ALMOND PANCAKES 

1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons corn oil
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups almonds, roasted and ground

Dissolve one package of dry yeast in the 1/8 cup of water that is slightly cool to the touch, about 85 degrees F. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to feed the yeast. Stir to dissolve yeast and sugar. It will take about 10 minutes until the yeast begins to bubble or foam. If it does not foam it is not alive and should not be used.

Put the flour in a bowl; add the milk, eggs, baking powder and yeast mixture; mix together to form a batter; set aside to rise.

Grease a frying pan with a little oil; pour into the pan half a ladle of batter. Spread the batter quickly into a thin pancake and fry over medium heat until the top bubbles, then turn over and brown the other side. Repeat using all batter. Mix the sugar, cardamom and almonds together. Stuff each pancake with the mixture; roll into finger shapes, and arrange on a serving dish; sprinkle with some ground almonds.

Serves 10 to 12.

3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon rose water or orange blossom water

Dissolve sugar in water. Add lemon juice, bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until syrup slightly thickens (about 10 minutes). Add rose water towards end of cooking time. Let stand to cool.

Yields 3 cups.

Scatter the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degrees F oven until a light golden brown.

Combine the honey with the 1 tablespoon water and use to moisten the sesame seeds. Spread in a saucer.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

Cut in the butter, as if you were making pie crust dough. Gradually add the 2/3 cup water until the dough is smooth.

Form balls of dough the size of walnuts and dip one side of each ball into the sesame seed mixture to coat. The bottom side may be very lightly touched to the pistachios. Place on greased baking sheets, sesame side up.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons custard powder (commercial)
2 tablespoons rose water
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
Ground pistachios (optional)

Put milk, sugar and cardamom into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat.

Mix the custard powder with a little water to make a smooth thin paste. Gradually stir it into the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue stirring until the custard is smooth. Remove from heat and add rose water. Return to the stove and place over a very low heat a few minutes. Pour into custard dishes, and garnish with pistachios. Chill.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Cut dried fruit and figs into bite-size pieces. Heat dried fruit, figs, water and raisins to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in honey and lemon juice. Top with sweetened whipped cream and sliced almonds if desired.

Yields 8 servings.

Cream
2 small packages whipping cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 cup chopped raw pistachio
1 tablespoon orange blossom jam

Place slices of bread in an oven tray and broil until both sides are lightly golden and place them in a big bowl. Put, in a medium saucepan, 3 tablespoons of sugar on high heat and stir constantly until it turns brown, then pour water and the remaining sugar. Stir to boil and dissolve, remove the sugar from the heat and add orange blossom and rose water. Stir then pour the syrup on the roasted bread and with a big spoon, mix the bread with syrup until it combines. Spread the bread in a big serving platter some 13-inches square and set it aside.

Place whipping cream and corn starch in a saucepan on medium heat and stir constantly to boil and thicken, then remove from heat and add blossom water. Stir well and pour cream on the brown bread, and sprinkle all the face with chopped pistachio and garnish with red orange blossom jam (in the middle and 4 places around the edges with 1/2 tsp on each place or 1/2 a cherry).

Refrigerate before serving for at least 4 hours.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 cup raw cream of wheat

Combine the sugar, honey, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat 20 minutes.

While the syrup is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet; add the almonds and cream of wheat. Cook over low heat, stirring steadily, until browned.

Add to the syrup (after syrup has cooked 20 minutes), mix well, cover, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. pour into a buttered 8 x 10-inch buttered shallow pan. Cool.

Cut into squares and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon.

Makes 20 (2-inch) squares.

Grind sesame seeds into a nut butter. Scrape out into a bowl and dribble in the honey. Mix well until you get a sticky mass. For chocolate halvah, mix in cocoa well. Allow it to become marbled. For more vanilla flavor, add vanilla extract with the honey.

Line a small (about 4 x 3 inches) box with wax paper and press in the mixture. Put into the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. Remove from refrigerator, and slice into cubes.

Combine the honey and water in a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice and sesame seeds. Gently boil until it reaches the soft ball stage (234 degrees F to 238 degrees F) on a candy thermometer.

Brush a parchment-lined baking sheet with the melted butter. Quickly whip the tahini paste into the sugar mixture using a wooden spoon to form a smooth consistency. Pour into the prepared pan. Set aside to cool.

Turn the candy out onto a cutting board, peel off the paper, and cut into pieces with a sharp knife.

12 medium carrots, sliced
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add carrots. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes; drain.

Cook and stir remaining ingredients in 10-inch skillet until bubbly; add carrots. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until carrots are glazed, 2 to 3 minutes.

Yields 6 servings.

* Pomegranate concentrate is called "molasses" or "paste." Make pomegranate juice  by rolling an uncut fresh pomegranate hard underfoot on the floor, then making an incision and "squeezing" it over a juicer.

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, then stir in the lamb, split peas and onion. Skim where necessary, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an hour.

Meanwhile, wash the beet tops and spinach, slice finely and chop, wrap in paper towels, and crisp until needed. Also peel the beets and chop into a small dice. Also prepare the mint/cinnamon/pepper garnish in a separate bowl.

When the lamb broth is ready, add the beets and rice and cook another 30 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the pot. Cut away the bones and fat, shred the meat, and return to the pot. Add the scallions, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, parsley, and either the pomegranate concentrate or the pomegranate juice. Simmer for 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil and stir in the beet greens and spinach. Let wilt, while stirring for a minute or two, then stir in cilantro, more lime juice, as needed, and seasonings.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the Garnish.

Garnish
1 tablespoon dried mint, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, fluff the Katayef until it is all pulled apart. Pour the melted butter over the Katayef and keep on fluffing so it is all mixed together.

