Strings Attached

Baklava Killed My Father

90 Baklava Killed My Father It was the Lebanese pastry my father loved, different from the Greek. Pistachios more than walnuts, syrup not honey. Preheat oven to 350°. He had an appetite for layers, learned French, English, and Arabic in school, later Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Greek. Butter a 10-by-14-inch baking pan. Lebanese fables are similar to Greek myths, Tantalus sentenced to stand eternally in a pool of water that recedes when he tries to drink, and under a tree, ripe fruit just out of his reach. For the filling, combine 3 cups chopped pistachios, ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon rosewater in bowl. Set aside. The way Scheherazade, in A Thousand and One Arabian Nights, tantalized the king to save herself, reciting only the beginning of a new tale every evening. The king forced to spare her— eager to hear the end of her never-ending story. Unwrap and carefully unfold 1 pound thawed phyllo dough. My father dined in beautiful settings around the world, red snapper in Algiers, ratatouille in Provence, octopus near the Athens Acropolis. Cover with a wet cloth, as it will dry out quickly. 91 When I saw him, after an eight-year absence, his belly had grown round as a globe, Begin to layer half of the dough in prepared pan. the image of Bacchus, drinking and feasting, his fennel staff wound with ivy, dripping with honey. Using 1¼ cups clarified butter, coat each layer with a pastry brush. Dad sent postcards and letters, always in his signature green ink, a color that meant father but also meant gone. Halfway through the layering, spread pistachio mixture to an even thickness. He sent a photo, posing next to David’s Death of Socrates, philosopher who said “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Continue layering buttered phyllo. Father searched the world for someone he could relate to, realizing too late, he said, it was the daughter he had left behind. Bring 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a boil for syrup. Boil 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon rosewater; boil 10 seconds more. The Greeks feasted on ambrosia and honey, fragrant confections, an offering to appease the gods. Cut the baklava into diamond-shaped pieces pouring the cooled syrup over the hot pastry until it is well saturated. 92 My father craved, couldn’t resist the ethereal crunch of baklava—dangerous for his diabetes, but deliciously sweet, and rosewater scented. ...