Gebna Mashwi aw Makli

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Greek cheeses such as halumi, kefalotyri, and kasseri, which are hard and salty, or the popular kashkaval, are delicious cut into cubes or slices, grilled or fried, and served with a squeeze of lemon.

   Step 2

   Cook the cheese under the broiler, until the skin begins to blister, becomes spotted with brown, and starts to melt. Alternatively, fry the cheese in hot oil or sizzling butter, rolling the pieces in flour first if you like. Serve very hot, sprinkled with lemon juice.

   Step 3

   Fried cheese used to be served in cafés in Cairo in two-handled frying pans straight from the fire, to be eaten with bread and lemon juice.

   Step 4

   Sidqi Effendi, in his Turkish cookery manual written in the nineteenth century, gives this recipe for grilling cheese: “Put a portion of cheese in silver paper. Wrap it up and put it over a fire. When the paper starts to glow the cheese is ready to eat and deliciously creamy. . . . This is good food which enhances sex for married men.”