixing Bowl Measuring Cup Small Pan Stirring Spoon Measuring 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 dont let it sit for more than an hour. After that, the cous cous gets a bit soggy.

Serve this with a chilled mint tea to accent the mint in the salad.
Where to Shop
Ive 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 dont 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. Youll get a better price on them. Make sure you purchase pitted olives or else youll spend a lot of time pitting them. Price per serving is about $4.00.

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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.
Chefs 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.
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%) 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%) Vitamin C 967% (241.8%)

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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.

December 2009|113
Scabeg
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 tsp. salt 1 tsp. coriander seeds
Ingredients
Instructions
Dice the onion. Slice the garlic. Chop the tomatoes. Saut 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.

December 2009|114
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
Saut 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 its perfect for making in large batches.

Serve this with a side of rice and another side of red beans with lots of garlic.

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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 doesnt 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.
Chefs Notes
Ive noticed this is one of those dishes that people love or hate and a lot of it has to do with the dish has cooked.
vinegar and okra. If you dont like the vinegar taste, try lemon juice instead, added fresh after the
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%)
December 2009|116
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.

December 2009|117
Shawarma
Type: Side or Main Dish Serves: 2 Time to Prepare: 1 day to marinate the veggies + 30 minutes of prep time
The Marinade tsp. of ground cardamom tsp. of cinnamon tsp. of grated nutmeg tsp. of freshly ground black pepper tsp. of cayenne pepper tsp. of salt 1 bay leaf cup of lemon juice The Veggies 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 cucumber, diced 1 tomato, diced 2 cups of cubed eggplant 1 tsp. of olive oil The Sauce 3 tbsp. of tahini 1/8 tsp. of salt 3 tbsp. of water Juice of 1 half of a lemon 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper 1 small pickle, diced cup of white wine vinegar 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Ingredients
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a glass bowl and set it aside. Slice the onion.
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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, saut 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.

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Kitchen Equipment
Glass Bowl to marinade the veggies Plastic Wrap or Towel Saute Pan Cutting Board Knife Measuring Cup Measuring Spoon Spatula Mixing Bowl for the sauce
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. Dont cook it until you are ready to eat. Otherwise, the sauce will get gummy and the veggies will lose their shine.

Serve this with a side of rice cooked with a few sauted 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
December 2009|120
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 the veggies and help them absorb all of the other spices. A quick saut softens and heats the will draw a metallic taste into the marinade. That acidity will pickle the veggies and will also cut into
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.
Chefs 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 Tuts.
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%)
December 2009|121
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.

December 2009|122
Shish Kebabs with Coriander Sauce

The Kebabs 1 red pepper, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 1 small potato, chopped yellow or red onion, sliced large 1 tsp. olive oil 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 tsp. of ground cumin 1 clove of garlic 3 tbsp. of water
Ingredients
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.

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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 dont burn. Rotate the veggies as soon as you see char marks on them.

Serve this with pita, lettuce, cherry tomato halves, and garlic sauce.
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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.
Chefs Notes
Kebabs are simple to do and make for a great excuse to use leftover veggies when youre grilling other recipes.
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%)
December 2009|125
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.

December 2009|126
Tabouleh with Toasted Pine Nuts

cup bulgur (cracked wheat) 3 cups warm water 2 Roma tomatoes, diced red onion, minced 1 cucumber, peeled and diced 4 bunches fresh parsley (3 cups chopped, with stems discarded) cup fresh mint, chopped Juice of 2 to 3 lemons 1 tbsp. olive oil tsp. black pepper cup of pine nuts, lightly toasted
Ingredients
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.
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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 large tomato or served plain on a white dish.
ingredients do not clump together. This goes well stuffed inside a
Time Management
I prefer my tabouleh when it has had about an hour to sit, though it can be served immediately.

This goes well with a combination of dolmas, hummus, and veggies in tomato sauce.

