More recipes from Bethlehem

In time for summer tables

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Back in June I wrote a Substack post about Bethlehem, the Palestinian city just south of Jerusalem, as well as the lovely cookbook of the same title by local chef Fadi Kattan. (You will find that story here.)

At the time, I promised two recipes from a piece written almost 15 years ago about another Bethlehem cook, Fairouz Shemali, a high school history teacher who made these dishes with me in her home kitchen in the village of Beit Sahour, just outside historic, legendary Bethlehem. Somehow, with all the pressures of summer (the visitors, the picnics, the potlucks, the outdoor concerts and art shows, the fireworks over the harbor, et al.), I am only getting around to posting those recipes today.

So here they are, two recipes from Fairouz Shemali, with a warning: These are what I call rainy Saturday recipes, i.e., long and a bit complicated and not to be undertaken when you’re trying to throw something together quickly for family supper. On the other hand, they’re well worth the effort on a rainy day when you have time and energy to devote to learning a new style, a new taste, a new culture—or to revisit beloved memories.

These are for paid subscribers only. Why? Because writing recipes, testing and retesting, costs money and time. I can’t work for free or even just for the love. So, bear with me, and if you’re not a paid subscriber, take this chance to become one so you can see all my posts and all my recipes.