Baba ghannouj with zaatar
Eggplant is the Summer vegetable head-to-head with the zucchini. As much as I love a good (well-seasoned, light) baba ghannouj, the creative urge in the kitchen takes over more often than not. I had bought some really good zaatar in the town of Baakline (in the news lately because it is where...
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Cauliflower stir-fry
Cauliflower is everywhere and this is delicious and easy. I wanted to veer away from the traditional Lebanese cauliflower mezze, which is parboiled then fried and served with tarator (tahini-based dressing). This is inspired by Iraqi and Indian cuisine with the use of turmeric, but without ingredients which may be...
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Cauliflower tabbouleh
One thing that would describe very well the Beirutis’s love for all things trendy is the fact that every restaurant in town (or just about) has quinoa tabbouleh on their menu. It is even funnier when one remembers how vocal, even outraged, Lebanese folks were about the French destroying their national salad, using...
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Chickpea sweet bites
The landscapes between the county of Nice and Lebanon are strikingly similar; the ingredients used in the respective cuisines are nearly identical; the cuisine is different. For instance, the way chickpeas are used. In the county of Nice, chickpeas are made into flour and turned into pancakes and savory breads (socca,...
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Niçoise salad
I was in Nice (France) last week and got a chance to enjoy Mediterranean living from a French perspective. Nice was once part of Italy, so I guess you could say French/Italian culture. It struck me this time how many things in Lebanese cuisine are similar to the Niçoise one. For instance,...
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Chicken brochette
The common term in Beirut for these is tawook. Tawook can be ordered already marinated from the butcher shop or the supermarket. The first question one gets asked when ordering is “do you want it white (abyad) or red (ahmar)?, “white” referring to a yogurt-based marinade and “red” to a tomato-based...
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Blackeyed peas in tomato sauce
I just had one week of R&R in Grasse and Nice, in Southern France. I met my Dallas neighbor and friend Mary there and we stayed in a restored monastery. The landscape in the region bears striking resemblance with the Lebanese one. I picked-up a cookbook and noticed similarities...
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Lemonade with mint
What could possibly be better on a hot Summer day? I tried many versions of this minted lemonade, a very popular drink at all the chic cafés in Beirut and finally just thought of making of lemony syrup as a starting point. The great advantage is that is can be...
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Cherry tartlets
We spent last Sunday in the charming town of Hammana lured by their annual cherry festival. Hammana is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains covered with pines. Folks were warm and welcoming, inviting me to their garden and not seeming one bit bothered by picture snapping. One beautiful house...
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