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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