Dear reader,
Since last week’s burnt waffles, my sugar cravings have been out of control. It got particularly bad the other day. I couldn’t find anything sweet to munch on, and was about to cave and order something. I tried to fight the urge really hard, but then I had a moment of desperate genius.
I grabbed a loaf of Arabic bread, slathered it in chocolate spread, and added scoops of vanilla ice cream on top, closed the sandwich, and enjoyed the gastronomic (?) flavors. Call me crazy, but it honestly did exactly what I expected it to do; it neutralized all my cravings in one go.
It got me thinking: you can put literally anything in Arabic pita bread and it just works. It’s basically an edible plate. It’s not like making a sandwich in a baguette; it’s just a thin layer of texture holding your last ingredients together.
Take chips and Labneh for example: sure, you could eat them from a plate, but wrapping them in Arabic bread, now that’s something else entirely. It’s very "Pipo at the Dietician" for those of you who remember Pipo and his huge tartines. I’ve seen people push it even further, with Picon and spicy Cheetos. I would personally not go there, but I do respect it. You of course always have the classics like butter and jam, or even the tripolitan Moghrabieh sandwich. It may sound redundant to put dough inside dough, but it hits the spot. Trust me, I’ve tried it.. It’s like having the entire meal on a plate, just a portable version of it. We can always agree to disagree, but you know..
Easter feels heavy this year, but the Maamoul wars are back regardless. My friends’ moms have been making me try their different versions, asking me to rate them. I maintain that I’m the last person one should ask for food critique, regardless of waffles and eggs.
I’m also hoping I can get everyone to crack eggs this Easter. My family stopped doing it a while ago.. It now feels like a good way to let out all the built-up stress since none of us go to therapy.
If you’re actually planning on doing some baking this Easter, these are the only recipes you need to look at: Chef Amani’s maamoul, Barbara Massaad’s zaatar-chocolate cake (don't judge it until you've tried it), or Andrea Bouez’s chocolate chestnut cake.
Happy Easter to everyone celebrating. I hope we get some quiet days soon.
Melissa Manouchakian
Distribution editor
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