Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Bulgur and Walnut Kibbeh

I'm really becoming a fan of Martha Rose Shulman's health columns in the NYT. In the last week, I've made two of her recipes, one for Lebanese tabbouleh and one for bulgur and walnut kibbeh. Both were so delicious and amazingly easy to make (if you use a food processor). And in the middle of a heat wave, just what the cook ordered, as there's no heat involved, except to boil water.

This is the first time I've ever used bulgur wheat. Unlike other grains and pulses, all you need to do is soak it in some water and it's ready to go. Once soaked, there's something so enjoyable about working with bulgur, the feeling of the grain so smooth and spongy — I'm tempted to add some cucumber juice and stick it all over my face. What a great facial!

Back to the kibbeh. Wow. You'd never know there wasn't meat in the recipe. Something about the combination of walnuts and bulgur; so rich and hearty, it kept me full for hours. I think I like it better than traditional kibbeh, which is usually made from ground raw lamb. The ingredients are very similar for both the tabbouleh and the kibbeh (the kibbeh has walnuts, the tabbouleh tomatoes and scallions), so if you decide to make one, make the other the next day.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Feta Sushi Roll

Well, they do say necessity is the mother of invention. And a lot of barmy concoctions in the kitchen, I'll bet. Like today. I'm making sushi rolls and I go to get eggs for the tamago and there's only one egg and the egg is cracked. Now, I don't want to risk food poisoning, but, looking in the refrigerator, there really isn't anything I can replace the egg with except feta cheese. And I think, okay. Feta cheese rolls.

Not as bad as it sounds, I'm glad to report. After all, cheese and rice is a basic in many European countries. So I make the sushi rice. And I cut up the feta cheese into nice thin slabs. I then moisten the feta cheese with the soy sauce-dashi mixture I was going to use for the tamago. And I add finely sliced mint, with a smear of wasabi. And voila. Feta cheese sushi rolls. Why not? About time there was a Japanese-Greek fusion dish!

How did it turn out? I'd give it a solid B.