Sweet Mother of Ali

I thought I should start the first post after my long break by writing about something sweet. And what better subject for a sugarphile like myself, than with what could arguably be one of the most beloved desserts in the Middle East. You cannot go to an Arabic restaurant and not see it on the menu. At buffets it is at the front center of the dessert tables. Also, those who know me know why it is special to me as well.

Omm Ali, Umm Ali – there are many variations to its spelling - is a delicious mixture of baked puff pastry (or phyllo dough), raisins, nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts and/or pine nuts), and sometimes coconut, all covered with a thick sweet cream and baked until golden. It is similar to bread pudding, but richer and made without eggs. Properly made, it is a piece of heaven in a bowl. Creamy but not too rich with bits of dried fruits and nuts. But I also have had many horrible renditions. Poorly made ones resemble soggy, sugary leftover cereal and milk – and taste of the same.

Omm means mother in Arabic, so Omm Ali literally means Ali’s mother. In the Arab culture it is not uncommon for people to often forgo their first names after the birth of their first son and be called Omm or Abu (which means father) name of first son instead. Those without sons are sometimes called by the names of their firstborn daughters, but this is not as prevalent.

Now a bit of history about this famous dish. Arabs love folklore and they certainly have a gift of story telling. So whenever I write about a traditional dish, I try to find the story behind it.

Well, most leads pointed to the origin of Omm Ali as being Egyptian and concocted during the reign of the Mamelukes, a military caste originating in Turkey that ruled Egypt from the 13th to 16th centuries. One Egyptian tourism web site claimed this dessert was named after the first wife of the sultan Ezz El Din Aybek. When the sultan died, his second wife had a dispute with the first wife, (Ali’s mom), which resulted with the death of wife number 2. To celebrate, Omm Ali made this dessert, or probably had ordered it to be made by the palace chefs, and distributed it among the people.

Another version was about a sultan, name unknown, who was hunting in the Nile delta and developed a veracious appetite. He stopped in a small village and the peasants, coveting to please him, requested the best cook of the village, Omm Ali to create something. She whipped up something with the only ingredients she had on hand; dried wheat flakes (perhaps pieces of gullash, an Egyptian phyllo-like pastry), raisins, nuts and coconut. She covered it with sugar and milk and put it into the village communal oven. It turned out to be so good that the sultan requested Om Ali’s dessert the next time he visited.

Yet another story is related by Charles Perry, a retired food writer for the Los Angeles Times and an authority on medieval Arab cookery. Eschewing all prior versions, according to him, Omm Ali was a pudding learned from an English nurse named O'Malley.

Hmm...I like the Egyptian versions better.

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Omm Ali

Ingredients
1 package good quality (i.e. made with butter) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup golden raisins, or other dried fruit (cherries, apricots etc)
1/4 cup unsalted chopped pistachios
1/4 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (optional)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom powder
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Unroll the puff pastry sheets, and place flat on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.
Break the puff pastry into pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add the raisins, pistachios and coconut (if using), and toss to distribute. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish and spread evenly.
Pour the milk, cream, evaporated & condensed milks into a saucepan, along with the vanilla or cardamom powder. Stir to combine well. Heat until hot but not boiling. Carefully pour over the pastry & nut mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil, and broil for 2 minutes or until lightly brown on the top. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm. With whipped cream & caramel sauce if you want to really gild the lily.

How to Cook a Camel

Just something I thought you might find interesting!

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Fatayer for Breakfast

One of my favorite things to eat, I have discovered is fatayer (often pronounced feteer or fata-er). Fatayer literally means pastry in Arabic. They are savory pockets of dough and are usually filled with a variety of things, the most popular of all being spinach (sabanekh). Other fillings include cheese (jubn) such as feta or halloumi, chicken (djaaj), meat - usually ground beef or lamb (laham), potato (batata) and a mixture of soft fresh Arabic cheese made from yogurt called labneh, and za'atar. Za'atar is an Arabic herb and spice blend, which can include thyme, fennel, cumin, sumac and sesame seeds, all which are ground together. Other herbs and spices can be included according to different geographic regions.

These turnovers can be baked or fried, the baked ones more commonly available here. Here in the Middle East they are usually eaten as a snack or light lunch, though I prefer them for breakfast. My personal favorite is the egg and cheese (bil jubn wa baydh) fatayer. They remind me of the breakfast egg and cheese bagels one can get in many coffee shops in New York. They are also relatively inexpensive, costing about 3 riyals apiece.

The origin of the fatayer are a bit cloudy, with the Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and Egyptians all claiming it to have originated from them. Since I usually purchase them from Turkish restaurants they must have Turkish roots as well. They may also be a distant cousin of the Greek spinach turnovers called spanakopita.

Fatayer are very light yet filling. If made properly they are delicious, though in the beginning I ate a few which were just awful; bland, doughy and tasteless. I had given up on them for a while, but I spotted them on the menu at a small and insanely popular Turkish restaurant called Turkey Central. There are many Turkish establishments here; their kebabs are arguably the best I have eaten, and since they are inexpensive and extremely child friendly we frequent them often. Upon noticing them I thought, if all the other items on the menu are so good, let’s give the fatayer another chance.

