Ziyad Brothers Recipes & News

Ziyad Brothers Sponsors Scholarships at ADC Annual Dinner Honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-02-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

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Ziyad Brothers Importing General Manager Nassem Ziyad and National Sales Vice President Mark Smith were honored at a dinner hosted by the Michigan Chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Friday Feb. 10, 2012.

Ziyad donated a $2,000 scholarship that was presented to a student cited for her exemplary educational work.

Below are some of the photographs from the dinner event:

Nassem Ziyad congratulates student Amanda Amen of Dearborn High school who received an ADC Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship of $2,000 donated by Ziyad Brothers Importing

Good Morning Michigan/Radio Baladi host Laila alHusinni (left) with Nassem Ziyad scholarship winner Amanda Amen of Dearborn High school

Nassem Ziyad (right) with ADC Midwest Director Imad Hamad (Center)

Nassem Ziyad with Dearborn Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.

Nassem Ziyad with Mark Smith

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Nothing beats Middle Eastern sweets for the holidays

2011-12-21T18:53:00.001-08:00

Nothing beats Middle Eastern sweets for the holidays as a gift or just as a holiday treat. There are many different kinds of sweets to choose from, many made with phylo dough, sweet syrup and nuts, especially pistachio nuts.

Phyllo, filo, or fillo dough (fromGreek: φύλλο phyllo 'leaf') is paper-thin sheets of unleavened flour dough used for making pastries in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine.

Pastry was originally made by the Egyptians. They made a flour and water paste to wrap around meat to soak up the juices as it cooked. Pastry was developed in the Middle East and it was brought to Europe by the Muslims in the 7th century. By medieval times local areas had their own puddings and pies. In the 17th century both flaky and puff pastries were used, and intricate patterns on the pies were a work of art.

Baklava (from the Farsi for "many leaves"), a pastry perfected by royal bakers in the sultan's palace in Istanbul, consists of layers of phyllo.

Here's a traditional recipe for Baklava:

Syrup:

3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon
4 to 6 whole cloves, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Filling:

1 pound blanched almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or any combination, finely chopped or coarsely ground (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom (optional)

1 pound (about 24 sheets) Ziyad Phyllo dough
About 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter

For more recipes or to order Mediterranean ingredients or even patry products, visit www.Ziyad.com.

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Recipe for "Middle Eastern Paella" also called "Dirty Rice

2011-11-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

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Check out the recipe for "Dirty Rice" which is really heavily spiced with pepper rice with pine nuts and almond slices.

Click here

Olives -- a required addition to any great Mediterranean meal

2011-11-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

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When you think of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods, you have to include olives. Green olives, cracked and packaged in a vinegar-base are the perfect olives to enjoy with any meal.

Olives come in many types, flavors and colors, although green is the most common, black olives are also quite popular. A fruit, the olive is harvested from olive trees every Fall and early Winter in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions where they are most found.

A typical olive tree.

Naturally bitter, olives are fermented to create a smooth flavor, and of course are harvested to create oil.

Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Syria are the five largest producers of olive harvests worldwide.

Olives are rich in iron, Vitamin E and copper. They are an excellent source of fiber and many studies have shown they are great for your heart. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant

Olive are high in fat, but it is mono-unsaturated fats, which have been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and increase the production of good cholesterol.

Ziyad Brothers Importing offers olives in many varieties and forms. The "cracked green olive" is among the most popular and you'll find it served with wedges of pickled lemons, peppers and parsley.

There is much Mythology attached to the Olive also. Athens is named after the Greek Goddess Athena who brought the olive to the Greeks as a gift. Athena planted the original olive tree in Greece on a rocky hill that is today known as Acropolis.

Every Fall, Arabs throughout the Middle East participate in the annual Olive Harvest, a time for great celebrations. It is believed to have powers of helping mother conceive and weddings are often planned during the Harvest season to bring good fortune to the new brides.

Olives are almost a required side for any true Mediterranean or Middle Eastern meal. Sahtein!

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What's your favorite Mediterranean menu for Thanksgiving?

2011-11-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

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Thanksgiving is a major American traditional feast of food. Americans celebrate the origins of our great country but we also celebrate by also focusing on foods, since the sharing of foods by the Native Americans with the Pilgrims is a foundation of that centuries old historical event.

