shanklish salad

Shanklish salad

Shanklish is a wonderful cheese, very popular in Lebanon where it is incorporated into a salad, similar to the now famous Greek salad in the North America. I even read somewhere that it was invented by Kurdish nomadic tribes in the region. It is available in the US in all...
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leek soup

Leek and potato soup

My close friend Phoebe often jokes about how sparse my house is. One time she quipped “So, did you get rid of the beds today?”. I admit I have a tendency to get rid of things, even when it is not really warranted, it just feels cleaner. Kind of like...
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Blackeyed peas stew

Blackeyed peas and chard stew

This is my contribution for St-Patrick’s day (it is green!). I am too busy this week to create something more elaborate. It would (I am sure) please my friend and neighbor in Dallas, Mary, who is of Irish descent, and loves to drop by to sample my cooking. It is a...
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Chicken in pepper sauce

Chicken with pepper sauce (Poulet basquaise)

I am on a French kick these days and here is an easy recipe from the Basque country, reputed for its chili peppers (like the piment d’espelette). Cousins on my mom’s side immigrated there decades ago, only popping in for a couple of weeks in Lebanon every other year. I hear it...
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Artichoke stuffed

Stuffed artichoke hearts (Artichauds Cerdagne)

This recipe was given to me by my aunt Claire. She married a French man (perhaps her first name predisposed her) and she was ever the dutiful wife, fixing him a meal from scratch every day. This one was amongst his favorites; I was told he used to request it for their...
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