[Sca-cooks] Side Dishes for al-Warraq

[Terry Decker]

You don't need a tannur to make flat breads.  Most of the recipes can be 
baked on a hot rock in the embers, so use a griddle.  There are supposed to 
be six bread recipes in al-Warraq (I haven't checked that so it's 
questionable until confirmed).

If you are interested in the subject, you might take a look at 
https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199505/on.the.flatbread.trail.htm . 
I do recommend the Flatbreads and Flavors mentioned in the article as a good 
modern text on flatbreads.

Now, why do you consider plain rice as "somewhat out of period."

Bear

-----Original Message----- 

Greetings to the assembled cooks from Aodh Ó Siadhail!

I'm cooking a feast for our Coronet Tourney in November. I'm planning to
work from Nawal Nasrallah's translation of al-Warraq, and indeed, I've been
trying out a few of the dishes in recent months, with some success.

However, almost every dish listed is what we would think of as a "main
dish". There are mentions in the text of side-dishes and smaller dishes
served alongside, but I can't see what these might be.

I'll be serving a somewhat out-of-period plain rice in any case, and I'll
acquire flatbreads of various kinds from local Middle Eastern shops (I'd
love to make these myself, but I won't have access to a tannur - nor do I
have the skills to use one), but I'd like to have a few non-main-meal
vegetable dishes to go alongside. What would be appropriate?

Le meas,
Aodh