FoodMan

Oh, I see what you mean. That sounds like a delicious dish. You can defenitly make it at home by using finely minced or shredded leg of lamb, top with the bread and yogurt. A drizzle of clarified or melted butter is always a nice touch. I need to make some of that myself. Elie

Col- I checked at my local grocery store here (Kroger in Houston, TX) and I believe they have whole briskets in cryovac weighing anywhere from 13 to 20 lbs. I am pretty sure they are not just the flat as they have a good fat layer on them and the tag says whole brisket. Am I wrong in assuming that??? I am hoping to smoke one next week. Elie

Hello Fifi- It's great that you want to learn more about this food. It is fantastic and I will be more than happy to help. Do you have any specific staples in mind??? I normally buy stuff that is made in Lebanon such as the Tahine sauce (usually "Al-wadi Al Akhdar") or Cortas brand for Orange blossom water and rose water. A good store in Houston that carries all that is "Droubi's" especially the one on Hillcroft. Check it out and let me know if you have any questions. As I mentioned in my class spelling in English (with Latin letters) is done phonetically so either would work. I would say Baba Ghanouj is the closest with the "gh" forming an arabic letter not found in the english language. It sounds similar to how the French say the letter "r". hope that makes sense. As for the recipe, I know Alton's and it is pretty traditional so just follow it and you should be spot on. The only thing is the addition of parsley. I normally omit that, but it's presence is certainly not bad. Best of luck to you Elie

Glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed one of my recipes Kristine. Thank you for the kind comments heyjude. I am assuming that the fette that you had was made with yogurt, chickpeas and toasted bread. correct?? If so then indeed this is usually a breakfast food . However, and I was thinking about incorporating this in my class but alas, it was already too long, at my home my mom usually made it to be served with "Rice with nuts and chicken" (Riz bil djaj w' Fatte). Here is a summary of the steps: To make the Fatte: -make the yogurt sauce by mixing up yogurt, with mashed garlic and salt and pepper to taste -Boil chickpeas that have been soaking over night till tender, count about half cup chickpeas per person. season. -Traditionally the bread is toasted, but my mom always fried the pita bread because it tasted better and kept its crunch for a longer time. so fry the pita bread in an inch of oil till brown and crispy. -Assemble the Fatte by putting the chickpeas in a bowl, top with plenty of broken fried bread then top with a good dose of the yogurt sauce. -Enjoy on its own or with the rice. For the rice: -just follow my rice with vermicelli recipe omitting the vermicelli and adding a teaspoon or so of ground cinnamon with the salt in addition to a handful of toasted pine nuts and almonds toward the end . Top with some shredded poached chicken. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you need any more help with this. Elie

Colonel, great class. Looks like you had fun with it as evident with all the "have a drink" and "have a beer" admonitions here and there . I am so tempted to go buy me a smoker but my budget does not permit that right now. So, I'm stuck with a grill. I am a big pork fan (who isn't), how is smoking a pork butt different? Do I just follow the same procedures?? What about beef or pork ribs?? Can you please explain what you mean by a "brisket flat"?? Thanks Elie

Thanks Paula, this means a lot coming from you. Elie

Breakfast: -scrambled eggs cooked with samen or olive oil. -breakfast pies: Pizza-like pies topped with either melted cheese or za'atar (dried herb and toasted sesame mixture with olive oil) -olives -Hot tea Lunch: This is the largest meal of the day and is typically served at about 1 or 2 in the afternoon or even later on weekends. -Sheikh El Mahshi (stuffed eggplant) -rice with vermicelli -a simple tomato and lettuce salad with olive oil and vinegar OR (more of a weekend lunch) -Hummus dip -Grilled chicken with potatoes and garlic sauce -Grilled lamb kebabs -yogurt and cucumber salad -Pita bread -Plenty of Arak Dinner: -Labeh and olive sandwich in pita bread (wrap) -cold dishes such as the Zucchini cooked in olive oil Hope you try some of those Elie

I am glad you enjoyed the presentation boaziko. If you do live within five minutes from a bakery then you really do not need to make your own pita although I use the same recipe to make the great breakfast middle eastern "pizzas" the ones topped with melted cheese or za'atar. very yummy.. and you can just bake them on a baking sheet if you do not have a baking tile. In Lebanon we use Pita bread for two serving styles: 1- The wrap is what in Lebanon is called a "sandwich". So when you go to a shawarma, falafel or kebab shop and ask for a sandwich, you will get the wrap. Also most kids in school will take a cheese or Labneh wrap with them to school for lunch. 2- It is used to scoop up foods. Basically a bite size piece of bread is formed into an edible "scoop" and food is just scooped with it or put in it with a spoon. If by "baladi" (country) eggplant you mean the small finger sized ones, then absolutely yes. Matter of fact this is the type of eggplant most frequently used for the "Sheikh El Mahshi" and most other eggplant dishes. The larger ones are mainly used to make dips and such. The reason I used the bigger one is because it is the one most available, I only saw the other type once or twice at a middle eastern store. Your stuffed tomatoes sound wonderful (pics please), and may you have a happy and safe new year. Regards, Elie

Making them into patties instead of putting them on the skewers also makes very tasty kebabs, although not traditional in shape . So don't let this stop you. You are right, most Lebanese kebab shops will use those flat metal skewers because it makes it easier for the meat to stay on. The only advise I can give you is look in middle eastern grocery stores for them (which you already did) or online maybe. I will do some more research online and let you know if I find a source. Elie

