Middle Eastern

A few years ago, when I was in southeastern Turkey working on my book Mediterranean Grains and Greens, I noticed that the women didn't soak their bulgur in water for some summer preparations. When I asked a Turkish friend about this, she let out a laugh. "In Turkey, no man would marry a woman who just used water! For cold bulgur dishes we always soak in tomato juice, onion juice, or fresh pressed and strained sour grape juice to flavor the bulgur first."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Teamed with pita bread triangles and a variety of raw vegetables, this Middle Eastern dip makes a great snack or hors d'oeuvre for a dinner party. Tahini is available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Called fattoush in Lebanon, this colorful dish is offered as a first course at Al-Amir restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

Mint and spices add a Turkish flair to this yogurt-based marinade. The flavors are perfect with lamb kebabs or chicken. It's also a good dip for crudités or pita bread. The recipe makes enough to marinate 1 1/2 pounds of lamb or chicken, with some remaining to serve on the side. Any marinade coming in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry must be boiled for one minute before using it for basting.

This Middle Eastern spice mixture is so delicious we suggest doubling the recipe and using the extra for a snack: Dunk some bread (such as pita) in flavorful olive oil and then in the za'atar. Or sprinkle za'atar over plain yogurt and drizzle with olive oil, and you've got a terrific dip.

This dip was inspired by a recipe for bissara, a garlicky purée from Egypt made from dried broad beans, in Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery.

We seasoned this salad — based on the Middle Eastern bread salad called fattoush — with za'atar, a mixture of salt, sumac, sesame, and thyme.

Residents of Maghreb use semolina to make tiny pasta pellets called kesksu in Arabic. Unlike pasta made with other types of wheat flour, pasta made from semolina does not become mushy during cooking. The old-fashioned way of making these pellets is to mix semolina flour with water, roll the dough into tiny balls, sift it over a medium-meshed wire sieve to remove any excess flour, then steam the final product over boiling water or a stew. Instant couscous, available at most supermarkets, is prepared by adding boiling water. Although not as fluffy as the classic type, it is more than acceptable for seffa and easy to prepare. Israelis make a larger form of couscous, which is lightly toasted; do not substitute for the regular type. In the Maghreb, couscous is both everyday fare—served in most households, both rich and poor, several times a week—and a food for special occasions. It is most commonly used as the base for flavorful meat, poultry, fish, or vegetable stews. For special occasions, however, it is sweetened and topped with dried fruits and nuts. Seffa is also made by mounding couscous on a platter and sprinkling sugar on top instead of stirring it. Seffa with dried fruits is a traditional Moroccan Hanukkah dish. For Rosh Hashannah, it is sprinkled with pomegranate seeds or small grapes. On Tu b'Shevat and other special occasions, it is garnished with datils rellenos (stuffed dates) and dried fruit. Moroccans prefer desserts rich and sugar, and their seffa is generally sweeter than Tunisian versions.

(Chick-Pea Dip with Parsley and Pine Nuts)

Preserving a Meyer lemon captures its glorious perfume. We’ve adapted cookbook author Paula Wolfert’s quick method, our favorite, and made it even faster by blanching the lemons first. The rind of a preserved lemon is a common ingredient in Moroccan dishes; we also love it in all kinds of soups, stews, and salads and as a low-fat alternative to olives. Save the pulp for Bloody Marys or anything else enlivened by a little lemon juice and salt.

Baklava (from the Farsi for "many leaves"), a pastry perfected by royal bakers in the sultan's palace in Istanbul, consists of layers of phyllo filled with nuts and spices and drenched in a syrup. It has become a traditional Middle Eastern Rosh Hashannah and Purim treat but is enjoyed at celebrations throughout the year. There are numerous variations of baklava, many a closely guarded secret passed down within families. A walnut filling is more prevalent in the Levant, while pistachios and pistachio-almond fillings are preferred in Iran. Blanched almonds are traditional on Rosh Hashannah to produce a light color so that the year should be dulce y aclarada ("sweet and bright"). Sephardim refrain from serving dark-colored pastries such as those made from walnuts on Rosh Hashannah, which would portend a dark year. Although purists disdain anything except the classic nut filling, some cooks innovated by adding such items as dates and chocolate chips. Hungarians make an apricot version. This very rich treat is usually served in small portions.

This dish is said to have first been prepared in the imperial kitchens for Sultan Murad IV in the early 1600s.

This unusual Iranian stew is served hot at the table from the casserole in which it has been cooked. The lid is lifted, and the delicious aromas of rich tender lamb, fresh herbs, spinach and beans fill the room. Serve with rice or orzo.

Inspired by Middle Eastern cooking.