Pacifica Institute Cooking Class

Last Saturday Pacifica Institute Utah held another international cooking class, with dishes from three countries.

Our three teachers were Josie Stone of Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable from England, Sam El Fajri from Morocco, and Zeynep Kariparduc from Turkey.  I was able to bum a ride from my friend Ammon and his fiance Mandy, as they wanted to go, too.  They took pictures because I’m technologically devolved.  We also took part in a contest to make a salad in under 2 minutes – the gentleman who took charge of our team is a cooking enthusiast, and was grooving along so fast chopping things he caught his finger, too.  Luckily he is also a nurse, so knew exactly what to do.

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Photography by Ammon and Mandy

Shepherd’s Pie (Cottage Pie)

Josie from UK

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb (halal)
• 1 Onion chopped
• 1-2 cups vegetables – chopped carrots, corn, frozen peas (optional)
• 8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• Salt, white pepper, other seasonings of choice (fresh chopped parsley, Italian seasoning, rosemary)
• Gravy flour or Bisto

Method

1.            Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes)

2.            While the potatoes are cooking, melt 2 Tablespoons butter (1/4 stick) in large frying pan

3.            Saute onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins).  If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time.  Put any carrots in with the onions.  Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4.            Add ground lamb and saute until no longer pink.  Add salt and pepper.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Add half a cup of vegetable broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more broth as necessary to keep moist.  Sprinkle in Bisto or gravy flour to thicken.

5.            Mash potatoes in pan with remainder of butter, reserving 2 Tablespoons; season to taste.

6.            Place lamb and onions in baking dish.  Distribute mashed potatoes on top.  Rough up with fork so that there are peaks which will brown nicely.  You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.  Dot potatoes with small pieces of butter to assist with browning.

7.            Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes).  Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Bulgar Pilaf with Green Lentils

Zeynep from Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter or 1/2 cup oil
• 2 brown onions (finely chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups extra coarse bulgur, uncooked
• 1 cup lentils
• 5 cups boiled water (still hot)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• Tomatoes and green pepper
• 2 teaspoons pepper paste (optional)

Method

1. Boil washed lentils in water.
2. Saute onions with oil.  Add tomatoes and peppers.  Saute 5 more minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, and then bulgur and lentils.
4. Stir it one more time, and then add boiled water and salt.
5. Cook until the water evaporates.  Let the Bulgur Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes.
6. (Other tasty bits can be added to Pilaf to taste, too.)

Chocolate Decadence

Sam from Morocco

Ingredients

• 24 oz. chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, milk Ghiradelli or Callebault (mix and match)
• 1/2 lb. unsalted butter, do not even think about salted
• 1 teaspoon Folgers instant coffee crystals
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a microwave safe bowl place chocolate, butter and instant coffee.  Place in microwave on no more than medium power and cook 1 minute.  Remove and stir.  Repeat process until chocolate, butter and coffee are all melted and mixed to smooth.
3. In large mixing bowl, whip eggs and sugar until smooth and frothy.  Should just begin to thicken.
4. Add warm melted chocolate to whipped eggs and whip until eggs and chocolate are completely mixed and bowl has been scraped to mix everything evenly.  Should be pretty thick mixture.
5. Spray a 9 or 10-inch spring-form pan with butter-flavored spray or lightly coat the pan with butter.  Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.  Pour batter into pan.  Place on center shelf of pre-heated oven.
6. After light goes out when oven reaches temperature again, reduce heat to 300 degrees.  Cook 20 minutes.  A light crust will form on top, a toothpick will never come out clean, so do not think about using that as an option.  It should be lightly firm with the center being just a little sunken.
7. Place on cooling rack until it reaches room temperature.  Then wrap lightly with plastic and place in refrigerator until chilled.

When ready to serve, run a knife around pan to loosen from sides, remove side of spring-form pan.  Turn onto platter and remove bottom of pan and paper.  If you let the cake set at room temp for about 15 minutes before removing bottom, it could be easier.  Cut with a heated clean knife.  A pitcher of hot water works great, then dry the knife before touching the cake.  Enjoy!

