Author Archives: Arab America

Bacon or sausage?
Before you answer, consider that neither of the two breakfast meats at Ya Hala’s new Lebanese brunch bears much resemblance to the familiar versions found down the street at Country Cat.

The bacon is made of lamb, smoked in-house. It lacks the tautness of regular ol’ pork bacon, but it does have a nice hint of gaminess. The plump little beef sausages, called soujouk, have a nice kick from red pepper and cumin and fall in the middle of the continuum between Italian salumi and Jimmy Dean. It’s a damned fine breakfast sausage, and one of the highlights of Ya Hala’s new half-traditional, half-fusion weekend brunch.

Ya Hala chef Mirna Attar is the daughter of Nicholas and Linda Dibe, who opened one of the city’s first Lebanese restaurants on Southeast Grand Avenue back in 1986. Attar also owns Barbur World Foods. Her sister, Hoda, has a place on Southeast Belmont Street. In my exhaustive survey of Lebanese food in Portland (“Eye of the Shawarm,” WW, Sept. 25, 2013), I found the offerings middle-of-the-pack, probably in part because Attar was so busy with her other projects.

It’s been a good year for brunch in Portland, highlighted by Smallwares and Boke Bowl rolling out fresh Asian-fusion menus. And a new brunch menu brings Attar’s focus back to Montavilla, where you can order the Lebanese country breakfast ($14) and get both lamb bacon and sausage, along with two gorgeously poppable sunnyside-up eggs, a few whole cherry tomatoes pan-fried with the sausages and a pile of diced potatoes fried with mint. Not everything on that plate is good—the mint potatoes are a little like oily toothpaste—but it’s different than anything else in town.

That’s the pattern here: While the drinks and baked goods are all very nice, most of the platters include at least one “aha!” and one “meh.”

Among the drinks, we were most impressed with the fairuz ($8), a cucumbery, minty blend of yogurt and vodka with the consistency of whole milk. If you want something stronger, go for the bloody miriam, with the customary cartoonishly large skewer topped with lombardi peppers and bright red pastrami-like meat called basturma.

Get a drink and a croissant filled with super-rich chocolate halva—it’s tasty but a little denser than most, with a gooey layer of half-cooked dough around the halva—and you’ll settle in comfortably.

When it comes to the entrees, I’m partial to the more traditional offerings. Houmous balila ($9)—finely ground house hummus topped with whole chickpeas and a forest of pine nuts—is a wonderful vegan breakfast. I also liked the shakshuka ($13). It’s a favorite across the Middle East, eggs cracked into tomato sauce and poached in a ceramic pan, topped with feta and served with pita bread suitable for scooping.

A small portion of unbreaded and mildly seasoned Moroccan fried chicken ($14) did nothing for anyone at our table. But, on the side comes a thick and creamy couscous gratin that conjured nostalgia of Sunday suppers long past, even though the dish was new to me. If it was available as a side, we’d have all ordered it.

And then there was the haloumi plate ($12), with two pan-fried squares of Cyprus’ famous salty cheese, two of those gorgeous eggs and a bunch of skinned whole carrots. The carrots were the flop: The sticky-sweet pomegranate demi-glace was nearly indistinguishable from ketchup.

One unqualified flop was a “parfait” of wheat berries served with two dollops of yogurt, finely chopped dates and figs, plus candied garbanzo beans that didn’t work at all. The proportions were all wrong and those Easter egg-colored candied garbanzos were hard little mothers that had me running my tongue over my fillings.

Chances are more people opt for the burger ($12), anyway. And it’s a good one: kofta patty, tahini-mustard sauce and fried eggplant on a brioche bun. It comes with a basket of delicate, bendable fries, and for $2 you can add that housemade lamb bacon. Sure, you’re curious about lamb bacon. So get it here—because if you’re ever asked to choose between it and the sausages, you want the latter.

Order this: The fairuz ($8), houmous balila ($9), shakshuka ($13).
Best deal: The burger ($12).
I’ll pass: Fried chicken, parfait.

Source: www.wweek.com

The California legislature is once again attempting to formally conflate opposition to Zionism with anti-Semitism.

California Senate Resolution 35 (SCR 35) urges each of the nine University of California campuses to condemn “all forms of anti-Semitism,” including those “justified…as expressions of disapproval or frustrations over political events in the Middle East.”