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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.
Chefs Notes
The pine nuts are my addition to the traditional tabouleh recipe.
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%)
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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.

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Baba Ganoush
1 whole eggplant tsp. salt cup tahini Juice of1 lemon (about 1 tbsp.) 1 clove of garlic 1 tbsp. olive oil
Ingredients
Options: tsp. paprika, 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

heat.
Light your grill and allow the flames to die down and the coals to come to about a medium
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. 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.
The Oven Method

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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 not spread it evenly across. you are using pomegranate syrup, drizzle it around the dip, but do
Time Management
This is best when eaten fresh, but it will last several days in your refrigerator.

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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 juice lightens the taste, and the tahini makes it very creamy. crisping the skin, making the inside of the eggplant easy to remove. The garlic gives bite, the lemon
Chefs 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!
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%)
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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.

December 2009|134
Dukkah
Type: Spice Mix Time to Prepare: 10 minutes Serves: 1
cup of coriander seeds 3 tbsp. of sesame seeds 2 tbsp. of cumin seeds 1 tsp. of fennel seeds 1 tbsp. of black peppercorns tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 tsp. of dried mint leaves 1 tsp. of salt cup of hazelnuts cup of walnuts
Ingredients
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. Serve everything mixed together. Grind these together until very coarsely ground.
Option: Use a small blender to grind the spices and nuts.

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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.

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.

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How It Works
Toasting the spices activates the volatile oils in them, causing them to release quite a bit of flavor. so that there are small areas of different flavors when the spice mix hits the tongue instead of one homogenous flavor.
It also deepens the flavors of the spices. These are then coarsely ground instead of finely ground
Chefs 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!
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% Niacin 13% Folate 23% Phosphorous 42% Riboflavin 11%

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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.

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Harissa Sauce
Type: Condiment Serves: 1 Time to Prepare: 15 minutes
2 tbsp. of crushed red pepper flakes 2 tomatoes cup of water tsp. of cumin seed tsp. of caraway seed tsp. of coriander seed 1 tsp. of olive oil
Ingredients
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 saut 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.

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Hummus
Type: Appetizer Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
2 cups of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) cup of tahini tsp. of salt 1 clove of garlic Juice of 1 lemon Water Paprika for garnish 2 tbsp. of olive oil
Ingredients
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 Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. blender to blender (you can also use water content to modify the consistency of your hummus.)

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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.

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.
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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.
Chefs Notes
Ive been told that this hummus is as good as the hummus served in the Middle East!
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%)

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

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Muhammara
Type: Side Serves: 4 large servings Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
cup bread crumbs Cold water (about 3 tbsp.) 1 onion, diced cup olive oil cup crushed walnuts 2 tbsp. paprika tsp. cumin 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
Ingredients
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. Saut the onions on a medium heat in the oil until lightly browned. Add in the walnuts, paprika, cumin, and salt. Remove from the heat. Puree all the ingredients except the pine nuts or crushed walnuts. Garnish the dip with pine nuts or crushed walnuts. Saut this for about 3 minutes, reducing the heat to medium low if necessary.

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Low-fat Version
Omit the olive oil from the dish.
Raw Version
Only use 1 onions and do not saut anything. Allow the dip to sit for about an hour before serving.
Kitchen Equipment
Mixing Bowl Saut 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 sauting so that as soon as its done, you can get to work.

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Serve this with pita or zucchini medallions.
Where to Shop
Look for pomegranate molasses at an Asian or Middle Eastern market. Both Trader Joes and Fresh & Easy have great prices on roasted red peppers if you dont want to make your own. $1.25. Youll also be able to find vegan bread crumbs at Trader Joes. Approximate cost per serving is
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 sauted first so that it softens and so its sugars start to caramelize, giving greater weight to the flavor of the onion.
Chefs Notes
If you can find Aleppo pepper (I usually get mine at Penzeys 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.
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)
December 2009|146
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.

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

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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 youll need to add extra water just before serving.

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.

