Mother’s Day cake
Mother’s Day falls on different dates in Lebanon and the US. I have finally caught-up with it in May (it takes place in March in Lebanon) Roses are in full bloom here, the kind that people make rosewater from (called ward joury). I had pulled-up at a gas station in Dallas and...
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Empowering Syrian women
Kamal Mouzawak is an internationally known Lebanese food personality. I’ve been many times to his organic farmer’s market, Souk el-Tayeb, the first of its kind in the region (inhaling their fresh zaatar flatbread baked on a saj oven, the best in town). I have savored traditional rural dishes at his...
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Maté
Lebanon is such a small country (around 4 million people) that when people meet you the first question that pops is: What is your family name and which part of the country are you from; in order to determine if there is a likelihood of being related, even distantly, or...
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Fava beans in yogurt sauce (Ful bel-laban)
This is a popular stew made especially in the Spring season when fava beans are freshly picked and offered on the side of the road going to the mountains or in the city’s greengrocers. A vegetarian version can be prepared by simply omitting adding the meat (and stock) to the...
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Hawthorn blossom tea
The hawthorn (za’aroor) is an important tree in the Lebanese ancestral traditions. It grows wild in the countryside and its berries used to be made into jam at the end of Summer. It is known to be beneficial to the heart, and an Iraqi cardiologist friend once pointed out to...
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Pears in butterscotch sauce
The word “butterscotch” reminded me of the following scene taking place when my son was growing up; I’d say “what type of cake would you like for your birthday?”, and his answer would always be “Butterscotch”. Every year. These days, both he and I would probably prefer this light...
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Pine cone mezze
There are two worlds in Lebanon: The urban world and the rural world. While Beirut residents would go out for sushi or burgers (American-style), rural folks scavenge nature for food and sustenance. Take the pine cones, for instance. I never knew until recently that the green ones were edible. Lebanese...
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Romaine salad with yogurt dressing
This salad of romaine lettuce and yogurt is served on Easter sunday in Aleppo, Syria (source: Mireille Doniguian, La Cuisine du Moyen-Orient). It needs to be prepared at the last minute, to keep the lettuce crispy. INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings 1 Romaine lettuce, washed and dried 1 pound yogurt...
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Wisteria and carrot salad
One of the highlights of Spring was this giant wisteria fearlessly climbing fences, loaded with its lavender clusters of flowers. That was in Dallas, off the main road. In Lebanon, in the mountains, wisterias explode that time of year as well. I would snap shots of them every year, hoping...
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