Grease an ovenproof dish and layer half of the Katayef dough on the bottom. Spread all of the ricotta cheese over the dough, and layer with the remaining dough. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown on top. Pour syrup on top and serve.

Sweet Syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon rosewater

Mix sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and let boil for about 8 minutes.

Add rosewater and continue to boil for another minute. Remove from heat, let cool a bit, and pour over Katayef.

Combine rice, milk and water in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly until it boils. Lower fire and let boil gently until it thickens, stirring every few minutes. Add sugar and cook until dry. Remove from fire. Add flavoring and stir.

Pour into dessert bowls and serve either warm or cold.

Combine cream of rice, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture starts to thicken. Lower heat, and allow mixture to simmer until it attains the consistency of a cream filling.

Add rose water, turn heat up. Bring to a fast boil, and remove from heat immediately. Pour into bowl or individual serving bowls. Serve warm or cold. If desired, drizzle with honey and garnish with pistachios.

Chop the figs roughly. Boil sugar and water with the lemon juice for a few minutes, then add the figs and simmer gently until they are soft and impregnated with the syrup, which should have thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir constantly to avoid burning.

Add the aniseed, pine nuts and walnuts. Simmer gently, stirring for a few minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir the mastic in very thoroughly. (To be properly pulverized, it must have been pounded with sugar.) Pour into clean, hot glass jars and seal as usual.

* Mastic is the resinous gum of Pistacia lentiscus and is sold in Greek and Oriental stores.

3 medium apples, pared and cut up
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rose or orange flower water
Dash of salt

Place half the apples and the remaining ingredients in blender container. Cover and blend until coarsely chopped, 20 to 30 seconds.

Add remaining apples; blend until coarsely chopped.

Yields 3 servings.

Dough
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup ground unsalted pistachios or shredded coconut

Toast walnuts in skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place a few walnut pieces inside each date. Arrange dates, packed next to each other in a  flat 9-inch serving dish.

In large deep skillet, sauté flour in butter over high heat, stirring constantly for about 15 to 20 minutes, toasting until it is golden caramel color.

Spread hot dough over dates. Pack and smooth it with back of a spoon.

Combine cinnamon, sugar, cardamom and sprinkle evenly over cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup ground pistachios or shredded coconut all over. Cool.

Cut into small square pieces. Arrange on serving platter or on plate in which it was made.

Have the poppy seeds ground for you when you buy them. If this is not possible, grind them in a food chopper or pound with a mortar and pestle. Cook together the honey and sugar until syrupy. Stir in the poppy seeds and cook until mixture is thick, about 20 minutes. Stir frequently. (Drop a little on a wet surface; if it doesn't run, it is thick enough.) Stir in the nuts and ginger.

Moisten hands; pat out mixture onto wet board to thickness of about 1/2-inch. Let cool 5 minutes, then cut into diamonds or squares with a sharp knife. When knife sticks, dip into hot water. Cool completely and lift from board with a spatula.

3 drops red food coloring
4 cups atter syrup
Iced water

Add food coloring to atter syrup; mix well. Cover airtight and store in refrigerator.

To serve, dilute 2 tablespoons of syrup in a glass of iced water. The best way to drink it is to serve this as a cold cordial drink.

Yields 4 cups.

Cut thin slivers of peel from 1 orange with vegetable peeler or sharp knife, being careful not to cut into white membrane. Cover peel with boiling water; let stand 5 minutes. Drain. Heat orange peel, water and sugar to boiling; simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Pare oranges, cutting deep enough to remove all white membrane. Cut into slices. Pour syrup over slices; cover and refrigerate. Garnish with sprig of mint if desired.

Yields 4 servings.

Arrange orange slices on serving platter. Sprinkle with dates and almonds. Drizzle with orange flower water. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Makes about 9 cups.

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup half and half

Bring milk to a boil in a very clean pot (dirty or greasy utensils won't produce the desired results). Remove from heat and pour into a glass jar or pottery container; let stand until cool.

Dilute yogurt in 1 cup cool milk and the half and half. Gradually add this mixture to the remaining milk, stirring slowly and gently. Place container in a protected spot (it must not be moved or touched). Cover with a lid. Cover container with a large towel or blanket and allow it to sit at least overnight.

To obtain a thick yogurt, place 3 or 4 layers of paper towels over the top for a few hours to absorb the excess liquid. Store yogurt in the refrigerator.

Per half cup: Per serving: 92 cal, 5.6 g fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 6.3 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 4.4 g protein, 65 mg sodium

Measure sugar into saucepan, add water and bring to a hard boil. Add lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes. Add butter and orange blossom water and scented geranium leaf and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

Dough
2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups lukewarm water
4 1/2 cups cake flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil (for deep frying

In a small bowl, stir together yeast, sugar and water and leave for 10 minutes for yeast to proof and foam.

Measure flour into a very large bowl and mix in cornstarch and salt. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Cover and leave in a warm draft-free place for 30 minutes to form bubbles. Stir well again.

Pour enough vegetable oil for deep frying into a pot and place over medium high heat. Place a cup of water close by. To test the temperature of the oil, dip a teaspoon in the water, scoop out a spoonful of dough and carefully drop the dough into the hot oil. If the fritter browns too quickly, that means the oil is too hot; lower the heat. Keep dropping spoonsful of the dough into the oil until you have a full layer of fritters cooking. Turn them over once or twice until golden. Scoop out the fritters with a slotted spoon and lay them on paper towels (only for 10 seconds), and immediately drop them into the syrup. Turn fritters over until well coated, then scoop out and place in the serving bowl. Repeat until dough is used up.

Eat warm or at room temperature. These will keep un refrigerated loosely covered for a day or two. Makes about 50 small fritters.

Serving variation
Drizzle the best quality melted chocolate over a mound of Zalaabeh in a platter.