Mideast cuisine has array of tastes

Sometimes solutions are right around the corner.

My neighbors, Louis and Susan Stroble, had lived and cooked in the Middle East for 27 years. These experts invited me into their kitchen to spend a day learning about the intricacies of their craft. I arrived with my knives sharp, in my chef's coat and with a willingness to learn everything possible.

I rang the doorbell, and Ms. Stroble, warm smile and all, opened the door and out rushed a plethora of aromas - cumin, paprika, parsley, thyme, lemon, garlic. Mounds of parsley everywhere, bowls of garlic, and bags of lemons that would ultimately find their way into the food we cooked. I was excited.

I learned that day that the art of preparing a Middle Eastern meal is an activity that brings together family and friends, and combines a wide array of tastes and flavors that I had never experienced before.

Ms. Stroble, wearing her beautiful Saudi dinner dress, instructed and I chopped, prepared and cooked the food. Middle Eastern background music added to the ambience.

Food

Historians place the beginning of civilization in the Middle East some 12,000 years ago. During this trek through time, it only makes sense that there would be a multitude of different Middle Eastern delicacies to please the palate. Much of the food in the region is similar from country to country, and it is often difficult to detect the true source of a particular dish.

For example, dolmas, varying in name and preparation, are present from Greece to Afghanistan and all the way south to the Saudi states. Keftethes in Greece have succumbed to a gradual change of character and are now considered a "native" food in Afghanistan. The beauty of it all is that the same recipes have undergone enormous change as a result of filtering through different countries and cultures, and that new dishes are constantly sprouting up, with new style and flair not seen before.

Middle Eastern pride is manifested in the fresh preparation of everything. That includes chopping - lots and lots of chopping. Parsley by the cups is chopped by hand to be used as garnish. Onions by the bag are also chopped by hand. Yogurt is freshly made every morning for daily use as well.

Nearly all Middle Eastern dining involves the use of four ingredients: lemon, olive oil, garlic and parsley. These components are found in most dishes served. Tahini, a paste made from roasted sesame seeds, is also found in many of the dips and toppings used in Arabian style cooking.

Today's dishes

• Shish Taouk - A Lebanese-style kebab, incorporating chicken bathed in a garlic-citrus marinade, served hot on a bamboo skewer with grilled tomatoes and onions.

• Traditional Arabian rice - Many people consider this dish almost a dessert. Sweetness coming from the dried berries and an earthy feel coming from the incorporation of different nuts, this Arabian rice dish uses long-grain rice, making this a combination to die for.

Most ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. Items such as tahini are available at ethnic stores such as Caravan Mideastern Foods, 2817 N. Country Club Road.

Lebanese-Style Rice

Serves: About 8

• 2 cups of long grain rice. Basmati rice works best.

• 4 ounces butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 quart chicken broth

Rice topping:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

• 1/2 cup pine nuts

• 1 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup dried cherries

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Place rice in a mesh strainer or cheesecloth and wash until water is clear. Let drain and sauté in a large saucepan with the olive oil or butter. Add the turmeric and salt, followed by the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then let simmer on low heat until broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. To make the topping, start by sautéing the onion in the oil, cook until browned. Let cool, and add the rest of the topping ingredients to the cooled onions, mix together.

While rice is still hot, mix together with the topping mixture. The sweetness of the raisins and the earthy appeal of the nuts really give this rice dish a magnificent Arabian feel.

Shish Taouk (Lebanese-Style Chicken Skewers)

Makes: 12 skewers

• 2 lbs. chicken breast, cut in 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes

For the marinade:

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 cup yogurt

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

For the skewers:

• About a dozen plump white mushrooms

• 1 large sweet onion. Cut into small wedges, enough to put two wedges on a skewer.

• 4 Roma tomatoes cut into fourths

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag or in a bowl, add the chicken, and refrigerate for at least two hours.

After the chicken has had its time to marinate, put the skewers together. I like to place one mushroom at the bottom of the skewer, leaving about 3 inches of the skewer uncovered to serve as a handle. Follow this with 2 or 3 cubes chicken, followed by a wedge of onion and then the wedge of tomato. Again add 2 or 3 more cubes of chicken followed by the onion and tomato, and repeat until skewer is full.

Once you have your skewers set and ready, you can begin to grill. Preheat your grill to moderately high heat, and cook skewers for about 5-7 minutes on each side, until char marks begin to form and the chicken is cooked.

Michael Izzard is a 17-year-old junior at Ironwood Ridge High School who has a passion for food, cooking and travel. "Flapjacks to Foie Gras," which combines those passions for readers, is an occasional series for the Star. For more recipes and information on the countries he visits, check out his website at michaelizzardcooks.com Want to share your love of cooking and recipes with Michael? You can do that at his website.