Well, my birthday was this past Sat. and I cooked myself
a birthday dinner and invited a couple of friends and
relatives. The theme was Persian/Middle Eastern.

Here's the menu:
Appetizer - Green Lentil Dip and Pita Bread
Main Course - Fesenjan (Persian Duck in Walnut
Pomegranate Sauce), Persian Sour Cherry Rice,
Turkish Stuffed Zucchini, Persian Cucumber and
Yogurt Salad
Wine - Grand View Raspberry Infusion (red wine
infused with raspberries, from Vermont)
Dessert - Semolina Cake, Syrup Poached Dried Apricots
Stuffed with Whipped Cream and Pistachios

First off the green lentil dip was completely
blah. And the damn recipe made almost 2 quarts of
the stuff. If I had been paying attention I would
have halved or quartered it. Now I'm stuck with
a ton of the stuff. I'm going to doctor it up
and make soup out of it at some later date. For
now it's in the freezer. It wasn't *bad* it just
wasn't good. And on top of that I over-toasted the
pita chips and they were almost burnt. Bleh!
Anyway, I couldn't really figure out what was wrong
with the recipe. I'm generally pretty good at looking
at a recipe and knowing how it's going to come out.
And I can usually tell what needs to be changed if it
doesn't come out very good. For all I know this one
could just use more salt but it doesn't *seem* like
that's the problem.

On to the main course. I was really looking forward
to the Fesenjan. I've made it before, but from a different
recipe and a long time ago. Also, I substituted almonds
for the walnuts as I don't like walnuts very much, although
I will eat them in some things but they have to be ground
up find and heavily sweetened such as in my aunt's nut
crescents that she makes every Easter. Anyway, I decided
that since they are ground up and cooked with lots of other
seasonings that they wouldn't be too bad so I used the
walnuts this time. The trouble with the recipe is that
you can't really taste the pomegranate juice! I remember
the one I made before having more of a fruity taste. This
one did not. Also, I may have put a little too much salt
in it although it was not overly salty, just saltier than
I prefer - I'm not a big fan of salt and only use enough
to keep food from being bland but not so much I can taste
it. I usually at least halve the amount called for in
a recipe. This time I didn't. Stupid! I was especially
chagrined because I love duck and don't cook it very often
as it's a tad expensive and I had bought this duck on sale
back in Nov. and had been saving it all this time and was
so disappointed in the way the dish turned out. I've been
eating the leftovers and it tasted even worse on Sunday but
I had some last night and it tasted somewhat better. Maybe
my taste buds are going through menopause. ;-) Oh, well.
I'm going to go out and get another duck and just make up
my own recipe and with no nuts at all. I think I'll marinate
it in the pomegranate juice and just add a few things to
make the sauce. (P. S. I used 2 different recipes and
sort of mixed and matched. They are below. Same goes for
the sour cherry rice.)

The sour cherry rice was also disappointing. I followed
the recipe pretty closely and even tracked down the sour
cherry preserves that are called for so it would be very
authentic. But I didn't like it. There is way too much
preserves for the amount of rice so the dish was too sweet.
Also, and this was totally my fault, the rice was over-cooked
and that didn't help. But mainly it was too sweet. I think
I like my fake version that I made once before with just
canned sour cherries (packed in water) with a little sugar
added and made like a regular rice pilaf. Besides being too
sweet there was a funny funky flavor to the rice. It called
for saffron and I just threw a bunch in. I'm wondering if
that was the saffron flavor. I've never been able to taste
saffron in the quantities that are normally used. Everyone
says it has a distinctive flavor but anything I've ever
eaten with saffron in it doesn't have any saffron flavor
that I can discern, the stuff just seems to be there for
the coloring, and it's a tad expensive to use for that
purpose! Anyway, I put quite a bit in this dish as my aunt
had given me a large quantity of it so I was being quite
generous with the amounts in the dishes since I hadn't had to
pay for it myself.

The stuffed zucchini was also rather uninspired. The stuffing
was the scooped out zucchini, onion, garlic, fresh dill, some
egg and flour and feta cheese. Not bad, just not great. I
regretted wasting my good Bulgarian feta on this dish.

