In Eastern Orthodox faith, Christmas is celebrated two weeks later than in most other Christian faiths. And, of course, although Muslims in the Levant do not celebrate this holiday, they participate in the Santa Claus tradition so their children do not fee left out.  In fact, in Damascus, each neighborhood hires someone to play Santa Claus, who then stops at each home, Muslim or Christian, and leaves gift for the neighborhood’s children.

When visiting friends in the Levant, one finds tables loaded with sweets, ready for guests. At the end of the Christmas visit, a small glass of some sort of liqueur is served, along with Jordan almonds.

Fig and Date Loaf

serves 10

1/2       pound dried figs

1/2       pound pitted dates

1            cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

2           tablespoons honey

1/2      teaspoon ground cloves

1/2      teaspoon ground cardamom

2          tablespoons powdered sugar

1           tablespoons ground pistachios

-In a food processor, combine the figs with the dates and walnuts.  Puree into a coarse mixture.

-Add the honey, cloves and cardamom and process into a smooth mixture

-Spoon the mixture onto wax paper adn shape into 3-inch thick cylinders.

-Chill for a couple of hours.

When ready to serve:

-Remove the wax paper, cut into 1-inch thick slices, then sprinkle with the powdered sugar and the pistachios.

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Everyday until Christmas, I will post a Christmas tradition from around the world and recipe for a gluten free dessert.

In France, the Christmas tree is put up and decorated on the morning of December 24th, and the day ends with an elaborate dinner.  In Damascus, the same is done, most likely reflecting the fact that France had colonized Syria earlier in the 20thCentury.  Ornament on the tree are usually bags of candy rather than simply decorations.  When a child visits a home, he or she is asked to take one of the tree ornaments with them.  As well, there, the tree is not taken down until January 15th.

Coffee Raspberry Brownies

makes 24 brownies

1/2     cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4         ounces bitter chocolate, coarsely chopped

2         large eggs

1         cup sugar

1/4    cup orange marmalade

1/4     cup raspberry preserves

1         cup hazelnut flour

1/2    teaspoon baking powder

1/4   teaspoon salt

1        cup chocolate covered espresso beans, coarsely ground

-Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

-In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter, add the chocolate and melt over low heat.  Whisk until a smooth paste.  Remove from heat.

-Whisk the eggs and sugar.  Add the marmalade and the raspberry jam.  Whisk well.  Add the melted chocolate.

-Mix the flour with the baking powder, salt and chocolate espresso beans.  Add flour mixture into he chocolate batter and beat well.

-Spread the batter evenly in a pan and bake in the middle of a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs.

-Cool brownies completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into 24 squares.

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This is the first post in an ongoing series about Gluten Free cooking and a Gluten Free lifestyle.

Before talking about cooking Gluten Free food, you must know what Gluten is. Gluten is a protein that exists mainly in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is very common in a standard American diet, but nearly 3.5 million people in the United States (1% of the population) have a specific allergy to Gluten. The allergy is called Celiac disease. I will dedicate a post later in this series to Celiac disease. Gluten is the component that helps make bread elastic, providing it with that chewy texture it has when eaten. Furthermore, gluten keeps the gases that are released during fermentation in the dough, so the bread is able to rise before it is baked.

Now that you know what Gluten is, what does it mean to be Gluten Free? A Gluten Free diet is one that is free of wheat-based foods and gluten as a food additive. Gluten is often used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing, or thickening agent. Few people know that Gluten is used as a stabilizing agent or thickener in most ice cream and ketchup. One of the most difficult sources of Gluten to avoid is flour.

While wheat, rye and barley are very common grains and starches in cooking, many grains and starches do not contain gluten. Among the most common Gluten Free grains and starches are corn, potatoes, and rice. Soybeans and buckwheat are also common Gluten Free options.

Other than necessity due to Celiac Disease, gluten free diets are often used by people to achieve other health benefits. The health benefits of a gluten free diet can be extensive. I will dedicate an entire post to the health benefits of a gluten free diet, but know that nutritionists have connected a gluten free diet to the lessening of some of today’s most common ailments.