Josie Stone has resided in Utah for 10 years and really loves being here.  She grew up in England.  She currently has her own consulting business for teaching clinical practice and conducts education programs both nationally and internationally.  She has 4 children, loves cooking, delights in all different types of food, especially vegetarian, and enjoys experimenting with recipes from all over the world.

Zeynep Kariparduc was born and raised in Turkey.  After marriage she has been in different countries, earned a BA degree in Kosovo and ended up in Utah in 2010.  She has 4 children, is currently working as a toddler teacher and volunteer of Pacifica Institute, and enjoys being familiar with different cultures and cuisines.

Sam El Fajri is from Morocco.  She came to USA in 2007 to pursue a degree in Health Care Administration.  She works with University of Utah Hospitals.  She decided to settle down in Utah, got married, no kids yet!  She enjoys cooking, traveling, and learning about other cultures.

Friday Photo: After Aphrodite

Reblogged from mediaevalmusings:

Today's Friday photo is an image of the ruins of Aphrodisias, an ancient city in Turkey near to modern-day Denizli. During its ancient heyday, Aphrodisias was the site of flourishing sculpture production, although it suffered from earthquakes several times in its history. As the name suggests, the city was devoted to Aphrodite, and a temple in her honour was a major part of the urban landscape.

Read more… 76 more words

The artifacts and architecture of Turkey are remarkable, with its rich blend of spiritual traditions. At its best, the Ottomans brought together artists and philosophers from every corner of the world and every path of faith. Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr said the Mulsim Cailiphs would send Christian artists on learning missions, so they could return and paint even more beautiful Christian icons. Aside from the cuisine, which I love, my interest in all things Turkish began with a Ripley's Believe It or Not story about a Turkish prince, who losing his shield in a battle, tore off an armored door from the fort his forces were defending, and used it as his shield for the remainder of the day. There is something wonderful, exciting, and mystical about a country the very roads of which are older than the discovery of the continent on which I live.

Beginning the 99 Names Project: Introduction (Part 5)

 

Painting Merciful (Ar-Rahim)

99 Names Project Introduction (Part 5)

The concerns about diluting faith identity, however, are real, strong, and deep.  Many people feel threatened when introduced to ideas which seem to challenge the beliefs they cherish.  We define ourselves by these beliefs, and sometimes when new realms of faith are shown to us, the desperate question comes into our minds, “Then what if my beliefs are wrong?”  And that becomes an immediate danger to the very core of our identity.

But there is a different way to look at this, and coming across something outside of our beliefs does not have to feel like a challenge.

I was teaching a Sunday School class for an Episcopal congregation.  “Why,” one of the class members asked, “do evangelicals always want to tell me about Jesus?  I’m already Christian, and it’s annoying.”  Clarifying that I could not represent evangelicals, or really anyone beyond myself, I said I thought I could understand their rationale.  I have had a number of surgeries, I explained, an experience shared by many people in the room.  With the gratitude I have felt for procedures well done, I could imagine how much stronger that gratitude would be for the work of a heart surgeon who saved my life.  “Wouldn’t you want to share with your friends the name of the doctor who saved your life?”  I asked.  “I imagine it’s very similar.  People who feel their souls have been saved, hopefully everyone in the room (this drew a laugh), have the right and desire to share the Name of their savior to everyone they can.”

Since all of us are unique, of “different nations and tribes” as the Qur’an states, our understanding, views, and words for a Higher Power are bound to be different.  It would be astounding if they weren’t.  Just as everyone with a Divine experience has a right to share it, everyone has the right to different experiences–each of us is unique.  And each unique view, rather than challenging what we have, can add to it.

There is an ancient story, told pretty much everywhere there are elephants, about several blind magis and their first experience with an elephant.  Each came to the elephant at a different spot–one to the elephant’s trunk, one to the tail, one to a leg, one to the elephant’s expansive side.  The magi feeling the trunk said, “An elephant is like a snake!”  The one feeling the tail said, “It is like a rope!”  The magi feeling the leg said, “It’s like a tree!”  And the one feeling the side said, “An elephant is a great leathery cliff!”  Each was right in his or her perception, and each would have a greater appreciation for what the elephant really is by learning from the perception of the others.

