But I haven't written. Not for two, three, four months: This becomes frightening to me.
-- Life Without a Recipe: A Memoir of Food and Family by Diana Abu-Jaber.
Diana Abu-Jaber has written four novels and one prior memoir, The Language of Baklava. Her new memoir, Life Without a Recipe, honestly explores what what it takes to build a whole life out of the different parts of family, marriage, career, and motherhood.
Diana writes a lot about food in this book, because food was so central to her family life growing up and her relationship with her adopted daughter. The book does not include recipes, but Diana shared this recipe for a simple dish her Jordanian father ("Bud") liked to make.
JORDANIAN EGGS
You can make these eggs in a snap. Good for lunch or dinner too, they’re quick and full of flavor. Use the ripest tomatoes available. Serves 2-4
4 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, well mashed
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sumac
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ripe chopped tomato
Optional: grated parmesan cheese.
Stir mashed garlic with some salt, pepper, red-pepper flakes, cumin, sumac and the oil in a small bowl. Heat frying pan over medium heat then pour in the oil mix and heat for a minute. Stir in the tomato and fry for a minute or two—don’t let garlic get too brown.
Crack eggs into a small bowl then add to pan and fry—you can break the yolks and let them swirl into the white like Bud does, or just let the yolks set in place. Just before done, you can sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top.
Great served with warm pita or baguette and oil-cured black olives.
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