Halibut in kadaifi
Kadaifi dough, that crispy crunchy angel-hair dough, is traditionally used in Lebanon for pastries; however, these days it is common for chefs across the globe to use it as a crunchy and original wrap in savory foods; I have seen French chefs wrap cheese with it, fish sticks or...
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Beoreg with sujuk and cheese
Chef Ramzi in his The Culinary Heritage of Lebanon observes that Lebanon has no tradition of curing meat; meat curing was introduced to us by the Armenians who settled in the country and brought their traditions with them. Sujuk is one example and while the best sujuk can be...
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Carrot soup with labneh
A soup that can be made with minimum fuss yet delivers big flavor; if you happen to have some labneh, great, otherwise drain some yogurt that morning. I used a bit of the stash of cilantro pesto from my freezer to speed things up. INGREDIENTS: 6 servings 1 pound...
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Red lentil fritters
The challenge with these fritters is to infuse them with flavor as they tend to be bland on their own; so go ahead and add all the spices that your little heart desires and you will be rewarded with a delicious appetizer. Squeeze some citrus juice on the fritters...
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Mini-kadaifi cakes
If you walk into a pastry shop in Beirut (specializing in Arabic sweets), a good third of all pastries will be made with this dough, called kataifi or shredded phyllo dough. I saw once how this dough is made: A batter is piped through hundreds of minuscule little holes...
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Sfeeha on pita
There is no question sfeeha is a masterpiece in the Lebanese kitchen. What happens though when one does not have the time, energy or inclination to make the dough, let it rise, roll it out, pinch it gently into these adorable mini-meat pies, let them rest, bake, then serve to...
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Rice and Yogurt
This is what we were served when we’d complain of an upset stomach growing up in Beirut. Some rice and some plain yogurt. I have used this remedy my whole life and don’t plan on modifying it. (It works). What about you? Care to share what you do? P.S:...
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Armenian brioche with date (Chorak)
These could be found at Middle-Eastern stores in a plastic bag, imported from an Armenian bakery in California; I used to buy them, all the while lamenting that they did not taste fresh. Instead of commiserating, I decided to make them; at least now they can be frozen and...
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Mini-eclairs with liver pâté
In the early eighties, I had moved to San Luis Obispo, a charming college town in California bordered by ocean and hills. I had been living in Paris prior: Every party or pot-luck I was invited to, brought a platter of mini-eclairs filled with store-bought chocolate pudding (for expediency); it...
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