Saudi Arabia
In 1902 Abd al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.

Saudi Arabia is slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US. The climate is harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes.

Recipes

Aish Bel-Lahm - Main
(Bread with Meat)

Ingredients
Dough:
4 cups flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon yeast
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon powdered bread spices (black pepper & cumin)


Stuffing:
3/4 pound ground beef
2 black peppercorns
2 onions (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons corn oil (to grease tray)
1/2 bundle leeks
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (for decoration)
6 tablespoons sesame cream (Tahini)
2 teaspoons salt

Directions
Dissolve yeast in half a cup of warm water and set aside to soften. Put flour in a large bowl, make a well in centre and add eggs, oil, yeast, salt and bread spices. Mix well, adding the water a little at a time until you have a firm dough. Grease a large tray with oil. Put dough on tray and cover with a damp cloth. Place dough in a warm place for at least two hours. In a saucepan put ground beef, onion and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring until meat is cooked. Set aside until cool. Finely chop leeks and wash several times through a strainer. Spread leeks on paper towel to absorb excess water. Add leeks to ground meat. Mix sesame cream with vinegar, a little water and black pepper. When you have a smooth paste add to leek and meat mixture, mixing thoroughly. When dough has risen, roll out into circular shape of medium thickness, spread the meat mixture over the dough leaving edge uncovered. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, and place in a 350-degree oven for half an hour or until bread is baked.


SAUDI SAMBOOSAK - Side Dish

Ingredients
3 cups flour 2 grated onions
1 1/2 cups oil 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon bread spices(yeast, fennel, poppy seed) 1 teaspoon cumin
oil for frying salt
water
1 lb. ground beef or lamb

Directions
Put the flour in a deep bowl, add the bread spices and salt. Add the oil and rub with fingertips. Add water and a pinch of salt a little at a time, mixing thoroughly until dough is binding. Divide into small pieces, place on a tray and put in a warm place for one hour. Put ground meat, onion, salt, pepper and cumin in a frying pan and cook over low heat. Cool. Roll each piece of dough into a round, about 1/16 inch thick. Place a tablespoon of meat in the centre of each round and seal then twist the edges. Heat the oil and deep-fry the samboosak on both sides. Serve hot.