Garlic Butter Glazed Talami Bread

Garlic Butter Glazed Talmia Bread

Ingredients:

For The Bread:
1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water (105-110°F), divided
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
For The Glaze:
2 tablespoons salted butter, very soft
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
Big pinch kosher salt

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, a tablespoon of the sugar, and ¼ cup of the water. Set it aside until it is creamy and starting to bubble a bit, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt.

Add 1 cup of the water, 2 cups of the flour, and the rest of the sugar to the yeast mixture and stir by hand with the paddle attachment to combine.

Attach the paddle and on low speed, add the remaining 2 cups flour and 1 cup water. Once the mixture is combined, increase the speed and beat on medium-high until the dough is smooth and batter-like and climbing all the way up the paddle, about 5 minutes. Stay nearby so the mixer doesn't bounce off the counter!

Coat a medium sized bowl with a teaspoon of canola oil, and also coat a rubber spatula or rubber bench scraper. Use the coated scraper to scrape the dough from the paddle and the bowl and transfer the dough to the coated bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (not against the dough), and cover that with a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Gently deflate the risen dough by gently scraping it down the sides of the bowl with the oiled spatula or bench scraper, folding it over on itself a few times. Cover the bowl again with the plastic and towel and set it aside in a warm place to rise again for one hour (I've increased this second rise from original) while the oven and pan heat up.

Meanwhile, line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch quarter sheet pan with nonstick foil (this nonstick foil is key), or use an unlined 12-inch cast iron skillet (or enameled cast iron skillet or braiser). Place in the oven on the middle shelf and heat to 500°F for 30 minutes.

When the dough is risen, remove the pan from the oven and coat it with the remaining neutral oil. Use the oiled scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough from the bowl as you pour it into the hot pan. Start at one short end of the sheet pan and fill it with the dough as you move the bowl along with the dough to the other end of the pan. Use your oiled fingers or the bench scraper to very gently push the dough into the corners of the pan. It won’t be perfect, and that’s fine. Less touching is better. Brush some of the oil taken from the perimeter of the pan over the top of the dough.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F., or 375°F convection. Bake the bread until it is deep golden brown, about 25 minutes or so.

While the bread bakes, make the garlic butter glaze by stirring the garlic into the softened butter with a big pinch of kosher salt.

When the bread is done, set the hot pan on a rack. Glaze the top by generously coating it with the garlic butter using a small knife or spatula. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack until it is nearly room-temperature before slicing into pieces to serve.

 

Fried Kibbeh Bites With Tahini Dipping Sauce.

Fried Kibbeh Bites With Tahini Dipping Sauce

Recipe By: Maureen Abood

Fried kibbeh bites are so delicious that we make them not just with leftover kibbeh, but with kibbeh made just for this purpose. They are excellent pan fried. Can you bake them? Sure. Remember that kibbeh has no fat in it, so if you bake them, it’s best to brush them with oil or butter before and after baking. A half-pound of kibbeh makes about 30 1-inch bites.

Dipping Sauce
1 cup tahini
1/2 cup Labneh or plain Greek yogurt
1 small clove garlic, minced or grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cold water, as needed
Mint salt for finishing (or crushed dried mint + fine sea-
 salt)

Kibbeh Bites
Any amount leftover raw or freshly made kibbeh
Oil for frying (neutral, such as Safflower, canola, or olive
 oil.

Directions:
First make the dipping sauce so it is ready when the Kibbeh Bites are hot out of the pan. In a small food processor, blend the tahini, labneh, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until sauce is thick and dip-able liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The sauce can also be whisked by hand. Transfer the sauce in a small bowl and dust the top with mint salt.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat while you shape the kibbeh bites. The oil should register 350 degrees, and can be tested with a small bit of kibbeh; it should bubble up vigorously when added to the oil.

Line a pan with paper towel. Start with the cold kibbeh straight from the refrigerator (if freshly made kibbeh rather than leftover, chill for one hour). Shape about 1 tablespoon kibbeh into a 1 inch ball, repeating this with all the kibbeh and placing the balls on the lined sheet pan.

Fry the balls in batches, taking care not to crowd them, until they are deep golden brown. Turn them to brown them evenly all over.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the bites from the frying pan and transfer to a fresh paper towel-lined sheet pan.

