Dandelion salad with halloumi croutons
If your partner is a carnivore and after asking you “what is for dinner”, the answer is: “Dandelion salad with cheese”, there is a high likelihood of hearing grumbling or protests. Please hear me out. This salad has a heap of fried onion rings. The dandelions are coated with...
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Cauliflower in a tahini sauce
Sorry, I could not think of a better title. This is a cauliflower “cream” made with steamed (and still a bit crunchy) cauliflower and goat yogurt labneh. You can use Greek yogurt with fine results (and goat cheese if you like the taste), just add a slice of bread...
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Summer eggplant stew (Maghmoor)
The reason for the summer title is because this dish used to appear every week at our table when the first heat waves of summer were felt, because it is eaten at room temperature. Plus it is entirely vegan. I hated it as a kid; it reminded me of...
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Spiced brioche rolls
There is a very traditional sweet bread/cake in Lebanon that used to be sold in the streets of Beirut by cart vendors; this cake is called sfoof and has a very distinct bright yellow color due to turmeric in the batter. Apparently, turmeric is a very beneficial spice and I...
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Raspberry vinegar
I had no idea making a fancy raspberry (or any other berry or fruit) vinegar was that simple! This was a tip I learned from chef Marc Foucher. You can easily substitute any other fruit; this vinegar will keep very well in the fridge in a closed container. The key...
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Tomato and goat cheese risotto
This is a risotto from chef Giovanni Perrone. I think that the idea that one has to cook a risotto in one swoop or else…is a myth. I have made dozens of risottos in two stages, even cooked the rice halfway and finished cooking it the next day and it...
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LU cookies
This is the one cookie that I can wax lyrical about. First of all, it has kept me from acute hunger for years, has been my breakfast and my companion during bus and train rides or afternoons spent studying. I was ecstatic when I saw it a few years...
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Bulgur and salmon salad
Do you know that you don’t even have to cook bulgur? I just poured boiling water over a cup of bulgur and let nature takes its course; an hour later, when my neighbor was at the door and (I remembered I had promised her a healthy meal), I drained...
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Bread loaf
This recipe comes from Maria Speck’s book Ancient Grains for Modern Meals; it is a bread that rises in a pot filled with water. I read this and flashback-ed to my two goldfish whom (as a kid) I used to dump in the bathtub while I cleaned their tank;...
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