Lebanese cucumbers (Khyar)
These cucumbers are very crunchy and have almost no seeds; they have been available this entire winter as well as during the summer. Serving cucumbers as a snack is common here along with roasted pistachios.
Cauliflower salad (Arnabeet w tarator)
This is the perfect salad if you are stuck with a cauliflower and not sure what to do with it. It only takes minutes to prepare. It tastes fantastic and you will forget you are eating cauliflower. The cauliflower is just boiled or steamed till tender, cut up and...
Read More »
Lebanese couscous (Moghrabieh)
This is the Lebanese equivalent of couscous, aptly called moghrabieh. Moghrabieh, (meaning ” a dish from the Maghreb”) is a much-beloved traditional dish in Lebanon and is considered a feasting type of meal to which many relatives or friends are invited. It used to be made with both...
Read More »
Tartlet with tangerine curd
Greengrocers in Beirut are flooded with clementines these days. One can also find Seville oranges called bousfeir, which are bitter oranges used for orange blossom water and candied orange rind and jams. This tart is a simple sweet crust with a clementine curd. The curd can be made on...
Read More »
Rose petals (Ward joury)
These rose petals are from a variety of roses called joury in this part of the world; it is from this rose that the petals are distilled to make rose water. I was pulling up to get some gas one day at a Dallas gas station and on my...
Read More »
Mallow salad (Khobbeizeh bel-zeyt)
She was shouting every few seconds “KHOBBEYZEH W ZAATAR!”, walking with a huge sack on both sides of her back; ran after her, told her to hold that thought, that I was a buyer, just had to get my camera. She did’n’t wait but I was able to...
Read More »
Tomato kibbeh
Take a deep breath and relax; this kibbeh does not require any special skill, or a relative from the Middle-East for guidance. It is easy to make and tastes so good that you will find the plate emptied in minutes. Bulgur, lots of tomatoes and onions, a dash of hot...
Read More »
Pomelo and shrimp salad
The DAILY STAR is Lebanon’s English language daily; Olivia Alabaster, staff reporter at the paper, asked me if I could submit a recipe as she was doing a story on pomelos. Pomelos are relatively new on the scene in Lebanon. They look like giant grapefruits, are sweeter , full...
Read More »
Whoopie pies
Happy Valentine’s! These are whoopie pies, apparently an invention from the Pennsylvania Amish. These used to be sold at all convenience stores wrapped in plastic and my friend Lyse was crazy about the ones with chocolate chips. They are simply two big cookies with a cream filling. These whoopie...
Read More »
