Myrtle berries (Hemblass)
These wild bushes get loaded with berries this time of year. Their history goes back thousands of years in the area, and the berries have a reputation for lowering cholesterol and easing digestive issues (among other uses) and are used in herbal medicine in the rural areas, as well as...
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Kanoon (Stove)
I recently had the opportunity to take part in an informal class on how to make a kanoon, which is a primitive-type of stove or burner. Our ancestors used them in the rural areas to heat their foods or drinks. I was thrilled to learn that a lady in a...
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Stuffed zucchini in yogurt sauce
I was in the mood for some koossa Mehche …We used to have it once a week, either in tomato sauce or in laban (yogurt sauce). Those were the days…comforting and homey food. The neighborhood’s middle-eastern grocery sells Mexican zucchini and these will have to do. In Lebanon, the zucchini...
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Shawarma sandwich
I was just alerted to the fact that today is National Sandwich Day. I should keep-up with these…celebrations? announcements? gimmicks? I will add that to my list of 2016 resolutions. What does one look for in a sandwich? Lately, I have decided that a sandwich should have the equivalent of...
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Quince
It is quince season. I’d be totally disingenuous if I typed that I loved quinces. Even though I am fond of all my memories associated with my grandmother, her yearly ritual of making quince jam was not that special to me. It seemed like a lot of trouble for a...
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Turkish coffee
It took me a while to find a coffee purveyor in Beirut who would sell decaffeinated coffee. My request was usually met with a puzzled look then a decisive no. One man even said in Arabic the equivalent of “not just no, but hell no!”. When I prodded him as...
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Labneh and zaatar breakfast
Back when I was blogging constantly, I was hearing this recurring background noise “you’ve got to be on Facebook, or Twitter”. I am now posting daily on Facebook and Instagram (several times a day) and have barely time to blog anymore! No more whining. This is an all-traditional Lebanese breakfast...
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Rahat Loukoum (Turkish Delight)
I have been away from blogging for a while to tend to some pressing business back in Dallas. Now I am back and as usual, with my head brimming with ideas on meals, desserts, places to see, the list is nearly endless. Since it is National Dessert Day today, how...
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Fattoush salad
Heat and humidity definitely affect one’s appetite. One can easily spend the day drinking juices or slurping on slushes, smoothies and sorbets. For a meal option, how about fattoush? Just throw-in all the veggies leftover in your fridge, dice them up, toast some pita croutons, and sprinkle good sumac, olive...
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