Photo Courtesy of Ksat.com

In 2012, this paradigm shift looks set to continue.  What are your thoughts on the shift? What kind of changes would you like to see take place? To help you process these issues, we’ve created a short 4-question survey.  Tell us what’s on your mind. We’ll share results with you in February!

Mohammed Bouazizi, initiator of the Arab Spring

No one expects beet soup to possess a touch of magic. But this kettle boasts of sorcery with its rich, compelling flavors and impressive appearance. While most beet soups are a dull shade of burgundy, this one is almost alive with its brilliant magenta color. Prepare the soup a day ahead, and the flavors will blossom.

For a dazzling presentation, bring the soup to the table in a tureen along with some dill weed for extra garnish, and serve it in white or ivory-colored bowls.

WINTER RHAPSODY SOUP

Yield: 8 servings

• 2 pounds (1 kilo) or 3 to 4 medium beets, peeled and cut into eighths
• 4 cups (1 liter) water 1 1/2 pounds (680g) or 3 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large chunks* 
3 1/2 cups (840 ml) water 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 large onions, cut into eighths 
1 pound (450g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks 
1/2 cup (120 ml) water 
1/4 cup (60 ml) plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1/3 cup (80 ml) minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 
1 1/4 teaspoons salt 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Place the beets in a 4-quart (4 liter) saucepan with the 4 cups (1 liter) water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes or until the beets are fork tender.
2. Combine the potatoes, water, and salt in a 3-quart (3 liter) saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook about 6 to 10 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
3. Put the onions and carrots into a food processor and pulse-chop until they are finely diced. Transfer them to a large skillet or wok and add the 1/2 cup (120 ml) water. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender, adding small amounts of water, if needed. Set aside.
4. Have a large stockpot ready. In batches, transfer the cooked beets and all their cooking liquid to the blender and puree until smooth. Return the pureed beets to the stockpot.
5. Puree the potatoes and their cooking liquid in the blender and add them to the stockpot.
6. Reserve 3/4 cup (180 ml) of the cooked carrot and onion mixture for garnish. Puree the remaining cooked carrots and onions, adding a small amount of water, if needed, and add it to the stockpot.
7. Add the lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper to the stockpot and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of the reserved carrot and onion mixture and sprinkle with a smattering of chopped parsley.

*We specify Russet potatoes because they have an ideal toothy texture that gives this soup its special body.

NOTE: If the soup is too thick, thin it to your desired consistency with water and adjust the salt and lemon juice measurements.

From www.vegparadise.com

Vegetarian Tofu Turkey Loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 blocks firm or extra firm tofu, well pressed
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame or canola oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp worchestire sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• parsley (for garnish)

Preparation:

More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Seleucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory.

Traditions
Our rabbis taught the rule of Chanukkah: … on the first day one [candle] is lit and thereafter they are progressively increased … [because] we increase in sanctity but do not reduce. -Shabbat 21b, Babylonian Talmud

Chanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The holiday’s religious significance is far less than that of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu’ot. It is roughly equivalent to Purim in significance, and you won’t find many non-Jews who have even heard of Purim! Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of Maccabees.

The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a chanukkiah) that holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shammus (servant) at a different height. On the first night, one candle is placed at the far right. The shammus candle is lit and three berakhot (blessings) are recited: l’hadlik neir (a general prayer over candles), she-asah nisim (a prayer thanking G-d for performing miracles for our ancestors at this time), and she-hekhianu (a general prayer thanking G-d for allowing us to reach this time of year).  After reciting the blessings, the first candle is then lit using the shammus candle, and the shammus candle is placed in its holder. The candles are allowed to burn out on their own after a minimum of 1/2 hour. Each night, another candle is added from right to left (like the Hebrew language). Candles are lit from left to right (because you pay honor to the newer thing first). On the eighth night, all nine candles (the 8 Chanukkah candles and the shammus) are lit.  On nights after the first, only the first two blessings are recited; the third blessing, she-hekhianu is only recited on the first night of holidays.