They came unceremoniously on a plastic tray. The soft pillowy dough was baked until golden. Their tops were brushed with clarified butter (ghee) and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I had ordered a variety of fillings, cheese, eggs, lightly spiced chicken and lamb, and not one disappointed. I had found fatayer nirvana; they were doubtlessly the best I had eaten. There was plenty left over, so I had a few for breakfast the next morning. Now I sometimes purchase them solely for this, my infrequent indulgence.



The following is a recipe for spinach fatayer. Though the recipe gives instructions on how to make the dough, pre-made purchased bread dough, fresh or frozen, also works well.

Spinach Fatayer

For dough:
2 pounds (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 envelope yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup warmed milk
1 cup warm water

For filling:
4 bunches spinach, washed and chopped
Salt, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, finely grated
1 tablespoon sumac (available at Middle Eastern stores), optional

Instructions:
To make dough: Combine ingredients in a food processor until a stiff dough results. Add more warm water if needed. Let rise in a covered bowl for about 2 hours. Punch down dough and let rest for another hour until it rises again. Cut dough into 2-inch pieces and roll into balls. Place on an oiled pan and cover with a towel. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes.

To make filling: Wash and chop spinach. Sprinkle with salt to cause wilting. Squeeze water from spinach with your hands. Add oil, lemon, salt, onion and sumac if using.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a flat circle. Place 1 tablespoon spinach filling in the center. Pinch ends to meet in the middle to create a triangular shape. Let pies rest 15 minutes. Coat pan with oil and bake pies for 15 minutes or until browned.

Can be served warm or at room temperature. Makes 24.
Recipe courtesy of Blanche and Vera Araj from the San Jose Mercury News

Ramadan Kareem & Greetings from Doha

I have finally have gotten around to starting a blog. Not due to laziness (of course some may beg to differ), but we finally have DSL. We are also more settled into our new home. Things tend to move at a much slower pace here than what we are used to, but after being stuck in the rat race for too many years, I can live with this. I will mainly be writing about experiences pertaining to living in Qatar, though I may also occasionally wander off towards some travel and food writing, always remaining faithful to this region.

Ramadan is almost over. This Ramadan was quite different for me then last years, more peaceful in many ways. Things run a little differently here this month. Schools and most offices start later and end earlier, so it's a much shorter work day. We also get a 1 week break for Eid. There is no public eating or drinking throughout the month, from dawn until dusk. Grocery stores are open, and they are unusually busy at all times. Sometimes we can't find certain items, they are usually sold out. But the workers do their best to keep everything well stocked. Restaurants are closed during the day and open at Iftar time. Most stay open until Suhur. There are many Iftar and Suhur specials at most of the hotels, clubs and restaurants. Some also set up elaborately decorated tents, which allow everyone the opportunity to enjoy traditional Ramadan foods and night time celebrations.

A few days ago we went to a Suhur tent, called Layali Al Qamar, at the Intercontinental hotel. It was literally a large tent set up on the beach, and was beautifully decorated in true Arabian style. We were greeted at the door by a traditionally garbed attendant, while another took us to our table. One of the things I greatly appreciate in Qatar is the exceptional customer service we receive from the wait staff. This is true in most establishments, whether it is a fast food restaurant or a 5 star hotel. Most employees are from the Philippines, but there are many from the Indian subcontinent and other Arab countries. I guess after being associated with a customer related business for so long, I truly appreciate these things.

After being seated, we were served Arabic coffee called gahwa (mixed with cardamom and sometimes saffron). We then started the meal with mezze, which were brought to our table. There must have been at least 15 different items, accompanied with hot pita bread. My favorite one was made with feta cheese and tomatoes. I will try to duplicate it at home and if I am successful I will post the recipe here. Having foolishly somewhat filled ourselves with the mezze (they were that good!), we then pecked our way through the buffet which, to say the least, was extensive. The foods served at these venues are mainly Ramadan favorites. Some of the items were being prepared fresh in front of us, such as fatteer meshaltet (a flat bread), shawarma and fatteh hummus (a chickpea dish layered with fried bread). There were kebabs aplenty, along with rice dishes such as kabsat al lahm (lamb with rice). The best however were the dessert tables. Lucky (or unlucky) me, Arabs have a sweet tooth. These tables were literally groaning, being laden with both western and Arabian style pastries and desserts (umm Ali anyone?) as well as a variety of fruit. Throughout the meal we were also offered traditional Ramadan drinks such as karkadeh (made of hibiscus flowers), jallab (dates) and Qamar El-Din (apricot).

We had taken the kids with us - bad idea. H was bored throughout the evening, though he was happy that his favorite food (steak) was in ample supply. N promptly went to sleep, curled up on 2 chairs. A refused to eat anything, but generously insisted on accompanying everyone on their trips to the buffet table. Many people were smoking, mostly shisha, and a live band was playing with an Arab singer. As the evening progressed, more people started to come and the place became more lively and inviting. Unfortunately, it was also becoming too loud and smoky for the kids. Being the responsible parents we are (or at least pretend to be), we left around 10 pm, a little earlier than we would have liked to. Next year we will try another tent. This time without the kids.