Easter in Palestine ~ The way I remember it ~

Growing up Easter was the most sacred time of the year. The week leading up to Easter requires lots of preparations and many rituals. Many church services and candle vigils take place during holy week. And many preparations take place at home too. From planning the Easter menu, to making kaek cookies to coloring eggs and picking Easter outfits.

Ka'ek wa ma'moul

My grandmothers often prepared the cookies. The cookies are usually made a few days before Easter, then stored in aluminum tins to be served to guests and family on Easter Sunday. Plates full of kaek and mamoul are often exchanged among neighbors and friends each taking pride in the texture, and presentation of their cookies (the ladies secretly judged cookies lol).

Everyone takes pride in their family recipe. For Christian families the kaek and mamoul cookies are formed into different shapes each shape is symbolic of Christ’s suffering. It’s said that the round ones stuffed with dates they resemble the crown of thorns they placed on Jesus’s head. To be reminded of his sacrifice & crucifixion. The dome like one ones stuffed with walnuts and cinnamon symbolizes the stones that were thrown at Jesus. And the oblong cookies stuffed with an aromatic pistachio paste represent the tomb where Jesus's body was buried after his crucifixion. The cookies are made with fine semolina flour, and the best sweet butter you can find. They are then stuffed with dates, walnuts or pistachios, flavored with mastic (a sundried resin that exudes from the bark of a Meditranian tree), and mahlab, (a spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry), orange blossom and rosewater. Each cookie is pinched by hand or by using wooden molds with various shapes. The task of making these cookies is very meticulous and time consuming.It was a job often enjoyed when family and friends or neighbors gathered. Every helper takes so much pride in their decorating skills.

For me today, these delicate fragrant cookies are a passport to my kids to connect with family, culture and tradition. Some things are best left as they are, they tell so many stories for generations to come. As a little girl I sat by my grandmother as she watched and judged carefully my pinching skills.

Be it Easter or Eid, holidays in the Levantine region of the Middle East are incomplete without these delicious buttery cookies. The cookies serve as a perfect treat after a month of fasting during Ramadan or the 40 days of Lent.

Good Friday (Al Jumaa al Hazineh)

Is usually the last day of fasting or lent. Jumaa Hazineh in Arabic translates to the “Sad Friday”. Growing up we went to church on Good Friday and people often wore black. The mass often was quiet and sad, it’s the day Christ was crucified and nailed to the cross.

When I was about 7 years old I stood in the long line to greet our pastor after the Friday mass and when I got to the pastor I shook his hand and in the spirit of sadness I said “I am so sorry for your loss” the people behind me roared with laughter. Still being reminded of my statement till this day.

Sabt al Noor: Saturday of Light

When I was a teenager living and studying in Jerusalem we would often go to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the ceremony of Holy Fire on the Saturday before Easter. It’s a huge gathering of Christians from all over the world to witness the emergence of candles lit by what's believed a miracle in the tomb of Jesus. The light was transformed to churches across the country and often welcomed by the scout troops playing pipes and hitting the drums. To me that sound and rhythm of the drums and marching bands is the sound that marks the beginning of Easter.

Local Palestinian Christians of all denominations have attended the ceremony for generations in what has always been a major community event in the past. Unfortunately with the separation wall, road blocks and the occupation checkpoints many Palestinians don’t have permits and often denied from attending these traditional Christians celebrations.

When I was little it was so intriguing to me when I walked down in the Old City’s narrow cobblestone roads, and I would hear all sorts of languages and dialects. Some I didn't even recognize. Christian pilgrims still fly in for Easter, from Germany, Cyprus, Greece .. etc. as tourists on a once-in-a-lifetime visit.

Easter eggs

As kids we loved to color Easter eggs. It was always a family activity. My grandmother always loved natural coloring that came straight out of her kitchen. She boiled down onions skin, and beets. But as kids we loved the colorful tablets that dissolved in water and vinegar creating cool colors. And decorating them with all sorts of stickers and sleeves the ones that cling on the egg when you dunk them in boiling water. These were the talk of Easter back then.