Why the shammus candle? The Chanukkah candles are for pleasure only; we are not allowed to use them for any productive purpose. We keep an extra one around (the shammus), so that if we need to do something useful with a candle, we don’t accidentally use the Chanukkah candles. The shammus candle is at a different height so that it is easily identified as the shammus.
It is traditional to eat fried foods on Chanukkah because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Among Ashkenazic Jews, this usually includes latkes (pronounced “lot-kuhs” or “lot-keys” depending on where your grandmother comes from. Pronounced “potato pancakes” if you are a goy.) Go to the holiday recipes section.

Gift-giving is not a traditional part of the holiday, but has been added in places where Jews have a lot of contact with Christians, as a way of dealing with our children’s jealousy of their Christian friends. It is extremely unusual for Jews to give Chanukkah gifts to anyone other than their own young children. The only traditional gift of the holiday is “gelt,” small amounts of money.

Information taken from jewfaq.org

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2-3″ cubes; set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan that has a lid. Fry the pumpkins on both sides for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Mix together ingredients for Sweet Tomato Sauce in a bowl then add to pumpkin mixture in fry pan. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (I don’t know how it’s going to evaporate if the pan is covered….-B.) Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce. To serve: Spread half the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and any cooking juices left over. Sprinkle with dry mint. May be served with chalow (basmati rice) and naan or pita bread.

Recipe from: http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=1525

In case you want to impress your friends with your great ability to actually say the name of the dish you are offering them, listen to  the  Wiktionary pronounciation of “spanakopita”.

GYV participants enjoy lunch in the dining room

The Global Youth Village menu is predominately vegetarian with tasty international foods. Spanokopita shows up on the dining menu from time to time and is a great favorite. Sharing recipes from your family and culture is an easy way to find common ground and promote understanding. At GYV many a friendship has started with, “Hey, this spanokopita is good...do you like it?”

One of the aims of our international summer camp is to foster tolerance and understanding and to promote  personal development by encouraging young people to interact respectfully in a challenging and stimulating environment with others from a diverse mix of cultures.

Contact us to learn more about next year’s programs.

Mmmm…delicious

Try this outstanding vegetarian Indonesian dish made with authentic spices, eggs and vegetables. Our Indonesian youth who were here for summer camp at the Global Youth Village in previous years loved sharing their customs and traditions with other participants.  Making gado gado is the perfect way to promote intercultural communication and religious tolerance through delicious food and shared traditions.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, and GYV promotes peace and reconciliation among the world’s diverse religions.  To learn more about the leadership training and intercultural summer experiences at the Global Youth Village, check out our summer programs page for 2011.

Ingredients:

Blanched/steamed vegetables
long green beans, cut into 4-5 cm long
Chinese cabbage, shredded
Bean sprouts

Fresh Vegetables

Lettuce
Tomato, wedged
Cucumber, sliced

Other Complements

Boiled/steamed potatoes, sliced
Boiled eggs, wedged
Fried/baked tempe
Fried/baked tofu
Lontong (rice cake with log shape), cut into 1 cm thick
Ready-to-use fried shallot
Melinjo nuts crackers
Brown rice crackers

Gado-gado sauce

10 cloves garlic, stir fried/fried/roasted
300 g roasted/fried peanuts (In this case, I used 1 cup of organic crunchy peanut butter)
1000 ml coconut milk
10 red chilies, discard the seed and stir fried/fried
1 tsp terasi substitute (dried miso paste or dry vegetarian soup stock)
1 block of coconut sugar (about 62.5 grams)
2-3 tbsp rice flour dissolve in a small amount of water

Sambal

20 chilies, boiled /steamed
1/2 tsp sugar
Sea salt as desired

METHOD:

Gado-Gado Sauce

1. Process garlic, peanuts/peanut butter, a half part of coconut milk, red chilies, terasi, coconut sugar in a food processor or blender.
2. In a sauce pot, combine processed mixture with the rest of coconut milk, stir and turn on the stove at low-medium heat. Stir occasionally.
3. Cook sauce until boiled, the volume reduced and the sauce surface looks a bit oily. Add rice flour mixture. Keep stirring until bubbling about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Sambal

Combine all ingredients and process in a food processor/blender or you can grind them with mortar and pestle.

Serving

Place lettuce, slices of lontong and boiled potatoes, blanched vegetables, wedges of boiled egg, slices of fried tempe and tofu, and wedges of tomato, slices of cucumber. Pour the warm sauce over, garnish with fried shallot, crushed brown rice crackers and emping nuts crackers. Put sambal on the side as people have different preferences when it comes to spiciness. You can omit the sambal if you don’t like the spicy sauce.

