a dc palestinian community cookbook DC PALESTINIAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL Celebrating 10 years of festivals, the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival (DCPFAF) is proud to present this collection of recipes by guest chefs, volunteers, and friends. When you think of Palestinian cuisine, what comes to mind? For us, it is a table covered with colorful plates of food. It is teta’s hands -- the skill and knowledge of those who came before us, fed, and nurtured us. We think of thick, black coffee and decadent sweets dripping with honey and simple syrup. And ultimately, we think of the preservation of life, tradition, history, and yes, even art. This cookbook is a gift by and to our community in commemoration of our tenth year as a festival and DC institution. It is a celebration of one of the greatest and most enduring Palestinian art forms: cooking. We were inspired by the concept of a sufra -- a table filled with lovingly prepared dishes intended to be shared -- which initially served as the inspiration for our 'Sufra Sunday' summer 2020 virtual cooking series. DCPFAF was founded in 2011 to champion the work of Palestinian artists and filmmakers in Palestine and in diaspora, showcasing the range and complexity of Palestinian identities and narratives. It is a project of love, hard work, and a passion for our shared roots. So is this cookbook, which documents not only the recipes of our 2020 Sufra Sunday guest chefs, but also those of our community who shared recipes passed down in their families. Sahtayn! 1 guest chef Nadia Irshaid Gilbert @nadiadiaspora Nadia is a Palestinian-American filmmaker, visual artist, and chef. They produce, direct, edit, and star in “Sahtein,” their cooking show, which celebrates and makes accessible Palestinian cuisine and medicinal wisdom. The show has more than 5,000 subscribers on YouTube, and has been featured in AmEx Essentials "Tastemakers" series. As a cinematographer, Nadia has shot a variety of narrative, commercial, and documentary projects across digital and analog mediums over the last seven years. Their own work often focuses on bridging cultural connections between "East" and "West" and amplifying diasporic voices. Nadia also creates surreal visual art collages with 35mm film photos. 2 nadia's hindbeh SAUTÉED DANDELION GREENS INGREDIENTS a few handfuls of dandelion greens salt lemon (to juice) 2-3 onions grapeseed oil (or another pure, high-heat pomegranate molasses (optional) cooking oil like avocado or sunflower oil) sumac or 7-spice olive oil INSTRUCTIONS Heat 1-2 tablespoons of avocado/sunflower oil in a cast iron skillet (or sauté pan) and put in 2 chopped onions. Sauté on high with 2 pinches of salt. Reduce heat and stir occasionally as they brown and caramelize. The onions will reduce in volume as they caramelize. Wash lemons and juice them into a bowl of cool water. Add lemon skins. Take the dandelion greens and put them in a bowl of lemon cold water. The greens should be submerged completely in the water. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain the dandelion greens from the lemon water. Boil 4-6 quarts of salted water and place the dandelion greens in the boiling water. Blanch the dandelion greens until the stems are tender, about 15 minutes or so depending on the thickness of the stem. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drain the dandelion greens and place them in the cold water to stop the cooking process. Chop dandelion greens into bite-size pieces. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the caramelized onions and add in the dandelion greens. Cook on medium-high heat and sauté. Add in a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally. Add in sumac or 7-spice mix depending on preference. Cook for a few minutes to awaken spices. Stir in 1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses to taste. Cook until there is no liquid in the pan. Garnish with olive oil and serve. 3 nadia's mutabbal A PALESTINIAN BREAKFAST STAPLE INGREDIENTS 1-2 small eggplants yogurt (optional but delicious) garlic olive oil & salt tahini parsley (chopped, for garnish) lemon (to juice) pomegranate molasses (optional) INSTRUCTIONS Take 2 garlic cloves and cover with salt and olive oil. Put it in a garlic roast or wrap in foil. Place in oven for 40-50 minutes to roast, until soft. Chop off the top of the eggplant and remove leaves. Puncture eggplant all around with a knife. Roast whole eggplant in the oven or on a gas stove until soft. If you are roasting on a stove, turn the eggplant every few minutes so that the eggplant roasts on each side evenly. The skin may blacken and that’s okay! Take the eggplant off the heat and let it cool. Slice