As you walk through the grocery store, you may notice some “gluten free” labels. This label does not apply to foods that are made with ingredients that do not naturally contain gluten. Gluten can be removed from wheat, but it cannot be fully removed. Many foods labeled at grocery stores with “gluten free” contain a small percentage of gluten.

Now you know what Gluten Free means. This post has been just the basics, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. In upcoming posts I will explore the ideas in this post further and show you some interesting sides of a gluten free lifestyle.

What are you questions about Gluten Free? I would love to answer anything you are curious about.

Filed under: Food Allergies, Gluten Free Series, Side Dishes, gluten free | 2 Comments »

As you know by now, I love parties and I love to be part of the fun. When I plan my dinners whether for 4 or for 40, I make sure that most of my foods can be prepared ahead of time to be baked, warmed or served as is on the day of the party. I try to pay attention to colors and textures.  If you have creamy spread, offer next to it fresh green salad. 

In last week’s blog I posted couple spreads black olives and red bell pepper. Today you will have a green spread, white spread and scallion salad.

Green Olive Tapenade

makes 3 cups

1 1/2  cups pitted green olives

1           cup walnuts

3           scallions, chopped

1            jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1           cup chopped parsley

1/2      cup lemon juice

4           tablespoon olive oil

-Place all ingredients in a food processor.  Using about 10 on/off turn, process until mixture is chopped finely but not pureed.

Yogurt and Bulgur Dip

make 3 cups

4          cups non-fat plain yogurt

1           cup #1 bulgur or very fine

1           small sweet onion, chopped

1/2      cup coarsely chopped walnuts

salt to taste

1          tablespoons sesame seeds

-Stir and pour 2 cups of the yogurt in a cheesecloth bag.  Place the cheesecloth in a colander and let it drain for 8 hours.  What remains is a thick creamy spread, similar to cream cheese.  Cover and refrigerate eh cheese.

-Mix the bulgur wheat with the rest of the yogurt.  Cover and let it stand in the refrigerator for a t least eight hours.

-Mix the bulgur yogurt mixture with the yogurt cream cheese, onion, walnuts and salt.  Place on a flat serving dish.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Scallion and Mushroom Salad

serves 4

3          cups chopped scallions

3          cups thinly sliced white mushrooms

1/2     cup chopped cilantro

1          teaspoon sweet basil

1/2     cup lemon juice

6         tablespoons olive oil

salt  and freshly ground black pepper to taste

-In a salad bowl, toss the scallions, the mushrooms and the cilantro.

-Whisk the lemon juice with the lemon juice and the sweet basil.

Drizzle over the mixed vegetables, sprinkle with the salt, the pepper and toss gently.

All the spread can be made 3 days before the party. Chop all the vegetables for the salad on the day before the party and mix with the dressing  just before the party start.

Filed under: Appetizers, Salads, Side Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, gluten free | No Comments »

If you’re planning a dinner this holiday season, my best piece of advice is to do something that won’t cause you to panic. There is enough stress around the year-end holidays without adding the stress that comes from trying to plan a huge meal for your friends and family.  By all means, do not try out new recipes.  If you do, you’ll wring your hands until you find out whether or not your guests like what you’ve cooked.  The exceptions, of course, will be the recipes I’m going to provide at the end of this blog.

Maybe you don’t need to be told, but as my mother has often told me, people will come to your home for the companionship, and not necessarily for the food.  And if they’ re hungry, then they will eat whatever you’ve cooked.  Hunger dramatically improves the flavor of any food.

As I often preach (shades of Martha Stewart) it’s best to prepare the meal well ahead of time, which is what I do when I’m entertaining.  The last thing I want to do is to flit between the kitchen and the living room to try to get in on conversation, so preparation is the key to you having a good time.

Here is couple of appetizers that are easy to make and you can prepare couple days ahead of your dinner.

Black Olives Tapenade

makes 3 cups

2       cups pitted kalamata olives

1       cup walnuts

1        medium red onion, chopped

1/4  cup lemon juice

4       tablespoons olive oil

1       tablespoon oregano

skin of 1/2 lemon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

-In a food processor and using the on-off  key, process until coarsely chopped.  Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.  You can make this spread couple days ahead of the party.

Red Bell Pepper Spread

makes 3 cups

2     red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small pieces

1     medium onion, chopped

2    cups walnuts

4    tablespoons olive oil

2    tablespoons Harrisa*

2    tablespoons Pomegranate molasses*

1    teaspoon freshly ground cumin

2    teaspoons freshly ground coiander

salt to taste

-In a food processor, process all ingredients into a smooth paste.

You can make this spread couple days ahead of the party.

*Harrisa: North African hot red pepper paste. 

*Pomegranate Molasses: Concentrated syruup distilled from pomegranate juice.

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So you had a good Thanksgiving, good food and good company but what to do with the leftover turkey?

This an easy and elegant recipe that you can use the left over turkey meat, freeze and bake at a day that you have no time to cook.

Leftover Turkey Filo Pie

serves 6

2       tablespoons olive oil

2       large onions, julienned

8       sheets filo dough

2       tablespoons butter, melted

4       cups leftover turkey meat, cut into small pieces

1/2   teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4   teaspoon ground coriander

1        teaspoon sesame seeds

salt and pepper to taste

-Cook the onions in the olive oil until golden. Remove from the heat and add the turkey meat and the seasoning. Mix Well

-To prevent the filo sheet from drying; follow the instructions on the filo box

-Place the first filo sheet on a cookie sheet, and lightly brush with the melted butter. Place the second sheet on top the first and brush with the butter. Continue until you finished the eight sheets.

-Place the meat onion stuffing in the center of the buttered filo dough, and then spread into a four-inch diameter circle.

-Fold the side the filo dough to cover the circle.

-Brush with a touch of the melted butter, sprinkle with the sesame, and then bake in a 350 F degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the filo dough is golden.

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As proof that Thanksgiving is purely American holiday, most immigrants to this country that I know, have gone out of their way to be as American as they can be.  The minute that a federal official swears in a new crop of immigrants as American citizens, one of the first thoughts in their mind is not” who is the 1st president of the United States, ” but, “how do I make Thanksgiving dinner now that I’m an American?

Everyone, whether immigrant or native born, is convinced that eating a turkey on Thanksgiving is the proper thing to do.  Last year, my brother’s wife, who is fairly new here from Syria, called me incessantly from Boston in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, asking, “how do I cook the turkey?” “How do I make the dressing?” “What do I serve with it?”  When I ask her: how does she like it to be done, she answered: I don’t care, I am not going to eat it.

My family usually gets together with a small group of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants-all American citizens now-to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Of course, whether they intend to eat it or not, turkey is mandatory.  Someone of the group will cook a turkey to make it the centerpiece of the table.  However, along with the turkey, these families, most of whom are excellent cooks, will prepare and bring to the dinner the most dazzling array of side dishes, most of them from the Middle East.  You have hummous, tabbouli, kibbeh and baklava to name few.

It is fascinating to watch the show, once all this food has been set out.  The guests scoop up all the side dishes that have been prepared, but the turkey -untouched- remains proudly in the center of the table, like a monument to their American citizenship.

Here is a recipe for rice and nuts stuffing that we serve next to the turkey.  This stuffing will make your Thanksgiving dinner a little different this year.

Rice, vegetables and pine nuts stuffing

serves 6

1/4     cup olive oil

1          medium onion, chopped

2        carrots, cut into 1/2 -inch thick cubes

2        cups frozen peas, thawed

1/2   cup raisin

1        cup Basmati rice

1        teaspoon allspice

1/2  teaspoon turmeric

salt to taste

1/2   cup pine nuts, toasted

-Heat the olive oil in a cooking pot.  Saute the onion for couple of minutes.  Add the vegetables, stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

-Add the raisins, the seasoning and 2 1/4 cup of water.  Bring to a boil.

-Add the rice, stir and bring back to a boil.  Cover, turn down the heat and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes.

-Turn off the heat, keep the pot covered and allow the rice to rest for ten minutes.

-To serve: Serve the rice onto shallow serving platter, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.

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