Here are a few, general updates… check below for other newsy posts!

I have vegan baklava made with mixture of oil, no tras-fatty acids.

I have sugar free Farina and coconuts bars.

WE ARE SELLING OUR SHISH TAWOOK SAUCE AT THE CO-OP AND AT THE RESTAURANT.

ON THE MENU: 

• We just posted our Gluten-Free Menu for individuals impacted by food sensitivities and celiac.  Try our Gluten Free Fatayer which is like a Mediterranean “calzone.”  Made from gluten-free dough, each Fatayer is stuffed with a savory stuffing made from vegetables, cheese and/or meat.  We have spinach and walnut, Feta cheese and olive, chicken and sun-dried tomato, beef with pomegranate and several others.  They’re just tasty!

IN THE OVEN: 

• I have invented an amazing chocolate baklava, using a blend of plant oil so there is no trans-fatty acids.  It is really good, if I do say so myself. 
• Our gluten-free date and walnut bar is also getting rave reviews!   
• I’m also working to perfect a gluten-free pizza crust, so stay tuned!

ON THE WEB:  

• To keep a focused web presence, myrestaurant site has been taken down.  The restaurant web address now links to the new “Restaurant” area on this site (accessible from the tab above).   This areae will include pages with hours and directions, updated menus and other helpful information!  
• For those active on Facebook, I’ve added a Sanaa’s 8th Street Gourmet Page!  Become a fan and let’s stay in touch!
• If you are a real “digerati,” you can follow me on Twitter and catch my updates straight from the restaurant.  
• We are proud to anonounce the alpha launch of a Sanaa Cooks You Tube Channel .  We are producing several new videos for You Tube which will be available in the coming months.  Our first video is a simple test video we shot of my “sauces” class at Hyvee.  Future videos shoud improve upon this initial test.  You can also view the video by visiting the channel or by scrolling below…

FIND ME IN PRINT: 

• I am now the Food Editor for the newly launched “LX Magazine“.  LX is a beautiful coffee table magazine distributed to Sioux Falls through news stands, subscriptions, advertisers, high-end retail locations & direct mail.  The summer issue is on stands now!  Get yours and be sure to tell us what you think!

FOR THE SHOPPER: 

• Did you know you can find a selection of hard-to-find cooking ingredients for sale in my restaurant?  Try pomogranite molasses.  They are wonderful!
• You can also find my fatayer and spreads at the Co-Op Health Store in Sioux Falls.  The Co-Op is off Minnesota Avenue, behind Bread Smith.

More great stuff is coming, so stay tuned!

We all know how  important spices have been over the centuries in improving the taste of food.

Equally important, perhaps, is the role of spices and herbs in folk medicine.  Before chemicals were used in curing and healing, folk medicine was the sole source of curing people’s ills.

One imagines that, by accident or by design, herbs and spices have been used in medicine for several thousands years, the most famous of which is the culture of Chinese folk medicine.  Although doctors in China are known for their expertise, the use of folk medicine still is prevalent there. I would say that, there are few places in the world where folk medicine has been abandoned as a cure.

In fact, many ancient remedies have been the basis for the modern medicine that is used today.  In many societies, when a person goes to a medical doctor and is prescribed a medication for his or her ailment, that person after having the doctor’s prescription filled at a pharmacy quite often stops at an herb medicine shop as a way of hedging the bet, to make certain that one or the other cure will work.

During research for my book “Secrets of Healthy Middle Eastern Cuisine,”I stopped at a spice market in Damascus, and spoke with the owner of the shop. He asked me if I was married.  When I told him that I was, he launched into a lecture about how  to make my husband forever faithful to me.  He advised that I buy his mixture of four spices and have my husband drink form the mixture. He guaranteed that my husband would see me as the most beautiful woman in the world and that all other women would be ugly to him. One supposes that this kind of fold medicine is why some will not take it seriously.

Here is a recipe for mint pesto that make great spread with grilled cheese and boiled or roasted potatoes.

Mint Pesto

makes 1 cup

1        cup chopped fresh mint

1        clove garlic

1/2   walnuts

zest of one lemon

1/4   cup olive oil

salt to taste

-Place all the ingredient in a food processor and process for one minute or until smooth paste.

