* 1 PAGE TEN by Joan Kingsbury This week, Sandra Serhan of Harveys Lake shares Syrian recipes with Post readers. Spicy, fragrant and flavorful, Syrian cooking utilizes a Mint, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, rosemary and garlic are those most commonly used. Lamb is a popular meat. Laban or yogurt is The granddaughter of immigrants, Sandra grew up eating many traditional foods. Serhan family home- stead, goes all out preparing traditional foods when her family comes to visit. A typical Syrian meal, as outlined by Sandra, goes something like this. Sesame and Tahini with ceei peas, a dip served with Syrian bread is a popular ap- petiser. Tabulee, a salad made from tomatoes, wheat and tender scallions spiced with parsley, peppermint, lemon juice, olive oil also is served before the main course. Jiban, a cheese similar to farmer's cheese may also be served prior to the meat course. Sandra chose Kibbee, a popular meat dish for the main course. Kibbee is made from ground beef or ground lamb, however, Sandra also has a variation calling for shrimp. Kibbee is served two ways. Kibbee nuyee is raw. Baked Kibbee is called sineea. Whbrek Eenab or Grape leaves stuffed with rice and lamb seasoned with cinnamon and allspice is served as a side dish, often with laban. Laban is one ingredient Sandra always keeps (on; hand: in her refrigerator.:’-Sandra prefers: homemade Laban or yogurt to that pur- chased in the grocery suggests one of the delicious Syrian pastries such as Baclawa. Sandra purchases the dough for this rich pastry because it is an all day job to make it. Sandra recommends Shiner’s Bakery, Park Avenue, Wilkes-Barre for all Syrian cooking needs as well as the baclawa dough. Rich Arabic coffee similar = to demitass completes the meal. A lifetime resident of Harveys Lake, Sandra is founder and president of the Harveys Lake Historical Society. The main objective of this society is for the historic and cultural development of the community. Sandra owns and operates’ Sara Sheen Draperies. A custom decorator, Sandra specializes in making custom draperies and slipcovers. Although Sandra has been in the decorating business for 10 years, she has operated Sara Sheen Showcase since 1976. Prior to opening her own business Sandra was a department store decorator. Active in community affairs Sandra is a member of the Harveys Lake Taxpayers Association. In 1979 she served as United Nations Day chairman for her community. At Our Lady of Victory Church Sandra serves as lector, teaches catechetics and is a member of the Altar and Rosary Society. Sandra is a recipient of the St. John Newman Award. This award was presented to Sandra by Bishop James Timlin of the Diocese of Scranton for five years of service as a religious educator. Sandra is a member of Pennsyl- vanians for Human Life. In addition to cooking Sandra ‘enjoys playing the piano; ‘writing poetry, reading ‘and ‘art. ‘An ex- cellent seamstress, she finds color scheming an interesting undertaking. This spring Sandra is looking forward to a trip to England, Scotland and Wales. If you have the winter blahs what better way to raise your spirits than to try something different. If challenging, unique recipes, give Sandra’s a try. BACLAWA 2 1b. baclawa dough (purchase) 1 lb. melted butter 1% lb. walnuts, ground Y c. sugar 1 t. cinnamon 1 T. orange blossom or rose water 2 c. sugar 2 c¢. water Y c. honey juice of 1 lemon Prepare syrup of sugar, water, honey and lemon. Combine ingredients for syrup. Slice lemon, remove seeds, add to sugar, water and honey. Add orange blossom or rose water or rum flavoring to syrup. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Allow syrup to cool. Remove baclawa dough from refrigerator and allow to set at room temperature. Dough must be at room temperature when handling it or it will crack. Cembine ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and orange blossom or rose water. Grease a 13x9x2” baking pan with butter. Lay all sheets of baclawa dough on top of each other. Measure and cut into a 13x9 inch square. Lay sheets of baclawa dough in the pan brushing every second layer with butter until you have used half of the dough. Spread walnut filling on top of these layers; top with remaining pound of baclawa dough again spreading every second layer with melted butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and flaky. Watch baclawa carefully as it bakes. Remove from oven. Pour cold syrup over hot pastry. Decorate with candied lemon peel. Note: Baclawa dough and other syrian cooking items may be purchased at Shiners Bakery, Park Avenue, Wilkes-Barre. KANNAFEE 1 box shredded wheat biscuits warm milk nut filling for baclawa _ syrup for backlawa 1 lb. melted butter Dip each shredded wheat biscuit in hot milk. Remove; cut one end with scissors to flatten. Cover the bottom of 13x9x2’’ pan with shredded wheat prepared in this way. Put nut mixture over shredded wheat. Top with another layer of shredded wheat. Pour excess butter over top. Bake in 350 oven until golden. Remove from oven. Pour cold syrup over top. Tastes much like baclawa. STUFFED ZUCHINNI 1 1b. gr. beef or gr. lamb 1 c. rice (Uncle Ben’s preferred) 3 T. tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, pressed salt and pepper to taste 9 or 10 med. zuchinni Cut off ends of zuchinni. Core zuchinni leaving a inch shell. Rinse the in- side, salt lightly. Drop in a small pat of butter. Combine meat, rice, tomato paste, garlic, salt and pepper. Stuff each zuchinni with filling until it is 34 inch full. Stand zuchinni upright in a tall pot. Add water, a few beef bouillion cubes, the remaining tomato paste from a small can and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Simmer for 45 minutes to one hour until rice is tender. YACHNEE - SAFFRON RICE 2 pinches of saffron 1 c. rice 5 med. onions, minced 2 T. olive oil 1 T. salt 1 T. allspice vs t. cloves Ys t. cinnamon pepper to taste 1 lb. minced chicken or lamb: Wash rice. (If rice is Uncle Ben’s washing is not necessary.) Cook rice for 12-15 minutes. Add spices including saffron, pour over rice, simmer 5 more minutes. Brown onions until charred on edges; set aside. Brown chicken or lamb. Mix with onions: Serve over