Thank you. In the refrigerator, the garlic sauce can be stored for up to a week, the Tahine sauce for maybe 2-3 days after that it will become pasty and develop an odd flavor. Elie

Loved the class Holly, I have to make some burgers now (haven't had any homemade ones in a couple of months). A question about the fries: Is the chilling step necessary between the fryings?? Why not leave them at room temp (that's what I do)?? Thanks FM

That's what I was trying to figure out. When RB says it is a step in the right direction, HOW??? Is the chicken free range or something and are the greasy veggies organic? I just do not see what he means. It seems just like the regular BK Broiler with some watered down ketchup and crappy vegetables on top. FM

Oh, I cannot believe I forgot to mention this, but the mental image of a pig brining happily in a ( or in my) bath tub struck me as hilarious. I hope Varmint tries it and takes pictures. Imagining unsuspecting guests walking into the bath room.... FM

I wouldn't, I was just wondering. Besides now (after you get back to us with the results of course) we would know how much salt is required to float an egg FM

Thank you. I think the potato thing is charming, and I think it would work, for the most part. But it's hardly the sort of thing you can expect a Smug Scientific Bastard (SSB) to approve: A lot would depend on the type of potato. Setting aside individual potato-to-potato (p2p) variation, there are big differences in moisture content between, say, a Russet and a Yukon Gold. This water content would be the prime determinant in the quantity of salt required to enable tuber buoyancy. You would have to contend with both original water content, and differing rates of absorption. It's hardly repeatable, due to p2p variation cited above. Repeatability is essential for SSB endorsement. SSBs don't believe in guesswork when a measuring device (especially if it's electronic) can obviate it. Weigh your salt, measure your water. Save the rustic notions for garnishing your perfectly seasoned protein. Thanks. what about using an egg instead of potato?? Or would be then pickling the meat?? I beleive that is what my grandma does when she is curing olives. FM

Dave- Congrats on a very informative and interesting class!! I started brining meats (especially pork, bscb, and whole chickens) after I did this: This was the turkey from last thanksgiving. It was brined and cooked per Alton Brown's recipe and it was a huge success. We -for the first time- had no leftovers. My 2 cents about flavoring the brine even though they have been mentioned already: I do believe making a strong tea with the brine works great. I've infused meat cuts with rosmary, mint, ginger and allspice berries to name a few. The main thing is that the liquid needs to boil with them for a minute or two then steep till cool. For me brinign is not just a method to make meats moist or tender but also a great carrier of flavors. FM

Unfortunatly we could not make it there this past weekend due to the fact that my MIL a.k.a babysitter was ill so there was no one to take care of the baby. I called and rescheduled for this coming weekend (fingers crossed). dngov, please post your thoughts and comments. FM

that is true and religious beliefes are certainly not more valued than ones personal choice. What I meant was that by law, a kosher retaurant CANNOT have pork on the premises, but a vegetarian restaurant will still be a vegetarian restaurant if a woamn fed her baby some meat based baby food. A question for Rendevouz: Would she have been asked to leave if all she did was feed the baby the food and not raise a fuss about it??? FM

Fat Guy did a great job in stating exactly what I was thinking concerning this point. Bringing a jar of food was not wrong, getting mad and abusive if the restaurant did not want to heat it is. There is a big difference between a kosher restaurant and a vegetarian one in this matter. The first is doing it for religious purposes the second for...social, health, taste. Another good point is that there was no printed rule saying "DO NOT BRING ANY MEAT CONTAINING ITEMS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BABY FOOD) INTO THIS RESTAURANT". FM

My 2 cents 1- Does she have the right to bring that jar of food (veg or otherwise) into the restaurant and feed her kid???? YES 2- Does she have the right to be pissed if they did not want to heat it it up for her??? NO The only wrong thing she did was to get mad at the restaurant for not wanting to microwave her food, it's not like she asked them to make her some chicken tenders folks, she just brought a jar of baby food with her!! FM

That is correct, but I believe it aired in the UK earlier this year not a couple of years ago. This along with Mario's new show are on my "To See" list. FM

Saturday: I decided to take Joyce Whites advice and cooked my ham hocks like she said. Served them with a sweet potato puree (brown sugar, orange zest, cream, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg). Very hearty and tasty. Thanks Joyce. Sunday: Pepper steak. A nice NY Strip crusted with cracked pepper (with rosemary instead of pepper for the wife) and seared in a cast iron skillet till cooked medium. I made a sauce with the pan juices, some garlic, a little water and stock then finished with butter. Served it with potatoes sauteed in clarified butter a la Parisienne. Dessert: Bittersweet Chocolate Cloud cake from one of Tyler's ultimate episodes. FM

Ditto!! Good for Jamie the restaurant has only been open for less than a year so it was not there before the TV shows. I've never eaten there, but reviews of the food were pretty good. FM

I hope it is not too late to ask one more question. Do you have some kind of formula to substitute sourdough starter for instant or Dry Active yeast? For example if a recipe I am reading asks for a teaspoon of instant yeast, how do I go about using sourdough starter instead?? Thanks Elie

What is he thinking??? Does he really need the money that bad??? BURGER KING for God's sake!!!!!!! What's next Alice waters doing a Subway commercial with Jared, Ripert endorsing Long John Silver's exquisit fish, or Keller having a McMuffin for breakfast on national TV.