Filed under: News, Sauces, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, gluten free

When my husband’s sister, Virginia, was alive, she kept the entire family amused by denying her age.  Some people call it “lying” about one’s age, but with Virginia, we always called it “being in denial.”  For example, one day at lunch, her daughter told us that she was having her 50th birthday the second day.  Virginia, who was then past 80 years old, asked “how can that be? when I am only 60?’

Denial must run in the family, because my husband has lately figured out a way to deny both his weight and his age.  He calculates his weight in kilograms (divide the number of  pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms).  And he calculates his age in Celsius (Fahrenheit temperature minus 32 times 5/9), which produces a much smaller number.

I have a friend who claims to be a very nutrition savvy. He told me that he fallow the food pyramid and ate only what was recommended for his height and weight.  He said for breakfast her rarely finish one serving of carbohydrates and serving of fruit.  When I asked him to write down everything he consumed, I learned that his idea of one serving of a carbohydrate is a large bowl of cereal, a whole bagel with cream cheese, and a banana.  One serving of a drink, according to him, is two glasses of orange juice.  So, his idea of a serving was the sized of the meal he heat in one seating.  I don’t need to tell you how shocked he was when I figured that his breakfast alone came to 9 serving of carbohydrate, almost all his daily allowance for carb.

Those who are struggling daily with too much weight are caught up in the purely American notion that everything must be super-sized.  We buy an extra large popcorn in the theatre because we can get a free refil of a food that we’ve already had too much of.  The same is true with soda, and with fast food meals.

We have come to understand which fats are bad for us.  We are beginning to understand that junk foods are not good for us, but what we haven’t come to terms with is, what is a proper serving size for the food we eat. 

Vegan Basil Pesto

makes 2 cups

12      ounces lite tofu

6        cloves garlic

1        cup chopped fresh basil

zest of one lemon

1/2   cup olive oil

salt to taste

-Place all items in a food processor and puree until you have smooth paste.

Filed under: Gluten Free Series, News, Sauces, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, gluten free

How many of us take the time and the trouble to read ingredient label on the packaged food we buy in the supermarkets?  My guess is that not too many of us.  I do, mostly because that was part of my training as a nutritionist, and is part of my psyche.

While many of us read the part which tells us how many calories per serving is contained in the package, very few go on to read the ingredients.  Next time you are in a store, take a look at the ingredients contained in chocolate chip cookies.  Think of what we put into such cookies when we make them at home.  There are basically five ingredients-flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and chocolate chips.

But in manufactured chocolate chip cookies, there are literally dozens of ingredients that follow the five basic ones I’ve listed.  Some are familiar, and some we’ve never heard of.  Those anonymous ingredients-called “food additives” are put into the cookies for a variety of reasons.

One of the reasons is to enrich the flavor of the product.  Another is to improve the nutritional value, for example, vitamin D, C, Calcium, folic acid, and on and on.

Another reason is to add preservatives, which allows a longer shelf life for the product.  Also, additives are put into the product to maintain consistency and texture, to stabilize the product.

Controlling acidity allows the producer to maintain desired taste of the product, such as in cake products and cookies.

One will also see various food dyes in the ingredient list to provide-what else-color that might otherwise be absent.

I will leave you with this to think about until the next blog.

Eggplant Salad

serves 4

1        large eggplant, cut into one-inch thick slices

1       tomato, diced

2      scallions, diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2  cup pomegranate seeds, optional you can use dried cranberries

1/4  teaspoon chili pepper

4      tablespoons olive oil

2      tablespoons lemon juice

salt to taste

-Place the eggplant slices on a cookie sheet, spray with olive oil spray and broil until golden brown.  Turn to the other side, spray with olive oil and broil until golden.  Remove from the oven and chop.

-In a salad bowl, mix the eggplant cubes gently with the rest of the ingredients.  Serve with pita chips or gluten free pita chips.  Enjoy.