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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.
Chefs Notes
Ive also made this with chipotle powder for a spicy, smoky flavor with the sauce.
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%
December 2009|150
Interesting Facts
Tahini was considered a holy food in Persia during the height of the Persian empire.

December 2009|151
Freekah Soup
Type: Soup Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 35 minutes
1 yellow onion, diced 2 tsp. olive oil 1 cup uncooked roasted cracked green wheat (freekah)
Ingredients
Option: 1 cup of bulgur instead of freekah

4 cups of vegetable stock Juice of 1 lemon 1 tomato, diced tsp. of salt 1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. harissa (a garlic, chili, and olive oil puree) cup of loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
Option: cup of split green peas Instructions
1 bunch of spinach, leaves only
Dice the onion. Saut 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.
heat to low, cooking the soup for 20 minutes before adding in the tomato, cilantro, etc.
Option: Add the peas as soon as the veggie broth comes to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the

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Low-fat Version
Omit the oil, sauting 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 Knife Cutting Board Measuring Spoon
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.

Serve this with a side of toasted bread dressed with a touch of chili oil and garlic.
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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 cant 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.
Chefs 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!
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%)
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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.

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Jalik
2 cucumbers (preferably Persian), peeled 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
Ingredients
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.

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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.

Serve this with a side of olives.

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Where to Shop
All these ingredients should be fairly common, though youll 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.
Chefs Notes
This soup looks like it should be a sweet soup, so be prepared for something more tart and salty
than sweet.
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%)
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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.

December 2009|159
Mercimek Corbasi (Turkish Red Lentil Soup)

Type: Soup, Middle Eastern, Low-fat Time to Prepare: 45 minutes Serves: 3
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 tsp. of crushed red pepper 1 cup of red lentils 1 tsp. of salt
Ingredients
Option: 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of sweet paprika as a garnish Instructions
Dice the onion and carrot. Crush the garlic. minutes.) Add in the crushed garlic and saut this for another 3 minutes. 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. Remove from the heat. Blend the soup with the tsp. of salt until it is smooth. Cook this for 25 minutes. Add in the water, tomato paste, roasted red pepper, and crushed red pepper, stirring everything Saute the onion and carrot over a medium heat until the onion is slightly browned (about 5
Option: Heat the olive oil and paprika on a medium heat, stirring them together until they are
the finished soup.
combined into paprika oil. Allow this to cook for no more than a minute. Swirl the paprika oil onto
December 2009|160
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 dont have to blend the soup. The texture will be different, but the taste will still be great. If you dont blend it, reduce the amount of liquid by 1 cup.

Serve this with a few triangles of toasted pita and a side of tomato-stewed green beans.

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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.
Chefs Notes
I enjoy the paprika flavor from the paprika oil, so I sometimes add the paprika to the sauting onions and carrot to get that flavor in the soup without adding in all the extra oil.
Calories 764.8 (254.9) 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%)
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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.

December 2009|163
Shawrbat Adas Majroosha (Pureed Lentil Soup)

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 tsp. of freshly ground pepper tsp. of saffron 4 cups water 1 cup of red lentils 1 tsp. of salt Juice of 2 lemons (approximately 2 tbsp.)
Ingredients
Instructions
Chop the onion. Mince the pepper. Saut the onion in the olive oil on a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes and then add in the pepper. Saut this for another 2 minutes. Add the coriander, black pepper, and saffron, sauting 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.

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Low-fat Version
Instead of sauting 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 sauting the spices to ensure that they dont burn. If they start to blacken, immediately take the pot off the heat and add the water to the pot as fast as possible. the heat, stir the spices into the pot, and then add the water to the pot.
Also, pay attention to the pepper. If it starts to release capsaicin in the air, remove the pot from
December 2009|165

Serve this with a side of toasted pita bread dressed in garlic.
Where to Shop
All the ingredients should be fairly common, though youll 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 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. heat into the air, making the kitchen a tough place to operate! The spices are toasted for at most a
Chefs Notes
I love this version of lentil soup, but beware the heat! If you cant handle the heat, omit the pepper or use 2 tbsp. of roasted red pepper instead.
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)
December 2009|166
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.

