What's Halal for you is Kosher for me

 A wonderful story of unity through diversity. The friendships we have made, the recipes and stories we have shared, which have brought Jewish and Muslim women together. Celebrating so many similarities in our cultures, traditions and beliefs and life long bonds we now share.

Making Kibbeh

Here is live footage with both Jewish and Muslim women being interviewed together whilst busy in the kitchen cooking....

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rnfirstbite/rn-first-bite-sat-14th-july/4121020

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Interfaith Ramadan Feast

Today we experienced a traditional feast that is eaten during the fast of Ramadan. We were all so excited today knowing we were making Kibbeh. Made from a blend of cooked bulgur wheat, chopped mint, spices and onions stirred into ground lamb, then cooked as small patties, kibbeh is a favourite traditional Lebanese dish.

The Arabic word kubbah means "ball"^. Other names for the dish derive either from the Persian word کوفته kofteh meaning ground meat,  the Turkish icli kofte,  and funnily enough, the Jewish Northeastern Neo-Aramaic is called כותילה kutele.
 
 

 

Outside Kibbeh shell mixture:


Wash and drain 1 kg burgur and let rest overnight in fridge.

Blend 1 red capsicum, 3 onions, 1 bunch basil, 1/2 tsp cummin, 1 tsp salt and pepper together to a paste. Add to burgul and mix through. Then mix through 1kg finely ground beef or lamb. Place this mixture through a mincer for a finer mince.


Inside Kibbeh shell:
 
Cook onion in oil, add mince beef, season well with cummin, pomegranate syrup, salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts. Cook 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.



Take an egg sized amount of shell mixture and form into a ball. With your finger, poke a hole in the ball, making a space for filling. Add filling and pinch the top to seal the ball. You can then shape it into a point, or football shape, or leave as a ball. 
 
Fry kibbeh in oil at 180'C for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

So excited to be making Kibbeh

Fatimah explaining the art of Kibbeh to Lynda

Kibbeh mixture can be made into several different dishes. Above, the mince is placed into a baking dish and baked, then cut into diamonds to serve.

 We made a delicious quick and really simple Lebanese Omelette, Ijhee.

Combine together all below ingredients, place in a greased baking dish and cook 30 minutes until golden.


2 bunches parsley, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
2 cups zucchini, grated
2 onions, choppped
salt and pepper
8 eggs
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pine nuts, roasted
1 tablespoon slivered almonds roasted

Next we made a traditional Radish Salad. 
Grate 2 bunches of radishes and place in a bowl. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon over the radish and then add the salt to flavour. Simple, elegant and a wonderful accompaniment to Kibbeh.

 A delicious Lentil soup was made today. Place lentils and water in large pot, bring to the boil and simmer 40 minutes until creamy. traditionally, 1/2 of rice is added to the pot to thicken the soup. As we are so many cooks, we all have opinions and far too many views. So we added onions cooked in oil to the pot later on.

 

 

Here we are cooking up a storm

And Nadia is always in charge in this kitchen

Samah and Fidah made Lebanese Shortbread, called Ghoraybeh.

 

Combine 500gm ghee with 750gm plain flour, 500gm icing sugar, 
2 teaspoons vanilla essence and a pinch of Bi carb soda. Mix in with your hands until the dough comes together. Roll into lengths, cut and place an almond half on top of each piece. bake hot oven 15 minutes. Let cool on tray.

 

 Finally, we made a Coconut Cake, Jazel Hind.


Beat 3 eggs with 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 1 cup milk and 1 cup oil. Add 3 cups SR flour, 2 cups shredded coconut and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Mix to combine. Pour in greased baking dish, and bake 180'C for 30 minutes. Remove cake from oven, pour some Lebanese sugar syrup over the hot cake and sprinkle with more coconut on top. Cut in diagonals to serve.

 That is it for another week. Don't forget to visit us on Facebook at
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Ciao, Mel

Jewish Muslim Interfaith Cooking Day - Middle Eastern Style

How wonderful to walk into a busy kitchen where all the beautiful women are working together..... the smells, the chatter, the hustle and bustle of a Middle Eastern kitchen, is so inviting, so warm, and so so delicious.

All hands were on deck, rolling out the dough for the homemade Manakish. This is a Lebanese style pita, is traditionally cooked over an open fire, on a dome griddle. the dough is brushed with either a za'atar which consists of olive oil, wild thyme, culinary sumac and sesame seeds, or the traditional topping called kashk of dried yoghurt, soaked buckwheat, finely chopped tomatoes, chillies and fresh herbs.

 Next on the menu was Nadia's homemade Falafel. A deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, garlic, parsley, cummin and coriander. The Arabic word means "a unit" ط ع م, and when translated meaning "a little piece of food". Falafel has become a common form of street food in the Middle East.  

The fried patties are regularly eaten as part of meze. During Ramadan, falafel is sometimes eaten as part of the 'iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast

after sunset^. Falafel became so popular that Middle Eastern McDonald's now serves a "McFalafel".

 

 Fatimah made a traditional Lebanese dish called Fetteh. It is made of layers of toasted or baked pieces of pita bread and chickpeas which are covered with a thick layer of seasoned yoghurt and topped with roasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.

 

 

                                   

                                        

We ended the day on a wonderful sweet treat, making Ma'amoul. these are small shortbread pastries filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts.

Now what I love about our Interfaith cooking days, are the similarities we share as women, the passion we all have for food, for family and for tradition.

But as I have just discovered, we share far more than we all realise. Many households keep a stock of Ma'amoul all year round, but they are particularly used on religious festivals. Muslims eat them at night during Ramadan, and Egyptian Jewish communities, eat Ma’amoul during Purim.

And today in Modern Jewish homes, we celebrate our festival of Purim, eating Hamentaschen, date filled sweet pastries. 

We truly are family !!!!!

until next week, ciao, Mel