Dates (a prized Iraqi export often smuggled out and relabelled to circumvent international trade restrictions) have long been integral to the work of Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz. Date syrup cans were the building blocks of his Fourth Plinth installation in London in 2018, a replica of a winged bull sculpture destroyed by Isis. A year later, for a solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, he developed this sandwich for the gallery restaurant, featuring a mixture of date syrup and tahini. Witty, wistful and easy on the palate, it’s the perfect embodiment of Rakowitz’s practice as artist and cultural provocateur.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of date syrup
2 tablespoons of tahini
1 large piece of pita or lavash bread, approximately 10” in diameter
4 slices of halloumi or akkawi cheese
1/4 cup of freshly cut mint
Recipe
In a bowl, mix the tahini and date syrup with a spoon. Admire the psychedelic swirls it makes when it begins to blend. In Iraq, this mixture is called dibis wa’rashi.
RELATED STORY
Heat a buttered or oiled pan on the stove on medium heat. Place the halloumi in the pan and fry until both sides turn a sienna brown. Remove from pan to a plate.
Next, spread the date syrup and tahini mixture on the pita or lavash. Place open in the pan on the stove on medium heat. Add the halloumi evenly on top of the date syrup, and finish with the freshly cut mint.
Finally, carefully roll and close the pita up like a burrito, or fold over with a spatula like a quesadilla. Be sure to continue to cook for a few minutes, pressing down on each side like a pressed sandwich.
Cut in half and share.
A version of this article originally appeared in the October 2020 issue of Wallpaper* (W*258) – on newsstands now and available for free download here
INFORMATION
-
All aboard: Azimut moor a yacht in the heart of MilanWith Azimut's Mooring by the Moon, Michele De Lucchi and AMDL Circle provide insight into the philsophy of the Seadeck Series with an immersive installation at Bagni Misteriosi
-
A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North CarolinaThis low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
-
Objects Are By unite creatives with artisans to create a new world of product designMilan-based brand Studio Objects Are By is introducing a novel idea to the design process. They're asking: What if you let an artist, an actor or a chef moonlight as a product designer?
-
Artist's palate: Landon Metz’s recipe for cacio e pepeNew York-based artist Landon Metz’s recipe for cacio e pepe is a minimal yet magic addition to our monthly artist's palate series, an homage to our favourite contemporary art
-
Artist’s Palate: Chiharu Shiota’s recipe for okonomiyakiGet tangled up in Chiharu Shiota’s recipe for okonomiyaki, from our January 2023 issue’s Artist’s Palate feature, a Wallpaper* homage to our favourite contemporary art
-
Artist’s Palate: Jose Dávila’s chocolate fudge with pecansTry Jose Dávila’s indulgent recipe for chocolate fudge with pecans, from our December 2022 issue’s Artist’s Palate feature, a Wallpaper* homage to our favourite contemporary art
-
Holly Hendry’s mum’s banoffee pie recipeGorge on Holly Hendry’s glutinous recipe for banoffee pie, credited to her mother. As featured in our monthly Artist’s Palate series, a Wallpaper* homage to our favourite contemporary art
-
Judy Chicago’s smouldering recipe for Niçoise saladExperiment with Judy Chicago's trail-blazing recipe for Niçoise salad, accompanied by original smoke sculpture. Chicago’s celebratory dish features in Wallpaper’s October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue as part of Artist's Palate, a series of culinary homages to our favourite contemporary art
-
Artist Nari Ward's recipe for ackee and saltfish pattiesNari Ward’s staple Jamaican dish offers more than it says on the tin. As featured in our monthly Artist’s Palate series, where we interpret recipes in homage to our favourite contemporary art
-
Artist's palate: Oliver Beer’s sesame and peanut candyThe British artist's Korean-inspired fusion of fruit, nuts and seeds is music to our tastebuds, as featured in our monthly recipe series
-
Artist’s Palate: Sean Scully’s pancakesFlip through Irish-born artist Sean Scully's dynamic pancake recipe, as featured in our monthly Artist’s Palate feature