eggplant and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, taking care to not include any burned skin. In a food processor, squeeze out roasted garlic, eggplant flesh, 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses, 1.5 tablespoons of tahini, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and salt to taste (2-3 pinches). Optional to add: 1 tablespoon of yogurt, black pepper to taste or shatta/chili paste. Blend in food processor until smooth. Serve in your favorite Palestinian ceramic bowl and garnish with parsley and/or chives and olive oil. 4 yasma's shepherd salad A SIMPLE YET DELICIOUS CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALAD INGREDIENTS a few normal-sized tomatoes or a few dried mint handful of cherry tomatoes (finely diced or halloumi cheese (or any sliced) feta or white cheese) 3-4 Persian cucumbers (finely diced) za'atar (optional) 1 onion (white or yellow or purple, finely parsley (optional) diced) avocado (optional) lemon (to juice) radishes (optional) green onion/scallions (and/or chives or any other vegetable to garlic scapes, if you’ve got them) throw in (optional) INSTRUCTIONS Finely dice red onion, cucumber, and tomato so that they are the same size chopped. Place in a bowl. Finely slice chives and green onions (green and white parts) and add to the bowl. Cut off tops of the radishes and slice them into quarters and then half moons to add to the salad. Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Slice halloumi cheese into 1/4-inch slices and place in heated skillet to grill the cheese. Turn after a couple of minutes as each side browns. Chop grilled halloumi into cubes and add to the salad bowl. Mince parsley leaves and add into the bowl. Dress the salad right before eating. Additions if you want: avocados / za'atar/ sautéed chickpeas Dressing: Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice Add 2 generous pinches of salt to taste Add olive oil Add in 1 tablespoon of dried mint Mix together 5 guest chef Tala Bani-Odeh @talabaniodeh Born and raised in Palestine, Tala’s passion and love for food was inspired by her ancestors’ olive trees and farming lands. At a young age, Tala accompanied her grandmother to pick olives during the olive harvest season, making saj bread from scratch, cooking with fresh vegetables from their farm, and making homemade ma’moul during Eid. These precious moments spent with elders learning about Palestinian cuisine and history are what inspired her to pursue her culinary degree from the prestigious Seattle Culinary Academy. Much of the food she cooked at the Academy, and continues to cook for her friends and family, is influenced by her Palestinian heritage, her love for Indian cuisine, as well as her curiosity for Mexican food. Tala is passionate about farm-to-table food and is most in her element when she is experimenting with fresh ingredients. When she is not cooking, Tala loves spending time with her closest friends, watching cooking shows, and making handmade jewelry. 6 tala's fattet betenjan A PALESTINIAN TAKE ON EGGPLANT & CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS 1 lb eggplant or 2 large eggplants 1 lb tomatoes (peeled & chopped) 1/2 lb of ground beef 1 T tomato paste 1 small yellow onion (diced) 2 T pomegranate malasses 5 garlic cloves (minced) 1 T tamarind molasses 1 c vegetable oil 1 c yogurt 1/4 c pine nuts 1/4 c tahini 1/4 c slivered almonds 1 saj bread 1/2 t cinnamon 1 can chickpeas (optional) 1/2 t 7-spice lemon or lime juice (optional) INSTRUCTIONS Begin by peeling and cutting the eggplant into squares, and soaking them in salt and lemon juice; dicing the onions; mincing the garlic; and peeling and cutting the tomatoes into small pieces. Heat a cup of vegetable oil in the pan. When it’s hot, drop the eggplant pieces into it. Allow them to fry for approximately five minutes. Remove the pieces after they are a golden brown and place them on a dish covered with a paper towel to soak up excess oil. In a pan, sauté the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When the onions are softened, add the ground beef to the pan. After a few minutes and when the beef has browned, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, tamarind molasses, cinnamon, 7-spice, salt, and pepper. Allow these ingredients to simmer on medium-low heat together for 10-12 minutes before adding the chickpeas. Taste the mixture to see if any further spices need to be added. Let simmer on low for a few minutes. In a pan, fry the almonds and pine nuts for two minutes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bread into uneven pieces. Place the bread on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 3-5 minutes. (continued on next page) 7 INSTRUCTIONS, CONT.