December 2009|167
Shorba Hummus (Chickpea Soup)

Type: Soup Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 20 minutes + time to soak the chickpeas
3 cups of soaked chickpeas, rinsed 2 onions, chopped 8 cups of water 2 tsp. of salt 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 2 potatoes, diced
Ingredients
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. 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. Reduce to a simmer and let it simmer for 1 hour.
Option: Add in the spinach leaves just after the soup comes off the heat.

December 2009|168
Kitchen Equipment
Large Bowl to soak the chickpeas Colander Knife Cutting Board Measuring Cup Stirring Spoon Measuring Spoon Large Pot
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 dont add the canned chickpeas until you add the potato. Youll need about twice as many canned chickpeas as you do dried.

Serve this with baked rice or toasted bread.
Where to Shop
All the ingredients should be readily available, though youll get the best price on the spices if you get them from bulk bins. Approximate cost per serving is $.50.

December 2009|169
How It Works
Soaking the chickpeas hydrates them, allowing them to cook quicker, and also gets rid of most of 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. the indigestible sugars from the outer coating of the chickpeas. They are then cooked with the
Chefs Notes
This is a very easy soup to make and goes incredibly well with hot sauce mixed into the broth.
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%)
December 2009|170
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.

December 2009|171
Tarato
Type: Soup Serves: 3 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes + 2 hours to chill
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
Ingredients
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.

December 2009|172
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, its ready to go as soon as youre done mixing everything. The flavors wont mingle as well since they wont have time to sit, but you dont have to wait two extra hours either.

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 Joes, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Central Market, and Fresh & Easy. I like to get walnuts at Sprouts so I can purchase them in bulk.

December 2009|173
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.
Chefs Notes
This soup reminds me of tzatziki sauce, a yogurt-based sauce with dill.
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%)

December 2009|174
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.

December 2009|175
Baklava
Type: Dessert Serves: 32 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes + 8 hours to set
Ingredients The Pastries
1 pounds blanched almonds 1 pound walnuts 2/3 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 8 oz. vegan margarine 1 pound phyllo dough cup of water 1 tbsp. of rose water 2 cups sweet agave nectar 1 cups water 2 cups sugar tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 whole vanilla bean 1 tsp. orange zest 15-16 whole allspice berries or 2 tsp. ground allspice
The Syrup
Instructions
Melt the margarine. Grind the nuts and allspice in a food processor until they are coarse. 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.
Mix the nuts with the cinnamon, allspice, and sugar.
December 2009|176
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. 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. To make the triangles, slice along one diagonal of each of the rectangles.

December 2009|177
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.

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
December 2009|178
you can get the nuts and spices from bulk bins, youll save quite a bit of money. Vegan margarine can be found at the above mentioned stores as well as Trader Joes, Central Market, and Fresh & Easy. Its even showing up in some conventional markets. For the rose water, youll probably have to go to a Middle Eastern or Asian market and if you cant 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. Its sprinkled on the topmost layer so that it will slightly puff. The baklava is baked before the syrup is added so 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. that the phyllo is a bit dry, which helps it absorb all the gooey liquid. You will find that the syrup is
Chefs Notes
Making baklava is a chore, but with the amount that you get, its well worth it, especially if you use fresh ingredients like vanilla bean. The taste is complex and decadent!
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%)
December 2009|179
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 version of baklava didnt spring up until the early stages of the Ottoman empire claiming it was served during the reign of the Byzantine empire, and others claiming that the modern

December 2009|180
Boughasha (cigar pastries)

