< PreviousK A’ EK A L-QUDS AND EGGS A morning visit to Jerusalem is never complete without a newspaper, a ka’ek, two oven-baked eggs, and a small bunched-up paper filled with zaatar. The sesame seed–coated bread is baked fresh in wood-fired ovens in bakeries across palestine every morning, then transported on small wooden carts across the streets. Vendors call out “ka’ek, ka’ek” with a musical variety of intonations. An ideal sandwich bread, ka’ek tastes best with the oven-baked eggs and a pinch of extra-salty zaatar. it is also delicious with falafel (page 220), labaneh (strained and seasoned yoghurt), nabulsi cheese, or anything else that crosses your mind or inspires your palate. 400 g / 3⅓ cups all- purpose flour, plus more for the work surface 60 g / ¼ cup powdered whole milk 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 teaspoon instant yeast 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for shaping 120 ml / ½ cup warm water 3 tablespoons water 1 egg white 40 g / 4½ tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 8 eggs 1 tablespoon zaatar spice blend SERV ES 4 To make the ka’eks, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered milk, salt, baking soda, and yeast. Make a well in the middle and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the warm water. Mix well by hand until you have a homogenous dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. Flour the work surface, place the dough on the surface, and cut into four pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With oiled hands, working with one piece of dough at a time, form the dough into a ring. Slowly stretch it into the oblong shape of the Jerusalem ka’ek. Place the ka’ek on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the ka’eks with a cloth and leave to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the water and egg white together and brush over the tops of the dough. Mix the sesame seeds with the remaining 1 tablespoon water, and sprinkle evenly onto the ka’ek. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the breads are golden. You may have to rotate the baking sheet to get an even colour. Once the breads are baked, decrease the oven temperature to 180°C / 350°F. To make the eggs, place them in a muffin pan, one whole egg per cavity. Bake for 30 minutes. To serve, slice each ka’ek open as for a sandwich. Peel the eggs, mash them with a fork in a bowl, add the zaatar and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and mix to combine. Stuff the ka’eks with the egg mixture and enjoy! 72B ETHLEHEMK A’ EK A L-QUDS AND EGGS A morning visit to Jerusalem is never complete without a newspaper, a ka’ek, two oven-baked eggs, and a small bunched-up paper filled with zaatar. The sesame seed–coated bread is baked fresh in wood-fired ovens in bakeries across palestine every morning, then transported on small wooden carts across the streets. Vendors call out “ka’ek, ka’ek” with a musical variety of intonations. An ideal sandwich bread, ka’ek tastes best with the oven-baked eggs and a pinch of extra-salty zaatar. it is also delicious with falafel (page 220), labaneh (strained and seasoned yoghurt), nabulsi cheese, or anything else that crosses your mind or inspires your palate. 400 g / 3⅓ cups all- purpose flour, plus more for the work surface 60 g / ¼ cup powdered whole milk 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 teaspoon instant yeast 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for shaping 120 ml / ½ cup warm water 3 tablespoons water 1 egg white 40 g / 4½ tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 8 eggs 1 tablespoon zaatar spice blend SERV ES 4 To make the ka’eks, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered milk, salt, baking soda, and yeast. Make a well in the middle and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the warm water. Mix well by hand until you have a homogenous dough. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. Flour the work surface, place the dough on the surface, and cut into four pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With oiled hands, working with one piece of dough at a time, form the dough into a ring. Slowly stretch it into the oblong shape of the Jerusalem ka’ek. Place the ka’ek on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the ka’eks with a cloth and leave to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the water and egg white together and brush over the tops of the dough. Mix the sesame seeds with the remaining 1 tablespoon water, and sprinkle evenly onto the ka’ek. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the breads are golden. You may have to rotate the baking sheet to get an even colour. Once the breads are baked, decrease the oven temperature to 180°C / 350°F. To make the eggs, place them in a muffin pan, one whole egg per cavity. Bake for 30 minutes. To serve, slice each ka’ek open as for a sandwich. Peel the eggs, mash them with a fork in a bowl, add the zaatar and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and mix to combine. Stuff the ka’eks with the egg mixture and enjoy! 72B ETHLEHEMKOFTA IN GR A PE LEAV ES These round beef meatballs tightly wrapped in grape leaves are maybe one of my favorite recipes from my mother’s repertoire. i try to replicate it and use it as an inspiration for new dishes, variations on the theme. notably in Akub restaurant in London, we’ve replaced the meat with skate; at Fawda in Bethlehem we use cheeses. Here i’m sharing the original recipe, which says home to me. 24 to 26 small grape leaves 500 g / 18 ounces beef mince (ground beef) 1 onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling 1 teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped 5 tomatoes, sliced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil SERV ES 4 To prepare the grape leaves, first remove the stems. Blanch the leaves in a large pot of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Drain well. Mix the meat with the onion, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and parsley. Divide the meat into twelve portions. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Wrap each portion of meat in grape leaves to make balls, using about two leaves per meatball. Arrange the tomatoes and wrapped meatballs in a baking pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle a bit of salt on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Sahtain! 102B ETHLEHEMKOFTA IN GR A PE LEAV ES These round beef meatballs tightly wrapped in grape leaves are maybe one of my favorite recipes from my mother’s repertoire. i try to replicate it and use it as an inspiration for new dishes, variations on the theme. notably in Akub restaurant in London, we’ve replaced the meat with skate; at Fawda in Bethlehem we use cheeses. Here i’m sharing the original recipe, which says home to me. 24 to 26 small grape leaves 500 g / 18 ounces beef mince (ground beef) 1 onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling 1 teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped 5 tomatoes, sliced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil SERV ES 4 To prepare the grape leaves, first remove the stems. Blanch the leaves in a large pot of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Drain well. Mix the meat with the onion, salt, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and parsley. Divide the meat into twelve portions. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Wrap each portion of meat in grape leaves to make balls, using about two leaves per meatball. Arrange the tomatoes and wrapped meatballs in a baking pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle a bit of salt on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Sahtain! 102B ETHLEHEMPURSLANE DIP purslane, with its rounded, thick leaves, is available in late spring and summer in palestine. it’s a popular find on dining tables. it is the original component of fattoush salad—a bread salad—which traditionally didn’t include lettuce, but would be made with purslane. i discovered this combination a while back, and i have been enjoying it ever since. purslane has a delicate earthy taste and, when it is in season, i always add it to as many salads and combinations as i can. 100 g / 2 cups purslane 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped ¼ teaspoon salt 20 g / ½ cup mint leaves Bread, preferably kmaj or flatbread, to serve SERV ES 2 TO 4 Pull the purslane leaves off the stems and discard the stems. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the purslane and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Mix the purslane and the spring onions in a bowl and add the salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour. To serve, transfer the purslane mixture to a plate. Tear the mint leaves by hand and add to the middle of the plate. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Serve with bread for dipping. 107 Su MME r106B ETHLEHEMPURSLANE DIP purslane, with its rounded, thick leaves, is available in late spring and summer in palestine. it’s a popular find on dining tables. it is the original component of fattoush salad—a bread salad—which traditionally didn’t include lettuce, but would be made with purslane. i discovered this combination a while back, and i have been enjoying it ever since. purslane has a delicate earthy taste and, when it is in season, i always add it to as many salads and combinations as i can. 100 g / 2 cups purslane 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped ¼ teaspoon salt 20 g / ½ cup mint leaves Bread, preferably kmaj or flatbread, to serve SERV ES 2 TO 4 Pull the purslane leaves off the stems and discard the stems. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the purslane and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Mix the purslane and the spring onions in a bowl and add the salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour. To serve, transfer the purslane mixture to a plate. Tear the mint leaves by hand and add to the middle of the plate. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Serve with bread for dipping. 107 Su MME r106B ETHLEHEMSebastia is a tiny hilltop village in the northern West Bank. Dating back to the Iron Age, it is thought to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Palestine. All of the civilisations that took over this region settled in Sebastia. For a time, I would come as a tour guide, recounting for tourists how Salome was said to have danced here for Herod Antipas and then asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. We would look around what is believed to be the tomb of St. John—in the remnants of a Crusader church at one end of the Nabi Yahya Mosque. But the antiquities are not the main reason I keep returning to Sebastia. I come back to see my dear friend Abu Mohammad, and for his delicious food and the olive oil. I met Abu Mohammad, a restaurant owner, on one of my first visits to Sebastia. He is known locally for his fantastic musakhan, an emblematic dish of Palestine, sometimes called our national dish. It is created with a dark taboun bread and soft onion confit coated in purple sumac and glistening olive oil, all crowned with roasted chicken. As well as being a formidable cook, Abu Mohammad is an impressive character who embodies the steadfast spirit of his village, the generosity and hospitality of Palestine, and its openness towards the world. Before Israel’s occupation forces shut down the roads leading to Sebastia during the Second Intifada, his restaurant was constantly busy, welcoming pilgrims and travellers crossing from north to south. Even after the routes were reopened, business has never quite returned to how it was. Whenever I plan to visit Sebastia or the bustling nearby city of Nablus, I am always wary of telling Abu Mohammad. There is no such thing as a snack with him, nor even a meal, only a feast. He will invite me and any guests I bring to meet him to have musakhan, but he always includes other dishes, too, knowing each is a favourite of mine and that I will find it impossible to resist. He will often start with a humble, earthy freekeh soup before adding a makloubeh, the O LI V E O IL W ITH A BU MOH A M M A D IN SEB A S TI A 160B ETHLEHEMSebastia is a tiny hilltop village in the northern West Bank. Dating back to the Iron Age, it is thought to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Palestine. All of the civilisations that took over this region settled in Sebastia. For a time, I would come as a tour guide, recounting for tourists how Salome was said to have danced here for Herod Antipas and then asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. We would look around what is believed to be the tomb of St. John—in the remnants of a Crusader church at one end of the Nabi Yahya Mosque. But the antiquities are not the main reason I keep returning to Sebastia. I come back to see my dear friend Abu Mohammad, and for his delicious food and the olive oil. I met Abu Mohammad, a restaurant owner, on one of my first visits to Sebastia. He is known locally for his fantastic musakhan, an emblematic dish of Palestine, sometimes called our national dish. It is created with a dark taboun bread and soft onion confit coated in purple sumac and glistening olive oil, all crowned with roasted chicken. As well as being a formidable cook, Abu Mohammad is an impressive character who embodies the steadfast spirit of his village, the generosity and hospitality of Palestine, and its openness towards the world. Before Israel’s occupation forces shut down the roads leading to Sebastia during the Second Intifada, his restaurant was constantly busy, welcoming pilgrims and travellers crossing from north to south. Even after the routes were reopened, business has never quite returned to how it was. Whenever I plan to visit Sebastia or the bustling nearby city of Nablus, I am always wary of telling Abu Mohammad. There is no such thing as a snack with him, nor even a meal, only a feast. He will invite me and any guests I bring to meet him to have musakhan, but he always includes other dishes, too, knowing each is a favourite of mine and that I will find it impossible to resist. He will often start with a humble, earthy freekeh soup before adding a makloubeh, the O LI V E O IL W ITH A BU MOH A M M A D IN SEB A S TI A 160B ETHLEHEMNext >