European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tourists at the Ramses Huton dinner show in Cairo applaud a belly dancer. Delicacies of the Cairo can be a gastronome s Delight but beware of pharaohs revenge Ramses Hilton chef Mohy Abd Elkhale Sayed carries a tray of Oriental and egyptian salads. By Craig Martin staff writer Egypt has native dishes that can tempt even the most die hard meat and potatoes american. Restaurants in Cairo and other tourist areas Grill meats and serve them at the table with Rich sauces. They follow up the main dish with Sweet pastries and potent Coffee. Tor the More adventuresome Small restaurants and Market stalls dish up exotic smelling foods and super spicy snacks. However the usual warnings apply to Street vendors be prepared to pay the gastrointestinal Price for doing As tire locals do. Quot if you venture out of the map hotels to eat bring along a bottle of pesto Rimol Quot jokes Mack Robinson Quality Assurance representative Tor the defense logistics Agency m Cairo. Quot a lot of visitors end up with pharaohs  Robinson attn utes the intestinal disorders suffered by some americans to inadequate a at least by . Standards a Public health procedures. His advice Quot Don t buy food off the  and of course done to drink the water unless it s bottled Quot the egyptians Don t drink it so Why should you Quot Robinson asks but Zahl Khalid head chef at the Ramses Hilton hotel in Cairo says the problem May be More a matter of food preparation than Public health. Egyptian food is prepared with local oils primarily Olive Oil and sesame Oil and that s what he believes is at the Root of the tourists digestive disorders. Nevertheless Khaladj a advice is basically the same As Robinson s Quot if you re not used to egyptian food it s Best to stay with american and european  the major hotels in Cairo offer local dishes for around $20, including a dinner show that most often includes belly dancing. Without the dinner show expect to pay from $6 to $15. In keeping with islamic Law restaurants Don t sen. E alcohol but Coffee and Tea Are abundant. If you re not up for egyptian food the restaurants also offer american style dishes for about the same paces there also is a pizza hut and a Kentucky Fried Chicken near the Cairo zoo. A family of four can eat for about $12. Taxi fare from downtown will run about $3. Visitors not deterred by the warnings Are in for a treat. A typical full course meal in Egypt includes cold and hot appetizers a main dish fruits deserts and cheese dishes. Bat ankh is a popular appetizer. Its egyptian caviar pressed dried and preserved in Salt and Oil. It s served in Small thin slices and eaten with bread and crackers. Yogurt and cucumbers Are combined in a mideastern salad called Saltet Szabadi. Egyptian Yogurt is thicker and creamier than Yogurt in the states says Khalid. The Oil paste from mashed sesame seed frequently is an ingredient in egyptian food. It is often combined with on. Garlic and other spices and served with toasted bread or on crackers. Rambousek. A hot appetizer is a Triangle of pasta stuffed Tust %mnc0crreat Anc deep Fried to give it a Light Crunchy fool mud Hammas is Egypt s National dish and is served As the main course. It features a thick sauce similar to Chili con Carne without the Beans and is mixed with various spices and tomatoes. Egyptians offer a variety of the typical Middle East shish kebabs. They Are made with chunks of Lamb or minced Lamb meat. The Lamb is Cut into Small cubes then seasoned in a marinade of thin shavings of onion Parsley Lemon juice Salt and Pepper. The marinated pieces of Lamb Are then placed on a skewer and grilled Over hot charcoal Pigeon is considered a delicacy. It is prepared much the same As Quail is in the states. It is baked or broiled whole v d seasoned with egyptian spices. It tastes much like Buck. A yes a a Sweet or cheese filled pastry which is folded a a or and Fried in Oil. It tastes a bit like cheesecake. Another popular Sweet treat is Kuna a a pastry with conds walnuts and syrup baked in butter or Oil. Drinking Coffee is a tradition in Egypt though not for the a a it of heart. Arabic Coffee is thick and potent and is red according to the amount of sugar Sweet medium Miter 1 or recipes of egyptian dishes see Page 16. In the Hilton Kitchen chef Mohy Abd Elkhale Sayed prepares Shah Kebab while in the restaurant a Beliy dancer entertains diners. One popular Cairo hotel and restaurant floats on the Nile. A amps photos by Ken George head chef Zahl Khalid prepares both Western and egyptian dishes for tourists at the Hilton. Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday december 4, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15