“Haneen?” My friend stares at my
lunch.
“Yea?” I respond between bites.
“Umm, what are you eating?” The look
on her face tells me she’s both intrigued and slightly worried.
I look down at the pita bread wrap in
my hands. The paper towel holding it together is soaked with virgin olive oil
and the green stuff my friend is probably questioning. My mom had made me a zaatar wa zeit pita wrap. Other days,
it’s a pita bread with a smooth white layer of Labne. My favorite pita bread sandwich is a mix of both, Labne sprinkled with zaatar on top and little olive oil to
hold it all together.
“Oh, umm,” my young brain begins to
panic. I have gotten the same questions and disgusted or worried looks about my
lunches ever since kindergarten. Senior year of high school and I still
struggle to answer.
“Why is it green?” Now she’s just
completely worried.
“Oh, well, it’s virgin olive oil and
this herb called… zaatar.” I try to
explain, completely failing to remember what zaatar is called in English.
“So, you eat herb sandwiches?” She’s
now more confused than ever.
“Well, herbs and spices are really
important ingredients of all food in the Middle East.” She’s still staring at
my sandwich. “It’s really good. I swear.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” We
continue eating in silence until I finish my pita wrap and get to my cut up
fruit and water.
Years later, I laugh every time I
think of how I used to explain to my friends that they didn’t need to worry
because I ate herbs and other cheeses for lunch every day. If you’re Middle
Eastern, you’re probably laughing along with me. If you’re not, you’re still
trying to decipher what on earth I could have been eating for lunch that was
green and drenched in virgin olive oil.
Zaatar
is a mixture of ground dried thyme and toasted sesame seeds. Thyme is technically considered a culinary herb that comes from the
plant called thymus. Thyme has been used since the days of Ancient Egypt. Thyme
has many uses but predominately has culinary uses. Zaatar has been known to strengthen a person’s memory. Every since
I was a child, my mom would make me zaatar
and zeit sandwiches for breakfast on
exam days. I still eat zaatar when I
need to focus before a long day or work, studying, or writing.
Zeit zaytoon is olive oil, usually just referred to as zeit.
Labne is kefir cheese.
Zeit zaytoon is olive oil, usually just referred to as zeit.
Labne is kefir cheese.
Trust me when I tell you that there’s
nothing more delicious than manakeesh
zaatar for breakfast or lunch! Manakeesh
zaatar is basically toasted pita bread with a beautifully slathered layer
of virgin olive oil and organic thyme. My family has fresh zaatar shipped by my father’s brothers from Jericho, Palestine.
I’ve learned to cook like my
grandmother and mother, which means I don’t do measurements. [In reality, I
can’t cook any Middle Eastern dishes to save my life, unless it’s breakfast.]
To make manakeesh zaatar, you need
pita bread, virgin olive oil, thyme, a small bowl, foil, and some type of oven.
Simple, right? Lay the pita bread on foil. I like to mix the olive oil and a
tablespoon of zaatar in a separate
bowl before I pour it onto the pita bread. Place in the oven. Keep it in there
until you see the edges turn crispy, giving it that slight crunch. Take it out
and enjoy like a round pizza. When I’m on the run, I leave the pita bread
slightly soft so I can just roll it up, wrap it with foil, and take it with me.
Personally, I love sprinkling zaatar on Labne cheese after I’ve topped the Labne with olive oil. Dipping pita bread into this mix or spreading
it onto the pita bread to take with me when I’m running out of the house, with
a side of olives, is the delicious breakfast or lunch.
Growing up in a Middle Eastern
household, I took different and “unique” lunches to school. Despite being made
fun of for not having the usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I loved what
my mom packed for me. Peanut butter did not exist in our house. Actually, I
couldn’t stand peanut butter at all. My brother was the only one in the family
who liked it, so it was rare to find a jar at home.
The first peanut butter and jelly
sandwich I ever ate was during my last year of college. GASP! I’m completely
serious. It took me over twenty-one years to experience this American food
staple.
During my fourth year at UCSD, my
brother was self-training himself with P90X. A different array of healthy foods
filled our house, including organic peanut butter. One time while I was running
late to get back to campus I made myself a quick peanut butter and jelly
sandwich. It was my first and last one until moving back home for the summer
after graduation.
I remember being asked by my brother
to pick up a jar of his preferred organic peanut butter one day and being
shocked by the price. “Healthy food is expensive, Haneen. This is the best.” He
explained to me. I knew he was right.
During my time as an MFA student, I
would begin to make myself a peanut butter and banana sandwich or dip celery (a
vegetable I had always stayed away from and couldn’t get myself to swallow
alone) in peanut butter almost every other morning. I always drizzled honey and
cinnamon on top of the peanut butter to give it a taste I loved. It was a quick
and healthy breakfast to get my brain pumped for writing. I still couldn’t
stand anything peanut butter flavored and I felt like I was forcing myself to swallow
the PB sandwiches.
I have never been a breakfast person,
but simple coffee and water was not cutting it anymore. I needed to get out of
my former college breakfast phase. I needed real food and I kept getting an
earful from family for not eating in the morning. It was never on purpose. I
just never had an appetite in the morning.
I stopped being able to stomach food
in the morning sometime in elementary school. I would start my mornings with a
large glass of deliciously cold milk. [I LOVE milk, which is unfortunate for
someone who needs to still learn to restrain herself from dairy because of
migraines. That’s for another story.] I remember being forced to take some type
of Middle Eastern biscuit or tea cookies because I always shoved the sandwich
my mom would make me in my lunch bag. My mom stopped making me a sandwich for
breakfast and just left me with one for lunch because I could never eat more
than one a day.
So, during graduate school, my
brother’s preferred expensive organic peanut butter was the best option I had.
For lunch, I preferred something out of a traditional Middle Eastern breakfast.
It was Labne and zaatar or just zaatar and
zeit zaytoon pita bread wraps for me.
Looking back on my years in elementary
school and middle school, being the only kid to take non-traditional American
lunches to school was a recipe for taunting. Despite being a very shy and
introverted kid, I stood up for my food choices and even shared my lunch with
close friends, which they came to love. It sure wasn’t easy defending what
others viewed as “weird” foods. By high school, I couldn’t care less and found
sarcastic ways to respond to peers who tried to make fun of my lunch.
My food was viewed as exotic but
exotic back then wasn’t always “cool” unless it was a food that everyone knew,
like kabobs and hummus. Ironically, I don’t like kabob or hummus. I prefer
other types of Middle Eastern salad spreads, specifically kussa bi labn – the insides of Middle Eastern squash mixed with
yogurt and spices – and immtable
beitinjaan – otherwise known as baba
ghanoush, which is actually eggplant mixed with yogurt and spices. My mom
makes everything from scratch, even the hummus,
which makes everything so much more delicious!
Years later, my little sister takes
her lunch to school with pride. She even takes Tupperwares full of leftovers,
something I never could see myself doing. Her friends are usually jealous of
her lunch options.
As for peanut butter, I have found the
perfect way to enjoy this American delicacy. I make my own organic peanut
butter from scratch! It’s incredibly delicious!
I would be more humble about
this, but the fact that both my parents who can’t stand peanut butter, despite
having tried it maybe once, love it makes it hard to be! My dad has started
making a peanut butter and preserves sandwich for breakfast every morning.
I have my own “secret ingredients”
recipe that I have yet to share with anyone but my sisters, who watch me every
time I make it. Last week, I spent about five hours total – from start, rest,
and finish – turning a little over 8 pounds of peanuts into over 7 12oz jars. I
was away for the weekend and came home Monday to find that I need to make more
this week.
My family now has a newfound love for
peanut butter and I’m spreading the love to my family and friends. YUM!
WaSalaam,
Hanoon
