I made this not quite realizing that it was a real recipe - I was thinking of making shish barak (see Mimi's recipe for that), which is kind of like Middle Eastern ravioli. However, I had no patience for making all those little ravioli, but I really enjoyed that sauce. Only later did I realize that this is a legitimate, traditional recipe, called Kufta bil-laban, "Kufta in yogurt." (Not so helpful for everyone, but here 's a recipe for it in Arabic.) Ingredients 1.25 pounds lean ground beef 2 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/4 tsp. white pepper 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) Dash nutmeg 2 cups yogurt (or 1.75 c. yogurt, 1/4 cup water if yogurt is very thick, like greek yogurt. Middle eastern yogurt is normally a bit watery) 3 tsp. corn starch 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. (or to taste) cilantro, minced (optional) Olive oil for sauteing Preparation Preheat oven to 450, or broiler if yo
The Magidow family's modern-day recipe box.