Type: Dessert Time to Prepare: 40 minutes Serves: 14
The Pastry cup of chopped walnuts 1 tbsp. of sugar lb. of vegan margarine, melted 14 sheets of phyllo dough The Syrup 1 lb. of sugar 1 cup of water 1 tsp. of lemon juice 1 tsp. of rose water
Ingredients
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 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. drying out. It is best if you brush all the phyllo triangles before filling them as this will help keep the phyllo from
Place the finished rolls on the baking sheets and bake them for 20 minutes. While they bake, make the syrup. the sugar dissolves. Boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice over a medium high heat, continuously stirring to make sure
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.
December 2009|181
When the pastries are done, moisten each one with a little syrup and serve the rest of the syrup in a dipping dish.

December 2009|182
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 confectioners 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.

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.

December 2009|183
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.
Chefs Notes
These are a great alternative to the labor intensive process of making baklava and are much better to eat on a warm day.
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%)
December 2009|184
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.

December 2009|185
Egyptian Couscous
Type: Dessert Serves: 4 Time to Prepare: 10 minutes
1 cup of couscous 1 cups of warm water tsp. of cinnamon 1 tbsp. of freshly chopped mint leaves cup of pistachios cup of raisins or currants cup of sweet agave nectar
Ingredients
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.

December 2009|186
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
Dont 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, dont add the agave until you are ready to serve it. Otherwise, the couscous tends to clump around the syrup once it sets.

Serve this with a cup of hot mint tea.
Where to Shop
December 2009|187
Couscous can be found at Trader Joes 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 added last so the couscous doesnt become to condensed with the sweetener. a fork or whisk. The nuts add crunch while the raisins add color and sweetness. The agave is
Chefs Notes
This is a great dessert thats very filling and quick to make. Its got a nice refreshing quality that I find perfect for warm months.
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%)
December 2009|188
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.

December 2009|189
Halwa
Type: Dessert Serves: 16 Time to Prepare: 45 minutes + time to cool
cup sugar cup sweet agave nectar 1 cup water cup vegan margarine cup finely ground almonds cup semolina flour
Ingredients
Option: tahini instead of ground almonds

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.

December 2009|190
Raw Version
Take 1 cup of pitted dates and combine them with 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.

Serve this with Arabic coffee.
Where to Shop
Semolina can usually be found at Asian and Middle Eastern markets as well as Sprouts and
December 2009|191
Whole Foods. Some of these stores may have almond meal, which means you wont 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 syrups flavor. The almonds are finely ground so they can help thicken the halva while disappearing evenly into the dessert.
Chefs Notes
Halva has an intensely sweet flavor, so serve this in small doses!
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%)
December 2009|192
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.

December 2009|193
Knefe
Type: Dessert Time to Prepare: 1 hour Serves: 24
Filling
Ingredients
cup raw cashews 1 cup warm water 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. cane sugar tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. cardamom
1 cup blanched almonds
Pastry 1 pound kadayif, thawed for 3 hours at room temperature if frozen cup olive oil cup canola oil 1/3 tsp. sea salt Syrup 1 cup cane sugar cup water 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. 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. the pastry.
In a food processor, combine all ingredients for the filling and process for 3-5 minutes or until
When well combined, pour mixture over the kadayif and use your hands to work the oil over all of

Recipe by Emilie Hardman of The Conscious Kitchen
December 2009|194
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. 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. Stir in rosewater. After 35 minutes, check knefe. 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. Warm lightly before serving, if desired. Cut into two inch squares and serve immediately or let store covered until ready to serve. Simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until reduced by about half and golden in color. Press the remaining kadayif on top of the filling and press gently to compress the pastry and make

December 2009|195
Chefs Notes
Traditionally, Knefe 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 found fresh and frozen in a variety of specialty food stores. Here the butter, cheese and sugar from the original, it holds up well to the guilty pleasure of a Middle Eastern-style cheesecake. pastry bears a resemblance to shredded wheat or a jumble of soft little vermicelli noodles. It can be
laden treat gets a vegan makeover with cashews and almonds, agave and olive oil. Though different
Interesting Facts
Knefe dough comes in three types: khishnah, which is rough and looks like noodle threads, naama, which is fine and looks like small bits of dough clumped together, and mhayara, which is a mixture of the other two.

