It's All Happening at the Library-Almost

I didn't quite flunk my semi-annual physical yesterday. Cholesterol had jumped from 114 to 124 and A1C from under the magic number for diabetics-7 all the way to 7.5. It was enough to take all the fun out of my semi-annual visit to the Brazil Grill for what we here in Easton call "meat on a stick."

Leave it to the Ames Free Library to lift my spirits. In case you haven't noticed, the library is the place to go for entertainment. You want a film series-feature films or documentaries? It's at the library. Want to learn about technology? The library has an ongoing series. Want to learn about historic fires-stop by at 6:30 next Wednesday and hear Jeff Webster of our fire department. Jeff pulled into the yard the other day to drop off a flyer. His presentation really looks interesting. Not only are you going to learn about some of the most famous fires in American history. Jeff is going to tell you how those fires change your life. By the way if you are interested in our own Fire Department, their annual open house is this Saturday from 1-4 with a Jaws of Life Demo at 2:30. The night before the library will host a Native America poet (she's Abenaki and can prove it!)

OK, why did the library lift my spirits yesterday? The foodie group presented Hala Williams with a feast of Lebanese food. Hala demonstrated three wonderful healthy recipes: hummus, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves. Hala provided opportunities to roll your own grape leaves (I passed on that) and to sample her wonderful food-the hummus was a thousand times better than any from a store. More important Hala is a charming exponent of all the wonderful aspects of Middle Eastern cuisine. We learned about how olives were processed starting with raw olives from her family's land in Lebanon and picked up another recipe for marinated olives. Samples of several types of olives were provided. Even more fascinating was a platter of Middle Eastern fruit from raw dates through things that don't have American names. The raw dates were delightful and the mystery fruit tasted a little like apples even though they looked like raw olives. However, the highlights were raw pistachios and grapes. The grapes were amazing. Half the size of normal table grapes, they burst with a honey flavor. Unlike her grape leaves which are home-grown, Hala assured us these very short season grapes were imported-from California. Raw pistachios are impossible to describe; they don't taste like the roasted version and they don't taste like chicken. The pistachio is covered by a fleshy skin hiding the familiar nut which opens much more easily than when roasted. What a wonderful evening at the library-a superior presentation and delicious samples.

If you are intrigued by Lebanese food and missed Hala's presentation she pointed everyone to Athena Foods at 753 Pleasant Street in Brockton just down the street from Gerry's Farm Stand. I visit Athena fairly often because I use Cavendish's Greek Seasoning, a mix of salt, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano as my basic condiment. I should warn that it also contains MSG, but it is a great seasoning that cuts down my sodium intake. Last week I visited Athena and bought a package of Chicken Shawarma spice. Shawarma is the Lebanese version of giros, but since I don't have a rotating spit for cooking I decided to use the spice in a ground turkey meatloaf. The recipe is: a 3/4 pound of ground turkey, a finely diced medium onion, one or two finely diced jalapeno peppers with seeds and white removed, three or four tablespoons of dried bread crumbs, one beaten egg, and five tablespoons of Chicken Shawarma spice. Put all together in a bowl and knead until thoroughly mixed. I baked for an hour at 350. Makes two servings and really tasted good and different from my normal turkey meatloaf which tastes like Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing.