Egyptian mish cheese
I was gifted a unique and homemade Egyptian mish cheese from Salah, an Egyptian farmer who recently returned from a visit to his family’s farm in Mansoura, Egypt; the cheese is called mish and is sharp, pungent and salty; Salah told me that President George Bush senior, upon his arrival...
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Makanek sausages
Here is what I’d do if I had no Lebanese or Armenian butcher nearby who could make these delicious sausages. I’d simply get another, similar, type of sausage and fix them the Lebanese way: Fried or grilled and drizzled with a touch of pomegranate molasses. These tiny sausages called makanek are...
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Green beans stew
I have adopted my friend’s Kerene expression “it is a no-brainer!”; well, this stew and all its cousins in the Lebanese kitchen, are a no-brainer. Grab 1/2 pound of stew meat, (a few bones as well if your butcher will part with them), a vegetable, fresh or frozen, and a...
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Mashed potato fritters
In chef Marlene Mattar’s latest cookbook Maedat Marlene men Halab, she mentions that these Aleppian potato fritters were traditionally made in a dish such as the one pictured above; lucky lady who got to spend time in Aleppo before the tragic mayhem; since Aleppo has the well-deserved reputation for exquisite gastronomy,...
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Caramel-stuffed apples
Apples are plentiful and who does not like apples and caramel? The idea of coring apples and stuffing them with caramel candy is one I found in a French recipe book promoting a caramel candy sold in France. I would simply substitute a jar of butterscotch topping or chewy...
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Stuffed cabbage rolls
One of these dishes that taste better than it looks. What makes this dish so delightful is the tender leaves cooked in a lemony and garlicky broth. Learned a new tip: Prior to lining the pot with the rolled leaves,pour 1/3 cup of olive oil, three tablespooons of mashed...
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Taro stuffed with veggies
Taro admittedly has a gruff exterior which may be the reason many people stay away from this vegetable. I did for a long time, until my Egyptian-born friend Phoebe pointed to a bag of frozen taro cubes (with a seasoning packet) in the freezer section of the Middle-Eastern store;...
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Manti
Manti or mante is a traditional Armenian dish; the closest Lebanese or Syrian equivalent to manti is shish barak, yet they are definitely not the same! To make manti, you need the patience of an angel or (in my case) willing helpers; there were four of us filling these...
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Walnut burma (Burma bel-jowz)
Wishing a Happy Holiday to each and everyone celebrating today from the Armenian orthodox community worldwide. I spent a couple of hours yesterday roaming the Armenian neighborhood of Burj Hammoud and brought back boxes of pastries and sweets. These pictured above are offered with pistachio or walnut filling. The...
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