Tips

- If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of water.
- Always try the sauce before you remove it from the heat so you can add salt or coconut sugar to match your taste buds.
- Serve gado-gado sauce while it is still warm. Warm up the sauce if it is cold.
- If you still have leftover sauce, keep it in a jar and refrigerate/freeze. You may use for other dipping purposes.

We are now accepting submissions for the annual GYV essay contest!  Entrants are invited to answer one of the four following questions:

1. What do you think are the the most pressing barriers to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals and why? How can some of those barriers be lifted? (For a list of the goals, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/).

2. How do you personally define peace? What do you feel are three of the best ways to create peace in this world?

3. It’s the year 2050. Describe what our world will be like and what kind of qualities a future hero would need to possess.

4. Bullying is a now recognized as a serious problem, especially in the United States. Is bullying going on in your school or neighborhood? Describe the steps you would personally take to mitigate the issue.

Contest Rules

All essays must comply with the following contest rules before submission:

• No literary form other than an essay will be accepted.
• Each essay must reflect the contestant’s own research, writing and original thinking.
• Only one (1) essay may be submitted by each contestant.
• Essays must be typed.
• Essays must be a minimum of 800 words.
• Send a copy of the essay to:
  

  Global Youth Village
  Att: Innocentia Afa
  1020 Legacy Drive, Bedford, VA 24523

• If you wish to send the essay by e-mail, contact Innocentia Afa at iafa@legacyintl.org.
• Entries must be postmarked on or before contest due date which is April 20, 2011.
  

Essays will be judged on the following 4 categories: comprehension, organization,  creativity and writing (spelling, punctuation grammar etc). The winner will receive a $1,200 scholarship to the Peace Building program, July 5-16.

Good luck!

In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the two-week Persian New Year celebration, or Nowruz, always begins on the first day of spring.  President Obama recently made important remarks on Nowruz: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/20/remarks-president-obama-marking-nowruz.  On that day-which may occur on March 20, 21, or 22 - Nowruz celebrations include many traditions and wonderful foods:

Nowruz ceremonies consist of a series of symbolic actions dating back to ancient times, including:

• Cleaning of the environment, cleansing of the self, confession of sins, the exorcising of devils, or divs, from the house and the community.
• Forgive yourself and your enemies and a time for making up relationships.
• Dowsing and re-lighting the fires.
• Processions to borders, seas, and rivers.
• Disruption of the normal order of things with boisterous parties.

A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians thoroughly clean and rearrange their homes. They make or buy new clothes, bake pastries and germinate seeds as signs of renewal. Troubadours, called Hadji Firuz or heralds of rebirth, disguised with makeup and wearing red satin outfits, sing and dance through the streets with tambourines, kettle drums, and trumpets to spread good cheer and the news of the coming New Year. The celebration of renewal is attributed to the Sumerian god of sacrifice, Domuzi, who was killed at the end of each year and reborn at the beginning of the new year. The Hadji Firuz‘s disguised face represents his return from the world of the dead, his red costume symbolizes the blood and tragic fate of the legendary Prince Siavush and the rebirth of the god of sacrifice, while his happiness and singing represent his joy at being reborn.

In every Persian household a special cover is spread onto a carpet or on a table. This ceremonial setting is called sofreh-ye haft-sinn (literally “seven dishes’ setting,” each one beginning with the Persian letter sinn). The number seven has been sacred in Iran since antiquity, and the seven dishes stand for the seven angelic heralds of life-rebirth, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, patience, and beauty. The symbolic dishes consist of sabzeh, or sprouts, usually wheat or lentil, representing rebirth. Samanu is a pudding in which common wheat sprouts are transformed and given new life as a sweet, creamy pudding, and represents the ultimate sophistication of Persian cooking. Sib means apple and represents health and beauty. Senjed, the sweet, dry fruit of the wild olive, represents love. It has been said that when the wild olive is in full bloom, its fragrance and its fruit make people fall in love and become oblivious to all else. Seer, which is garlic in Persian, represents medicine. Somaq, sumac berries, represent the color of sunrise; with the appearance of the sun Good conquers Evil. Serkeh, or vinegar, represents age and patience.

