Recipes for peace

The group, which has met in local homes since July of 1992, brings together people of Jewish, Palestinian and other ethnic groups to talk about conflict between their respective communities. The idea behind this "dialogue," as group member Libby Traubman puts it, is to provide an open forum for people to talk about their differences and find things in common.

"Dialogue is not conversation like a social gathering or debate," said Traubman, whose husband is from a Jewish family in Minnesota. "It is listening with a whole new way ... of compassion and openness in which you drop preconceived ideas."

Deeply rich cultures - like Palestinian and Jewish - do share a love for hand-prepared foods. This was clearly evident to members like Traubman, her husband Len and Fanny Botto as they would gather to meet. Part of the ritual of their group was to bring dishes to meetings to share with one another.

"It [the food] was about the sharing of different cultures and the respecting of each other," said Botto, of Palestinian descent and born in Chile. "It is a way to get to know a person: the way they present, fix something and show the care they took to prepare it."

It was from this common breaking of bread, and a desire to use the term "recipe" beyond the traditional sense, which led to the birth of their cookbook.

"We felt like it had to be more than just food," said Traubman as she described the book's contents. "It was an opportunity to draw from insights ... into the two cultures."

A look inside "Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace" reveals much about the group's intentions. Colorful recipes for all manners of food, ranging from appetizers to dessert, make up many of the pages. Interspersed amongst these food recipes are "personal stories and photos of Palestinians and Jews in the Dialogue" and "inspiration and practical ideas for the Middle East public peace process and daily living."

The book, published at the end of November, is more of a hit than the group originally anticipated. The original printing, due to word of mouth and the Internet, had to be doubled. Orders have poured in from over half of the states and several other countries.

A Web page related to the cookbook also reveals the warm reception it received in the form of individual comments. Plugs from local media outlets like newspapers and KQED are positive as well.

"By some of the comments," said Traubman, "people like what it symbolizes … the hope of a positive relationship."

In compiling "Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace," the Traubmans and Botto, like others in their group, learned a little more about each other.

"In interviewing people for recipes I found out things which in 12 years from the dialogue group I never knew," said Traubman. "This was a great opportunity to know some of the participants better."

Traubman also found another compelling similarity between individuals as she helped to put the book together.

"It showed how similar we are in the breaking of bread," she said.

Traubman's husband echoed the similarity and expanded upon how this commonality extends into life.

"The sharing of life extends beyond food," he said. "It tightens relationships and shows that an enemy is only one whose story you have not yet heard."

Palestinian: Mujadara

2 cups brown lentils

1 cup rice

Salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Grilled onions and olive oil to cover

Cook the lentils, rice and seasoning together in two cups of water. Add water if needed, but too much water will make the rice and lentils mushy. After the rice and lentils are cooked, serve on a platter covered with grilled onions and drizzle with olive oil.

This is a very basic heart healthy vegetarian dish and delicious when eaten with tomato and cucumber salad.

Jewish: Knishes

Dough:

2 cups flour

1 cup shortening

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup boiling water

Filling:

1 large onion, diced

Oil

2 cups mashed potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound ground beef, browned (optional)

Flour

To prepare dough:

Mix together flour, shortening, egg and salt as you would pie dough. Add water, combine thoroughly and form mixture into a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

To prepare filling:

Sauté onion in a little oil until lightly brown. Mix cooled potatoes, sautéed onion, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Add browned ground beef, if desired. Set aside.

To assemble:

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Sprinkle cutting board with a little flour. Take a third of the dough and roll into a rectangle as thing as possible, roughly 5 by 14 inches. Place a row of potato mixture about 1 inch thick on the long edge, as you would a jellyroll. Roll up and seal edge lengthwise. Flour the side of your hand and cut the dough with the edge of your hand into 1-1/2 to 2 inch pieces. Seal ends together. Place on end and flatten down slightly. Place on greased cookie sheet and brush oil on top of knishes. Bake for about 25 minutes or until brown on the bottom. Serve as a hot appetizer.

If you are interested:

"Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace" costs $15 plus a little extra for shipping. For more information or to order a copy, visit http://traubman.igc.org/recipes.htm or call 574-8303.

Caption: Nino Marchetti/Daily Journal Fanny Botto (left) and Libby Traubman of the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo County show off their group's cookbook dedicated to peace.