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By MARY THERESE BIEBEL [email protected]
Wednesday, July 11, 2001 Page: 1D
If you’re interested in cooking ethnic delicacies at home, here are some
recipes for family-size portions.
Hummus and baba ghannouj are made, respectively, from chick peas and
eggplant and often eaten as a dip with pita bread. Most of the ingredients are
familiar items at any grocery – except for tahini, a paste made from ground
sesame seeds. If you can’t find tahini at your regular market, try a Middle
Eastern shop or health-food store.
Halupki, sometimes called “pigs in the blanket” or “piggies,” consists
of ground meat wrapped in cabbage. Haluski – don’t be confused by the similar
name – is a mixture of fried cabbage and noodles.
The Lebanese recipes come to us courtesy of the cooks at St. Anthony’s
Maronite Church in Wilkes-Barre, while the Polish recipes are from the bazaar
volunteers at Transfiguration Church in West Hazleton.
Keep in mind the amounts of ingredients have been compiled from a host of
busy chefs who interrupted their slicing and mixing to consult with each
other.
“How much vinegar do you use?” “Oh, you don’t need that much oil.”
There are lots of variations for these dishes, so feel free to adjust the
recipes a bit to match your own taste. Good luck.
HUMMUS
2 pounds of chickpeas, washed and drained
2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup oil
2 oz. water
salt to taste
In food processor blend together garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice and oil.
Add tahini and water and continue to mix until it has the consistency almost
as thick as peanut butter.
BABA GHANNOUJ
1 eggplant
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon tahini
juice of 1/2 lemon
Puncture eggplant several times with fork so it won’t explode while it’s
cooking. Roast with skin on for 15 to 20 minutes or until it shrivels. Remove
from oven and discard skin. Mash the pulp. Saute garlic in oil, add tahini,
lemon and eggplant. Blend well.
HALUPKI
1 head of cabbage
2 pounds of ground meat
3/4 cup rice
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
32 oz. tomato juice
16 oz. diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons vinegar
Mix ground meat with rice and chopped onion. Scald the cabbage and separate
leaves, removing the hard core. Form balls of meat mixture, each the size of a
small fist. Wrap one cabbage leaf around each ball. Place each “piggie” into
a large pot that has been lined with extra leaves. Add tomato juice, diced
tomatoes and vinegar to make a sauce. If all the “piggies” are not covered,
add water. Cook at low temperature on stovetop or in oven for 2 hours.
HALUSKI
1 head of cabbage
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup butter
Scant amount oil
1 package bowtie noodles, cooked
salt and pepper
Grate or slice cabbage. Saute in butter with onions for at least an hour,
stirring frequently. Boil noodles separately, following directions on package.
Add noodles to cabbage mixture, with scant amount of oil to prevent sticking.
Salt and pepper to taste.