To reconfirm the hopes and wishes expressed by the traditional foods, other elements and symbols are also placed on the sofreh. Books of tradition and wisdom are laid out: usually a copy of the holy Koran; and/or a divan of the poems of Hafez. A few coins, representing wealth, and a basket of painted eggs, representing fertility, are also placed on the sofreh. A Seville orange floating in a bowl of water represents the earth floating in space, and a goldfish in a bowl of water represents Anahita, one of the angels of water and fertitily, which is the main purpose of the nowruz celebration. The fish also represents life and the end of the astral year associated with the constellation Pisces. A flask of rose water, known for its magical cleansing power, is also included on the sofreh. A bowl of fresh milk, representing nourishment for the children of the world. Pussy willow branches, pomegrantes, figs, and olives, representing time. Nearby is a brazier for burning wild rue, a sacred herb whose smoldering fumes are said to ward off evil spirits. A pot of flowering hyacinth or narcissus is also set on the sofreh. On either side of a mirror are two candelabra holding a flickering candle for each child in the family. The candles represent enlightenment and happiness. The mirror represents the images and reflections of Creation as we celebrate anew the ancient Persian traditions and beliefs that creation took place on the first day of spring, or Nowruz.

On the same table many people place seven special sweets because, according to a three-thousand-year-old legend, King Jamshid discovered sugar on Nowruz (the word candy comes from the Persian word for sugar, qand). These seven sweets are noghls (sugar-coated almonds); Persian baklava, a sweet, flaky pastry filled with chopped almonds and pistachios soaked in honey-flavored rose water; nan-e berenji (rice cookies), made of rice flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with poppy seeds; nan-e badami (almond cookies), made of almond flour flavored with cardamom and rose water; nan-e nokhodchi (chick-pea cookies), made of chick-pea flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with pistachios; sohan asali (honey almonds), cooked with honey and saffron and garnished with pistachios; and nan-e gerdui (walnut cookies), made of walnut flour flavored with cardamom and garnished with pistachio slivers.

On the eve of the last Wednesday of the year (Shab-e chahar shanbeh sury, literally “the eve of Red Wednesday” or “the eve of celebration”), bonfires are lit in public places and people leap over the flames, shouting, “Sorkhi-e to az man o zardi-e man az to!” (Give me your beautiful red color and take back my sickly pallor!). With the help of fire and light, symbols of good, celebrants pass through this unlucky night-the End of the Year-and into the arrival of spring’s longer days. Tradition holds that the living are visited by the spirits of their ancestors on the last days of the year. Many people, especially children, wrap themselves in shrouds to symbolically reenact the visits. By the light of the bonfire, they run through the streets, banging on pots and pans with spoons and knocking on doors to ask for treats. This ritual is called qashogh-zany and reenacts the beating out of the last unlucky Wednesday of the year. In order to make wishes come true, it is customary to prepare special foods and distribute them on this night: Ash-e reshteh-ye nazri (Noodle Soup); a filled Persian delight, Baslogh, and special snacks called ajil-e chahar shanbeh soury and ajil-e moshkel gosha. The last, literally meaning unraveler of difficulties, is made by mixing seven dried nuts and fruits-pistachios, roasted chick-peas, almonds, hazelnuts, peaches, apricots, and raisins.

A few hours prior to the transition to the New Year, family and friends sit around the sofreh-ye haft-sinn. Everyone sings traditional songs, and poems of Hafez and verses from the Koran are recited. I remember an amusing story about my aunt. She would always carry a tattered divan of the poems of Hafez and, just prior to the Tahvil, while we were all sitting around the sofreh, she would ask each of us to make a wish so that she could ask Hafez about our fortune. Then she would lay the closed book, spine down, on the palm of her left hand while she passed her right index finger several times up and down the page edges. With her eyes closed she would ask out loud:

Ay Hafez-e Shirazi to ke mahram-e har razy! To ra be Shakh-e Nabatat qassam. . .

Oh Hafez of Shiraz, knower of all secrets, by the love of your sweetheart, Shakh-e Nabat . . .

She would continue with the rest of her questions in silence and finally she would open the book by placing her fingernail randomly into the pages. With the first glance at the verses on the page, she would cry out, bah- bah! wonderful, wonderful, how beautiful! She would go on like this for a good minute or two while we sat round-eyed and impatient, waiting to know our fortunes. At last she would begin the first verse of the poem:

Exactly at the moment of the equinox, my father would recite a prayer for the transition, wishing for a good life, and we would all repeat after him out loud.

Then traditionally the oldest person present begins the well-wishing by standing up and giving out sweets, pastries, coins, and hugs. Calm, happiness, sweetness, and perfumed odors are very important on this day of rebirth, since the mood on this day is said to continue throughout the year. An old saying goes, “Good thought, good word, good deed-to the year end, happy indeed.”

The New Year celebration continues for twelve days after the equinox occurs. Traditionally, during the first few days, it is the younger members of the family who visit their older relatives and friends in order to show their respect. Sweet pastries and delicious frosty drinks are served to visitors, and there is a general air of festivity all around. The children receive gifts, usually crisp new notes of money; in America, dollar bills. In the remaining days, the elders return the visits of the younger members of the family.

According to the ancients, each of the twelve constellations in the zodiac governed one of the months of the year, and each would rule the earth for a thousand years, after which the sky and the earth would collapse into each other. The Nowruz celebrations, therefore, lasted twelve days, plus a thirteenth day (representing the time of chaos) celebrated by going outdoors, putting order aside and having parties. On this thirteenth day, called Sizdeh bedar or outdoor thirteen, entire families leave their homes to carry trays of sprouted seeds in a procession to go picnic in a cool, grassy place. Far from home, they throw the sprouts into the water, which is thought to exorcise the divs and evil eyes from the house and the household. Wishing to get married by the next year, unmarried girls tie blades of grass together. There is much singing, dancing, eating, and drinking. With this, the Nowruz celebrations are completed.

The traditional menu for the Nowruz gathering on the day of the equinox usually includes fish and noodles. It is believed they bring good luck, fertiltiy and prosperity in the year that lies ahead.

• Noodle Soup – Ash-e reshteh, noodles representing the Gordian knots of life. Eating them symbolically helps toward unraveling life’s knotty problems.
• Rice with Fresh Herbs and Fish-Sabzi polow ba mahi, fresh herb rice representing rebirth, fish representing Anahita, one of the angels of water and fertility. Or rice with noodles, dates and raisins, or rice with barberries, candied orange peels and carrots.
• Herb Kuku- Kuku-ye sabzi, the eggs and herbs represent fertility and rebirth.
• Bread, Cheese, and Fresh Herbs – Nan-o panir-o sabzi khordan, representing prosperity.
• Wheat Sprout pudding – Samanu, representing fertitlity and rebirth.
• Sprout Cookies – Kolucheh-ye Javaneh-ye Gandom, representing prosperity and fertility.
• Ice in Paradise - Yakh dar Behesht, representing nourishment for the children of the world.
• Saffron Sherbet and Saffron Tea with Rock Candy – Sharbat-e Zaferan va Chai-e Zafaran ba nabat, representing sweetness and light.
• Baklava, Chick-pea Cookies, and Sugar Coated Almonds – Baqlava, Nan-e Nokhodchi, Noghl, representing prospertiy.

Find recipes on http://www.asiafood.org/persiancooking/newyear.cfm from New Food of Life: Ancient Persian & Modern Iranian Cooking & Ceremonies or Silk Road Cooking: a Vegetarian Journey, copyright Najmieh Batmanglij 1986-2004. Courtesy of Mage Publishers, 1032 29th St. NW, Washington, DC 20007.

Tom Taylor has been the master gardener at GYV for the past 20 years. He often invites GYV youth to join him in the gardens for community service and is a featured guest speaker in the Green Your World Workshop.  Right now we have lettuce, arugula, parsley, and green onions ready to eat.  If you’ve been trying to eat more organic foods, both to decrease the amount of pesticides you and your family consume, and to help protect the environment from overloading with toxic chemicals, you know it can be expensive. Here are some tips on starting your own garden.   Luckily, there’s a way to grow your own delicious, fresh produce, while having fun and learning at the same time: organic gardening!

Go to http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/organic-gardening-tips-460309 to get some tips on starting an organic garden.