Filed under: Food Allergies, Gluten Free Series, News, Salads, Uncategorized, gluten free

Have you ever heard of forced party?. As I get more and more busy with my business and daughter’s activities, I lament the days gone by when my mom had her Istekbal.  Growing up in Syria, I used to tease my mom about her Istekbal. She use to tell me that was a way for her and her friends  to force themselves to have at least couple hours a week to get together, visit, eat, laugh and relax.

Istekbal, is a tradition that started about 200 years ago in Damascus when men and women did not socialize together. My mother and her women friends liked the freedom of not having men in this special meeting.  They  inforced the” No Male Zone “even though they mixed and socialized as couples on other occasions.

Each woman would have a designated day in the month to have her friends and relatives visit her.  For my mom it was the first Monday of each month.  She would chase my dad to the coffee shop, and order my brothers to go to there room or visit friends.

The hostess of the day would have wide variety of savory appetizers, sweets and tabbouli salad.   The guests were served apricot juice with rose water and pine nuts, hot black tea, and Turkish coffee. The visit could last 3 hours.  The ladies would dance, sings,  comfort each other and of course gossip. Talk about total therapy.

Here is couple appetizers that my mom served in her Istekbal. These dips are easy to make, colorful and would be a welcome change in your Oscar party.

Sweet and Sour Beet Dip

makes 4 cups

4       beets

1        clove garlic, mashed

zest of one lemon

1/4    cup lemon juice

1/4    cup plain yogurt

3         tablespoons tahini*

salt to taste

-Boil the beet until soft.  Remove from the heat, cool and peel.

-Mash the beet and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Blend well.  You will have a spread with stunning color.

*Tahini: seseme seeds paste.

Spicy Hummous

makes 4 cups

3       cups cooked garbanzo beans

5       cloves garlic

1        cup water

1/4  cup lemon juice

1/4   cup tahini*

1/4   cup finely chopped parsley

1       teaspoon ground cumin

1       teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt to taste

-In a food processor, place garbanzo beans with the garlic and the water and process until smooth paste.

-Add the lemon juice and the tahini and process until well mixed.

-Spoon into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Adjust the seasoning and chill at least one hour before serving.

Filed under: Appetizers, Food Allergies, Gluten Free Series, News, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, gluten free

Hello Everyone,

I find myself these days with a busy catering and restaurant schedule.  My daughter is home for the summer and we have family visiting.  I’m looking forward to my next post, but in the mean time, just a quick update.  We’re proud to receive recognition from the following sites:

From the Culinary School Guide – Sanaa Cooks is listed in the 2009 Top 100 blogs for the frugal gourmet.

From 10 Best, – Sanaa’s 8th Street Gourmet is listed as a Top 10 restaurant in Sioux Falls!

We appreciate the links and recognition and will soon update our favorite links and other site information to incorporate these links!

- Sanaa

Filed under: News

I thought I’d reveal a little information about one of my new side projects! I am working to launch a You Tube Channel, which will feature fresh, 10 minute videos offering tips, tricks and recipes for cooking healthy food.

While videos produced especially for You Tube are being prepared, they are not yet ready. However, two weeks ago, I held a cooking class on sauces at the local Hyvee on Minnesota Avenue. Hyvee sponsors a lot of great classes in their Club room each week, including fun courses for children and their parents. I did record this as a test video, and while the audio quality is sub-optimal (Turn your volume all the way up!) I thought I’d put it up for you to preview, as stimulus to ask what you’d like to see in the future!

Check it out here and learn how to make Pomogranite Walnut Sauce and Chili Pepper Paste in less than 10 minutes. Then, be sure to leave your comments and thoughts! Thanks in advance

Filed under: Meat, News, Sauces, Video, gluten free

There was a news story I recently heard that involved a discussion around a water cooler. The point was brought up that a number of male birds, during mating season, flouted the color red in order to attract female birds.  The theory that hot colors give confidence to the male bird.

That prompted me to think about the color of various foods, and the effect on one’s health.  Scientists have been studying what are called “phytochemicals,”which are plant chemicals that are not classified as nutrients.  They do not give you energy; they do not build one’s body; nevertheless, evidence is mounting that they may perform important functions that help prevent major diseases.

