Middle Eastern

One of the characteristics of tandoori fish in the Punjab, where tandoori—or clay-oven-baked—meat and fish dishes originated, is that they are flavored with ajowan seeds. These tiny seeds look rather like small celery seeds, except that their main aroma comes from thymol, which you find in thyme as well. Instead of using ajowan (ajwain in India), I have simplified matters by using the more easily available thyme instead. Serving suggestions: For a very light meal, you can serve this fish with a salad. You could also make a more substantial meal by offering some rice and either Spinach with Garlic and Cumin or Swiss Chard with Ginger and Garlic.

Deep-frying in oil is the most popular way of cooking fish in the Arab world. The method—used for whole fish as well as steaks and fillets—was introduced to Spain and Sicily in the early Middle Ages by the Arabs.

The rich gamoussa (buffalo’s) milk of the Middle East yields, when it is boiled, a cream which rises to the top and is so thick it can be cut with a knife. It is eishta in Arabic and kaymak in Turkish. Every family collects layers of this cream whenever the milk is boiled, to eat with bread and honey or jam for breakfast, or with a variety of pastries. A substitute, though not as splendid, can be made with a mix of heavy cream and milk.

The traditional method of cooking couscous (the “real thing,” not the quick cooking variety) is by steaming over a watery stew or over water. The method calls for delicate handling. Bad handling will result in a lumpy and rather stodgy couscous.

A hot drink of boiled scented water taken as an alternative to coffee at night is an old tradition in Syria and Lebanon.