December 2009|196
Moroccan Almond Orange Cookies

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

Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia, Simply Stunning Desserts
December 2009|197
Kitchen Equipment
Small heavy-bottomed saucepan Baking sheet Wooden spoon Citrus zester/Microplane/fine grater Spatula
Chefs 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.

Recipe by Sharon Valencik, author of Sweet Utopia, Simply Stunning Desserts
December 2009|198
Riesling Poached Quince

Type: Dessert Serves: 8 Time to Prepare: 1 hour 15 minutes
2 cups water 2 cups dry or semi-dry Riesling cup cane sugar 1 stick cinnamon (preferably not cassia) 5 cardamom pods, smashed 2 star anise 2 fresh bay leaves tsp. black peppercorns vanilla bean, split teaspoon fennel seed 4 quince, peeled, halved and seeded
Ingredients
Instructions
pot with a lid.
Combine the water, Riesling, sweetener and spices in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed
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.

December 2009|199
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. Pured it makes an unexpected and very flavorful filling between cake layers or spread beneath apples or pears in a galette.
Chefs Notes
Theres 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 couldnt match.
Calories Calories from Fat 0 Fat 0g (0g) Total Carbohydrates 206g (27g) Dietary Fiber 8g (1g) Sugars 150g (18g)
December 2009|200
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.

December 2009|201
Turkish Coffee and Urfa Biber Cakes

Type: Dessert Time to Prepare: Serves: 6 cakes in 3" Panettone baking cups or 1 8 cake
The Turkish Coffee 4 tbsp. very finely ground espresso 4 tsp. brown sugar 2 cardamom pods, black seeds finely ground tsp. ground green anise The Cakes cup cold water
Ingredients
cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3 tbsp. semolina flour tsp. baking powder tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. urfa biber dried chili flakes tsp. ground green anise tsp. ground cardamom cup unsweetened soymilk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar cup cane sugar 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 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk 2 tbsp. agave syrup Pinch of sea salt

December 2009|202
Instructions
To Make the Turkish Coffee top. Do not stir.
Pour ground coffee, sugar and spices in the bottom of the pot and pour cold water over
With a high flame, cook until the sugar melts, about three minutes. return the mixture to the flame and allow the liquid to rise again. Remove from heat just before boil.
When the coffee grounds collapse into the liquid and the liquid rises around it, immediately
Allow coffee to sit for about 1 minute before returning to heat and allowing it to rise. heat one final time to rise. Note that each rise will take progressively less time, so watch carefully. To Make the Cakes Allow coffee to cool.
When it rises again, remove and allow to sit once more for a minute before returning it to
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. 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. 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. With the whisk in one hand, pour the wet mixture into the dry, whisking to incorporate as In a small mixing bowl, combine the unsweetened soymilk and apple cider vinegar, whisking to
To Make the Whipped Ganache
Optional: Top with whipped ganache, chopped pistachios and a sprinkling of urfa.
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.

December 2009|203
Combine non-dairy milk, agave and salt. Gently heat the mixture until steaming, either on the stove top or in the microwave. 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. Pour the heated liquid mixture over the melted chocolate and briskly incorporate, stirring

December 2009|204

These are great with a cup of Turkish coffee or strong black tea.
Chefs 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 burgundycolored pepper grown in the Urfa region of Turkey. They are sun dried during the day and wrapped up tight to "sweat" 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. through the night. The result is often described as a spicy raisin
Interesting Facts
Urfa is a city in south eastern Turkey and was known as Edessa.

December 2009|205

VeganCulinaryExperience - Dec 2009

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Table of Contents

Learnaboutthistart,overlooked spicethatissoimportantto MiddleEasterncuisine.