By now most of us have read about beta carotene and its role in preventing some forms of cancer and particulary night blindness.   Beta carotene is a phytochemical that a member of the carrotenoid family, which are usually light yellow to red-orange in color.  This chemical is found in tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers and carrots.

Lycopene is one of the carrotenoid family that gives tomatoes their red color.  This substance has been found to have a big role in preventing prostate cancer.

Flavonoids is a substance that gives a yellow color to vegetables and fruit, and is believed to play a major role in preventing heart disease.  All dark, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, parsley, and some beans contain flavonoids.

Indoles are phytochemical that is believed to block the damage to our DNA from carcinogens.  Indoles, are found in the crusiferous family, which include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish and mustard greens.

Capsaicin is found in hot peppers and believed to relieves the symptoms of arthritis.

The list goes on and on, and everday scientists are discovering more and more kinds of food chemical that plays key roles in preventing diseases and keeps one healthy.

We need to eat more fresh vegetables, fruit and beans to build our own health confidence.

Vegetables and Bean Salad

serves 6-8

1     cup cooked black beans

1     cup cooked red kidney beans

1     cup cooked garbanzo beans

1      red onion, chopped

1      red bell pepper, diced

1      cup finely chopped red cabbage

1     cup chopped  sun-dried tomatoes

1     cup chopped parsley

zest of one lemon

1/2  cup lemon juice

1/2  teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4   cup olive oil

salt to taste

-Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for ten minutes, drain and set on the side.

-In a large bowl, mix all the beans and the sun-dried tomatoes and half of the lemon juice.  Set aside.

-When ready to serve, toss all the vegetables with the lemon zest, the rest of the lemon juice, olive oil and the seasoning.

-Add the mixed beans, toss, adjust the seasoning and serve room temperature.

Filed under: General Posts, News, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian, gluten free

Hello and thanks for dropping by my latest project: Sanaa Cooks.  My name is Sanaa and I own and run a Middle Eastern restaurant called Sanaa’s here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. At Sanaa’s, I specialize in making completely healthy food using the freshest ingredients, with no chemical additives. 

 We have an intimate community of healthy food lovers here in Sioux Falls. In fact, as a Syrian American, I’m a bit of an anomaly here.  I was raised in Damascus, where my love of cooking began early.  My parents wanted me to be an Engineer or a Doctor, so I applied my love of food to an Agricultural Engineering degree. Later on, I moved to the United States, where I obtained a Masters of Nutrition at Cal Poly in California.

At a critical juncture in my life, I became bored out of my mind.  Driven by my own wanderlust, a love of food and my husband’s support, I headed to Paris, France. There, I was trained as a Baker at the Cordon Bleu.  Later on, I moved to Florence, Italy where I trained extensively in sauces with Masha Innocenti. Collectively, my expertise in Middle Eastern cooking combined with my training and passion for Mediterranean Cuisine. To the horror of my parents, I became a chef, and was never bored again.  Today, I find great fulfillment in my craft, and in my role as a dedicated wife and mother.

My passion for healthy eating is deep seated.  I truly believe that the reason behind all of the allergies we are subjected to today is that food processors and manufacturers pile on chemical additives to preserve what would otherwise be stale food.  We are so full of these additives that our natural systems are turned upside down and cannot cope with the challenges of our environments.  I counsel many customers challenged by asthma, environmental allergies and food and chemical sensitivities. I believe healthy eating holds a key to overcoming most health problems and opens the door to wellness and fulfillment.

My friends, family and customers ask me repeatedly to share my learning and insight on how to prepare healthy, wholesome meals that will satisfy the most discriminating palette.  To answer this call, I have authored a number of cookbooks to help people in their journeys. As the next step in the process, I’m starting this weblog to share my secrets and personal stories more interactively. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and select recipes from my arsenal, as well as to engaging in discussion with you, my audience, as well.

At Sanaa Cooks, you’ll learn about preparing and cooking good, healthy food from scratch.  I’ll address cooking well on a budget, and how to cook for food allergies. We’ll also talk about how to navigate around the grocery store pitfalls, and low-quality food traps created by manufacturers.

Thanks again for visiting. I’m looking forward to connecting with you and to your  feedback about my posts and articles.

Filed under: News