You can split it, tear it, roll it, fill it, wrap it, dip it, top it. You can bake it, toast it or zap it.
AND, if you need an instant frisbee . . .That's the versatile nature of the malleable manna we call pita bread.
The little loaves have become a popular bread item across the country over the past few years. Shoppers are no longer forced to play "find the pita" in grocery stores. Now, a variety of pita products can be found comfortably coexisting next to the Wonder bread.
When previously predictable "All-American" fast food menus feature ethnic eats, it's noteworthy. Wendy's dad, Dave, is showing up on TV hawking his drive-thru version of the pita sandwich.
And they're selling like well, hotcakes.
We love the chewy, flavorful bread. Low in sodium, fat and calories, pita has classically been paired with Middle Eastern standbys - yogurt, chickpeas, eggplant, sesame seeds and bulgur.
The pita has evolved into an edible container for just about any accompaniment - from peanut butter to pizza sauce.
A pizza pita is a perfect example of "fusion cuisine," - the blending of cultural signature foods.
Since ancient times, the floury rounds have been considered "the staff of life." Virginia T. Habeeb, author of "Pita the Great," grew up steeped in the Middle Eastern heritage of her parents.
"In my earliest childhood days I was introduced to the versatility and tasty goodness of the pita, it being the center of every family meal and party occasion," she says.
Throughout her childhood she enjoyed pita. She recalls the thrill of learning in her Sunday school class that pita were the "miracle loaves" from biblical history.
The pita, or something similar, can be traced back to ancient Bedouins who wandered the desert plains. When night fell and the searing temperature dropped, they would pitch their tents and prepare the evening meal.
After mixing powdered grain with water, they'd shape it into flat circles and cook it in a container placed over a campfire. The milk they carried in sheepskin bags would have become a thick, tangy custard-like curd. The flat-bread/-yogurt pairing became a classic combination - still popular today.
Pita is known by various names in different countries. And depending on how it's baked, it may or may not have a pocket in the middle.
In Greece, pita is usually pocketless. In Turkey, it's called pide; kemaj in Lebanon; aysh in Egypt; khubiz in Syria and Morocco, and kesra in Algeria.
Some versions are made without any leavening and are baked stovetop in a concave pan. The Lebanese marook is shaped and hand-tossed, much like pizza. Armenians have a similar bread called lavash, which is baked to a cracker-like crispness.
Americans have adopted the Greek term pita, even though our version of the chewy bread has a pocket.
No matter the origin, pita is an all-purpose bread that can serve as a tasty wrap for any combination of fillings.
A common introduction to the pita begins with the consumption of a Greek meal-in-one - the Gyro (YEE-roh).
Classically, the spicy sandwich is filled with spit-roasted, shaped, minced lamb, topped with a yogurt sauce.
For time-crunched cooks, gyro-making can be simplified by using ground lamb seasoned with Mediterranean spices. (Gound lamb is available in 1-pound frozen packages at Snider's Bros. Meats in Holladay). The crowning element, a refreshing cucumber yogurt topping that just takes seconds to prepare, brings the flavors together.
An acknowledgement is in order here: As with most edibles, homemade pita bread is best. In fact, after consulting a "flatbread atlas," we were chastised for even thinking of buying "those white cardboard-like supermarket pita breads."
But in our quest for time-saving, laid-back summertime dining, we suggest you throw food snobbery to the wind and purchase a package of pita at your favorite market. Go ahead . . . enjoy!
And if you're a pita purist, pretend you cooked 'em over the camp-fire.
Hey . . . how about a S'mores pita?
*****
RECIPE
LAMB GYROS
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 large tomato, cut in half and then into thin slices
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 whole pita pocket breads, cut in half, warmed
Seasonings:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (below)
Prepare Cucumber Yogurt Sauce; cover and refrigerate. In large bowl, combine lamb and seasoning ingredients; mix 2 minutes or until very well-blended. Shape into two oval 1/2-inch thick patties. Place patties on rack in broiler so surface of meat is 3 to 4 inches from heat. Broil 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear, turning once. Carve each patty into thin slices. Place equal amounts of lamb, tomato and onion in each pita half; serve with yogurt sauce. Serves 4. (Serving size: 2 filled pita halves and 1/4 cup sauce.)