If the Creator is truly an Infinite Being, no human can comprehend Him fully, and all of us need the perceptions of our neighbors to help broaden our own understanding of the Divine.  Rather than having our innermost beliefs threatened by the beliefs of others, we can let down our defenses enough to listen without feeling challenged (or having to challenge), behave agreeably about things on which we disagree, and cherish fair parallels and similarities.

Rather than converting to Islam, I find the process of learning about Islam helps me better appreciate my Muslim neighbors, and in turn makes me a better Christian.  Having read the Qur’an, I can see many parallels to the Bible; I can also begin to see how deeply the Qur’an influences the lives of those covenanted to follow its principles.  The points of divergence between Christianity and Islam have become less points of contention, and more opportunities for discussion.  Muslims are “Children of the Book,” along with Jews and Christians, tracing their spiritual lineage to Abraham through his son Ishmael.  Although points of doctrine are different, as are traditions and even holidays, underneath it all I remember we are in a very real sense brothers and sisters, and of course, all of us are children of Adam.

Turkey has had a difficult history.  With the extreme secularism of the Ataturk government, many people have been terrified to openly observe their faith.  A friend, Ozkur Yildiz of Pacifica Institute, shared how this has changed in just the last couple years.  “My home town has a central square bordered by a Synagogue, a Mosque, and a beautiful Christian chapel, which have all been disused and neglected for years.  Finally, we can observe our religious beliefs openly, and this has lead to something wonderful.  Jews, Christians, and Muslims joined in cleaning out and repairing each others’ holy buildings; all of us celebrate the festivities of our respective faiths; all of us are happy to support each other in our different beliefs.  The doors of our meeting places open towards each other in my home town’s central square, and our hearts have done the same.”

There have been difficulties in moving the 99 Names Project forward.  In researching and learning about other belief systems, sometimes it is difficult to tell when the voices of truth are shadowed by inaccuracy, poor information, and outright lies; returning to the source materials and pleading for guidance from the Spirit regularly helps in finding the truth behind those shadows.  There are still those who find the Project thoughtless, disrespectful, and at worse dangerous, but those voices are eclipsed with the many who find, like me, that a door into a brighter world is being opened.  “I am so grateful you are doing this,” one Muslim visitor told me, “it is wonderful to have someone showing respect for the things I treasure.”

As I learn more about Islam, I am also learning more about what it means to be a Christian.  Neighbors of whom I was afraid have become friends, and an expanding understanding of Muslim spiritual culture has helped deepen and grow my own Christian beliefs.  I hope the prayer of my friend Dr. Bachman proves to be true–as we support each other in our efforts to live our faiths, all of us may rise together.

Reliever (Al-Basit)
Ph. Hawkinson Photography

 

Pacifica, Dr. Harrington, and Dinner

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Images courtesy of Livin’ the Bigg Life and Hawkinson Photography

Pacifica Institute Utah, a Turkish-American bridge-building and interfaith organization, invited Dr. James C. Harrington of the University of Texas and Founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, to speak about service, free speech, and his book on Fethullah Gulen.  He is a law professor adept at communicating with all sorts (which means, of course, that we could all understand him whether or not we had legal backgrounds), and wrote a book about Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet (or selfless service) movement in Turkey; he said that as a Catholic, he was pleasantly surprised at how much he had in common with Imam Gulen, and how much is shared between the ideals of Christianity and Islam.  Dr. Harrington is intelligent, charming, and humorous; he is also giving of his time and very personable.  After his wonderful presentation, which included quite a bit about how we can apply principles of selfless service in our American neighborhoods, Pacifica gave us all another wonderful dinner, and Dr. Harrington took some time to visit with me.  For someone whose hobby is rooting out despotism on every level, it was cool to speak with him as a regular guy.  A gentleman from the Salt Lake Examiner, Shad Engkilterra, wrote about Dr. Harrington’s presentation here and here.

