PLE spells Palestine at the Olympics

Some countries go to the Olympics in search of gold medals, but for others the mere sight of their own flag flying among the flags of the world is its own reward.

Follow the link below to read of hundreds of Palestinians gathering in Ramallah to see this scene—Judo player Maher Abu Rmeileh carrying the flag.

http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/palestine-london-olympics-436194

albawaba.com has an in-depth article featuring athletes from across the Arab world. Arabs spring into action: the dash to London 2012 at http://www.albawaba.com/slideshow/arab-olympics-2012-435440

L ooking for drama?  Try the story of Ali Khousrof (also Khousref or Khosrof), the Yemeni contender in judo.  Unfortunately, he lost his first match in the last minute, but the story of what he went through to reach the Olympics is inspiring.  Read the caption to this picture (9 of 13) in albawaba: Arabs spring into action: the dash to London 2012.

Sometimes it’s all about the journey.

Palestinian Street Food

When I told my husband I was going to make this week’s blog about Palestinian street food, he looked at me for several seconds.  Just as I was going to explain what I meant by the phrase he said, “You mean like ka’ak bi simsim? And falafel? And nammura? And hamleh ya milan? And duraa mashwiyeh?”  The names came pouring out of his mouth so fast I could barely register them. 

“Yes, all of the above.”   I think his mouth started watering.  The sounds of the words triggered memories of good smells and even better tastes.  Of course, I can't cover all of them in one post, so come back later for more.

Ka’ak bi simsim is doughnut shaped bread made with milk and egg for added rich taste, and rolled in sesame seeds before baking.  Street vendors who sell the ka’ak always have little packets of za’atar, often wrapped in cones of newspaper, to sprinkle on the soft inside of the ka’ak.  The za’atar that goes with ka’ak is mixed with a lot of salt and does not have olive oil mixed with it.  The result is a gray-green powder rather than the deep green of the za’atar used for other dishes.  Some vendors also sell baked eggs to be eaten with the ka'ak.  Baked eggs look very much like boiled eggs, but according to those who know they're easier to peel.  See more about the advantages of baked eggs and how to make them:  http://www.theburlapbag.com/2012/03/make-hard-boiled-eggs-in-the-oven/

While I have never met anyone of any age who didn’t like ka’ak bi simsim, it is the snack of choice of almost all school children.  It tastes good, it’s filling, it’s cheap, and there is almost always a vendor near the school at lunch time or at the end of the day.  What more could a kid want?

No one would dream of making ka’ak bi simsim in Palestine.  It is always available.  I have found a few things that look like ka’ak bi simsim in some specialty stores here, but none measured up in taste or texture.  I did find a recipe http://www.food.com/recipe/palestinian-sesame-crusted-bread-rings-ka-ak-bil-simsim-428275 but I must admit I have not tried it.

Hamleh ya milan also called hamleh ya belileh or hummus mashwieh (roasted chickpeas) is another favorite of youngsters.  It is only available just before the chickpeas are harvested, while they’re still green.  Some people take the chickpeas out of their pods and roast them in an oven, adding salt and lemon.  They may taste good, but it takes away all the fun.  I have only eaten hamleh from young boys who sell small bunches of the chickpea plant, similar to parlsey bunches in our supermarkets.  The bunches have been roasted—leaves, stems, pods, chickpeas and all.  From the scorch marks on many of the leaves and pods, I gather think it is done over an open fire.  Sitting on the front steps and looking through your bunch to get all of the chickpeas is as much fun as eating them.  Maybe the knowledge that they are only available for a few days out of the year is what makes them taste so good.

The following video is a clip called “Palestinian Food Tour” from Planet Food with Egyptian/Chinese restaurateur Bobby Chinn.  It features some good food, some good shots of Palestine, and around the 3:45 mark there is a quick view of a ka’ak vendor riding by on a bicycle—on his way to a local school perhaps, or a construction site, or any place where hungry people may be walking by.

Zatar makes you smarter

ZATAR FOR BREAKFAST:  Zatar makes you smarter was what my husband heard every morning as he was racing out of the house to get to school on time.  It was enough to make him stop his headlong rush and grab a piece of pita bread spread with olive oil and liberally sprinkled with zatar.    

Zatar (or za’atar) is a variety of thyme that grows wild in Palestine.  It is also the name of a mixture of dried herbs that are combined to make the famous zatar that is said to make schoolchildren smarter.  The dried, ground thyme is the main ingredient, but other ingredients are always added.  Dried sumac and salt are included in every recipe and sesame seeds are almost always mixed in as well.  Every cook in Palestine seems to have his or her own additions.  Some people add oregano, marjoram, flour, caraway seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and one person I know even adds coffee to the mix. 

The preferred way to eat zatar for breakfast, if not racing out the door to school or work, is to dip a small piece of bread into a dish of olive oil and then into a dish of zatar.  The oil makes the dry powdered herb stick to the bread.  Common courtesy says the bread must be popped into the mouth (no double dipping).  Every Palestinian house I know has a dish of zatar and a dish of olive oil readily available for dipping.  It is part of every breakfast table.

ZATAR FOR LUNCH OR DINNER:  To be truthful, the line between breakfast, lunch , and dinner blurs with the idea of zatar bread.  Sometimes called zatar pizza or zatar manakeesh (or manaeesh), this dish has the same basic ingredients—zatar and olive oil.  The difference is that the zatar and oil are put on the bread dough before baking.  I have even used refrigerator biscuits for this (but don’t tell anyone).  There are so many mouth-watering pictures of manaeesh on the internet that I was hard pressed to choose one.

Using the leaves of the plant before drying and making into a powder gives yet another variety of enjoyment.  The leaves can be layered onto bread dough, or even kneaded into the dough for a different pizza-type food.  They can also be added on top of a traditional pizza, combined with cheese (mozzarella or feta are my favorites) for a “white pizza.”  I have added zatar to other dishes for flavoring.  Either the green leaves or the ground dried herb are good additions to stews, soups, potato salad, and lots of other dishes.

You can get zatar from any grocery that sells Middle Eastern foods.  I order both my zatar and my olive oil from Canaan Fair Trade—the products come from Palestine and benefit the farmers.  You can also get the same products through US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

This video gives a quick and easy demonstration of making zatar manaeesh and cheese manaeesh.  As she says on the video—it’s suitable for breakfast, lunch, or supper.

By the way, sorry I’ve been away so long.  We had dreadful weather that knocked out our power, and once the power was restored, we had no internet for another few days.