1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (124 page)

5.
Transfer the artichokes, onions, and potatoes with the remaining cooking liquid to a dish and let cool to room temperature if you are serving them the same day. Otherwise, refrigerate the artichokes, covered; they will keep for 2 days. Let the artichokes stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

6.
The artichokes look best served in individual portions, 2 halves standing together with the cut sides facing, stems up. Surround them with onions and potatoes and spoon a little of the cooking liquid over all. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and serve them with the artichokes.

Mail order:
For fresh artichokes in season, Melissa’s Produce, tel 800-588-0151,
melissas.com
.
Further information nd additional recipes:
The Cuisine of Armenia
by Sonia Uvezian (2004); for the Greek version,
The Foods of the Greek Islands
by Aglaia Kremezi (2000);
epicurious.com
(search lemon mint braised artichokes);
saveur.com
(search braised artichokes).

Ask for Turkish coffee in a Greek or an Armenian restaurant and be prepared to be snubbed, if not openly insulted—and for the very same treatment to be yours should you request Greek coffee at meal’s end in a Turkish restaurant.
Rarely has a beverage been so loaded with political history as the darkly hot and sweetly bracing brew. Originating in Ethiopia (see
listing
), the brew was carried by the Turks to the lands they occupied in the days of the Ottoman Empire.

Based on the high-quality Arabica beans introduced from Yemen to the Turks in the middle of the sixteenth century, the coffee became popular almost instantly, sparking a network of roasting shops and coffee houses that were models for those that later flourished in Vienna. Poured into espresso-size cups from long-handled, pitcherlike brewing pots made of brass or copper, the velvety brew is a steamy, bracing elixir, usually sweet enough to be almost a dessert in itself. Because Turkish coffee is served with its pulverized grounds, it should never be stirred in the cup but should instead be allowed to rest several minutes after the pour so the grounds can settle.

Even today in Istanbul, you’ll find strong opinions regarding the type of beans, their degree of roasting, and which point along the Bosphorus has the best water for the brew. Although cooking with sugar in varying amounts is now the standard method, originally Turks took their coffee without any sweetener and nibbled on their intricate, honeyed pastries to counteract the bitterness. Now they—and probably you—will take both the sugared coffee and the pastries.

To prepare authentic Turkish coffee, it is necessary to have the right pot, or
cezve.
This can be large enough to make several cups, or smaller, for individual portions. It’s also crucial to have authentic Turkish coffee that is ground to a very fine powder. The coffee is stirred into cold water in the pot, along with sugar, then heated very slowly to a boil (preferably, although rarely now, over a charcoal fire). Once boiling, half of the coffee is poured into cups, the balance brought back to a boil for a second time before being poured. An alternative method holds that the coffee should boil and subside three times. Either way, resist the temptation to stir, lest you end up with a mouthful of soggy powder.

When the liquid is drained from the cup, the grounds form patterns that can be read to tell your fortune, just as tea leaves can. Some cafés and restaurants in Turkey have the readers on hand. Ask for a reading if you dare.

Mail order:
Istanbul Food Bazaar, tel 973-955-2989,
istanbulfoodbazaar.com
(search mehmet efendi turkish coffee; cube sugar);
worldmarket.com
(search turkish coffee maker); for equipment, recipe, and coffee, Turkish Coffee World, tel 800-649-7438,
turkishcoffeeworld.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Arabesque
by Claudia Roden (2005);
A Mediterranean Feast
by Clifford A. Wright (1999);
Spice
by Ana Sortun (2006);
mideastfood.about.com
(search turkish coffee);
npr.org
(search turkish coffee);
turkish-coffee.org
.

Börek
usually denotes a crisp and flaky phyllo-based Greek or Middle Eastern pastry that can be both sweet and savory. But this magical and dazzling Turkish main course begins with a surprise: uncooked phyllo dough that is very briefly boiled or steamed to a noodlelike consistency. The silky, sheer-cooked sheets of dough are then layered with crumbles of feta cheese, sprinklings of dill, and a final glossing of melted
butter, and baked lasagna-style into a sumptuously creamy indulgence. Although ground lamb with a touch of tomato and feta cheese is sometimes used for the filling, the pure, sunny flavors of the dairy version make for a more memorable dish.

Given the presence of dough in this main course, fitting first courses would be appetizer mezes such as the famed Turkish mussels (see
listing
) or vegetable dolmas stuffed with currant-studded rice pilaf (see
listing
); the cold stewed eggplant dish
I˙mam bayıld
; the pastrami-like, cured, spiced beef that is
pastirma
(see
listing
); or a tomato, cucumber, and green pepper salad. In the place of phyllo-based pastries for dessert, fruit or slices of Turkish halvah (see
listing
) make for lovely finales.

Further information and recipes:
The Balkan Cookbook
edited by Snezana Pejakovic and Jelka Venisnik-Eror (1987);
The Sultan’s Kitchen
by Ozcan Ozan (2001);
Binnur’s Turkish Cookbook
by Binnur Tomay (2007);
epicurious.com
(search water borek);
turkishcookbook.com
(click Pastries, then Water Borek).

A famous eggplant dip.

If eggplant is the first essential ingredient in this silky, gray-green dip, smoke is certainly the second. Strikingly similar to the dish known in Romania as eggplant caviar, baba ghanoush is based on eggplant that has been slowly smoke-cooked: either held and turned on a long fork over a gas flame, placed under a broiler, or most authentically, set on the grate of a wood-fired grill.

