North African Dessert and Tea Tour

Yesterday I participated in the National Museum of African Art's Docent Appreciation day. Since many of the upcoming exhibits will feature North African art, this year's celebration had a regional theme. My presentation was called a "North African Dessert and Tea Tour". After watching an Egyptian belly dance performance and Middle Eastern lunch buffet, I took the docents on a virtual culinary tour from Cairo to Casablanca. I discussed histories of baklava, ma'moul, ghrayeba, and lomut al qadi. Each of the docents were presented with a certificate of appreciation for their service...some of them have been volunteering at the museum for 14 and more years! After witnessing such gorgeous collections...it's easy to understand why. Here's a recipe for one of my favorite sweets from: Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture

Sweet Fritters Topped with Syrup Lomut al Adi 8 Servings The name of this dessert, Lomut al Adi, means “Judge’s Mouthfuls” in Arabic. They are a spin-off of the doughnuts which officials from the Fatimid Muslim palaces used to distribute to the Christian community at Christmas time. The tradition was so well loved that the making of these fritters caught on in Fatimid ruled areas all across the Mediterranean. Today, no Southern Italian street festival would be complete without “zeppole”, nor would Greek festivals forget to incorporate “loukamadis”, which are close cousins to these Sweet Fritters. Ingredients: For the Syrup: ¾ cup sugar 1 lemon, juiced For the Sweet Fritters: 1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast mixed with a teaspoon of sugar 2 ¼ cups unbleached, all purpose, white flour 1 tablespoon rice flour 1 large egg, beaten 1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee)

4 cups expeller pressed corn oil, for frying Preparation: Make the syrup by placing 1 cup water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Once syrup begins to boil, reduce heat to low, discontinue stirring, and allow syrup to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Make the sweet mouthfuls by dissolving yeast and sugar mixture in ¼ lukewarm water in a small bowl. Allow to rest 15 minutes, or until bubbly and doubled in volume (this is called proofing the yeast). In a large bowl, combine flour, rice flour, proofed yeast mixture, egg, and clarified butter with 1 ¾ cup water. Mix well to combine, then whisk to remove lumps. Mixture should resemble a pancake batter. If batter seems too thick, add more water, tablespoon by tablespoon, until it is smooth. If batter seems too thin, add more flour, tablespoon by tablespoon, until it is smooth. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth, and then wrap entire bowl in a clean towel. Set in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours, or until batter is bubbly and has doubled in volume. When batter is ready, heat 4 cups of oil in a large saucepan. Use two teaspoons to shape mouthfuls by grabbing the dough with one teaspoon and pushing it off with another. When oil reaches 350 to 365F degrees, carefully drop the small balls into the hot oil (you may choose to wear oven mitts while doing this). Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a platter lined with paper towels. Carefully place mouthfuls into syrup, and turn gently to coat and remove onto a serving platter. Repeat until all batter is used.