Help me with a diner party - Calling DU Chefs

[Catch22Dem]

I'd like to host a Middle Eastern themed dinner party. I've been to the ME several times and have always LOVED the food over there.

I'd like to know if my fellow DUers have some personal favorite dishes they'd like to share.

I know everyone likes to post in these kinds of threads (I do too) but please keep it Middle Eastern. Thanks!

[katusha]

1. which region?

persian, arabian, north african? or do you want a mix?

persian:
http://tehran.stanford.edu/Recipes/recipes.html

turkish:
http://adilakkus.tripod.com/adilakkusrecipes/id6.html

general middle eastern:
http://www.ummah.org.uk/family/recipes.html
http://www.aaamodesto.org/Assyrian_Food1.htm

north african:
http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/africa.html

[Catch22Dem]

2. Don't really care

I found this too. Looks pretty thorough!
http://www.sudairy.com/mer/recipes.html?sort=mezze

[katusha]

6. okay then

the easiest to pull off would be hummus, babaganoosh, felafel with pita, persian rice and figs in syrup for dessert.

mint
parseley
lemon juice
cardammon

these four ingredients will give just about anything a middle eastern flair :-)

[IdaBriggs]

3. Hummus!

You must have hummus! I've got a great recipe for it if you need one! Also, lemon garlic chicken is easy to fix...And the salad dressing...Now you've got me craving it, too! :) Best, Ida

[Catch22Dem]

7. Yes, I love hummus

And I'd love to look at your recipe.

[soothsayer]

4. If you've got fresh tomatoes, do this easy Israeli salad (at least that's

what my friend's Moroccan mom called it).

Tomatoes
Onion
Green pepper (I use a roasted other kind of pepper, like cubanelle, skinned, if possible). Or sometimes I leave the pepper out.

Chop everything up, coarse or fine, however you like it.

Toss with vinegar (cider vinegar gives it a nice sweetness).

Salt and pepper to taste.

Give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top.

It is UNBELIEVABLY tasty---so fresh and light, and folks will SWEAR you put oil in it cuz it's so smooth and tasty.

Another good salad from that neck o'the woods is cooked beets, onion slices, sliced hard boiled eggs, and boiled new potatoes. Cut 'em into big hunks and toss 'em all together with some oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper, and don't forget the squeeze o'lemon. This is good warm or cold. Yum!

[Catch22Dem]

8. Sounds very good

Every dinner party should have a good salad. You can't just give them the main course ya know!

[otohara]

5. Chicken Shawarma

I've never cooked it - but it's my favorite dish when we go to the Syrian restaraunt. Thin, tiny pieces of marinated chicken, grilled in oven - served over Basamatti rice - (best Basamatti is from India) served w/ yogurt dressing on the side.

yum, yum...

[Catch22Dem]

10. When I would go to Saudi Arabia and Jordan

We'd always get shwarmas. Oh my god they were awesome. In Saudi, they'd put this wonderful garlic paste on the bread before adding the rest of the stuff. The meat would be on a vertical rotissere (not sure if those have a name) and they'd put orange halves on top which would drip down the length of the meat.

I was in the Air Force, and I was one of a few people who had a tremendous appreciation for Middle Eastern culture while I was there. My friends and I really had a great time. Then again, I always surrounded myself with people who were like me, so it was easy. We loved the food, music, people. I don't like their government, but government doesn't define culture.

ON EDIT: I was talking about the Saudi government. I think the Jordanian monarchy is fine. King Hussein was a good man, and Queen Noor is very much loved by the people of Jordan.

[sushi]

12. I've also lived in the ME

and I liked it so very much I even took Arabic lessons and bellydancing. Isn't it sad that people think so badly of the ME!

I've almost finished reading Queen Noor's book, but my favorite royal is Jordan's present queen, Rania!

[Catch22Dem]

14. She's beautiful! WOW!!!

[MrsMatt]

9. Stuffed grape leaves

my Turkish friend always serves them as appetizers (plus, you can purchase them at upscale markets!).

Yum.

[sushi]

11. Tabbouleh

A popular salad of the ME, and one of my favorite because it is delicious and easy to make.

Soak a handful of burghul (cracked wheat) in cold water until puffed up, then squeeze and put in bowl. Chop up a bunch of very fresh flat-leaved parsley and dice a few ripe but firm tomatoes. Add to bowl and toss. Add lemon/lime juice and olive oil to the mix, and toss again. You can add a bit of finely chopped onion and bell pepper if you like but burghul, parsley and tomatoes are the main ingredients. No amounts given because it's up to you. Once you've made it you will decide how much of the different colors you prefer.

Can/should be made hours before eating, then refrigerate. Just before serving salt and pepper to taste if you like, and see if it needs more lemon juice or oil. I line the salad bowl with lettuce leaves. It is a colorful salad. Very healthy too!

[supernova]

13. Morrocan Chicken Tagine

Tagine is a kind of MD slow cooker. This sort of chicken stew is very good at comes in a lot of variations: plum and spices, olives and preserved lemons. A couple of years ago, I was involved with a dinner party club and we did a version of it printed in Cooking Light. But I can't get to the recipe right now.

Here's a recipe from Food Network:

Rock salt
1 whole large chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon real saffron
Pinch fine salt
1/2 pound onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 pound gizzards, optional
1/4 pound chicken liver, optional
1/4 cup mixed olives, pitted
3 small preserved lemons

Serving suggestion: bread

First rub the rock salt into the chicken pieces and then wash the chicken in the white wine vinegar and water. Leave for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry and place onto a clean plate.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, coriander, cinnamon, saffron, fine salt, 1/2 the onions, garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, turmeric. Mix all these ingredients into the oil and crush the garlic and add a little water to make a paste.

Roll the chicken pieces into the marinade and leave for 10 to 15 minutes.

For cooking, use a tagine (traditional Moroccan dish) or a deep, heavy bottom casserole dish. Heat the dish up and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot dish. Drop in the chicken and pour over the excess marinade juices. Add the remaining onions, gizzards, chicken livers, olives, and chopped preserved lemons (no pulp).

Cook in medium hot oven (350 degrees F) for 45 minutes.

Serve with fresh bread.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_16461,00.html

Here's a google search for CT recipes:

http://www.google.com/search?q=chicken+tagine&sourceid=firefox&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8