LOCAL FLAVOR: Orthodox Christians getting ready to celebrate Easter

Happy Easter to those of you who, like me, will be celebrating the Christian Orthodox Easter on April 27.

I have some wonderful recipes to share from my family's celebration of the holiday this month, but first, I want to tell you about a friend of mine.

Christopher R. Tybor is a personal trainer affiliated with the Niagara Physical Therapy gym in Lewiston. He recently told me that he is donating his time to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for the concept of "shaving the way to conquer kids' cancer.”

On April 26, Chris has promised to shave his head when he achieves his goal of receiving $1500 for this worthwhile endeavor. Thus far, he has been promised $500 in donations and invites the community to be present for the program to take place from 4-7 p.m. at the Game Zone, Parkside Lanes, North Tonawanda.

Call 754-2492 for more information or to donate.

When I asked Christopher how he became involved with this endeavor, he said that his grandmother passed away from cancer and he wanted to do his part in helping young children cope with this disease, since donations are earmarked for continuing research.

Chris has given me a wonderful recipe for a Greek hamburger, which I’ll share at the end of this column. Before I do that, I’d like to tell you a little about the upcoming orthodox Easter holiday.

I am a Serbian Orthodox Christian, and of the estimated 2.1 billion people who comprise the Catholic religion, 240 million are Orthodox Christians. Fewer than 1 million reside in the United States, and perhaps 10,000 or so are affiliated with seven Orthodox churches in Erie and Niagara counties.

I so look forward to our Serbian Orthodox Easter, and our table often features not only the customary leg of lamb and brown potatoes, but many Lebanese dishes, since so many of our friends and relatives belong to those faiths and our togetherness is a wonderful sign of unity.

Here are some of the recipes for dishes we’ll most likely be serving:

Hummus

This is the most famous of all Middle Eastern appetizers. There are many variations of hummus, which may be served as a dip, a spread and even in lettuce cups as a salad.

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained (reserve liquid)

1/2 cup sesame seed

1 clove garlic, cut into halves

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

Snipped parsley to garnish

Pita bread, crackers or raw vegetable sticks

Place reserved bean liquid, sesame seed and garlic in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until mixed.

Add beans, lemon juice and salt; cover and blend on high speed, scraping sides of blender if necessary, until of uniform consistency. Garnish with parsley. Serve as spread or dip with wedges of pita bread. Yields two cups.

Kibby bil sanieh

(stuffed meatloaf)

Kibby has been regarded as the national dish of Syria and Lebanon for many centuries — some say since Phoenician times. It differs from Western meatloaves in that bulgur wheat is used as the binding agent and the loaf is stuffed with a meat-and-nut mixture, flavored with the spices loved in the Middle East.

1 1/4 cups bulgur wheat

1 pound ground lamb

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 3/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. butter, melted

Cover bulgur with cold water; let stand 10 minutes. Drain; press bulgur to remove excess water. Mix lamb, onion, salt and pepper; add bulgur. Knead until well mixed (Dip hands in cold water occasionally while kneading to moisten and soften mixture).

Stuffing:

1/4 pound ground lamb

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. pine nuts (pignolia)

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dash of ground nutmeg

Press half of the lamb-bulgur mixture evenly in ungreased square pan. Cover with stuffing; spread remaining lamb-bulgur mixture evenly over stuffing. Cut diagonal lines across top to make diamond pattern.

Pour melted butter over meatloaf. Cook uncovered in 350-degree oven until brown, about 40 minutes. Cut in diamond shapes; serve hot or cold. Makes six to eight servings

Tabooley (cracked wheat and parsley salad)

The colorful appearance and rich, sun-kissed flavor of tabooley make it a splendid Easter salad. In Syria and Lebanon, where tabooley takes many forms, the salad is traditionally served by Orthodox Christians not only at the Easter table, but also during Lent.

3/4 cup cracked wheat (bulgur)

1 1/2 cups snipped parsley

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup chopped green onions (with tops)

2 tbsp. snipped fresh mint or crushed dried mint

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Cover cracked wheat with cold water; let stand 30 minutes. Drain; press out as much water as possible. Place wheat, parsley, tomatoes, green onions and mint in glass bowl. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over wheat mixture. Toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Garnish with ripe olives. Makes six servings.

Note: For a softer texture, cover cracked wheat with boiling water; let stand one hour.

Sito's Easter salad

Grandmother (Sito) would stand over the sink, chopping and mixing her Lebanese cabbage salad, which serves six.

1 small red and small white cabbage, or 1 medium cabbage of either color, chopped

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 to 3 tsp. olive oil

Juice of 1 to 2 lemons (about 5 tbsp.), or to taste

1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste

1 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.

Date and banana Easter dessert

Sweets based on dried fruits are traditional throughout the Middle East. In this unusual recipe, dates are combined with fresh bananas and cream and prepared well in advance of serving.

4 ounces pitted dates, cut up (1 cup)

2 bananas, thinly sliced

2 to 3 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

Sliced almonds

Alternate layers of dates and bananas in serving dish or dessert dishes. Sprinkle with lemon peel; pour half-and-half over top. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds. Yields four servings.

Greek burger

Finally, our good friend and trainer gave us this recipe for Easter late supper, for two.

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup olive slivers

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Form two large patties with the mixture, and cook either on grill or in a large skillet on medium heat for five to eight minutes on each side. Serve with Sito's salad.

Send your thoughts and questions on cooking to Marija Vukcevich at niagaraliving@gnnewspaper.com.

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