Bethlehem: Beautiful Resistance Recipes

Abusrour and Odeh, members of the Alrowwad Theater in Bethlehem, beautifully capture the essence of Palestinian home cooking in this contribution to a resistance movement against Israeli occupation that aims to bring awareness to the stateless Palestinians. The authors share recipes for traditional Palestinian breads, include pita-like kmaj, or thyme bread, which is eaten for breakfast, as well as a midday meal of “meat pizza” called sfeeha. They celebrate the rejuvenating power of soup and offer recipes for chicken soup, made with cardamom for its healing properties; mulokhiya (mallow and chicken stew), which is rich in iron and fiber; and a red lentil and chard soup that they believe helps regulate sugar levels. Mains include mutaifia, a cauliflower, yogurt, and lamb stew; fried potatoes with chicken; and fasouilya bayda, a bean and beef stew. Desserts include hilba, semolina cakes flavored with fenugreek; ma’mul, date cookies; and sweet stuffed pancakes called qatayef that are eaten during Ramadan. A section on pickles and jams celebrates the local harvests, with recipes for fig and apricot jams as well as oil-cured eggplants. This is a heartwarming culinary paean to Palestine and the city of Bethlehem. (Oct.)