Labaneh'S-cool. Installation. San Francisco 2011.

Labaneh'S-cool, a collaborative piece with Ola El-Khaldi which included an installation and two food performative events as part of the 3 person exhibit Home? at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, September-November 2011. The team created a narrative involving The Rocca Family that has just arrived to San Francisco, in an attempt to make friends, they invite people to try their amazing cheese called labaneh. This soon develops into a business that hopes to invade international markets, the future profits will be invested in creating a sustainable international art scene. 

 Labaneh'S-cool
The Rocca Family moved to San Francisco in August 2010 from a far away land. While missing their home, and in attempt to seduce the people they meet, they started making labaneh balls: the pearl of yogurt. As part of a larger plan to generate funds for the artist community around the globe, the Rocca Family hopes to make this healthy homemade product a standard item in every kitchen. Labaneh is delicious for morning sandwiches and lunch salads, perfect for power snacks and cocktail parties. Today, in celebration of the four-hundredth day in San Francisco the Rocca Family introduces Labaneh'S-Cool.

LBC-Makan Restaurant. New York. October 2011.

LBC-Makan Restaurant is a 2-day pop up restaurant that Makan team ran as part of the Congress of the Collectives organised by Flux Factory, New York City, New York, October 2011. This project is the first of its kind which is part of a long ongoing process to investigate possibilities of alternative means to sustain art spaces and collectives. LBC-Makan Restaurant invited the Congress participants to meet around the table, eat and discuss matters of the arts economy and to propose solutions and share experiences. 

 

The soup was for $5 and the arak drink for $4. 

 lentil soup for four

1 cup orange lentils (wash until water runs relatively clear)

1 medium size golden onion

1 medium size tomato

1 medium size potato

1 medium size carrot

1 dry red chili

olive oil 

salt 

pepper

cumin powder

fresh parsley leaves

in a pot, add 2 table spoons of olive oil, heat a little and add the finely chopped onion and red chili, sprinkle with a bit of salt and stir, when the onion somewhat soft (do not burn) add the rest of the vegetables (including the potato), also chopped into small chunks, into the pot, sprinkle some salt, stir around. after a little bit add the lentils mix around, sprinkle generously with cumin powder then add a lot of water about 6 cups and cook on high heat, when it boils, reduce heat and leave to simmer. 

the thickness of the soup, the salt, the cumin and such flavouring matters are up to taste.  when the soup is ready you may want to sink a hand held food processor into it for a spin or two. Mix in some parsley leaves. serve hot and garnish with a coupe of leaves of parsley. the soup enjoys the company of lemon, onions, pickles and minced meat patties or kubbeh in the oven. bon appetit!