Apple dumplings
One of the most memorable desserts that I have tasted during my years in Texas has to be apple dumpling. It seems like this year we got blessed with an even bigger bounty of apples. I wanted some apple dumplings, stuffed with a dollop of Lebanese fig jam studded...
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Red Lentils with quince and caramelized onions
Certain events only happen in Lebanon. Case in point: Yesterday, the ministry of interior authorized a local company to shut down a major bridge connecting Beirut to a big suburb, for the sake of running a fashion runway show, causing hours and hours of logged traffic jams. So while...
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Candied dates with cardamom
What does one ask of a coffee shop? Free wi-fi, outdoor seating with shade, really good coffee drinks and pastries, friendly staff and animation. In Beirut, there is Café Younès, which fills these requirements. Walking home after some leisurely time spent there, I saw these fresh dates, (guess it...
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White lasagne with vegetables
One who reads guidebooks about Lebanon will no doubt be informed of all the civilizations that the country has experienced: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans ( hundreds of temples left behind) to name but a few; and of course the Ottoman presence which lasted a few centuries. However, there is no...
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Lebanese granola
It is a fact that American food products have become so prevalent in Lebanon that one can find the same boxes of cereals, cake mixes and jello as in the US. The shelves of the supermarket near my apartment in Beirut are filled with every cereal imaginable. Lebanese don’t like...
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Fattet Hummus
This is a traditional dish and I believe it is specific to the Sunni communities in Beirut. While living in California, I became friends with a Lebanese man. He and I worked in the same building. His relatives threw a dinner party and invited me. This is the dish...
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Chocolate bars
If there is one habit I have remained faithful to my entire life, it is that of eating chocolate. Every single day. The only thing that has changed is the type of chocolate. So when I saw a one-pound bar of Callebaut here at the local supermarket in Beirut,...
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Eggplant rollups
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a book signing event for a childhood friend. I met a charming and friendly lady there and we exchanged phone numbers. A week later, I was invited to her house for dinner and we were served a feast, one dish after another...
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Bulgur in yogurt sauce (Labaniyet al-burghul)
Grand opening festivities of theBeirut Souks, starting with an Elie Saabrunway fashion show (Lebanese designer of the Hollywoood stars), an exhibit featuring young and hip Lebanese designers and closing tonight with a Jean-Michel Jarre concert. As well as a fireworks extravaganza (we are in Lebanon after all!). The Beirut...
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