Zucchini and cheese soup
I got this recipe from my cousin Nicole who lives in Paris; I saw her in Beirut for Christmas lunch but on the spur of the moment gave her gift to my aunt Claire instead, so my aunt got two gifts and Nicole got none from me. So I feel...
Read More »
Kamal Mouzawak, food visionary for Lebanon
My first encounter withKamal Mouzawak occurred seven years ago; my cousin Isabelle had taken me to meet the top fashion designer Rabih Kayrouz, in his Gemmayzé showroom (Beirut); Kamal stopped by, casually announcing that he was on his way to Yemen, to teach classes in macrobiotic cuisine. I...
Read More »
Kaak (street bread)
My first and last day in Beirut is always the same: I have to get some kaak.Kaakis the street bread that Beirutis love more than anything, it is our pretzel, our simit, our croissant; you get my point. This time, my new friend, Hind, took me to a bakery...
Read More »
Chocolate shop in Beirut
Most people will not picture a city like Beirut teeming with chocolate shops at every corner. In Beirut, chocolate shops are not only a tradition but a must; every neighborhood has not just one but usually several chocolate shops. In some shopping districts like Hamra, a single street will...
Read More »
Rice pudding with tahini, turmeric and pine nuts(Moufataka)
I was born and raised in Beirut and when I left (due to war), I never imagined that the food we ate at home was specific to our Greek-Catholic community. I thought all Beirutis ate the same dishes. Much to my surprise, I discovered, while in America, that there...
Read More »
Rose and lychee pudding
Today, I checked the stalls of the greengrocer down the street. I saw some lychees and got tempted. Then a magazine laying around Maxi-Cuisine had a recipe for gelée de rose et lychées, so I got busy for a few minutes in the kitchen. This is a verylight and...
Read More »
Shankleesh salad
One of the factors that add a peculiar charm to life in Beirut and Lebanon is the unreliability of things that people take for granted in the developed world, such as electricity and internet connection. I could not get connected at home for some reason and so my daughter...
Read More »
Happy New Year 2010!
At midnight in Beirut on December 31st, 2009 fireworks exploded in the starry skies. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! WISHING YOU HEALTH, JOY AND PROSPERITY IN 2010! Our cake for New Year’s Eve was a creation of Anne-Marie’s. Anne-Marie is a childhood friend who decided after a career in...
Read More »
Lupini beans (Termos)
This was a favorite snack growing up; we’d buy it from the cart vendors in the street and munch on them , leaving the skin aside. Apparently these beans were favored by the Romans and since we had to contend with the Romans for a few centuries, that would explain...
Read More »
