Conflict Cuisine

I heard about Conflict Kitchen on American Public Media's Dinner Party Download podcast. Conflict Kitchen is a Pittsburgh take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries that the United States is in conflict with. The food is served out of a take-out style storefront, which will rotate identities every four months to highlight another country. Each Conflict Kitchen iteration is augmented by events, performances, and discussion about the culture, politics, and issues at stake with each country we focus on.

Here is their recipe for Kubideh Sandwhich:

BARBARI BREAD RECIPE
Yields: approximately 40 servings

Bread:
13 cups flour
6 cups water
9 t. active dry yeast
4 t. baking powder
4 t. salt
black or white sesame seeds or poppy seeds to roll into bread

Sauce:
2 t. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 1/3 c. water

1. Dissolve yeast in 400 ml warm water, and let it stand for 3 minutes.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. You may need to add up to 5 1/2 ADDITIONAL cups of water gradually to get the correct consistency.
3. Pour the yeast mixture and the rest of the water into the center of the flour. Fold dry ingredients into wet, and mix until combined.
4. Knead dough for 15 minutes, or until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Divide dough into 8 round pieces on baking sheets that have been floured.
6. Cover with greased wax paper, and let sit in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours (until doubled in bulk).
7. Once the dough rises, separate each piece of dough into small pieces half the size of your palm. You will probably need to use a good amount of flour to roll bread. Roll with floured pin on floured board, until as thin as possible. Sprinkle sesame seeds into bread, and roll them into bread.
8. Place all sauce ingredients in microwave safe dish, and microwave for a minute or two.
9. Put bread on grill and brush with sauce. Grill for no longer than 4-6 minutes.

KUBIDEH RECIPE
Yields: approximately 40 servings

10 lbs. ground beef (85:15 lean to fat, or better)
10 eggs
2 bunches finely chopped parsley
5 grated medium yellow onions
6 T. turmeric
4 T. each: cinnamon, salt, pepper
2 T. each: baking powder, canola oil (only if the beef seems dry)

1. Mix all ingredients in big bowl.
2. Get a small bowl of water, and use this to keep hands wet throughout the process of forming the meat.
3. Roll into ball size of your palm.
4. Flatten to the length of your hand.
5. Dimple with fingers.
6. Set aside in baking dishes and refrigerate excess.
7. Grill each for 4 minutes.

To finish:
Place grilled meat on freshly grilled barbari.
Sprinkle sumac on top of grilled meat.
Add three medium-sized leaves each of basil and mint.
Add 2 pieces of onion (small, thin slices).
Roll barbari over meat and toppings.