Ramadan : Ramadan in a Season of War : Celebrations: Families and friends still gather to enjoy light foods in evenings despite daytime fasting.

In her dining room, Hanan El Farra and her friends were preparing a table typical of Ramadan, the Muslim month of religious fasting that begins Sunday. From the living room could be heard a steady drone of CNN reports from the Persian Gulf.

Even a week after the end of the Gulf War, concern over the conflict had kept her from leaving her Los Feliz home. El Farra, like many of the other women readying the table, had not heard from relatives in Kuwait since the war began. “I am deeply worried,” she said.

The other women echoed her feelings.

Within minutes the table would be complete with food for futur, the dinner that breaks the daytime fast. It is traditionally a light meal. “People are not expected to overindulge,” said El Farra. “Eating in a measured way is a form of self-discipline and awareness of the need of others less fortunate.”

The tradition of getting together with family and friends is also what Ramadan is all about, explained Lina Aryan, El Farra’s married daughter. “I myself invite at least 25 family friends and relatives each night of Ramadan,” said El Farra. “It is better to eat with many people than alone.”

Muslims and Christians alike are often found celebrating the feasts during Ramadan. “In the Arab world,” said Suad Cano, an Iraqi Christian participating at the table, “Ramadan, like Christmas in the Western world, is celebrated by everyone, regardless of their beliefs.”

Despite the depressing television news wafting through the house, the women preparing the table, warming the hot foods and decorating the plates went about their busy work genially. One woman laid a plate of dates and nuts at the head of the table, the proper spot for it. It is orthodox to break the daylong fast with dates, as did the prophet Muhammad.

El Farra ladled some lentil soup into small cups. The red lentils change color during cooking, and the light-green soup was garnished with cilantro and lemon. Red lentils, slightly smaller than brown lentils and pale salmon-red in color, can be found at any Middle Eastern grocery store.

The television news that Iraqis had been killed when their own land mines exploded caught Husnieh Anabtawi midway from the kitchen to the table with a plate of cheese turnovers in hand. “Did you hear that?” she asked, expecting no answer.

A Western visitor would quickly recognize the garbanzo bean dip hummus on the table. Meat and cheese turnovers, known as fatayir , also appeared. They resemble borek, the Turkish pastry wrapped in filo dough, but instead of the delicate filo covering, a bread-type dough is used.

“No one makes the dough anymore,” said Anabtawi, who baked the turnovers. “We women now use the dough in the package from the supermarket. It’s easier and just as good.”

Indeed, all you have to do these days is wrap the filling in refrigerator biscuit dough. Turnovers take little time to assemble and bake in minutes. For a cheese filling, a salty cheese like the Greek feta is preferred, but cottage cheese, pot cheese or Mexican or French fresh cheeses may also be used. A seasoning of chopped parsley, mint or dill can be added for extra flavor.

A stew is also a standard dish at the Ramadan table, with okra one of the stars of stew vegetables. Several of the women present oohed and aahed over Sakina Hamdan’s okra stew, praising its good flavor.

Without question, say the women, the piece de resistence of the savory Ramadan dishes is maqluba, the upside-down meat pie made with rice, almonds, lamb and some of the most exotic seasonings known to man. The name of the dish literally means “turned upside down,” and the test of a cook is getting this rice and meat pie to stand up without crumbling once it’s turned onto a plate.

The straight walls of this maqluba began to crumble in slow motion. The women pretended not to notice as the perfume from cumin, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and rose water exploded into the air. “Mmm, lovely,” said one woman, inhaling the aroma.

Muslims throughout the world celebrate nightly feasts during Ramadan with a mind-boggling array of desserts that may seem excessively sweet to the Western palate. Jane El Farra, an American married to a Palestinian, had learned to prepare one of the most prized pastries of the Ramadan table: Kunafa, a sort of baked pastry resembling shredded wheat that is filled with cheese and soaked in sugar syrup. She had gotten the recipe from a cookbook which, she explained, made it easier to follow than trying to reconstruct the recipe from memory, the way most Arab-American women cook. “It’s surprisingly easy to make,” said El Farra.

During the Middle Ages, the Arabs took Kunafa with them as far as Spain. In the Balkans, the shredded wheat dough is called kataif (kataifi in Greek), and it can be found at any Greek or Middle Eastern store. The dough is loosened by being pulled apart, then spread on the baking pan in even layers with the filling between them.

Once baked, it is cooled, then hot syrup is poured over it. No one has ever explained why pouring hot syrup over cold desserts helps maintain the crispness of the pastry. An unacceptable soggy crust results from pouring cold syrup over cold pastry. Pine nuts or almonds sprinkled over the dessert are optional.

Baklava, the sweet nut-and-pastry dessert steeped in syrup found in many forms throughout the Middle East and the Balkans, is also a Ramadan standby, as are plain butter cookies (ghuraiba) and date-filled cookies ( maamul).

“We should turn off the television,” said El Farra, who seconds before had invited the women to begin eating. But no one made a move toward the set. Instead the high-pitched, friendly chatter and clitter-clatter of the dishes filled the room while the news droned on.

Here are a few recipes from the El Farra Ramadan table.

SHORBAT ADAS

(Lentil Soup for Ramadan)

1 (1-pound) package red lentils

1/4 cup corn oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

7 cups water, about

Salt, pepper

Chopped cilantro

Lemon wedges

Clean lentils well, discarding discolored ones. Combine lentils, oil, onion, cumin and 5 cups water with salt and pepper to taste in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Let stand 30 minutes to cool slightly, then process in blender until smooth. Add more water (about 2 cups) if soup is too thick. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges. Makes 6 servings.

BAMYA BI LAHM

(Okra Stew)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lamb shoulder meat or chops, cut-up

1/2 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups water

Salt, pepper

1 (10-ounce) package frozen okra, thawed

3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add lamb and saute until browned. Stir in tomato paste, scraping up brown bits in skillet. Add water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat 45 minutes. Stir in okra and cook, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Heat remaining olive oil in another skillet. Add garlic and saute until browned. Add to okra mixture. Makes 6 servings.

KUNAFA

1 pound kunafa dough (kataifi or shredded filo dough), thawed

1/2 pound unsalted butter or margarine, melted

1 (15-ounce) package ricotta cheese

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted, optional

Sugar Syrup

Separate thawed dough into shreds in saucepan. Pour melted butter over dough and mix well with hands.

Lightly press 1/2 of dough in 13x9-inch baking pan. Mix ricotta cheese, cinnamon and sugar. Spread over dough. Top with remaining dough.

Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and pour hot Sugar Syrup over Kunafa. Sprinkle pine nuts over top. Let stand few minutes until syrup is absorbed. Cut in squares and serve warm. Makes 12 servings.

Sugar Syrup

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Cool.

FATAYIR ISBANAKH

(Spinach Turnovers)

1 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed

1 onion, finely chopped

Dash ground sumac, optional

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt, pepper

1/2 tablespoon chile powder or hot pepper sauce

4 (10-biscuit count) packages refrigerated biscuits

Mix spinach, onion, sumac, olive oil and lemon juice in bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chile powder. Mix well.

Pat each biscuit flat and place 1 tablespoon spinach mixture in each biscuit patty. Fold, moisten and pinch edges to seal. Place on baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees until browned, about 10 minutes. Makes 40.

Note: Sumac is a sour spice available in Middle Eastern grocery stores.

FATAYIR JUBN

(Cheese Turnovers)

1 pound feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 egg

Salt, pepper

4 (10-biscuit count) packages refrigerated biscuits

Mix feta cheese, parsley, egg and salt and pepper to taste in bowl. Mix well. Pat each biscuit flat and place 1 tablespoon cheese mixture in each biscuit patty. Fold dough, moisten and pinch edges to seal. Place on baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees until browned, about 10 minutes. Makes 40.