(al-Baghdadi) Cut fat meat small, put into the saucepan with a little salt, and cover with water. Boil and remove the scum. Cut up onions, wash, and throw in on top of the meat. Add seasonings, coriander, cumin, mastic, cinnamon, pepper and ginger, well ground. Take dry apricots, soak in hot water, then wash and […]

Original Recipe In Pullo Elizo Ius Crudum Apicius, #235 Put in the mortar dill seed, dry mint, laser root, moisten with vinegar, fig wine, broth, a little mustard, oil and reduced must, and serve. (Vehling, p. 149) Ingredients: 1 teaspoon dill seed 1 1/2 teaspoons dried peppermint 4 cloves garlic 1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 4 […]

Original Recipe Esicia Omentata: Apicius, #48 Ground Meat Patties in Omentum: Grind chopped meat with the center of fine white bread that has been soaked in wine. Grind together pepper, garum, and pitted myrtle berries if desired. Form small patties, putting in pine nuts and pepper. Wrap in omentum and cook slowly in caroenum. [Giacosa, pp. 89-90] Ingredients: […]

Original Recipe: Apicius, #61: Lucanicae: … Teritur piper, cuminum, satureia, ruta, petroselinum, condimentum, bacae lauri, liquamen, et admiscetur pulpa bene tunas ita ut denuo bene cum ipso subtrito fricetur. Cum liquamine admixto, pipere integro et abundanti pinguedine et nucleis incies in intestinum perquam tenuatim perductum, et sic ad fumum suspenditur. Translation: [Lucanian Sausages: … Pepper is ground with […]

Ingredients: 1 kg chicken drumsticks (or 800g boneless breasts) 2 chopped onions 1-2 tbls oil 1 cup ground blanched almonds 2 cups chicken stock 1-1.5 tsp ground ginger fresh ground pepper salt 0.5 tsp pure saffron (threads) infused in 0.25 cup hot stock juice of 1-1.5 lemons Method: Trim chicken pieces as necessary, pat dry. […]

Serves four. This recipe, from the manuscript of Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki, makes striking use of murri,the indigenous Middle Eastern barley “soy sauce.” Most dishes flavored with murri were vinegary, but this is the exception, being quite sweet. The result is surprisingly reminiscent of a Chinese “red-stewed” meat dish. The name comes from the Persian word for […]

Serves two. Mulahwajah means “hasty.” The book says that this recipe was often prepared for Harun al-Rashid. Galangal is sold in Arabia as ‘irq al-hail or khulanjan, and in Southeast Asian markets under such names as kha and laos. Dried ginger could be substituted. Use the rue sparingly—it’s very bitter. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil 1 onion […]

Serves two. A baaridah was a cold meat or vegetable dish served before the hot dishes. Following pre-Islamic Iranian tradition, when a baaridah was made with fowl, it was usually a sort of chopped cucumber salad garnished with the roast meat. Some recipes call for only the seeds of cucumbers, which makes for a luxurious, slippery texture. […]

Summary Octopus in a vinegrette marinade. Goes very well with ouzo, on a hot day, by the sea. Servings: 6 Ingredients 2.20 lb Octopus 6 oz olive oil 1-2 pinch oregano 1-2 pinch pepper 2-3 pinch salt 3 oz vinegar (red wine) Directions Wash the octopus and remove the ink bag. Place the octopus in […]

Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 bay leaf 1/4 lb of feta cheese, thickly sliced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed  4-6 oz of olive oil 1 medium, white onion, finely choped 1-2 pinches of pepper 2-3 pinches of salt 1 3/4 lbs of shrimps 1 teaspoon of white sugar 2 medium tomatoes, finely choped Directions Fry the onions […]