Although coloring was fun but we looked forward to all the laughs and smiles it brought us afterwards when we played a game called “Tae’sh” or crack the eggs On Easter morning , a game my kids love to play today.

The dyed eggs will also serve as Easter’s morning breakfast. we all would gather and compete on cracking each other’s eggs we call it “Tae’sh” .

The same dyed eggs are also offered to kids when families and friends come to visit during the Easter celebration which often lasted for a few days. We often challenged one another for an egg Tae’sh throw down. The person with the last unbroken egg is declared the winner. My dad often cheated with fake or wooden eggs.

Easter Sunday in Arabic called Eid al Fiseh

One of my favorite days of the year. It’s often spring time in Palestine, the weather is usually beautiful, the sun is center in the sky and the poppy flowers and dandelions spread covering the hills. It’s a time of wearing your best clothes to church. It also meant that my aunti Aida will fill our bags with chocolate bunnies, and Easter eggs. And my grandfather often gave us money to buy whatever we want and my Tita (grandmother) was busy whipping up a feast. My cousins and family will all gather at my grandmothers house around the long extended rectangular table for a delicious lunch after church. On my TITA’s menu was often stuffed lamb, rolled grape leaves and cinnamon scented rice. After lunch we played outside for hours, cracked many eggs and got on a chocolate bunny high.

Thank you for coming with me down memory lane. Easter in Jerusalem is a real treat the one holiday I miss most.

xo,

Mai

#easter #easterinjerusalem #kaek #mamoul #eastercookies #easterpreparation #easterinpalestine

Shawarma at Home

Week two of #Aprilisforarabfood and all the talk about Arab street food. Got me reminiscing about all the shawarma I ate in Palestine. The delicious meat morsels with crispy edges, drizzled with all sorts of sauces, crunchy salad and pickles, wrapped in a fresh warm taboon bread aaaah, hungry yet!! I ate my weight in shawarma while I was home in Palestine (def not sad about it). Shawarma (Arabic: شاورما#‎‎) is where thin cuts of meat like lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats are placed on a vertical spit surrounded by hot coals or open flames. The marinated meats are shaved off and piled high on a warm bread drizzled with sauces, topped with pickles and a tomato cucumber salad to order. This is a Levantine street food at its best. The smell of theses charred meats fill the markets, every shop has its own marinate recipe and all compete to be the best. It's hardly a sit down joint it's usually fast but really good food.

My homemade version is made with shredded whole chicken. You didn't think I have a giant spit did you! But that would be awesome if I did, then I would invite you all. I stuffed the thin bread with lots of chicken shawarma, cucumber pickles, simple salad and sumac onions. I love my sandwich with shattah (chili paste), amba sauce (fermented mango sauce), garlic paste (toum) and tahini sauce. Bring on the napkins it ain't a good shawarma sandwich until you get juices dripping everywhere.

Ingredients

Shawarma Spice

Whole roasted chicken (rotisserie is fine) 4-5 pounds

Salt and pepper

2 tbls olive Oil

Shawarma spice 1.5 tbls if you have it or you can add:

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp curry powder

Directions

Shred the meat off the bones discarding the skins

On a sheet pan toss the shredded chicken gently (don’t break the chicken too much) with 2 tbls of oil and the spices

Roast under the broiler for 5-10 minutes tossing every few minutes until the chicken caramelizes and char a bit. Those crispy bits are delicious in the sandwich.

Shawarma is often served with an assortment of vegetables, pickles and sauces. My favorites are:

From bottom left (Shattah, tahini, amba, and toum)

• Tahini sauce

• Amba (a fermented savory mango sauce)

• Shattah (a chili paste)

• Garlic paste called “Toum” a

To make the Tahini sauce:

(All ingredients can be adjusted to your liking) but we are looking for a drizzlable consistency

1-2 garlic cloves mashed

1/2 cup Tahini (sesame paste)

Juice of one or two lemons

Salt

Water (1 tbsp at a time)

I like to add all the ingredients to a tight glass jar and shake until well blended. The sauce will appear so thick at first, so dilute the sauce with water adding one tbsp at a time until you get the desired (drizzlable) consistency.

