1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (127 page)

The wicked herb comes in two varieties, flat-leaf Italian parsley and the curly kind known as curled parsley and common parsley. (The herb sometimes referred to as “Chinese parsley” is not actually parsley but rather cilantro, or coriander.) Of the two kinds of parsley, the flat variety is the superior flavoring, added to long-cooking dishes for its more robust, bright accent. Curly parsley, although also used as a slightly milder seasoning, is preferable as a garnish and in salads. Its leaves can be chopped to a finer texture for sprinkling, and overall its looks are more appealing.

Valued for the lift it gives to meat, fish and vegetable dishes, whether sprinkled over the cooked food or worked into its preparation, parsley also adds interest when stirred into
cream or green olive oil sauces or mashed into compound butters, perhaps with garlic or shallots. But finding ways to present the herb on its own may be less obvious. Foremost among the tempting traditional recipes that feature it is the lively Middle Eastern salad, tabbouleh (see
listing
). London chef Fergus Henderson used it to advantage in a salad of bone marrow with parsley and onions that was made famous at his St. John Bar & Restaurant (see
listing
). But there’s no need for parsley’s reign to stop there. Consider making it the star of a parsley cream soup, the main flavoring of a green risotto, or frying its leaves to a crisp emerald glow as a garnish for meat, fish, and poultry.

Mail order:
For seeds, amazon.com (search parsley triple curled; herb parsley giant of italy).
Further information and recipes:
The Whole Beast
by Fergus Henderson (2004);
saveur.com
(search parsley onion salad; cream of parsley soup; fried curly parsley);
epicurious.com
(search green herb risotto).

An herb beloved for its savory flavor.

A Middle Eastern herb with a pleasantly musty, dry and earthy essence that’s vaguely reminiscent of oregano, thyme, and sage,
za’atar
(
Origanum syriacum
) grows wild most profusely in the Judean hills of Israel. Considered a cure for everything from tooth decay to chronic cough to fatigue (when made into a stimulating tea), it’s also known as the biblical hyssop. Za’atar can be combined as a blend with ground thyme, oregano, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and sometimes marjoram, a mix that is also known as za’atar and whose exact formula varies among countries. (Sometimes it doesn’t actually include the herb za’atar; Jordanians opt for sumac, while in Lebanon the combination is sparked by dried orange peel.)

The za’atar herb itself has been overharvested to such an extent that the Haganat Hatevah, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, now regulates the crop—but thankfully it is still widely available, and widely used.

Za’atar is a favorite at breakfast, added into croissants or atop pitas. For lunch it can be blended with olive oil or yogurt as a dip for pita. At dinner, it works its magic as an aromatic rub for meats, especially lamb.

Mail order:
The Spice House, tel 847-328-3711,
thespicehouse.com
(search za’atar); amazon.com (search lebanon za’atar); Penzeys Spices, tel 800-741-7787,
penzeys.com
; Zamouri Spices, tel 913-829-5988,
zamourispices.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Planet Barbecue
by Steven Raichlen (2010);
Spice
by Ana Sortun (2006);
Jerusalem: A Cookbook
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (2012);
mideastfoodabout.com
(search za’atar recipe);
cookstr.com
(search za’atar; roasted chicken).

Aushak pasta with leek filling.

At first glance, both the dishes and their names might seem to be Indian or Pakistani, Iranian or Mongolian, or, quite possibly, Middle Eastern. But a closer look and a few intriguing bites reveal an altogether different cuisine: the food of Afghanistan, similar in many ways to those cuisines it echoes, but with a hand-crafted look and a rustic, exotic flavor paradigm all its own. Yes, you’ll find rice, kebabs, stuffed vegetables, and lots of lamb, beef, spinach, eggplant, pumpkin, cilantro, yogurt, mint, cardamom, cinnamon, and hot chiles here, but they are employed in tantalizing ways, with sweet and sour or hot and cool qualities often mingling together in one dish.

Afghani food first came onto the world stage in the 1970s, when Russia’s invasion of that ancient land along the Silk Road drove refugees to the U.S. Some started small kebab houses in a few large cities, eventually graduating to more formal restaurants serving a wide range of dishes.

These restaurants’ menus, daunting at first glance, can be deliciously deciphered in the space of a couple of meals. Two of the country’s most traditional soups usually start things off:
aush
, with its spicy ground beef, chewy handmade noodles, vegetables, and yogurt; or
mashawa
, a lighter, clearer mix of the same ingredients. Other tantalizing appetizers include
aushak
, leek dumplings that can be filled with beans or with ground beef, garnished in either case with minted yogurt;
bulanee gandana
, crisp, yogurt-topped pancakes stuffed with slivered scallions; and the crunchy pastry half-moons called
sambossas
, plumped with ground beef and mashed chickpeas and offset by a spicy yogurt sauce. Not to be overlooked are two tempting eggplant dishes:
borani
, in which the nightshade is cooked in tomato sauce, or
bharta
, a spread of roasted eggplant enlivened with garlicky yogurt and fiery chile peppers.

