Eat, Love, Pray....and Learn in Syria

Dr. Rafif Al SayedMoustapha, myself, and Mrs. Fifi O'Connor (right) Have you ever been invited to a "Power Lunch"? This is the only phrase I can think of to describe an event I attended on Friday, March 20 at the residence of the Ambassador of Syria to the US. The ambassador's wife, Dr. Rafif Al-Sayed Moustapha guided us through "A Journey from Syria" discussion. I learned that the oldest alphabet, oldest song, and oldest painting in the world were all discovered in what is now Syria. Recently the Oriental Institute in Chicago held a musical performance of a modern interpretation of "The Prayer of Infertility" which was the world's first known song- "A Hymm to the Moon God's wife". Syria is home to twenty-two different religious and ethnic sects. The capital city Damascus is now the "cultural capital" of the Arab world. Syria is also home to a monastary which has become an important pilgrimage site for Christians, one of the oldest and largest mosques in the world, and synagogues. Pagan gods, Christian saints, revered Jewish religious figures, and many Muslim prophets and caliphs once walked on the ancient crossroads in Damascus-the world's oldest continuously inhabited city.

Needless to say, this multi-ethnic country of firsts created many culinary gifts for mankind to enjoy as well. After Dr. Rafif's lecture and beautiful video, Chef Bachar Raji stood next to a banquet table offering kibbeh (beef and cracked wheat croquettes), hommus bil tahina (chickpea and sesame paste puree), fatteh with beef and eggplant (eggplant, beef, and toasted bread casserole with yogurt and sesame paste), tabbouleh (bulgar, cucumber, and tomato salad), m'sakhan (sumac scented chicken cooked in pita bread and stock), stuffed vine leaves (see recipe and video below), and numerous salads. Dessert included sweet cheese filled k'nafeh (shredded phyllo pastry filled with a sweet mozzarella-like cheese) and a semolina (heart of wheat grain)pudding topped with clotted cream. I never learned so much....and ate so well, at the same event. I wonder what I would have been capable of achieving in college if Cornell's cafeterias were run under the auspices of Chef Bachar. If all the chefs of Syria cook like this, "food for thought" could be their claim to fame!

Me & Chef Bachar

Recipe:

Stuffed Vine Leaves

This recipe is from Nile Style by Amy Riolo. Click here to watch a video demonstrating a different recipe for Stuffed Vine Leaves: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/11942-how-to-make-stuffed-grape-leaves

Wara’ Aghnib 6 Servings Ingredients: ½ pound fresh vine leaves or 1 (8 ounce) jar preserved vine leaves, drained 1 cup Egyptian or other short grain rice 1/3 cup fresh dill 1/3 cup fresh parsley 1/3 cup fresh mint 1 cup canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, divided 1 medium yellow onion, grated ¼ cup olive oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper Dash of chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 lemons, sliced Preparation: Place vine leaves in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. Finely chop the dill, parsley, and mint. In a medium bowl, mix rice, herbs, ¾ cup of the tomatoes, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Drain vine leaves. Place 1 leaf on a work surface vein side up. Cut the excess piece of stem from the bottom of each leaf. Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of each leaf. Shape the filling to resemble the width of a pencil across the width of the leaf. Roll the leaf up, starting at the bottom. Tuck in the sides of the leaf as you go, making an envelope. Refrain from rolling the leaves too tightly or they will tear as the rice cooks and expands inside. Continue with remaining leaves. Place stuffed vine leaves seam side down, next to each other in a heavy saucepan. Stuffed Vine Leaves should be touching one another and fit into the pan without any spaces. Repeat a second layer on top, if necessary. Place a plate upside down on top of Stuffed Vine Leaves in the saucepan to keep them from rising. Pour boiling water over the Stuffed Vine Leaves until they are almost, but not completely covered. Add the remaining ¼ cup tomatoes, salt, and pepper, to the pan. Cover the saucepan and simmer on low heat until rice is fully cooked and leaves are tender (approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours). To test the doneness of Stuffed Vine Leaves, break one in half and taste it. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon slices. Meat and Pine Nut Stuffed Pastries (Sfeeha)