Day 172! Somali Date-Filled Sambusas - ONE Recipe for Change

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, I can't help but reflect how much I take for granted. A full fridge, stocked pantry, backyard garden and grocery stores brimming to nearly obscene largess - This is America, and I am eternally grateful to live in this land of bounty. Recently, I made a meal from Somalia, a beautiful African country besieged by drought and widespread hunger. The irony of preparing this lovely dinner was not lost on me, as I suspected  few Somali families were sitting down to the traditional dish my family and I enjoyed.

Then, last week, in what I believe was a twist of fate,  I was contacted by the ONE Campaign, with an offer to collaborate on a Thanksgiving project to raise global awareness of the famine and escalating food crisis in the the Horn of Africa, where 30,000 children have died in the past three months and more than 13.3 million people are at risk of starvation. I am honored to join with ONE's initiatives to fight world poverty,  hunger and raise awareness.  I hope you will too.

According to ONE, while the current drought plaguing the Horn could not have been prevented, famine is a man-made disaster that could have been avoided. Supporting proven, cost-effective agriculture program that help train farmers and provide them with much-needed supplies and access to markets, are just a few of the ways we can help to prevent famine in the future.

You too can support ONE's work by making this traditional Somali dessert for your family Thanksgiving dinner. Simply print out the virtual recipe card (below) and share this post to broaden ONE's mission.  Every single voice counts. 

So what is the ONE Campaign?  ONE is a grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease -- particularly in Africa -- by raising public awareness and rallying political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures. Co-founded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African activists and policy makers.

Drought May be an act of Nature, but Famine is not

Backed by a movement of more than 2.5 million ONE members -- including more than 50,000 here in my home state of Massachusetts -- ONE achieves change through advocacy, harnessing the collective voice of its massive global membership, rather than soliciting funding from the public. In fact, their tagline is short and simple: We're not asking for your money, we're asking for your voice. ONE holds world leaders to account for the commitments they've made to fight extreme poverty. This includes agricultural programs like USAID's Feed the Future, that is helping African farmers to feed themselves and their entire communities -- all for a fraction of less than 1% of the entire U.S. budget.

Somali Date-Filled Sambusas - ONE Recipe for Change

Ingredients for the dough

Yeast, water, oil and milk make the dough elastic and very easy to work with

Proof the yeast in warm water

Let proof for 15 minutes

Mix in flour gradually - this helps avoid making the dough too stiff and dry

 Cover and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk

Filling - Look at those beautiful dates!

Use freshly grated nutmeg if you have it, otherwise ground nutmeg is fine

Ground cardamom has a lovely taste and scent

Cook dates down to a paste *Use a VERY low flame and add water if mixture becomes too dry*

Roll dough out to squares (trim as needed), fill with date mixture, fold over and seal with water

Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 or until golden brown

Serve this traditional Somali treat as dessert or a snack with tea ... and enjoy!

Date-Filled Sambusas (adapted from Celtnet)

**Click here to download and share the virtual recipe card**

***Awesome Illustration by Malaka Gharib for ONE***

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved