A Ramadan favorite in the Middle East, katayef are stuffed pancakes whose name you'll see in many spellings (more, to be sure, than for Beirut). Stuffing and cooking katayef is typically done in home kitchens, but during the fasting month pancakes are prepared en masse at local bakeries; the dozen shown here ($3.99) came from a point-of-purchase display at a grocer and butcher. That same shop supplied a basic hand-mixed filling ($7.99 per pound) of walnuts, pecans, coconut, and golden raisins.
The stuffed pancakes are crimped shut, baked or fried, and dressed with syrup and, perhaps, finely ground pistachio. This recipe, for a more elaborate version, depicts the ready-to eat pastries.
Bay Root Meats
7813 Fifth Ave. (78th-79th Sts.), Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
718-238-7900
