fool (Middle Eastern dish from fava beans)

[Guest guest]

For a long time I've been trying to make a dish called " fool. " There used to be

a large Middle-Eastern family living next door to me, and the woman of the house

often used to leave bowls of " fool " outside my door, no doubt taking pity on me

as a single woman. :-)

 

Anyway, she barely spoke English, and I wasn't into cooking then in any case

(this was like 20 years ago), so I never bothered to find out what it was made

of. I just gobbled it up within a few days every time, and it was the most

delicious think I ever tasted. I used to look forward to those pots of fool

outside my door.

 

So I had been trying to figure out what was in it and trying to make it. I got

as far as fava beans, lots and lots of garlic, and lots and lots of lemon juice.

But last night I happened upon the missing ingredient: cumin.

 

So forgive my lack of specifying amounts, but here's my recipe for " fool " :

 

Cook fava beans with lots of garlic and lemon juice (about five large cloves or

so of garlic, and juice of about five large lemons). Add salt and cumin to

taste. (You can serve with some yogurt on top or mixed in.)That's it.

 

Since figuring it out, I've also googled " fool " and found that all the recipes

revolve around these ingredients. Some recipes say to add onions and or chopped

tomatoes. Some say to puree the whole thing, and as I recall the fool left

outside my door, I think that's probably correct. (I'm currently lacking a

blender.)

 

I actually tried it last night with lentils because I was tired of plain old

lentils, and it was really good (but not as genuine as with favas).

 

Janet