This last method is the one used on the streets outside of small restaurants in the Middle East, where, along with vegetables like peppers and onions, the eggplants are grilled on small charcoal braziers—tempting passers-by with mouth-watering aromas that invite them to come inside and feast. For the best results the ripely black-purple eggplant should be roasted whole, slowly and patiently for about thirty minutes, depending on its size, so it absorbs the smoke flavor as its pale green flesh becomes voluptuously satiny. Scooped out of the skin, the flesh is whipped or blended with the nut-sweet sesame paste tahini and a few shots of fresh lemon juice for tart, sunny contrast. Garlic crushed to a paste with coarse salt is stirred in, and all is slightly chilled for about one hour.

Served in glass dishes, the baba ghanoush is anointed with a final, fine golden stream of olive oil, ruby red pomegranate seeds (when in season), and coarsely chopped or whole leaves of flat Italian parsley.

An accompaniment of pita is nonnegotiable.

Where:
In New York
, Mémé, tel 646-692-8450,
memeonhudson.com
; Ilili Restaurant, tel 212-683-2929,
ililinyc.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Arabesque
by Claudia Roden (2005);
Secrets of Cooking: Armenian, Lebanese, Persian
by Linda Chirinian (1986);
epicurious.com
(search baba ghanouj);
cookstr.com
(search baba ghanouj).

One of the three essentials, along with tabbouleh and baba ghanoush, of the Middle Eastern appetizer array known as mezes, hummus is basically poor man’s food, a nurturing, velvety bean puree enhanced with garlic and salt and luxuriously folded into the thick, mellow-sweet sesame paste that is tahini. Its economical nature partially explains its mind-boggling rags-to-riches rise to international fame, with the average big-city supermarket now offering a dizzying choice of packaged varieties, between the different brands and varied seasonings. But the answer also lies in its healthfulness, its appeal to vegetarians and those on low-fat diets, and its usefulness to hosts looking for a ready-made dip to offer with potato chips, crudités, or pieces of pita bread.

Unfortunately, popularity does not ensure a first-rate product. When practical, the most authentic hummus is made with freshly cooked (not canned) chickpeas that are worked with a stone mortar and pestle to leave behind a slight, appealing grittiness. Garlic is crushed in the mortar along with salt, and the tahini and fresh lemon juice are incorporated as a finishing touch. A slim stream of oil (preferably sesame, but olive oil is a fair alternative) drizzled over the top and a sprinkling of jewel-like pomegranate seeds lend touches of elegance.

The difference between mortar-and-pestle hummus and the blended stuff is very easy to discern. In Israel, hummus mavens can guide novices to the places that do it the old-fashioned and most delicious way.

Although primarily served for mezes, hummus slightly thinned with oil also makes a lush sauce for grilled lamb or baked fish.

Where:
In Jerusalem
, Abu Shukri, tel 972/2-627-1538;
in Houston
, Mary’z Lebanese Cuisine, tel 832-251-1955,
maryzcuisine.com
;
in New York
, Mémé, tel 646-692-8450,
memeonhudson.com
; Taim at two locations,
taimfalafel.com
;
in Chicago
, Athena Restaurant, tel 312-655-0000,
athenarestaurantchicago.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Arabesque
by Claudia Roden (2005);
Secrets of Cooking: Armenian, Lebanese, Persian
by Linda Chirinian (1986);
epicurious.com
(search hummus);
foodnetwork.com
(search hummus for real).

Slathered onto toasted pita bread. Seasoned with dill or garlic as a fragrant dip for raw vegetables or toasted chips. Ladled onto a gyro sandwich of sizzling hot and juicy lamb or beef. Flavored with dill or mint, garlic or minced scallions,
and spread on pita that is rolled tightly, cigarstyle, into a sandwich known as
arus
or
aroose.
In its many guises, labneh, the piquant fresh cheese made of yogurt, is a ubiquitous presence throughout the Middle East.

Thick, creamy, and tangy, like quark and kefir, it is made from lightly salted yogurt strained through muslin or cheesecloth. As the whey in the yogurt drains off, the cheese’s flavor and texture are concentrated. Its consistency depends on how long it drains—in other words, on how much whey it loses. When labneh is drained for two or more days, it is formed into firm bite-size rounds known as
tabat labneh
, perfect for preserving in olive oil.

Historically speaking, it’s this ability to be preserved that has allowed for labneh’s survival since biblical days. In those times, fresh yogurt, which was made in abundance during summer months, could be transformed into labneh, then rolled into balls, preserved in oil, and set aside for winter. In any form, and no matter its precise texture, labneh is a singularly creamy palate teaser.

Where:
In New York
, Ilili Restaurant, tel 212-683-2929,
ililinyc.com
;
in Houston
, Mary’z Lebanese Cuisine, tel 832-251-1955,
maryzcuisine.com
;
across the U.S.
, Whole Foods Markets,
wholefoodsmarket.com
.
Mail order:
amazon.com (search karoun labne kefir yogurt cheese).
Further information and recipes:
Modern Flavors of Arabia
by Suzanne Husseini (2012);
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (2012);
Secrets of Cooking: Armenian, Lebanese, Persian
by Linda Chirinian (1986);
bonappetit.com
(search greek yogurt labneh);
food52.com
(search homemade labneh).

Highly prized throughout the Middle East and the Balkans, lamb’s liver is generally overlooked in other cuisines—and that may be just as well, considering how difficult it is to get. As a main course, at least three of the small livers would be required to adequately feed a party of four, and because each lamb is accorded only one liver, the supply is limited. What is available usually goes to butchers in Greek and Middle Eastern communities.