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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Day of Honey by Annia Ciezaldo


The subtitle of this book is 'A Memoir of Food, Love, and War'--and it is about all that. Fantastic in many ways, the thing I loved about it was that it gives a glimpse of what life in Baghdad and Beirut were like in the past decade--what people did in everyday life, what mattered to them, and of course, what they ate. While the book centers on the author, and is in every sense a memoir, it is beautifully written and broad in scope so that I was sad to see it end--I wanted more. The same can be said for the recipes that follow the writing--more! Here is one of them:
Batata Wa Bayd Mfarakeh (Slow cooked onions, potatoes and eggs)
10 ounces onions (about 2 medium-large), diced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
3 pounds russet or Idaho potatoes (about 4 medium-large), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1-2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for salting potatoes and to taste
Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as oregano, rosemary and/or thyme (I used parsley)
8 eggs
Directions:

1. Saute the onions in the oil in a heavy or nonstick pot over medium heat. Stir frequently and do not let them burn. Once the onions begin to soften, after 2 to 3 minutes, cover the pot and turn the heat down to medium-low. Check the onions and stir every 10 minutes or so to keep them from sticking and burning. Do not let them brown at this point; you want them to caramelize very slowly. When they start expelling a lot of liquid and are turning translucent, turn the heat down as low as possible.
2. While the onions are cooking, sprinkle the potato cubes generously with salt, toss, and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Rinse very well under cold water.
3. After about 30 minutes, the onions should be starting to turn dark gold. Increase the heat to medium and remove the lid to evaporate as much of the liquid as possible. Add the 1-2 teaspoons of salt and the potatoes and mix. If you're using fresh herbs, add them now.
4. Turn the heat to very low and cover. Sweat the potatoes until they are soft -- usually 10 to 15 minutes -- stirring gently and tasting every so often. If you like the potatoes crispy, turn the heat up, add a bit more oil, and let them crisp for a few minutes between stirs. The potatoes are done when they just begin to disintegrate around the edges and you can pierce them easily with a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Crack the eggs into the pot. Stir until they just begin separating into creamy curds. Take the pot off the heat and keep stirring until the eggs are done (they will continue to cook for a minute or two in the pot). Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper or whatever else you like.

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