As a gratifyingly hearty main course, there’s the famous
quabili palaw
(or
pilau
), an Afghani favorite. A rice-based dish made with chicken or lamb, it is enriched with caramelized carrots and onions, raisins, toasted almonds, and a rainbow of spices. Okra, a favored vegetable, lends its seductive viscosity to
chalous
, or rice dishes, along with lamb, onions, sweet green peppers, and tomatoes.
Samaaruq o rawaasg
is a seasonal offering of springtime rhubarb simmered with mushrooms and lamb in a piquant onion and tomato sauce. Currylike kormas include the lovely
korma-e-sabzi
, lamb braised with spinach and leeks, or
korma-e-daal
, in which the meat is served with onion-and garlic-flavored yellow lentils. And then, of course, there are the kebabs, most deliciously, the
kebab-e-murgh
and
kebab-e-gosfand.
The first serves up bits of boneless, skewer-grilled chicken with a cilantro-accented chutney on basmati rice, and the second is a lamb version skewered with tomatoes and onions.

Alongside come stingingly refreshing chutneys sparked with vinegar, chiles, the pickled fruits or vegetables known as
torshi
, and the
yeasty, ridged naan, a version of the flat Mughlai bread of the same name, but crackling under toppings of pungent, oniony black nigella seeds.

That describes just a sampling of the rich and complex Afghani menu. Although an Afghani dinner can include dessert, given its breadth, it is probably best finished off with a cup of hot cardamom-scented tea.

Where:
In Boston
, The Helmand, tel 617-492-4646,
helmandrestaurant.com
;
in St. Paul, MN
, Khyber Pass Café, tel 651-690-0505,
khyberpasscafe.com
;
in Skokie, Il
, Kabul House, tel 847-674-3830,
kabulhouse.com
;
in New York
, at three locations, Afghan Kebab House;
in Seattle
, Kabul Afghan Cuisine, tel 206-545-9000,
kabulrestaurant.com
;
in Danville, CA
, Aryana Afghan Cuisine, tel 925-736-7781;
in Gardena, CA
, Afghan Express Restaurant, tel 310-920-7732,
afghanexpressrestaurant.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Flatbreads and Flavors
by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (2008);
Afghan Food & Cookery
by Helen Saberi (2000);
Classic Afghan Cookbook
by Mousa M. Amiri (2002);
afghankitchenrecipes.com
;
afghancooking.net
.

Although it literally translates as sweet soup,
anoush aboor
is a sumptuous cold pudding and a traditional Armenian dessert served from Christmas to New Year’s. Toothsome whole wheat berries (
gorgod
in Armenian) sweetened with honey and rosewater and studded with nuts and jewels of coral dried apricots and ruby pomegranate seeds, it’s a mix that could be rebranded as a high-fiber health food treat. But seductive pleasure is enough of a reason to try what’s actually quite an elegant dessert.

As in so many cultures, throughout Turkey and Armenia wheat grains symbolize prosperity. In Lebanon, the similar wheat berry dessert
kamhié
is laced with diced candied fruits. In Poland and Ukraine, the wheat berries go into the Christmas Eve pudding called
kutya
, cooked with honey and stirred through with nuts and ground poppy seeds, minus the dried fruits (see
listing
).

Serves 8 to 10

3 cups hulled whole wheat berries (gorgod—or see
Note
)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup golden raisins

12 dried apricots, quartered

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup blanched almonds

½ cup sugar, plus additional for garnish

½ cup honey

3 or 4 drops rose water

Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Chopped nuts, for garnish (any or all of the nuts above will do nicely)

Pomegranate seeds (optional), for garnish

1.
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.

2.
Meanwhile, rinse the wheat berries in a bowl in several changes of cold water until the water is clear and no dust remains on the berries.
Drain the wheat berries well and add them to the boiling water. Cover the pan tightly and let the wheat berries simmer slowly over low heat until the berries are completely tender. This will take between 3 and 5 hours, depending on the quality of the wheat berries. When the wheat berries are almost tender, add the teaspoon of salt and continue cooking until the wheat berries reach the consistency of porridge.

3.
Drain off remaining water, if there is any. Place the pan over low heat and add the raisins, apricots, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, sugar, and honey, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well blended, thick, and moist. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar or honey as desired, and salt if needed. Turn off the heat and stir in the rosewater.

4.
Spoon the pudding into a large bowl or individual serving bowls and chill until serving time. Just before serving, stir the pudding gently and top it with cinnamon, sugar, chopped nuts, and pomegranate seeds, if desired.

Note:
The Italian whole-kernel wheat farro can be substituted for gorgod.

Mail order:
amazon.com (search whole wheat berries; pearled farro).
Further information and other recipes:
Secrets of Cooking: Armenian, Lebanese, Persian
by Linda Chirinian (1986);
The Cuisine of Armenia
by Sonia Uvezian (2004).

With its jewel-like colors and beguiling aromas, few cuisines can match Iran’s in terms of sheer sensory seduction. Think ruby glints of pomegranate seed, golden washes of saffron, the emerald sparkle of fresh coriander and mint leaves. Or orangey turmeric, hot and sweet red chile peppers, earthy cumin, the pungent juice of limes or of bittersweet Seville oranges, crunches of jade pistachios or ivory almonds … The myriad herbs and seasonings that waft up from the country’s luxurious hot dishes delight the nose as well as the eye, and of course, the palate.