Mideast Piece

- “Cairo Freeze!”

- “Cairo Freeze!”

- “Cairo Freeze!”

Were you wondering how to make a Lebanese Couscous to knock the socks off that certain someone you’ve been trying to impress? Look no further than this expert recipe, courtesy of our friends at AHBAB:

This dish is entirely unlike North African couscous. In the first place, the grains are quite large, more like small peas than the tiny fluffy grains of Tunisian or Moroccan couscous. In the second, the fiery flavors of North African couscous are missing from this preparation, which relies on warm, rounded Middle Eastern aromatics, like cinnamon and cumin, offset by cooling cilantro. The dried chickpeas need to soak overnight, so plan accordingly.

SERVINGS: 6 TO 8

1 cup dried chickpeas (7 ounces), soaked overnight
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
One 4-pound chicken
Two 1-pound lamb shanks
1 1/2 pounds pearl onions, peeled
3 small cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
Kosher salt
1 pound maghrabiyeh couscous
Boiling water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Lemon wedges and toasted pita triangles, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, cover the chickpeas with 1 inch of water and stir in the baking soda. Let soak overnight.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil, skimming as necessary. Cook the chickpeas over low heat until very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

3. In a food processor, puree all but 3/4 cup of the chickpeas until smooth; add some of the reserved cooking liquid if the puree is dry. Add the tahini and lemon juice and process until satiny. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid until the consistency is that of sour cream. Transfer the hummus to a bowl.

4. Remove the skins from the reserved chickpeas. Mash the garlic with the salt until smooth. Stir the garlic into the hummus and transfer to a shallow bowl. Add the parsley to the olive oil and drizzle it over the hummus. Garnish with the whole peeled chickpeas and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The chickpeas can be cooked 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

NOTES: Good tahini (sesame paste) has a sweet, nutty flavor without a trace of bitterness. Be sure to stir any separated oil back into the tahini before measuring.

- “Cairo Freeze!”

I recently came across “Cairo Freeze!” by T. Shahin, an Egyptian freelance editorial cartoonist. His cartoons are often connected to human rights in the region, including the status of GLBT individuals.

Over the next couple of weeks I will run a few of his cartoons and - ongoing - keep an eye open for anything GLBT-related. Enjoy!

“I do not want a crown, I do not want a throne. I only want to rub my forehead in the dust and dance with abandon over the earth. If the Sultan would show me favour, then I might be allowed to dance even upon the winds… Because those who denounce me are not real men in the spiritual sense, they cannot accept love with all its consequences in their hearts. Oh my love, there a thousand snares in every form; oh my love, one who is not a real man can never experience true love!”

-Sufi mystic Akhi Jamshed Rajgiri defending himself before the Sultan of Juanpur

“A Jihad for Love” is the world’s first documentary film on the role of homosexuality in Islam. Filmed in a dozen countries and nine languages, the film has started to make the rounds in the US.

Director Parvez Sharma (pictured here) has faced an uphill battle bringing the film to life. “About every two weeks I get an e-mail that berates me, condemns me to hell and, if they are nice, asks me to still seek forgiveness while there is still time,” said the Indian-American director.

Sharma has attempted to portray homosexuality without shame, all the while protecting the safety of his sources by filming them as silhouettes or with their faces covered. In one case, he said the family of an Afghan woman he interviewed “would undoubtedly kill her” if they found out she was a lesbian. Even one of the film’s associate producers, an Egyptian gay man, chose not to be listed in the credits for fear of possible consequences. (When was the last time you heard of someone in Hollywood not wanting credit?!)

Though filled with the trials and tribulation of being gay and Muslim, the film ultimately leaves viewers with a positive message about the potential to reclaim Islam in the name of tolerance and love. “The Islam that this film is seeking to reclaim is rich, it is pulsating, it’s welcoming, condemning sometimes, it’s loving, it’s erotic, it’s sensual, it’s poetic and it’s musical,” said Sharma.

Amen.

Two young men meet by accident on a hot evening in Israel. One is Palestinian, ready to die for his beliefs in an attack planned for the next morning. The other is Israeli, lost in life after losing his whole family to terrorism and war.

Since you’re reading this plot description on Mideast Piece, you can assume these men are gay, and that they will either fall in love or fight a pitched battle for the duration of their lives. This is the story behind “Le Centiema Nom,” a film starring French-Arab actor Salim Kechiouche as the Palestinian ready to die for his beliefs.

Word on the street is that Salim is the hottest gay Arab actor around. Of course his gay-themed movies are French, because it’s not like the Arab world is hot on producing gay-themed films; however, Salim’s many films have made their way to the Middle East and - as Martha would say - it’s a good thing.

Here he is:

As part of Tori Amos’ world tour to promote her new album “American Doll Posse”, the piano playing diva will preform in Turkey and Israel. In Israel she will perform at the Ra’anana Amphitheater July 21.

Check out other tour dates and venues at Tori’s website. The clip below is not for young ears…and maybe not your workplace.