Dried fruit salad (Khoshaf)
This used to be the dessert of choice to offer whenever someone dropped by unexpectedly during the Winter season; for one thing, it is extremely easy to prepare, it can last for days in the fridge, it is delicious and nutritious. Paired with a cup of coffee, what could...
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Iraqi cuisine (Al-tabekh al-3iraki), a giveaway
This book on Iraqi cuisine is the result of a job assignment I took on last year in Beirut; the publisher’s well-known cooking book (Alef baa’ al-tabekh) became a best-seller (for years) and is an encyclopedic cookbook on Lebanese cuisine. Incidentally, I met the author (co-author with her mom)...
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Cheese turnovers
At a job assignment recently I was in the midst of a group of culinary and restaurant professionals; all were native Lebanese, but each was from a different region. I started asking each one what kind of food did they love eating growing up. What was so surprising was that...
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Areesheh cheese
This cheese, served with a drizzle of honey, used to be an old-fashioned dessert served at all rural restaurants. It is similar to ricotta from the standpoint of its texture; made by a local artisan dairy farm, it is a real treat: At once light and with the ethereal...
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Wheat berry stew (Hreesseh)
This dish, a stew of wheat berries and meat (or chicken) has been around for a long time in Lebanese traditions. It brings to mind different events, depending on who you ask. Most recently, the Ashura commemoration gives rise to feverish and communal preparations of hreesseh; when it is...
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Abbas cookies
I have a new-found appreciation for traditions lately; probably because I grew up in a family who pooh-poohed all manner of traditions (or at least my mother did). I asked around Malak and Hossein and other friends and acquaintances what is traditional for the commemoration of Ashura; first of all,...
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Kafta stew
Today, thousands of people from 104 countries took part in the Beirut Marathon, a fantastic and uplifting event. In preparing this dish, there are shortcuts; getting frozen meatballs, for one; or making them in advance; ditto for the potatoes. The rice and vermicelli pilaf is a traditional stew side dish...
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Potatoes in tahini sauce (Batata bel-theeneh)
Tahini is our Middle- Eastern butter or mayo; it goes in just about everything; unlike butter, it is vegan as it is simply sesame seed paste; add to it some fresh lemon juice and a touch of garlic and you’ve got tarator sauce. Add some oranges and clementines, and...
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Iranian eggplant dip (Kashk-e bademjan)
I had this eggplant dish in Dallas once, made by a Persian friend of my Irish neighbor’s, and loved it; there are a ton of Persian restaurants in So. California, a handful in Dallas, yet I have not seen a single one in Beirut. In any case, when an Iranian...
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