TheVeganMediterranean Diet:AVeryCompassionate Choice24

TheFarEastMeetsthe Middle:Japaneseand MiddleEasternFusion 15

TheCompassionateNutritionist showshoweasyitistotakea predominantlyvegancuisine completelyvegan.

Aninspirationalreflectiononthe transformativehealingpowerof rawfoodsthroughthreepersonal stories.

Findouthowyoucanmakea differencethroughthemighty influenceofyourspendingpower.

Getconnectedandfindoutabout veganfriendlybusinessesand organizations.

FindoutwhatsupwiththeVegan Alistingofalltherecipesfoundin thisissue,compiledwithlinks. CulinaryExperiencethismonth. seethefollowingpagefor AncientFruitTreesofthe interviewsandreviews

Growingtips,culinaryuses,anda bitofhistoryaboutfourancient, andcontemporary,trees.

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Angelaspecializesinmakingraw foodsimpleandaccessible withoutcompromisingonflavor.

PitaJungleboastsanextensive menuofMediterraneaninspired cuisinewithlotsofveganoptions.

Aloveforpoetry,cooking,and animalsmergeinButterflies inspiringwords,amixof compassionandphilosophysetto meterandrhyme.

YummyEarthproducesextratasty organicsuckersandothercandy, withlotsofdifferentflavorssetto tantalizeanddelight.

Sublimeisoneofthepreeminent veganrestaurantsintheUnited States.Readontoseewhatour reviewerhastosayabouttheir forayintothecookbookworld.

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The Vegan Culinary Experience

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About the VCE

Not Just a Magazine

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

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Food from the Middle East

Raw Food The Beautiful Road to Health

hislifeforever.Henowhadapassionforjuicing thatmatchedhispassionforlife,andwouldgoon tospreadthewordaboutthepowerof juicing.Today,Jayisasvitalasvitalcanbeandhe islivingproofthatjuicetherapyisarealtherapy notjustafad.

poisoning.Itwasalongroadbacktohealth,lotsof juices,chelationtherapy,andlivingfoods.My immunesystemunfortunatelyhadbeenweakened bytheinfectionandwhenIthoughtIwaswell,I

husbandtookmetothehospitalthatsamedayand insistedthatIhaveoneofthese.Thefindingswere prettydarnscary!Ihadamassiveinfectionright nexttomybrainandleftuntreatedwouldhave killedmeinabouttwoweeks.Thatladywastruly myangelandcomingtoSanDiego,Ca.savedmy life.NotonlydidIhaveaninfection,Ihadmercury

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Food from the Middle East

Ancient Fruit Trees of the Near East

See Amazing Results with Tabata Intervals!

A Very Compassionate Choice

The VEGAN Mediterranean Diet:

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Vegan Pocketbook Power!

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An Interview with Host and Author Toni Fiore!

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episodeofTotallyVegetarian.Sofartheshow hasairedinseventyfivemillionhouseholdstwenty sixthousandtimes. Thecompanioncookbookcameoutinthefallof 2008andthepaperbackwasjustreleasedlast month.

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Food from the Middle East

Food from the Middle East

An Interview with M. Butterflies Katz

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Restaurant Review: Pita Jungle

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Product Review: Yummy Earth Organic Candy

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Book Review: The Sublime Resturant Cookbook

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Clickonanyoftherecipesintheindextotakeyoutotherelevantrecipe.Somerecipeswill havelargewhitesectionsaftertheinstructionalportionofthem.Thisissoyouneedonlyprint outtheingredientandinstructionalsectionsforeaseofkitchenuse.

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Turk Kahvesi (Turkish Coffee)

1 cup of water 1 tbsp. of finely ground coffee

has dissolved, add the coffee and cardamom, heating it as above.

The Vegan Culinary Experience Education, Inspiration, Quality * www.veganculinaryexperience.com

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Complementary Food and Drinks

quality the coffee.