Sunflower seeds
If you are wondering what one does when vacationing in the Lebanese mountains, this is one activity; plucking seeds from sunflowers and eating them raw with a six-year old niece who is just as eager as I to partake in the fun. I was trying to show Marie (said...
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Fig preserve (no sugar added)
If you are lucky enough to get a hold of very sweet figs (these were plucked from our garden in the mountains), here is a quick and delicious preserve made with just the fruits and a little water; I watched in amazement as Jovilyn Corcolla, a young Filipino woman, made...
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Oatmeal date squares
My daughter is going to college full-time and working (tutoring English in a remedial school here) and comes home famished; these oatmeal and date bars should help, don’t you think? By the way, if you have a Middle-Eastern grocer nearby, they most likely stock date paste in a package,...
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Bean mujaddara (Mujaddara Hammaniya)
A mujaddara is primarily made with lentils and a starch (usually rice) and flavored with caramelized onions. It is a dish that is very ancient (mentioned in the Old Testament). In any case, it is healthy, rustic, easy to make and easy on the wallet. In the beautiful...
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Apricot balls
I have been seriously busy working on my Iraqi mini-cookbook project which is due in three months; the book will be published in Arabic so I figured I’d give you a sneak peak today. These are totally healthy truffles, since they’re made with apricots; also perfect for breaking fast...
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Green beans salad
A salad like this one is filling yet super simple to make; add some hard-boiled eggs if you’d like and make it your entire lunch or dinner. INGREDIENTS: 4 servings 1 pound of green beans 1 white onion 2 large tomatoes 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar 6 tbsp of...
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Cinnamon stick
Cinnamon sticks can be long; this one measures 16 inches (about 40 cms). I found it at a spice store in Beirut; it is imported from Ceylon. Cinnamon in the Lebanese kitchen is mostly used for savory dishes, especially when preparing chicken and rice; it is one of the...
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Jello and fruit pudding
Remember these giant green jello concoctions that used to be called salads. Never understood how they could be called salads; anyway, these are long gone (unless they can still be found at cafeteria chains, haven’t checked). I had a sudden urge for something easy and refreshing and figured, why...
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Eggs and awarma flatbread (Man’ooshet bayd w awarma)
This is one of the many flatbreads or man’ooshe that can be ordered from the neighborhood bakery for a quick and filling breakfast. Here, the dough is rolled onto a pizza pan, the eggs are quickly whipped and mixed with some awarma (lamb confit) and baked in a...
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