Rice and tahini pudding (Mufattaka)
Mufattaka is a glorious rice pudding only familiar to folks who have lived in the oldest traditional Beirut neighborhood called Ras Beirut (Ras is the tip of Beirut or West Beirut, the oldest part of the city). Hind had been living in this area for over fifty years, in...
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Making zaatar
Making one’s own zaatar spice mix is the ultimate slow-food activity in Lebanon; I had been toying with the idea for years and wanted some pointers from local Lebanese mountain folks who could steer me away from the pitfalls. Everybody in the village forages and makes their own, of...
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Iraqi Kebab (Kebab Muluki)
I’d vote this as my favorite Iraqi kebab version; learned about it in Nawal Nasrallah’s outstanding Delights from the Garden of Eden. Made it once in Beirut, using a shortcut, of course (placed an order from the neighborhood kebab house); it is called muluki, which is the word for king in...
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Pistachio-semolina rolls with natef
This is a famous Arabic pastry called karabeej from Aleppo; sampled it at a wedding, reinterpreted in a mini-version by one of the country’s famed caterer; the shell of that pastry is made with semolina and butter (clarified) and the filling is pistachios with a bit of sugar syrup;...
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Lebanese-style dolmas (Mehshee warak enab wkoosa)
This is the epitome of a Lebanese-style dolmas; the grape leaves are picked fresh (and the freh grape leaves are sold at Middle-Eastern stores )or you can use the brined ones. The zucchinis are much maller and sweeter; you can cut them in half if you like (I did...
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Bulgur-stuffed veggies
I am unable to post an exact recipe for this dish; I made it on the spur-of-the-moment, using (I think) coarse bulgur and lentils. Use the directions for stuffing zucchini except substitute bulgur for rice and add a handful of cooked brown lentils; the bulgur needs to be soft;...
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Eggs in spinach
A delightful Iraqi dish of eggs baked in spinach; I added a few diced bell peppers for color. I have made it with both frozen chopped spinach and whole-leaf fresh and the fresh spinach is way superior in taste and appearance. INGREDIENTS: 1 bunch spinach, or a bag of washed...
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Flatbread with bulgur (Meshtah)
Is is only recently that I have realized how remarkably diverse Lebanese food truly is. Take this bread. Never had it until this past year; it is a Southern bread and gets distributed in Beirut during the Holy Month of Ramadan in all the stores. One friend in the neighborhood took...
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Fish-stuffed grape leaves
It took a bit of convincing to get the lady I was working with to attempt this one; well, I could see her point. This is not done here, first off. My argument was: We’ll just cook fish simply, with veggies and a few spices, but instead of keeping the...
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