What is your Thanksgiving like and what foods do you serve at Thanksgiving? Most families serve the Turkey, which has come to symbolize Thanksgiving, but other main dishes are served also such as Ham and Lasagna and Roasts.

You might consider giving this Thanksgiving a Mediterranean theme by adding some recipes to your dinner menu. Here are a few popular choices that are often served with the Turkey on Thanksgiving in Mediterranean American homes:

Stuffed grape leaves. Stuffed grape leaves are easy to make. The ingredients are simple, diced lamb and rice spiced and rolled in a grape leave.

The rolled leaves are steamed in a closed pot above the water, raised up usually by meats and even stuffed zucchini placed underneath. (The zucchini is often stuffed with lamb and rice, too, and carry the succulent tastes of the zucchini skins.)

Side dishes along with a turkey and stuffed grape leaves might include Tabouleh salad, which is diced vegetables mixed with burghul (cracked wheat) and vinegar, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. It's a very healthy meal choice.

Also, you might include Hummus Dip, which can be store bought already prepared (Ziyad Hummus and Wild Garden Hummus Dip). They come in a variety of flavors. Or, you might try your hand at making your own. Hummus consists of pureed, cooked garbanzo beans mixed with tahini (a crushed sesame seed paste that is very popular in the Middle East), and extra virgin olive oil. Tahini also is used to make another great salad option, Tahini Salad.

Another side dish is baba ghanoush, a dip made from eggplants and spices and extra virgin olive oil.

Remember, you can always find out about popular Mediterranean ingredients at the website of Ziyad Brothers Importing. Click here for a list of popular ingredients.

If you decide to expand your Thanksgiving dinner menu with Mediterranean food recipes, take a picture and share it with us. You can email the photos and story to by email by clicking here.

We wish you a Happy and Joyous Thanksgiving for your and your family; Ziyad Brothers Importing, Quality food from our family to yours.

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Hummus when you want it

2011-10-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

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I love hummus. It's not only great tasting, but it is very healthy. And I enjoy the hummus that is not refrigerated and that is all natural. Deli hummus is not as fresh, unfortunately. All the preservatives that are needed to keep it edible in the frozen and chilled deli sections can easily be avoided by turning to shelf-stable hummus products by Wild Garden and by Ziyad Brothers Importing.

Ziiyad Brothers hummus products allow you to make the hummus yourself. They have a great recipe to follow on their web site. Click here to view the recipe.

But if you are in a rush and you want the same all-natural and great tasting quality hummus, you can purchase the Hummus in a can, ready-made.

regular

spicy

It's so easy to enjoy. You just open the can and empty the great tasting hummus dip onto a plate and spread it around evenly. You can add garnishments such as parsley, paprika and garbanzo (chick pea) beans. Ziyad Brothers Importing offer fresh garbanzo (chick pea) beans in a can.

Garbanzo (Chick pea) beans

Add some Extra Virgin Olive Oil onto the hummus. And then take some Syrian Pita Bread from Ziyad Brothers, toast it, chill it or eat it fresh, break off a small piece and dip it into the hummus plate and enjoy.

Make sure when you try it, to tell us what you think.

www.Ziyad.com

A traditional Middle Eastern breakfast or snack

2011-09-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

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One of the exciting experiences in traveling through the Middle East is enjoying a traditional Mediterranean breakfast. There are many that we'll explore with you but one we enjoy is olives, olive oil, Za'atar and Syrian Bread.

Za'atar is a traditional Middle Eastern dry "dip" that consists of a crushed dry herb, mixed with sesame seeds and sumac. Click for more information.

You can purchase all the food products like Za'atar from Ziyad Brothers Importing online (click here), and enjoy this breakfast meal or anytime snack in your home and experience the enjoyment of a Mediterranean experience.

Simply put the Za'atar in a separate small bowl. Put the olives in another separate bowl. Fill up a 3rd small bowl with Sultan Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And toast one or two Syrian Pita Breads (soft not crisp). Now, use the Za'atar and Olive Oil as a dip by breaking off a small piece of the Syrian Bread. Dip it in the Olive Oil then dip it in the dry Za'atar.

That's it.

People rave about the taste and the energy you get in the mornings. It is a great snack to add variety to any meal as a great appetizer.

Sahtein! As we say in the Middle East. Enjoy your meal. And let us know how you like it.

Syrian Bread Sultan Olive Oil

Za'atar

-- Ziyad Brothers Importing
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