On 29 April, the California Senate’s education committee approved the resolution after making two changes recommended by opponents. The resolution must pass in the state Senate before going on to the Assembly for a final vote.

“From sea to shining sea one can witness the proliferation of anti-Semitic activity,” the resolution states in alarmist language. The resolution invokes the US State Department’s controversial definition of anti-Semitism that considers “demonizing,” “delegitimizing” or holding Israel to a “double standard” as anti-Semitic. While the resolution contains one clause which condemns Islamophobia, it devotes the entirety of its text to concerns about alleged anti-Semitism.

In 2012, the California House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 35, which condemned all acts that “demonize and delegitimize Israel”, specifically citing the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) as an example of anti-Semitic activities on university campuses.

While the current resolution does not explicitly refer to Israel or the BDS movement, advocates for civil rights and free speech are nevertheless disturbed by the new resolution’s ostensibly more benign wording.

“In substance it does a lot less than HR 35,” David Mandel, a lawyer and member of Jewish Voice for Peace, told The Electronic Intifada. Mandel spoke against the resolution at a public meeting called by the education committee on 29 April.

“Unless you know to read between the lines, it looks fine,” he said. ”But it gives them another hammer to use against Palestinian and student activists.”

“Weapon to stigmatize”

“It is a weapon to use to stigmatize and chill people’s speech. That’s what this is doing. Even though it is less pernicious in actual substance, it amounts to the same function,” Mandel said.

Carol Sanders, a lawyer and member of Jewish Voice for Peace who has been closely watching the resolution, said that HR 35, while currently still in effect, was discredited after coming under a barrage of criticism. 

The non-binding resolution was written by Jeff Stone, a freshman state senator and the lone Republican member of the newly-formed California Jewish Caucus, and co-authored by several other members.

In March, Stone attended the conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington DC, at which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke. Stone described the right-wing Netanyahu as “very charismatic, very humbling.”

On 24 April, Stone, along with StandWithUs, hosted a visit by two Israeli reserve soldiers. StandWithUs is a well-funded, aggressively anti-Palestinian and anti-BDS organization.

While the impetus for the resolution is said to be the discoveries of a swastika found hanging outside a private resident’s home in Sacramento, and another spray-painted on a Jewish fraternity, critics say its real target is BDS and Palestine solidarity activism.

At a rally condemning the swastikas, Ryan Pessah, the executive director of the Jewish caucus said, “I truly think that the increase in anti-Semitism is directly connected to the BDS movement. I would argue that without BDS, you would not have these swastikas. This is part of a mindset that the movement has brought into the community.”

As the Electronic Intifada reported, no evidence has been found to connect Palestine solidarity activists to the swastikas at UC Davis.

The Lawfare Project is the only supporter of the resolution to be officially listed. The Lawfare Project is another well-endowed organization that facilitates campaigns aiming to shield Israel from legal accountability for its military actions and other human rights abuses against Palestinians.

Registered opponents of the bill include the Asian Law Caucus, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

In-house lobby 

At the beginning of 2014, California formed the first-in-the-nation Jewish legislative caucus. Its conception came as student organizing around the issue of Palestine gained momentum, resulting in an increasingly fevered atmosphere among Zionist activists.

The Jewish caucus is currently chaired by Senator Marty Block, who has been an outspoken supporter of Israeli aggression. At the height of Israel’s ferocious attack on the Gaza Strip last summer, for example, Block attended a rally in support of Israel’s actions.

When announcing the Jewish Caucus’ agenda, Block cited the burgeoning student campaigns urging University of California to divest from Israeli militarism, and “anti-Israel” courses taught on UC campuses as issues his lobbying group would address. Block has emphasized that the group is secular, not religious.

Judging by the caucus’s activities during its first year, it appears it will serve as a sort of  in-house Israel advocacy group for California’s state legislature. Immediately upon forming the caucus, the group met Janet Napolitano, the UC president, to discuss “anti-Israel vitriol” on UC campuses.

Last year, the caucus authored a resolution endorsing an agreement between Netanyahu and Jerry Brown, California’s governor. The resolution pledged more collaboration between California and Israel’s lucrative biotech, water, and security industries, some of which have been successfully targeted for boycott.

“They tell people you might have these fringe groups that are trying to boycott, there are these groups on campus, but California is firmly stating that we’re open for business with Israel,” stated Block.  

During the education committee’s vote on the resolution, Block accused opponents of the resolution as having “an objective to harm the State of Israel or to change Israel’s actions.”

Neither Stone nor Block would responded to requests for comment.

Opponents make impact 

It is important to note that despite inflammatory and widely covered allegations of a spike in anti-Semitism on California campuses, there is no evidence that such a specter exists.

In fact, the Anti-Defamation League, a pro-Israel group, notes that for the last three years the number of anti-Semitic incidents on campus is the lowest since 1999, when the organization began to keep track. 

While the resolution is moving forward, its opponents have gained considerable traction. In April they sent a letter to the education committee criticizing the resolution and offering three recommendations to alter and improve it.

Heeding their advice, the committee removed a clause in the resolution that called on publicly-funded schools to condemn “any act of anti-Semitism augmenting education programs.”

The amended version of the resolution also adds: “nothing in this resolution is intended to diminish the rights of anyone, including students, to freely engage in any speech or other activity protected by the United States Constitution.” Opponents had originally requested the clause to specifically protect criticism of any country.  

However, the resolution still relies on the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism.

The amended resolution passed out of the education committee with only one abstention, by Senator Bill Monning.

Source: electronicintifada.net

Nahnu is vying for council seats and the mayoralty in this north-central Israeli city, where women have traditionally stayed out of the public sphere.

Source: www.jta.org

If you’ve ever walked out of the house without your phone and wallet — as I did yesterday — you might have wondered: Am I starting to lose it?

Even if you’re too young for any real concern about dementia, this kind of precursor to a “senior moment” can be rattling.

But a new study suggests we’re not powerless when it comes to keeping our mental acuity and memory intact.

Researchers have documented that a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fish, whole grains, along with daily servings of nuts and olive oil can help fend off age-related cognitive decline.

The study, which appears in JAMA Internal Medicine, compared the brain health of groups of older people in Spain (in their 60s and 70s) who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial.

THE SALT
For Mind And Body: Study Finds Mediterranean Diet Boosts Both

THE SALT
Eating To Break 100: Longevity Diet Tips From The Blue Zones
One group was assigned to eat a Mediterranean diet, plus either extra daily servings of extra-virgin olive oil (about four tablespoons) or daily servings of nuts. Another group was assigned to eat a lower-fat diet.

During the study, researchers gave the men and women a battery of cognitive tests to gauge various aspects of brain health, from working memory to processing speed to executive function. After about four years, the tests were repeated a second time.

“What we see here is that the control diet group [the people eating the lower-fat diet] worsened on their cognitive tests,” Emilio Ros, a researcher at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and the lead author of the study, says.

By comparison, the people following the nut-and-oil-rich Mediterranean diet held steady on their cognitive test scores. In other words, their memories did not get significantly better, but there was no measurable age-related decline either.

“The key finding here is that this [Mediterranean] diet is preventing decline,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

“I think it’s encouraging news,” says JoAnn Manson, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard University. She says the study suggests that there can be benefits to making diet changes, “even among people in their 60s, 70s or older.”

This study is a follow-up to an original finding from the PREDIMED study, a long-term nutritional intervention study of the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in seven communities in Spain. As we’ve reported, the researchers documented in 2013 that the Mediterranean diet cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by about 30 percent.

THE SALT
Is There Really Such A Thing As Brain Food?
When you put the two findings together, they build on the evidence that eating a heart-healthy diet can also protect the brain.

“There’s increasing evidence that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain. The two are strongly interconnected,” Manson says. The Mediterranean pattern of eating is also linked to improvements in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose regulation, Manson adds. So, it makes sense that the heart and the brain may benefit.

There are still questions about how exactly the Mediterranean pattern of eating might be conferring such benefits.

As we age, our cells may be damaged by free radicals — a process called oxidative stress. But as Ros and his co-authors write in the paper, it is possible to counteract free radicals by eating antioxidant-rich foods. And by countering oxidative stress, we might also get “protection from neurodegenerative disorders.”

Certainly a whole range of foods in common in the Mediterranean diet — from fruits and vegetables to fish and nuts — are rich in antioxidants. Some research points to specific compounds in olive oil, such as oleocanthal, as beneficial, too, because they may limit inflammation.

It’s also possible that part of the cognitive effect may not be directly related to diet. “It could be that the people on the Mediterranean diet are also changing some other aspect of their lives,” says Murali Doraiswamy, a brain scientist at Duke University. Perhaps they’re walking more or smoking less.

Doraiswamy says the study is encouraging, but he doesn’t find it conclusive. He points out that the study didn’t go on long enough to track rates of dementia. So, he says, it’s not known whether the staving off of memory loss translates into a reduced rate of Alzheimer’s down the road.

Source: www.npr.org

By Lora Moftah –International Business Times Two nuns who lived during Ottoman-era Palestine will be canonized by Pope Francis at the Vatican, in what Jerusalem’s top Catholic body hailed on Wednesday as the first sainthood of modern-day Palestinians. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is now in “full preparation” for Pope Francis’ canonization of Marie Alphonsine Ghattas … Continued

As an artist, cook, and gardener, for me the Pacific Northwest is nirvana for cooking seasonal Mediterranean cuisine, painting en plein air, and for planting almost anything. Right now in my garden the flat leaved Italian parsley, Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum, the straight alternate to curly parsley Petroselinum crispum, has thrived over our mild Mediterranean-like winter as a biennial, … Continued

The upcoming UK tour of a Palestinian theatre company has created a stink over its exploration of a group of fighters that took shelter from the Israeli army in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity in 2002. Freedom Theatre’s artistic director and writer of The Siege Nabeel Raee explains why the company’s work is important. Millions … Continued

by John Duke Anthony An unprecedented and extraordinary event is about to occur: a heads of state summit. These, by any standard, can be and often are extraordinary events. That’s what this one is. It is so because it gathers in the capital of the United States President Barack Obama with the representatives of the … Continued

The moment she made her breakthrough in Hollywood by playing Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, everybody became aware of Salma Hayek’s Mexican roots. Her physical features all scream of her Mexican descent, but who would’ve thought that she has Lebanese roots, too?

Recently, Hayek revealed her Lebanese ancestry as she promoted her new animated film entitled The Prophet. According to her, the movie was a labor of love dedicated to her late Lebanese grandfather who adored the 1923 book by Kahlil Gibran, which the movie draws inspiration from.

Source: www.inquisitr.com

Home carbonation company SodaStream is ahead of schedule in its preparations to leave its manufacturing plant in the West Bank settlement of Mishor Adumim, Al Bawaba website reported.

“Last week we completed the transfer of our last assembly lines from Mishor Adumim to Lehavim and we no longer produce sparkling water makers in Mishor Adumin,” SodaStream CEO Daniel Birbaum said, in announcing the company’s first quarter results.

“We will complete the transition of equipment and exit Mishor Adumim entirely during the third quarter, ahead of schedule.”

SodaStream came under intense pressure from the boycott movement last year due to its West Bank plant, though it has repeatedly stressed that the closure is not related to political pressure.

“The first quarter marked the start of a transitional period as we embarked on our global brand and product repositioning around health and wellness,” Birbaum said.

“We’ve made good progress preparing for the launch of a completely new portfolio of great tasting, better for you sparkling water flavors later this year that we believe will resonate strongly with our consumer audience.”
 

Source: www.haaretz.com

It takes an average of three and a half months to prep for a restaurant opening, but this wasn’t the case for Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods. He opened his 14th location in Yorkville within nine weeks. No easy feat, but one look at the bespoke-suited, talkative man tells you he’s always game for a challenge. 

He talks a mile a minute, whisking me to and fro within the restaurant. He’s done this thousands of times and blasts through all the details: his quality halal meats, sourcing local ingredients, the shawarma “robot” he uses for efficiency and eliminating sanitary risks, the baklava’s labour-intensive phyllo dough, annual trips to Lebanon to maintain Paramount’s cuisine authenticity, details about his newest location in the heart of Yorkville. 

I’m a tad overwhelmed but enjoy his boisterous spirit. At one point, Fakih is being interviewed by me, telling the chefs in Arabic to prep some food, instructing his staff to check on guests and monitoring the line – all at the same time.

The music of Lebanese singer Fairuz plays softly in the room, which features chocolate wood panelling, a calm cascading waterfall, pearly marble tiles and emerald banquettes, all illuminated by chandeliers imported from Europe. Most important, the vaulted ceiling, according to Fakih, promotes positive karma. 

He spared no expense, he says, yet the prices are supremely affordable, as at his other locations. He wants this to be a place not only for Yorkville residents but for those who work in the area.

And the food itself? At Paramount’s first full-service location, as at any new establishment, there are kinks to be worked out. In the rush, the mixed grill kebabs of beef, lamb, shish tawouk (chicken) and kafta (ground beef with spices) aren’t juicy enough, and the shaved shawarmas of chicken and beef are borderline dry. 

There is a silver lining though. The Lebanese seven-spice blend renders the meat very flavourful. And the garlic sauce on the side is dreamy. Akin to whipped butter, its sweet, roasted flavour is bliss on bread. The meat could also be enjoyed in a DIY sandwich, tucked into freshly baked puffy pita bread and slathered with smoky moutabbal (roasted eggplant with tahini and spices). 

Despite the meat misstep, I’d give Yorkville’s Paramount Fine Foods another chance. Fakih and his staff are bringing good karma to this neighbourhood with affordable, authentic Lebanese fare. 

Source: nowtoronto.com

Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian satirical comedian, has been chosen to host the 2015 International Emmy Awards Gala in New York in November. He became one of the Arab world’s most famous TV personalities as host of the ground­breaking political satire show Al Bernameg (The Show), but cancelled it last year after former army chief Abdel Fattah El Sissi was elected president. Bruce L Paisner, head of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, said that Youssef “has been dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab world but in fact his talent has no borders”. Youssef said that as the first International Emmys host from the Middle East, he hopes to highlight “the vibrant entertainment industry” in the region. He is currently working as a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics and has appeared several times with Stewart on The Daily Show. – AP

Omar gets regional release date

Two years after it wowed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival, and one Oscar nomination later, the Palestinian drama Omar is getting a Middle East release. Egyptian distributor MAD Solutions says it will be out on May 20 in Egypt and on May 21 in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. The film’s director, Hany Abu-Assad, said: “I am extremely happy that finally Omar is getting the chance to be released in the Arab world. This release means a lot to me, as I consider this movie as an homage to the Egyptian thriller. It’s a film about love, friendship and trust, against the background of political oppression; themes that we deal with on a daily basis in our lives, especially in this time.” – The National staff

Cuarón to head Venice film festival jury

Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón has been chosen to head the jury for the Venice Film Festival’s coveted Golden Lion award. The Mexican director will return to the Italian city where Gravity debuted as the opening film two years ago before going on to win Oscars for Best Film, Best Director and Best Film Editing. Festival organisers called Cuarón, 53, “one of the most celebrated directors of his generation”, and praised his groundbreaking techniques in the 2006 film Children of Men, which debuted in Venice and was nominated for three Oscars. Gravity received 10 Oscar nominations and made more than US$700 million (Dh2.5 billion) at the box office. The Venice Film Festival runs from September 2 to 12. – AP

Hero remake ‘better than original’

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai says that the remake of his 1983 film Hero will be better than the original. Produced by Salman Khan, the new version is directed by Nikhil Advani and marks the debuts of Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty. “The film is from Nikhil Advani’s vision under the supervision of Salman – I am hoping and confident that this remake will be better than my Hero,” said Ghai. He added that he would not be contributing to the project. “When Salman asked me about a partnership for the remake of Hero, I said: ‘I can give you the rights to that film but the vision will be yours and your director’s. Neither will I contribute to it nor will I interfere, because you will make the film as today’s vision and if I will interfere in it I will put my old vision.’ I have not even seen a single still of the film.” The film is due out on July 3. – IANS

Lisa Ray full of praise for film location

Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Ray’s upcoming romantic film Ishq Forever will showcase the popular landscapes of Hermanus – a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The 43-year-old, who plays a secret agent in the film, directed by Sanjay Dayma, shared her excitement about the location on Twitter: “Hermanus! Renowned for whale watching and cage diving with the Great Whites, it’s our next location for #IshqForever.” The movie, which has also filmed in Cape Town, is due out in November. – IANS

Source: www.thenational.ae