Coskun Kariparduc, President of Pacifica Utah, also invited me to share some sculptures from the 99 Names project; I picked some that I felt supported Dr. Harrington’s presentation:  Guardian, Victorious, Shaper of Beauty, Giver of All, and Opener.  Thankfully, everyone agreed they seemed to fit.  After dinner, and much to our surprise, both Dr. Harrington and I were presented with awards of recognition for our work–he for his book and ongoing civil rights efforts, and me for the 99 Names project; the awards were ebru from a famous Turkish artist, and they were presented by friends Josie Stone and Elaine Emme of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable.  My niece enjoyed the presentation, the food, and the company, and I enjoyed having my niece help clean up!  It was truly a wonderful evening.

Noah’s Pudding–An Evening of Cold Weather and Warm Company

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Images courtesy of Livin’ the Bigg Life

The evening was the first big, wet storm after the New Year, and many of the people intending to come couldn’t make it because of the weather conditions.  As it was, my niece and her husband came with me and we enjoyed several minutes of the break-neck pace of a poor-weather log jam on the highway, and arrived at Pacifica much later than we had hoped—thankfully, everyone else was even later, so it worked out just right.

My friend Tarik helped me set everything up while people arrived and the food was readied.  Folks were there from Turkey, Pakistan, and Somalia, and members of several religious communities, including many friends from Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable.  There were videos about Noah’s Pudding, traditional Turkish dances (performed by beautifully costumed children), and my presentation.  We spoke about the metaphor for community that Noah’s Pudding is, and how desperately we need that today.  And everyone enjoyed sharing the warm company while the weather was steadily getting worse outside.

When we started, there were only a few families; by the time the presentation was over and we could enjoy the amazing food, the building was filled to capacity.  When he realized he couldn’t come, my friend Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa sent us copies of his The 99 comic book to give away—aside from sharing positive values we all have in common, The 99 work together in their differences, and are an entertaining expression of the Noah’s Pudding ideal.

It was a wonderful evening, and after the pudding was finished, we noticed the weather had calmed and it was safe to drive home.  As Tariq guarded the sculptures from young inquisitive fingers and I answered questions, my niece and her husband helped clean everything—they made a lot of friends!  I owe them thanks, not just for cleaning up and not throwing things during my lecture, but they also took the photos!

Noah’s Pudding and the Nurturing Economy

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On Saturday, January 21, Pacifica Institute Utah Branch will be hosting a light meal and celebration of Noah’s Pudding, a traditional dish of friendship and sharing.  They have invited me to talk a bit about the history of Noah’s Pudding, the Nurturing Economy it represents, and to share some of the artwork from the 99 Names project.  More information and details are on Pacifica’s website, and more background about Noah’s Pudding is here.

Turkish Day at Pacifica

The Utah branch of Pacifica Institute, a Turkish humanities outreach program, hosted a festival of Turkish culture at the end of April to introduce American schoolkids to traditions and history from Turkey.  Traditional dances and songs were performed, everyone was introduced to Turkish food, and there were a number of cultural presentations.

A foreign exchange student, a young lady from the capital city of Ankara, spoke about her country and the role it’s played as the crossroads of the Middle East.  Ankara was founded over 3,000 years ago, millenia before the area of my own home town was even discovered.  Hulya, one of the Pacifica volunteers, gave a demonstration of the ancient art of ebru.  After Islam brought the Qur’an to Turkey in the 7th century, ebru – paper marbling – became used as decorative backgrounds and endpapers for copies of the Scripture.  This demand channeled ebru into heights of artistic innovation and originality.  Hulya showed how powdered seaweed and horsehair/rosewood brushes were used to make marbled designs.  All of us took turns “helping,” and still the papers turned out looking very cool.

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17-Sustainer

17 Sustainer

Ar-Razzaq

http://www.sufism.org/society/asma/razzaq.html

Sustainer (Ar-Razzaq)

Etched and Fired Glass

Based on the 3,000 year old batteries found in archeology sites in Turkey, we are reminded of the power the Creator has to fuel the universe He has created throughout all time, as well as the promise made to grant His thinking creatures—us—the fortitude and ability to carry out His will.  When the faithful commit to obedience, they are promised to always have the energy to be obedient; when our hearts are in the right place, we are promised that we are always sustained to do that which God needs us to do.  We will run and not be weary, walk and not faint, to carry out our part of the Divine Will.

Photography by Hawkinson Photography

Calligraphy by Sufism.org