(Sample Section Opener)
Appetizers
| Babaganoush |
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21 | | Nori rolls | | 28 |
| Black bean dip |
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22 | | Pumpkin seed-tomatillo dip | | 29 |
| Cheese and green chile dip |
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23 | | Smoked salmon mousse | | 30 |
| Debra's salsa |
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24 | | Stuffed grape leaves | | 31 |
| Escabeche |
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25 | | Sun-dried tomatoes | | 33 |
| Houmous bi tahini |
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26 | | White bean-roasted gremolata | | 34 |
| Marinated mushrooms |
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27 | | | | |
Back at Kallimos . . .
It was the aroma of food being cooked over an open fire that drove us from our bed. Getting up was painful. Our muscles and joints were not only bruised but stiff with disuse as well. Together, we leaned forward and, using each other for support, brought ourselves to a standing position. We held each other tight and thanked God that we were alive.
The sound of the front door opening pulled us apart. The woman from the night came into the room. This time, she brought a tray loaded with dishes of steaming food and two teapots.
In English, she invited us to sit down on the benches in the center of the room. With little prompting from our visitor, we began to eat. We shoveled down mouthful after mouthful of the delicious offerings, and when our plates were empty, she refilled them. As we ate, she told us the story of our arrival in this country.
"For three days before you came here, a great storm held us in its grasp. It came from the west, and not even the oldest soul among us can remember a storm with such great power. All of the trees bowed before the wind, and the rain came down like a river from the sky. We were frightened and did not dare stir from our homes. You can imagine our joy when the storm passed over the mountains. . . .
. . . "Zachary, one of the boys from our village, was the first down to the shore after the storm broke. I'm afraid you gave him quite a scare when he came upon you. He thought you were dead. He ran back to the village, calling to us in full voice. We carried you here and laid you down in this bed. Few believed that you would survive the night. It is your good fortune that they were wrong."
Excerpted from Learning from Hannah © William H. Thomas, M.D.
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