Quiche
Was it in the eighties that quiche were in vogue? I can’t pin-point the exact date, but I remember everybody being enthralled with quiches, and a slogan “real men don’t eat quiche”; or was it real men eat quiche? Anyway, now it seems we are back into depriving oneself of...
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Oatmeal stew
Maybe you share my love for old books, especially cookbooks. One of my favorite places to spend a Saturday afternoon is this giant used bookstore in Dallas with every book imaginable under the sun (and a huge cooking and art section); it also has the required coffee shop inside, lots...
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Crowns in kadaifi with nuts
This is one of those pastries that once you bite into (for a small little bite of course), you find yourself eating the entire thing and swooning all the way. It is extra crunchy, yet light, and sweet but not too much, and nutty; in short, heavenly. They are...
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Fava beans in the stalks with cilantro sauce
Fava beans, pronounced fool in this part of the world, are a much beloved vegetable. They are made into a delicious salad when still young (and their pods still tiny), using the entire stalk. They are stir-fried in a garlic and herb sauce, smothered in olive oil, then boiled...
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Green almonds salad
The idea for this salad came from chef and cookbook author Marlene Mattar, one of my favorite Lebanese chefs. I, of course, had to make it my own by adding other ingredients. Her salad includes red leaf lettuce, sliced green almonds, arugula and feta cheese. I added sliced sun-dried...
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Loquat stewed in syrup
Loquats (called akedenia in Lebanon), used to be my favorite Springtime treat. I saw a street cart vendor selling them lately, huge ones, (I need to snap a picture of him soon) ; a cross between a pear and a mango, with a short season, these fruits are special....
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Cabbage and keshek soup
Keshek is a very nourishing food traditionally prepared in rural areas for sustenance year-round; it is a mixture of yogurt and milk fermented with bulgur, dried and ground into a powder. Urbanized Lebanese buy it commercially made; however, there are still plenty of people in the villages who still...
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Popcorn cake
It is amazing how homesickness manifests itself by reaching out for certain foods; both my daughter and I have our popcorn cravings and she also managed to single out the best Lebanese brand for peanut butter. She was doubtful first when I told her of my idea; after all, popcorn...
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Kibbeh in yogurt
This is one of the best (if not the best) kibbeh dishes; we grew up with it, with my grandmother patiently coring the hollow kibbeh balls and stirring the yogurt till thickened. The final kick of flavor was when the cilantro and garlic fried in oil was added to the...
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