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LUCY PEMONI / STAR-BULLETIN Magdy El-Zoheiry prepares a mix of swordfish and bell peppers.

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Fear no food

A spirit of exploration
leads the bold-hearted
to new regions of taste

A stout heart and a stalwart set of taste buds guarantee rewarding culinary adventures. Fear, on the other hand ... fear will get you nowhere.

Cooking Series "Flavors of the Middle East" classes begin this weekend. Registration runs three weeks in advance, but some spots remain in this week's class. Class times: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays Place: Kapiolani Community College 'Ohia Building Cost: $45 per class Call: 734-9211 The schedule Moroccan: Saturday Egyptian: Feb. 26 Lebanese: March 12 Persian: April 2 Vegetarian: April 16

Cooking instructor Magdy El-Zoheiry says too many people are simply afraid to venture beyond the familiar.

Not that he's judgmental about it. When he arrived in this country from his native Egypt 12 years ago, he lacked courage himself.

"When we go out, people say, 'How about Vietnamese?' And I say, 'No, no, I don't like Vietnamese.' They say, 'How about Korean?' I say, 'I don't like Korean.' They say, 'Have you tried it?' I say, 'No -- I am afraid.' "

But he got over it and is now a heroic eater of all things Asian.

Over the next few weeks, El-Zoheiry will take those who dare over to his side of the world through an exploration of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. His five-part series of classes at Kapiolani Community College begins this weekend with a taste of Morocco, followed by journeys to Egypt, Lebanon and Persia.

The series is a rare opportunity locally. Not only is that region far, far away, we don't have many places to even get a taste. A few of us are quite proud that we can define couscous and hummus, but that's just dabbling -- "like at an Italian restaurant always ordering Chicken Alfredo," El-Zoheiry says.

The geography lesson comes first.

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LUCY PEMONI / STAR-BULLETIN Magdy El-Zoheiry holds a tagine of the cooked fish to be served with vegetable couscous.

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Just as Japanese cooking differs from Chinese, differs from Korean, differs from Thai, etc., the cuisines of this region differ by the cultural influences that have shaped them.

Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, clustered in the northwest corner of Africa, share a common spice cabinet: Saffron is predominant, along with coriander, cumin and paprika. Dried fruits, honey and cinnamon are common in savory stews prepared in the earthenware, cone-headed tagine.

Couscous -- that grain-like pasta that Americans identify so strongly with Moroccan cooking -- is a special occasion dish, El-Zoheiry says. For everyday eating, it's bread.

"Everybody either bakes bread or goes every morning to the bakery to buy baguettes," he says. "This comes from the French, because the French used occupy this region."

In Egypt -- in Africa's northeastern corner -- the starch of choice is rice. El-Zoheiry says. "Japanese-style, short-grain rice. That's what we have every single day for lunch."

Here, the influence is Turkish. "We have been occupied by the Ottoman Empire for a long, long time." Find this in the stuffed vegetable dishes -- grape leaves and cabbage filled with ground meat and, well, rice.

An everyday dish might be chicken poached with cardamom, cloves and a whole onion, then deep-fried; the broth served on the side. For special occasions -- kebabs, marinated meat barbecued to juicy tenderness.

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LUCY PEMONI / STAR-BULLETIN Cumin, paprika, olive oil and garlic are common flavorings.

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Egyptians, like Americans, are big meat eaters, El-Zoheiry says. Chicken, beef, lamb and fish fresh from the Mediterranean Sea rotate through the menu. "If you have people to your house, they are expecting meat. Nobody is vegetarian."

They have their own culinary fears: nothing raw, and no mixtures of sweet and sour. "If you say, 'I have a sweet-and-sour fish dish,' nobody is gonna eat it," El-Zoheiry said.

The only thing worse, perhaps -- rare meat. "It has to be well done." Offer a platter of even medium beef and prepare for rejection. "They say, 'Oh, there is blood! I'm gonna die!'

"When I first came here I was like that," he admits. "But I changed. I worked with a chef once who said, 'If anyone orders well done, give him your shoes!' "

El-Zoheiry, a KCC culinary school graduate, has worked at a number of restaurants here and on the East Coast, mostly Moroccan and Italian. He started with the former Hajibaba's in Kahala back in 1992.

He's on a cooking hiatus to help his brother with his used-car dealership. Teaching at KCC marks a segue back to the kitchen; he hopes eventually to return to his restaurant career, focusing on Moroccan cuisine.

Until then, you'll have to make his dishes yourself. Here are two that will be presented at Saturday's class.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse fish and dry well; place in tagine or an ovenproof sautŽ pan. Mix in 2 tablespoons sauce. Add remaining ingredients.

Bring to boil on stovetop, then cover and place in oven 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes. Serves 4.

To prepare sauce: PurŽe ingredients in food processor. Sauce may be made ahead and refrigerated in a plastic container for 3 to 4 weeks. Use as a sauce with baked fish, chicken or vegetables.

Heat butter in large soup pot. SautŽ celery, carrots, squash and turnip in butter. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to boil. Tie parsley and cilantro to make a sachet and add to pot with saffron. Cover and cook 18 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Add zucchini and garbanzo beans; cook 6 minutes. Add prunes and raisins. Simmer while preparing couscous.

Bring remaining 2 cups vegetable broth to boil for couscous. Add saffron and pour over couscous. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes.

Add butter and fluff with whisk to remove any lumps. Serve couscous topped with vegetables. Serves 6.

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