Serve the bites hot with the tahini dipping sauce.  This is finger-food, or if you prefer, serve them with cocktail toothpicks.

To Make Your Kibbeh:

Kibbeh Nayeh, tartare of Lebanon, is specially prepared spiced raw meat with bulgur. The ratio of cracked wheat to meat is 1:1, so you can adjust quantities easily. I always make much more raw kibbeh than we are going to eat because I want to bake or fry it the next day. This recipe is for a manageable 2 pounds of meat, but I make as much as 5 pounds to provide for day 2 of kibbeh-love. The meat is ideally ground by a knowledgable butcher; technique to grind it yourself is below. If you want to bake the kibbeh, that recipe is here. 

Kibbeh Nayen:

Ingredients:

2 cups fine bulgur (#1)

2 pounds leg of lamb or eye of round beef, trimmed entirely of all fat and gristle
1-2 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium sweet onion, pureed
1-2 cups ice water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Rinse the bulghur in cold water, drain, and cover to 1⁄2 inch with cold water. Soak for 1⁄2 hour, or until the bulghur is softened.

Either ask the butcher to grind the meat for you (three times on sterile blades), or grind it yourself. To grind meat, slice the trimmed meat into rectangles, about 4x2 inches. Season lightly with salt and pepper and freeze for 30 minutes. Grind the meat once on the fine/small holes on the grinder, or twice on the large holes.

To combine the kibbeh meat, keep a small bowl of ice water nearby to keep hands wet and cold. In a large bowl, knead the meat with the pureed onion and about half of the cracked wheat. If there is any visible water left in the cracked wheat from soaking, squeeze it out of the wheat before adding it to the kibbeh. Dip hands in water as you knead, adding about 1⁄4 cup of the water in total; be careful not to add too much water to the kibbeh or it will become mushy rather than simply soft. Add the wheat 1⁄2 cup at a time until it’s fully incorporated. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne and cinnamon, tasting and adjusting the seasoning.

To serve, shape traditionally, on an oval platter, form the kibbeh into an oval dome and press a cross into with the the tip of your finger, adding fresh mint for garnish (or simply flatten the kibbeh on a plate and decorate using the tip of a spoon or tines of a fork). Sweet onion, toasted pine nuts, and mint are excellent garnishes. Serve with pita bread and labneh (thickened yogurt).

Talami

Talami  Lebanese Bread

Danny Talami

This is a recipe from a favorite blog, "Rose Water and Orange Blossom". Maureen Abood is Lebanese by ethnicity and employs the dishes of her family in her diet as well as her new cookbook. Winter is a good time to bake bread.  It not only heats up the house but gets the wonderful aroma wafting throughout the house stimulating appetites. Nothing is better on a cold day than a slice of freshly baked bread with butter. The story associated with this bread is Maureen was researching the recipe for Talami. While on a photo shoot in Philadelphia she met a priest of her religion who showed her his techniques. She came home all excited to make this for her husband of six months who actually showed her his bread making skills. This is his family recipe thus it is called Danny Talami

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Danny Talami
The egg in the dough makes this bread extra-tender and special. Dan likes to combine the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers to top the talami.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sugar
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (about 110° F), plus another 1/4 cup or so
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
2 teaspoons salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Optional toppings such as chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, za’atar mixed with olive oil (1:1), or sesame seeds

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Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast in 2 cups of the warm water. Let it rest for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is creamy and slightly bubbly. Stir in the oil, salt, and egg. Mix in the flour, a cup at a time, until there are no lumps and a wet, sticky dough has formed. Add about 1/4 cup more water as you go as well.

Rub the dough and the sides of the bowl with a tablespoon of the oil, reach under the droopy dough to rub oil underneath it as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (without letting it touch the dough) and drape a kitchen towel over the top. Let the dough rest in a warm spot for about 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 450° F. Rub a tablespoon or so of oil on two rimmed sheet pans. Divide the dough in quarters and form each one into a round, 2 on each pan. Rub more oil over the tops of the dough and let them rest for another 15 minutes.

If you’re using toppings, push them into the top of each loaf, making dimples with the tips of your fingers. Make the dimples even if you’re not using toppings.

Bake the bread, one pan at a time, for about 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cut or tear off pieces and eat warm; the bread is best right now. To store the bread, wrap room temperature bread in plastic and aluminum foil for a day or so.

Lebanese Fattah: Chickpeas, pita chips, and labneh with garnishes

Lebanese Fattah:  

Chickpeas, Pita Chips, 

And Labneh With Garnishes

This dish comes together quickly when you have a well-stocked larder with labneh, chickpeas, and pita chips. I like to make these regularly and keep them on hand at all times! You can use peeled chickpeas, my favorite, but from dry or canned will work fine here too. Add fried eggplant, roasted chicken or lamb for extra oomph.

Serves: 2
Ingredients:
For the chickpeas:
2 cups chickpeas
½ cup water
Big pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the labneh:
1 cup labneh
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Squeeze of lemon juice

For the garnishes:
Pita chips
Scallions, thinly sliced
Radish, grated
Pine nuts, toasted
Fresh mint, finely chopped
Pomegranate seeds 

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Instructions:
In a small saucepan, heat the chickpeas with the water and salt until warmed through. Strain the chickpeas and in a small bowl, stir in the olive oil

Mix the labneh with the garlic, salt, and lemon juice.

In two lovely bowls, mound the warm chickpeas in the center. Spoon a big dollop of labneh on top. Surround the chickpeas with the pita chips, scallions and radish, then garnish with pine nuts, fresh mint, and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.







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LoKuM Turkish Delight

Lokum

Turkish Delight is a candy that originated in Turkey in the 1700's. The gummy, sugarcoated candy was invented in 1777 by famous confectioner Bekir Effendi (known as Haci Bekir after the Muslim hajj pilgrimage). Haci Bekir owned a candy shop in the Bahcekapi district of Istanbul. Today his descendants continue too sell the confectionary from the same building.

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Ingredients
4 cups granulated sugar 
1 1/4 cups cornstarch

1 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup confectioners sugar
Almond Oil

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Directions:
In a 9 inch baking pan, grease the sides and bottom with almond oil . Line with wax paper and grease the wax paper.

In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water on medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine cream of tartar, 1 cup corn starch and remaining water in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all lumps are gone and the mixture begins to boil. Stop stirring when the mixture has a glue like consistency.

Stir in the lemon juice, water and sugar mixture. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, Allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Once the mixture has become a golden color. Pour mixture into wax paper lined pan. Spread evenly and allow to cool overnight.

Once it has cooled overnight, sift together confectioners sugar and remaining cornstarch.

Turn over baking pan containing Turkish delight onto clean counter or table and cut with( almond oil)oiled scissors. into one inch pieces.

Coat with confectioners sugar mixture. Serve or store in airtight container in layers separated with wax or parchment paper.

You can also add 1 cup hazelnuts in this mixture.  Also pistachio nuts can be added

While the cornflour (cornstarch) and sugar syrup are cooking, shell and toast a couple of handfuls of hazelnuts. It is better to use fresh hazelnuts and toast them just before making Lokum, for a full hazelnut flavor. Years ago I also had a hazelnut essence which was great, but I cannot find it here, I think that one of the best places to buy it would be in Piedmont, in Italy. Without hazelnut essence you can get the best out of hazelnuts if you toast them and use them within a few days. When they are still hot from the oven put them in a clean tea towel and shake and rub them well so as to discard the peel. If some peel stays on don't worry, it is edible, just not as nice. Crush the nuts roughly and when the Turkish Delight mixture is ready, instead of adding rose water and berries, add the chopped nuts. Mix well and then follow the same steps as for the basic recipe.  

A few variations:


Pistachio: same as hazelnuts, but it is also possible to blanch the nuts to remove the skin (for greener pistachio). 

Almonds could go too!


Orange Blossom: Same as Rose, but add Orange Blossom Water instead or Rose Water, and no need to add berries to colour these: they should be clear.

Lavender: when you make the syrup add a few lavender leaves (yes leaves) and then remove them before pouring the syrup into the cornflour mixture. Your Turkish Delights will smell and taste like lavender. For colours add a few blueberries, they will melt in the hot mixture and give you a light lavender colour.

Lemon and other citruses: Easy, add lots of lemon juice and/or zest (or the juice of your favourite citrus fruit) when you make the sugar syrup (there is also lemon essence, if you like).