The cucumber-yogurt thing was another item that didn't live
up to expectations. Certainly edible but not something I'd
ever make again. It had fresh mint in it.

The wine was excellent.

Dessert was much better. The semolina cake was good but I
wasn't thrilled with the texture. The cake is bake then cut
into diamond shapes and soaked with a lemony sugar syrup.
It tastes great, but I wondered if the semolina I used was
slightly too coarse. It was the only kind I found. But that
wasn't a big problem. I'm still enjoying it. (No recipe below
as it's in a book at home, not on the computer at work.)

The piece de resistance was the apricot thing. The dried
apricots are soaked in warm water, drained, and then poached
in a lemon, sugar syrup briefly. They are then drained and
filled with whipped cream. You're supposed fold sliced
almonds into the whipped cream but I didn't do that as I hate
soggy nuts. (They would have been okay if eaten immediately
but any leftovers would have gotten soggy.) Also, I have a
ton of pistachios so I decided to use just pistachios, which
I finely chopped and sprinkled on top. Also, the recipe didn't
call for it but I added some vanilla to the whipped cream.
These things are to die for. I will most definitely make them
again!

So that was my birthday dinner. Food-wise I got some really
good presents - Cherry Republic Cherry Ketchup, Cherry Republic
Cherry BBQ Sauce, Cherry Republic Cherry Brownie, and Cherry
Republic Chocolate-covered Dried Cherries. I had a very cherry
birthday! I also got a box of bunny peeps. I'm glad the
people in my life know of my love for Cherry Republic products
and have the Cherry Republic catalogue. ;-)

Kate

LENTIL DIP (Adasi)

2 c. green lentils, picked over and washed
3 T. vegetable oil, butter, or ghee
2 lg. onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. angelica powder
1/2 c. Seville orange juice or mixture of 2 T. fresh lime juice and 1/4
c. fresh orange juice

Place the lentils in a large saucepan and add 6 cups of water and 1
teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for
about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; add more water as necessary to
keep the beans immersed. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium
heat. Add onions and garlic and fry for 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally to prevent burning. Add the fried onion mixture, salt, and
pepper to the lentils and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low
heat for another 45 minutes. Add angelica powder and Seville orange
juice and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot or cold with lavash
bread. This recipe may be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in
the refrigerator. If the salad is refrigerated for more than an hour,
remove it from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.
(Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's A Taste of Persia)

FESENJAN (Persian Duck in Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce)

1 4-5 lb. duck
salt
pepper
8 T. butter
2 onions, grated
2 c. walnuts, finely pulverized
1/2 c. pomegranate syrup or juice
3 T. sugar
1 t. cardamom
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 1/2 c. water
1 T. lemon juice
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
tangerine sections

Wash, pat dry, and quarter duck. Rub well with salt and pepper. Brown
in 4 T. butter. Remove to a Dutch oven. Saute onions in remaining 4 T.
butter. Lower heat and add pulverized nuts, pomegranate syrup (or
juice), sugar, cardamom, salt, pepper, water, and lemon juice. Cook
over low heat until will blended. Pour over duck. Cover and cook over
low heat for 45 minutes or until tender. Baste several times. Skim off
fat. Remove duck to heated platter and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with
chopped nuts. Garnish with tangerine sections. (Add fresh pomegranate
seeds to garnish when in season.) Serve with chelo (a Persian rice
dish). Serves 4.

SOUR CHERRY RICE

3 cups basmati rice
4 tablespoons salt
large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
3/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed finely into powder with pestle
3 cups sour cherry (Morello) preserves
slice of pita bread

Fill large pot with water. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Soak rice for two
hours. Drain. In large nonstick pot, add 9 cups water, 2 tablespoons
salt, and pre-soaked rice. Bring to boil. Stir gently occasionally to
prevent rice from sticking. Cook until al dente. Drain. Rinse with
cold water, then shake colander to remove excess water. Set aside. In
skillet, fry onion in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter until golden.
Lower flame. Add saffron to onions. Add sour cherries. Simmer for 15
minutes, being careful not to burn. Cover bottom of nonstick pot with
olive oil. Separate one piece of pita bread and place it on the bottom
of pot. Spoon thick layer of rice over pita bread; spoon layer of sour
cherry preserves over rice, then alternate layers, forming a mound.
Poke holes in rice mixture with handle of spatula to allow steam to
rise. Mix until rice takes on color of preserves. Melt remaining 1½
sticks of butter. Pour evenly over rice. If juice from cherries
gathers around edges of pot, skim off excess so tadiq at bottom won't be
mushy. Cover with clean towel. Then put lid on. Place pot on medium
heat. When you hear sizzling at the bottom (after about 5 minutes),
then bring down heat to low. Cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour.
Serves 6.

