Poached eggs on artichoke bottoms in a sage pesto
The French have an expression avoir un coeur d’artichaud (referring to someone with a fickle heart); why do I think of it whenever I think of using artichoke bottoms? Heat index over 100F in Beirut, humidity at 80%, not the time to be planning heavy meals. Artichoke bottoms are...
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Amardeen drink
This is a traditional drink during Ramadan; by the way, Ramadan Kareem to all! Amardeen is the name given to a large sheet of apricot paste; the apricots and the sheets are from Syria; amardeen has a tangy, sweet and intense apricot flavor. It is diluted in water, made...
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An artisan pastry chef in Beirut
Whenever I make a trip to Souk elTayeb in downtown Beirut, I know there is one stop I will make every time: AnneMarie‘s. I have had pastries from the best: in Paris at Pierre Hermé or Ladurée or Fauchon. I still prefer Anne-Marie’s. Eggplant pies, banana cream tartes, meat...
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Oatmeal cookies with molasses,tahini and chocolate chunks
The reason I am not afraid of molasses and tahini is simple: us Lebanese grew up eating molasses and tahini, mixed in, on a piece of bread as a simple, traditional, but immensely satisfying dessert (or snack). So, when I saw that our Danish cousins had left a bag...
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Jujube fruit
This is a fruit that is eaten in Lebanon when it is in season; its flesh is crunchy and its taste similar to an apple. It has been introduced in the US, mainly in California, but so far, is only known by a few people. It has 20 times...
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Turkish coffee
I have a 17-year old daughter who was born and raised in the US; she does not like to cook, and can hardly be found in the kitchen, except to heat up some frozen boxes of food. All of this changed when she and Tony, a Lebanese young man...
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Eggs with tomatoes and sumac
A very small restaurant opened near our house; it has only outdoor seating: wooden tables, benches, umbrellas and a hedge of huge sunflowers; it serves country-style dishes in clay ramekins. Basic, mountain-style food that villagers and farmers used to eat before the big migration to the city depleted the...
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White fish fillets with herbs, tomato sauce and arak
One of the people that I really enjoy spending time with is Um Elias (Mother of Elias, her first born son, a traditional way to call mothers here). She is a true mountain girl, a mother to six grown children, a grandmother of five and still youthful-looking; every morning...
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Cake with anise and turmeric (Sfoof)
These little cakes are on sale in every Arabic pastry shop in Lebanon; their bright yellow color is due to turmeric; a spice that is apparently very good for you. The good ones also contain anise powder, which I made sure I included. Preparation time for these is less...
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