rice. Variation: Sautee pneno nuts in butter. Simmer Y; c. orzo lentils in butter until golden brown. Add to rice, cooking until rice is tender: Serve over meat. RICE PUDDING Y, gal. whole milk 3 c. plus 2 T. Carolina Rice 1 pat butter 34 Cc. sugar 1 egg vanilla Combine milk, rice and butter. Simmer for 45 minutes stirring frequently. Combine sugar, vanilla and an egg with an egg beater. When rice is very soft whip in this mixture with the egg beater. Cook about 10 minutes more stirring constantly until the pudding thickens. Sprinkle with cinnamon. If you want to add raisins to the rice pudding plump them first. Add Chairman Jim Eason reported this week that advance ticket sales are progressing well for the 1980 Dallas Rotary Turkey Feast, which is scheduled for March 22 at Dallas High School Cafeteria. Eason said that all members of Dallas Rotary Club have adult, children and takeout tickets for sale for the event, which is a high- point in the culinary year as far as the Back Mountain is concerned. The feast features an ‘all-you-can-eat’ turkey dinner with all the trimmings, served family style. Serving is from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Profits from the event go to Dallas Rotary charities. The civic group has served the Back Mountain for more than 50 raisins to the pudding after it has been cooked. If raisins are added to the years and is the senior service club in the area. Eason said that Bob Coscia, well-known caterer and food service specialist, is assisting the rice pudding while it cooks, the consistency of the pudding will be ruined. club with menu and dinner plans. Advance tickets may also be purchased at the offices of The Dallas Post, 44 Main St., Dallas. The Invitations Com- mittee is planning “Fashion Expressions of the 80s,” a spring fashion show and cocktail party sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Crippled Children’s Association and the Luzerne County Medical Society’s Auxiliary. The event will be held on Thursday, March 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Room of Pomeroy’s, Wyoming Valley Mall. A tax deductible donation is $12 per person. Tickets are limited. For reservations and in- formation, call the Crippled Children’s Association Office, Kirby Health Center, 829-2453 or Professional Services Answering Service at 824; 9883. Y A gentleman that loves to hear himself talk, will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month. --Shakespeare. Mark Moran) In celebration of Girl Scout Week, Dallas Neighborhood 24 con- ducted an essay contest for scouts in their area. The title of the essay was “What I like Best About Being a Girl Scout”. The winners are Kristen Hardisky, age 7, Brownie Troop. 717, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Dallas, leader, Mrs. Diane Hozempa. Kristen wrote: “I was excited when I got my Brownie pin and uniform. I like doing crafts and doing the Brownie squeeze. It’s fun when you make a Brownie wish. I like singing songs, selling Brownie cookies and hiking. I liked when all of us made a new friend roller i Trena Cigarski, age 10, Junior Troop 644, Leh- man-Jackson Elementary School, Lehman, leader, Mrs. Marie Cigarski. Trena wrote: ‘I never really thought too much about the reasons why I liked girl scouting, it’s as if it were always there! You know, like school, and parents, and sisters, and brothers. It becomes a part of your life and you sort of take it for grant>d. You think it will be there forever. Then I stopped and thought to myself, ‘“‘what would it be like if there was no scouting? Pretty dull, right! We really have a good time and that’s important. We’ve done so many things, and are planning to do much’ more. We learn something new every week. We have lots of fun learning, and doing, and sharing, and caring. I don’t like Girl Scouting, I love it! Suzanne Sabaluski, age 13, Cadette Troop 706, Lake Lehman Sr. High School, Lehman, leader, Mrs. Linda Archavage. Suzanne wrote: What I like best of all about being a Girl Scout is helping other people and then being able to say, I was able to do that because I was a Girl Scout. When I wear my uniform I can wear it with pride, because I've put a little bit of myself into scouting ‘and I've put a little bit of myself into everything I do for Girl Scouts. The judges panel said it was greatly impressed by the fine entries they read and were pleased to see so many different reasons for enjoying scouts. The winning essays were read at ‘“Welcome to Our Worlds’’ on Saturday, March 1. ‘ E.V. Chadwick, county extention director, ‘Penn State Extension, will conduct home gardening classes at 7 p.m. on Monday, - March 24 and March 31, at the Kingston Township Municipal Building, Carverton Road. This is another of the adult recreation programs for residents, sponsored by the Kingston Township supervisors. Township residents are invited to participate in the sessions which were very well received last spring. Gate of Heaven Brownie Troop 623 recently held a father- daughter evening. The girls prepared and served light refreshments. The father-daughter teams then completed bird- feeders which will be on display during Girl Scout Week. : Lehman Junior Girl Scout Troop 644 is making plans for a Mother- Daughter Tea. They exchanged Thinking Day Cards with Brownie Troop 658. The troop has earned several badges; Indian Lore, Magic Carpet, Books and Pen Pal. Leaders for the troop are Mrs. Marie Cigarski and Mrs. Bonnie Smith. Brownie Troop 717, Trinity = Presbyterian Church, Dallas, is working on a puppet show for their Father-Daughter dinner. The troop went skating at Ice-a-Rama and had a pizza party at the Pizza Hut. Lake-Lehman Cadette Girl Scout Troop reports they've had a full month of activities. They started the month with a Scout and Friend iceskating party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gordon. They also sponsored a Sarah Coventry Jewelry Party as part of their work on “Our Own Troops Jewelry Badge.” The troop also selected the script for a play they plan to present to the public this spring. The play will be ‘Exit the Queen.” Leader Deposit, etc. & Birthday Celebration. cre SRE EET Tala
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