I have asked where I came up with the idea of “Five Hands.” After all, hands do come in pairs.

I have always been drawn to the hamsa, the open hand displaying the five fingers. Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, this symbol has been called the Hand of Fatima, the hand of Miriam, the hand that protects against the evil eye, the protecting hand, and is prominent everywhere. Here are a few I came across in a single day.

 

 

The hamsa is actually also used in the logo of Istanbul.

Note how it has been repositioned to show the city’s famous seven hills, represented by the triangles, and how the middle fingers of the hamsa are now minarets.

In regard to my current project, I am reminded that hands create a meal. At the end of a splendid meal, the cook in Turkey is complimented with this expression, “Eline sağlik,” Bless your hands.

It is especially gratifying to me when cooks use their hands as another cooking implement, mixing, blending, stirring, the hands that roll dough, that blend herbs into batter, that squeeze juices, the fingers that separate eggs, the palms that form little balls of goodness, dumplings, falafel, köfte and the like.

As to the number five, of course there are five fingers on each hand. Some say the five in the hamsa represents the original five tribes of Israel. In my own story, I travel to Turkey to research the recipes and stories of the five generations  of my family I can trace, from my children and their cousins (the youngest), to my great-grandparents, Clara and Isidoro (as far back as I know).