Sumac onions:

1 onion cut into slivers

1 tbls of sumac

Toss both Ingredients together and set aside

Other veggies:

Cucumber pickles

Arab chopped salad

Or just sliced tomatoes

Bread:

Pita pickets warmed through so it’s more pliable

Or my favorite is called shrak or markouk bread (a paper thin soft bread that’s perfect for rolling the shawarma)

Markouk bread is often found at middle eastern markets. Made out of whole wheat flour and and cooked on a vehicle called “Saj”

You can also mount the shawarma on top of a creamy hummus plate add pine nuts and it’s a delicious treat.

Sahtain, XO

mai

#shawarma #arabstreetfood #streetfood #sandwich #aprilisforarabfood

Foul Mudammas

Foul Mudammas is often served at breakfast but not any breakfast. Growing up it was a dish reserved for weekend brunch with the whole family. Arab weekend breakfasts are often elaborate, and a time to mingle around the table for hours. The whole family will feast and nibble on all sorts of little dishes that are scattered all over a long table. Many of the dishes come from the pantry. Like olives, pickles, zaatar, jams and halaweh (halvah). And at least one egg dish is served. Boiled eggs, fried eggs in olive oil, eggs and potatoes or herbs etc. Many fresh cut veggies like crisp cucumbers, radishes and tomatoes and herbs are served next side to bowls of hummus and foul. The foul and hummus were hardly ever made on weekends, they were often bought from your favorite local joint. My mom would send my brothers to get them from the neighborhood tiny stall that served endless bowls of the most delicious creamy foul and hummus and on the way back my brothers would pick warm pitas or Jerusalem kaek from the local bakery fresh enough for this feast. The foul was often cooked in big brass urns, or clay pots and cooked slow for hours making this an anticipated weekend brunch dish. When you buy foul its often accompanied by a green sauce and shattah (chili paste). piping hot pots of mint tea accompany every breakfast table. Coffee is never served with food.

Although foul is enjoyed all over the Arab world but it has deep roots in Egypt. Foul is the Arabic word for fava beans. When you say foul mudammas then you are referring to the mashed dip that we are cooking below.

xxx,

Sahtain

*Traditional bowls used to serve hummus and foul in Palestine

Ingredients

One 14 Oz can Foul with its liquid (cooked fava beans)

Juice of one lemon (more if you want)

2 tbls Extra virgin olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1/4 tsp cumin

Salt to taste

(Option 1) Garnishes:

1 tomato, finely chopped

Jalapeño ribs and seeds removed and finely chopped

3 tbls fresh parsley minced

3 tbls fresh mint minced

(Option 2)Green sauce:

Traditional you would just mince fresh mint and fresh parsley and garnish the top. But I wanted to make a green paste to go on top instead (similar to a pesto).

Green sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

• Few sprigs of fresh mint finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped

• 1 small jalapeño deseeded and finely chopped

• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavours into the oil before using.

You can also do all this in a food processor until it’s all incorporated. We are looking for a little texture so pulse until you get the consistency you like. Scraping the bowl in between.

For the foul:

Directions:

1. In a small pan, Dump the entire can of foul heat the foul including its liquid. Bring to a gentle boil

2. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. We are just reheating the beans as they are already cooked.

3. With a fork or smash the beans to the consistency you like. Some like them chunky some like them smooth

4. Add the garlic, lemon juice, cumin and salt

5. Plate your foul in a shallow bowl and top it with the green sauce (if you are using) or the garnishes and the chopped tomatoes. This dish is often eaten with pita bread with a cup of mint tea.

#foul #legumes #favabeans #brunch #arabbrunch #foulmudammas #aprilisforarabfood