These are four of the things we brought to our Independence Day Melting Pot-Luck. Also, just a reminder that anytime I say just salt in a baking recipe, I mean fine grained sea salt, and in all other recipes, I mean Diamond kosher salt. If it doesn't follow that pattern, I will specify.

Also, I meant to take pictures at the potluck to add to the post, but it was kind of gobbled up before I got a chance to do that. So, I have a picture of the Kerkadi in the jars, but not in the glass, and no other photos. I will add them as I make these in the future.

Kerkadi

This is the drink that Jamaica is based on. Much like how sahlab became horchata, the Moors brought this drink to the Spanish, who brought it with them to the New World, which added its own twist to it. It is often found in Egypt and North African Arab countries, but also in other parts of the Arab world.

12 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried hibiscus flowers
1/2 - 1 1/2 cups sugar or light honey (depending on how sweet you like it - if using honey, stick with the lower measurement)
2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 washed and sliced
2 oranges, 1 juiced and strained if there are seeds, and 1 washed and sliced
1 lemon, 1/2 juiced and strained, 1/2 washed and sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
fresh mint, to serve

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the hibiscus flowers and sweetener and continue to boil for three minutes. Remove from heat, cover pot, and let steep for 30 minutes.

Set out 2 clean 1/2 gallon jars and place half the sliced lime, half the sliced orange, a half the lemon slices, and one stick of cinnamon in each jar. Strain half the tea through a fine meshed strainer into each jar. Discard the hibiscus flowers. Stir in half the lime juice, half the orange juice, and half the lemon juice into each jar.

Allow to cool completely and chill in the refrigerator.

Fill a glass with ice, pour in the tea concentrate, and dilute with cold water, if you like. Serve with sprigs of mint.

Rouz Medini

This is a traditional Hejazi Saudi dish from the area of Medina. It is a wonderful dish and not difficult to make, though it does take a little time. If you don't want to have to pick through the whole spices as you eat, you can put them in a mesh ball that is easily removed. The bay leaves are easy to remove, and the mastic melts into the dish, so I don't put those in the mesh ball.

4 1/2 pounds bone in lamb, preferably meaty shanks or shoulder, but leg will work
1/2 cup of ghee, divided
5 1/2 teaspons salt, divided
10 cardamom pods
5 bay leaves
12 mastic crystals, divided
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons saffron water (soak about 3/4 teaspoon saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm water)
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon kadi water (if you cannot find this, use 2 tablespoons of rose water)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
2 cups of Basmati rice, washed and drained
1/2 cup sultanas soaked in water for about 10 - 15 minutes and drained
1/2 cup of skinless sliced or slivered almonds

Season the lamb with salt (I use about 1 tablespoon for this amount) and brown in a large pot with about 2 tablespoons ghee. Add 6 cups of water, the cardamom pods, bay leaves, 4 mastic crystals, and the peppercorns and bring to a boil, skimming off any impurities. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour and a half, or until the meat is super tender.

Remove the meat to a baking pan with sides. Mix a cup of the remaining stock with a tablespoon of ghee, 2 tablespoons of tomato purée, garlic, lemon juice, saffron water, rose water, kadi water, cumin, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour this sauce on the meat and set the pan aside briefly.

Bring the remaining stock (it should be about 4 cups) to a boil, with 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and pour in the washed rice. Make sure that the stock level is about half an inch above the rice. If it isn't, add hot water to bring it to that level. Bring to a rolling boil. When it has absorbed most of the water, heat up two heaping tablespoons of ghee, melt about 8 mastic crystals in it then pour it on the rice. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible, cover, and let it finish cooking for about 20 minutes.

While the rice cooks, place the pan of meat in the oven on the broiler setting and let it get browned and slightly charred. Remove from the oven and reserve any sauce in the pan to serve with the rice. Gently toast the almonds in remaining ghee, remove from heat and add the sultanas to it to heat them.

Turn out the rice onto a serving plate. Top it with the meat and garnish with the toasted almonds and sultanas. Pass the reserved sauce. This is best served hot, with the nuts and raisins sizzling over the top.

German Cucumber Salad

This is similar to someone's Oma's recipe. Rich, though mostly German in heritage (then English and, therefore a bit of French, with a mishmash of quite a lot after that), does not have as direct or close a tie to his German ethnicity. So, we looked up several recipes and chose one, but used some of the proportions from the other. We did double this recipe for our Melting Pot-Luck.

2 English (or 6 Persian) cucumbers
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped, fresh dill
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice cucumbers and place in a salad bowl.

Mix together all the rest of the ingredients and pour over the cucumbers. Gently toss together to coat all of the cucumbers with dressing. Chill for 30 minutes or more.

Smoked Tomato Onion Seasoning and Dip

This dip is my take on the California classic onion dip seasoning. It was part of our Christmas present package this year. We smoked tomatoes for preserving, and then peeled the skins off and dried them, then ground them up into powder that we add to all sorts of dishes. You can buy tomato powder or make your own. This is a simple thing to make, is a great seasoning for fish and chicken and other foods, and makes a superb dip for chips.

1/4 cup dried onion
1/4 cup smoked tomato powder
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Mix it all up and put it in a labeled jar. That's it. To make this into a dip, take about two tablespoons (or more, to taste) of this seasoning mix and stir it well with a pint of sour cream. Allow it to meld in the refrigerator at least four hours.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen