Middle Eastern

Serve this yogurt-based Greek staple as a first-course accompaniment to pitas and other breads, or as a light but creamy sauce drizzled over spiced roasted meats.

Food editor Melissa Roberts drew on the influences of her husband's Lebanese heritage when she created this dish, rich with the spices and textures of the Middle East. Each bite of chicken combines crisp skin with moist meat and is savory with a hint of sweetness. Pistachios and raisins pump up the "chew" factor.

These candies are very chewy. The combination of dates and nuts is classically Middle Eastern, as in Turkish delight, but Chinese confectioners have adopted the combination as their own. You will often see versions of this easy-to-make candy around the Chinese New Year. A celebratory gift, they are traditionally wrapped in thin rice paper, but plastic wrap works just as well. CHEF'S TIP: Maltose gives this candy its distinctive subtle sweetness and chewy texture. It can be found in most Asian or natural food markets.

Like cinnamon in this country, cardamom plays a starring role in Algerian sweets. Paired with star anise in a gingery syrup, it gives clementine slices an irresistible aroma, but the syrup would be just as wonderful over any kind of sliced fruit.

Serve with warm flatbread or pita bread.

Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend that traditionally has hazelnuts or chickpeas as a base. In this version, pistachios are used instead.

Soaking the chicken overnight in a yogurt marinade results in pillow-tender chunks faintly flavored with garlic. Turmeric adds a spark of Middle Eastern flavor and a happy orange hue.

This lamb-rich, Uzbek-style pilaf is typical of the fare served by northern Afghans to mark festive occasions. Despite the absence of spices and herbs, it is a surprisingly complex dish.

This fragrant dish has a wonderful blend of spices and goes well with steamed basmati rice.

There have been Lebanese living in Latin America for more than 100 years, and the community in Mexico is particularly large, so creating a Mexican version of tabbouleh is not as odd as it might seem. This version is less time-consuming than the original, because cilantro can be chopped up, stems and all, whereas parsley leaves need to be picked off the stems.

Omani lemons (also called Persian dried limes) give a sour, slightly musty, and very authentic taste to this stew. They intensify the saffron, so if you want to scale back a bit on that flavor, omit them and add extra Key lime or lemon juice at the end.

Offering a good dose of calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and C, this Middle Eastern-inspired combination makes a healthy handheld breakfast or snack. Topped with honey, nuts, and yogurt as thick as ice cream, it might even pass for dessert.

Fattoush is a Middle Eastern take on panzanella, Italian bread salad. In fact, rustic Italian bread is a good alternative to the pita.

The smoky aroma of lamb grilling on skewers is ever-present across the Middle East. Here, the meat is flavored with traditional spices and a minty, sweet-and-hot glaze. Fresh figs and thick slices of eggplant make the perfect accompaniments.

The sweetness can be adjusted be adjusted to your liking. This version falls somewhere between orta and sekerli. Depending on the amount of sugar added per cup, Turkish coffee is served in four variations. Sade — without sugar
Az Sekerli— 1/2 sugar cube
Orta— 1 sugar cube
Sekerli— 2 sugar cubes

Turkish cooks have long loved eggplant with lamb. Here's one reason why.

Yufka (Turkish pastry sheets) are sold at Middle Eastern markets and online at bestturkishfood.com. Phyllo pastry can also be used. Unlike in many recipes, the pastry here isn't brushed with butter.

This appetizer gets spiced up with a sprinkle of za'atar, a North African spice mix made from sesame seeds, thyme, marjoram, and ground sumac. No time to make the flatbreads? Use purchased pita instead and grill just to heat through. You can also serve the breads with the main course.