Eating Seeds as a Pastime Activity: Pumpkin Seeds [Libb Abyad]

The Egyptian revolution part 2 is upon us, and no matter which side you are on, you are probably glued to the TV, radio or mobile phone getting your updates.

Egyptians have for years entertained themselves by eating roasted seeds, mainly Watermelon seeds (Lebb Asmar, Asmar means dark) which are usually light brown, and Pumpkin Seeds (Lebb Abyad, Abyad means white). This tradition has not even been forgotten in Tahrir square, where in midst of the tension, you can find a few street vendors with their carts selling different nuts and seeds. Roasted seeds still remains one of the cheap ways to snack, and is enjoyed by millions of Egyptians.

I never imagined to make my own Lebb, as it is so easily available, and cheap. One day while looking for urban gardening tips in Egypt, I stumbled across this post which just made my mouth water. Then the post was forgotten as the summer flew by and watermelons were out of season.

Finally, this Halloween, when I carved my pumpkin, I decided to save the seeds and try out Ashraf's recipe. When I told him he insisted I write about it in my blog to share to the world.  Ashraf is a permaculture enthusiast and can't resist the idea of sharing this simple, yet strong part of the Egyptian food culture. I tweaked his method a bit, but the basic principle stayed the same.


Ingredients:

Pumpkin Seeds
3 Tbsp Salt
1 cup Hot water

Wash your pumpkin seeds well and dry them with a kitchen towel. Allow to sit to dry out for about half an hour.

Heat the oven to a med-high setting, I had mine on 160 degrees Celcius.

Spread out the seeds on a baking sheet, you don't want them to overlap. Place them in the oven for about 10 mins, just to dry them out.

Take out the tray, and have your salt and water mixed in and dissolved. Pour it over the seeds and give a quick stir. Place in the oven for another 10 mins. The water should evaporate and the salt should leave a white residue on the seeds.

Take out your seeds, and shake of the extra salt with a sieve.

Voila! Now snack to your heart's content.

Do you like snacking on seeds? What are your favorite seeds?

Make your skin crawl: Graveyard Cake

Spooky Cake, but perfect for Chocoholics!

This year I wanted to make a Halloween party with spooky, but simple, treats. I loved the idea of a graveyard cake, and made up my own recipe which was a hit.

For added spookiness, I made tombstones with the guest’s names on them using cookies. The cake could also be great for a birthday party, as an unexpected cake!

Recipe:

1- In a rectangular or square pan or ovenproof glass dish, make a batch of brownies, you want it to be thin, so use a bigger pan than you usually would to prepare the brownies. You can get the recipe here.

2- After the brownies have totally cooled, prepare a batch of chocolate pudding, following the recipe here.

3- Cover with cling film and stick in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

3- Crush Oreos, (I used Borio, the local Egyptian Oreo substitute,they work as well!) This will serve as the dirt in your graveyard.

4- Sprinkle the ‘dirt’, and add in gummy worms for added gruesome effect.

5- Prepare your tombstones by using the backs of oval shaped cookies, and write the names of your guests on them using icing. Stick them in the cake.

Voila! The graveyard cake is ready!

It is best to eat it on the same day, so the pudding doesn’t fully leech into the brownies. Not like there will be any leftovers from this scrumptious cake anyway.

What spooky dish makes your skin crawl?