PARVIN'S POMEGRANATE CHICKEN STEW AND SOUR CHERRY RICE

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups finely ground walnuts
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups water
1-2 teaspoons saffron water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup pomegranate paste
1 whole 4-pound chicken
1 teaspoon ground paprika
Sour Cherry Rice
yogurt

In a large stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add 1
onion and the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown,
10-15 minutes. Add walnuts, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4
minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon
turmeric, the cinnamon, 1 cup water, and the saffron water. Stir in
orange juice and pomegranate paste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a
simmer, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes. In
another large stockpot, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over
medium-high heat. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring frequently,
until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook, turning
occasionally, until brown all over, about 10 minutes. Add the paprika,
remaining teaspoon turmeric, remaining teaspoon salt, pepper, and
remaining ¼ cup water. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken,
pan juices, and onions to pomegranate mixture. Cover, and cook for 45
minutes. Serve with sour cherry rice and yogurt. Serves 4-6.

Sour Cherry Rice:
4 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
2 teaspoons saffron water
32 ounces whole sour cherry preserves, drained and liquid reserved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place rice in a medium bowl, and add enough water to cover. Pour off
water, and repeat process 2-3 more times. Add enough cold water to
cover. Add salt, and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Drain. Bring a
large pot of water to a boil. Add rice, and cook until almost tender, 5
minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick stockpot, combine 2
tablespoons water, butter, yogurt, and 1 teaspoon saffron water. Add
rice, layering with the cherries, and cherry liquid. Sprinkle with
remaining saffron water and the oil. Cover top of stockpot with a thick
kitchen towel, and place lid on top. Cook over medium heat for 5
minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes more. Invert rice
onto a large platter. Serve immediately.

MAAST-O-KHIAR
(Yogurt Cucumber Salad)

500 g yogurt
1/2 sm. cucumber, grated
1 sm. onion, grated
2 t. mint
salt
black pepper

Beat yogurt well until it flows smoothly. If yogurt is thick, add a bit
of water while beating. If fresh mint is used, it should be finely
chopped. Add mint, onion, cucumber, salt, and pepper to yogurt and mix
well. Leave in the refrigerator for two hours, then serve.
Maast-o-Khiar makes a delicious side dish. Makes 4 servings.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI, TURKISH STYLE

4 med. zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 T. butter
3/4 c. finely minced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
3/4 c. grated Swiss cheese
2 T. freshly chopped parsley
1 T. fresh, chopped dill (or 3/4 t. dried dill weed)
1 1/2 T. flour
salt and pepper to taste
paprika for the top

Scoop out the insides of the zucchini to leave a 1/2" rim. Chop the
innards into little bits and cook in butter with onions, garlic, salt,
and pepper until onions are soft. Combine with flour, cheeses, herbs,
and beaten eggs. Correct salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini cavities
and dust the tops with paprika. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until
the filling solidifies. Serve with a fresh tomato salad. (From The
Moosewood Cookbook)

KAYMAKLI KAYISI (Cream-filled Apricots - Turkey)

1 lb. dried apricot halves
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 lemon
1 c. whipping cream
1 c. slivered almonds
2 t. slivered pistachios

Soak apricots in warm water 2 hours to soften. Drain. Combine sugar, 1
cup water, and lemon half. Boil until syrupy, 225F-230F on candy
thermometer. Add apricots and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and
allow to cool. Whip cream until stiff. Fold 1 cup almonds into cream.
Arrange apricot halves in single layer, inner side up. Dollop cream
mixture onto 50 percent of apricot halves. Cover with other 50 percent,
like sandwich. Sprinkle remaining almonds and pistachios over tops.
Makes about 75, if small apricots are used.


--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?