- Each serving of Gyros with sauce contains 472 calories, 19g fat, 44g carb, 970mg sodium, 86mg cholesterol, 40% calories from fat.
- From National Live Stock & Meat Board
CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE
1 carton (8 ounces) plain lowfat yogurt
1/3 cup seeded, chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Serve with Lamb Gyros.
ORANGE-GINGER CHICKEN
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and cut into julienne strips
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into julienne strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 ounces fresh or frozen snow peas, trimmed and cut into strips
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound mushrooms, wiped clean with damp paper towels, and sliced
6 pita breads, cut into halves
2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, ground and fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a bowl. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry over medium-high heat until cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the snow peas, bell pepper, and mushrooms, and continue cooking, tossing frequently until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved sauce and cook until the liquid has been reduced by half. Line the pitas with the shredded cabbage, fill with the chicken-vegetable mixture and top with cilantro. Serves 6.
- Each serving contains 415 calories, 16g fat, 44g carb, 729mg sodium, 38mg cholesterol, 33% calories from fat.
- From "Pita the Great" by Virginia T. Habeeb
SESAME-TOSSED PEAR WALDORF AND CHEESE
1/2 cup raisins
3 cups peeled and diced pears
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste
6 pita breads, with the tops cut off
Soak the raisins in boiling water until they are plumped, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and dry with paper towels. Combine the pears, celery, nuts, raisins and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, tahini, sesame seeds, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl. Fold the dressing into the fruit salad and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with the blue cheese and toss again to mix. Taste to correct seasonings. Refrigerate, covered, to chill. Spoon the salad into the pitas. Serves 6.
- Each serving contains 444 calories, 24g fat, 50g carb, 590mg sodium, 12mg cholesterol, 47% calories from fat.
- From "Pita the Great" by Virginia T. Habeeb
HUMMUS BI TAHINI
1/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups (1 pound can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley
Pita bread, cut into wedges
Put the tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, water and garlic into a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and process until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the chickpeas, salt, and pepper, processing until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick paste. If necessary, stop the machine and scrape down the sides with a spatula. The mixture will thicken when it is refrigerated, so if it seems too thick when you've finished processing it, add up to 1/2 cup more water and process again. Taste to correct seasonings. Put the hummus into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, to chill. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the chopped parsley. Surround with pita wedges. To store, refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 2 cups.
- Each 1/4 cup contains 229 calories, 6g fat, 35g carb, 508mg sodium, 2mg cholesterol, 20% calories from fat.
- From "Pita the Great" by Virginia T. Habeeb
Cold pita delis
Want a change in your repetitious sandwich routine? Any of the following pita offerings are great. Add sprouts, even crushed potato chips, to customize your choice.
- PITA CLUB: Spread the insides of a pita with mayo and fill it with cold sliced chicken, bacon slices, thinly sliced tomato, and romaine lettuce leaves. Top it all off with freshly ground pepper.
- ROAST BEEF WITH ONION: Spread a thin coating of Russian dressing on the insides of a pita and line it with paper-thin slices of roast beef, tomato, sweet pickles and sweet red onion.
- SHRIMP SALAD: Line a whole-wheat pita with bibb lettuce and fill it with shrimp salad, sliced artichoke hearts, and chopped scallions. Sprinkle it with toasted sesame seeds.
- CHICKEN SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE AND BLACK OLIVES: Pack insides of pita with a mixture of chicken salad, feta cheese and chopped almonds. Top with chopped black Greek Olives.
Grilled deli pitas
Fill pitas with interesting combinations. Spread the outsides with softened butter and grill them on a lightly greased skillet until they are lightly browned and slightly crisp.
- SWISS CHEESE, YELLOW PEPPER AND HAM: Mount grated Swiss cheese, thinly-sliced tomatoes, slivers of yellow bell pepper, sliced mushroom in a whole wheat pita. Top it with paper-thin slices of ham lightly spread with mustard.
- APPLE, BLUE CHEESE AND SMOKED TURKEY: Spread the insides of a pita with softened butter and sprinkle lightly with freshly ground black pepper. Layer thinly sliced apples and smoked turkey topped with crumbled blue cheese.
- SWISS CHEESE AND MAPLE SYRUP BRUNCH SANDWICH: Mound grated Swiss cheese inside a pita and top with crisp bacon slices. Serve with warm pure maple syrup.