zeitoun

You're right Elie, however I think this discussion which may have seemed off topic was intended to lay some kind of background so that we could better understand what is meant by Arab contributions to Algerian Cookery. It is a concept that to many (myself included) remains quite confusing . This certainly should have been made clearer in the course of this particular discussion.

Ici is one of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn. I haven't been in many months so it's a good thing you're mentionning it, it reminds me I am due for another visit. Here is their Website

I don't think I ever had beurre echiré, what do you use it for mainly, cooking, spreading, everything? How would you compare it to other butters? What part of France is it from?

Can eggs be pickled? I'd like to try that... Vue - this dish looks really good.

There's quite a bit of Arabic influence in Algeria. It's the national language for one. The Lebanese are Arabs as well. I didn't make any points about the Kasbah being an islamic city. I posted a photo link, to a website that I'm not affiliated with. There are many Kasbahs in North Africa. It means old part of town. I'm well aware of the history of the Berbers/Amazigh. My comments about 'confusion' were referring to my own cultural upbringing. Not confusion regarding Algerian history. A part of Setif (where my family is from) is a part of the Kabyle. Is it possible that someone can be both Arab and Berber culturally speaking? Yes, in fact the vast majority of Algerians are. The affiliation to one or other is often times an unfortunate political choice for most. I refuse to deny one or the other, because I am both. The irony is I found my brothers outside of the old country. Thank you for insights. ← Just a few insights on the question which might clarify or echo what was already said: By Arab, it is important to distinguish two things, the meaning of the word from an ethnic and cultural point of view. All of the people in the Arab world living outside of the Arabian peninsula are technically not ethnic Arabs, they are referred to as Arabs because of one simple factor which is the language they speak. So by that definition, a Mauritanian is as much an Arab as an Iraqi, Lebanese or Sudanese. So following this interpretation, a Berber is technically considered an Arab by virtue of the language he or she speaks (although some still speak the original Berber language or a mix of Arabic/Berber or Arabic/Berber with French thrown into it, which is probably why there is a lot of confusion and debate!!) It is difficult to define today who is an ethnic Arab because the Middle East has undergone so much change politically and socially in the past 1500 years. Most likely, the only people today that can claim to be 100% ethnic Arabs are the ones found in what is left of the nomadic tribes that still live on the Arabian Peninsula (there are some left although today their primary mode of transportation is no longer the camel but Toyota pick up trucks with a camel chillin' in the back, no joke i've seen it with my own eyes!) So for a better understanding of the term, everyone else was "Arabized" simply because through history, the Arabic language became more prevalent in this part of the world. So where does that leave us in terms of "Arab cooking" , I hope this thread will help us shed more light on the term

AAAAHHHH, a happy blette indeed, especially with this appropriate background, i love the contrast of colors.... Sorry couldn't help it again those pictures...ok I’ll stop. Just to tell you Lucy that your happy blette made a happy zeitoun, your pictures just remind me of why i love food so much

Ok, so back to Aryan.. The brand that sells it here in the US and that I like is called Romi's, they are based in Paterson, NJ. The turkish one i had is called something like aylya or yalya and as wannabechef (i think it was you??) rightfully pointed out it is not made in turkey but made here in the US by a turkish owned company.

I know what creme fraiche is, but not "a la louche"... ← It is served to you with a ladle. An indication that it is the super-artisanal kind of stuff. Now this has to tell you something about the quality of creme fraiche in France, especially if you compare it to what is available in the US

I would agree with that statement, the pastries I've had at Petrossian in the past year or so have consistently been superior to what Payard has to offer. To me, Two Little Red Hens is not only a notch below in terms of elegance but in taste as well. I think Petrossian is your best bet amongst those three.

Yeah, I know.. I just have to start making it a habit, plus it is so very simple. I checked your eGCI method and it is just like my parents used to do it at home when we were kids. They also always told me that the more you make yogurt and repeat the process, the better the yogurt will become, is it always true?

Chefzadi, you mentionned "ceviche" preparations in Annaba, i had no clue. Could you elaborate on this, how are they normally prepared? what fish? what are they called in arabic? can it be found only in that region?

Sorry, i had to cherish the sight of this one more time . Just can't get enough...

Places I like in the "non-fancy" but yummy category: *Middle eastern: Karam in Bay Ridge Sally's and George's in Bay Ridge Byblos (a little more fancy but still cheap) in Manhattan La Maison du Couscous (they are still open ) in Bay Ridge El Manara in Astoria *SE Asian: Cambodian cuisine in Brooklyn *French: 360 in Red Hook *Jamaican: Blue Mountain cuisine in the Bronx *Dominican: El Economico in the Bronx That's all i can think of for now..

My turkish work colleague has been meaning to take me there for the past 6 months but our plans always fell through. After looking at your pictures I just can't forgive myself anymore.. BTW, he also mentionned a couple of Turkish places located in Sheepshead Bay (i think they do brunch too) which are supposedly very good too, have you tried any? if so how so they compare to Turkish Kitchen?

Back in France we actually used "Danone nature" to make Aryan, but for some reason the American Dannon doesn't taste as good. I am having a difficult time finding good yogurt here in NY, I only know of one or two brands that make something acceptable. I think i am going to start making my own from now on

I guess you could look at it this way, however I find Kefir to be very sour and slightly thicker than Ayran. I would say that using Kefir as a base even if it is thinned down might still be a little too sour to make a middle eastern Ayran, but that might be a matter of personal preference. I like to use a mild yogurt thinned down with water to make my Ayran, with enough salt and ice. I generally don't like it sour. Again, that might be just me.

Thanks Lucy for blogging again, I missed your first blog because back then, I wasn't born to the Egullet world yet. I'll be looking forward to your daily installments impatiently. Which dishes or food items are considered real specialties of the Lyon region? Would you say that your style of cooking is very much influenced by the region you are living in?

Without looking at the book ('cause this would be cheating right?), parsley (edit: or chive now that i think of it) with the capers/egg/shallot mixture? I loved this recipe for the same reasons you described, the mincing particulary was fun!! Did you mince it with a knife? When I did this dish for the first time I was tempted to "mince" the salmon in a food processor but i thought this might not be a good idea after all. It might have destroyed the texture of the fish and made it too puree like.

The store is located on Steinway St. and 28th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. It is called Al Manara. This is the same store I had written about in a Shawarma thread posted in the NY forum. So if you are there, might as well grab a sharwama too, they're pretty good!! wannabechef - It is interesting you pointed out that the ayran you had was made by a US based Turkish company, I am not sure but it may very well be the case with the one I had too. I'll check. In any case I didn't think this ayran was as good as another brand this particular store carries, which is made by another company based in Paterson, NJ. I'll make sure i get the brand names for all of these next time...

Funny you are asking, today i had my first turkish Ayran and of all places here in the US!! I purchased it from a middle eastern store in Queens, New York. I'll check the brand for you next time I am there. There were 2 kinds of ayran available, one which consisted of yogurt only and another which consisted of yogurt flavored with mint.

Then you're right, you certainly make a good case for Lyon if car is no option. Nothing beats the short ride in TGV and the reward is certainly as great, plus it is a radical change in terms of scenery and food culture. Everyone else also has a point that Paris alone has so much to offer and one week is certainly not enough to explore everything, especially if this is your first time there.

I would also second Normandie as a one or two day trip option. As ptipois mentionned, there is a lot there to keep you busy and it is a relatively short drive from Paris. Be prepared to see lots of cows and apple orchards!! A new stretch of highway was actually built i think 5 or 6 years ago which allows you to reach the coast from Paris in less than two hours. Paris in the spring is great, but the countryside and this side of the atlantic coast at this time of the year is surely not to be missed!!

I googled and found a pretty interesting article on Nourouz here. It sounds like quite a feast!

Do you know what dishes are traditionally served for Nourouz?

I'm really looking forward to this Chefzadi, thanks for taking the time to write about your beautiful Algeria...