Fresh pineapple cake
I had a French storybook growing up that had about 600 pages; the book was divided into sections: ” To read while eating a tartine (sandwich)”, “To read while having a picnic”, “To read before going to bed”, etc… It was one of my favorite books because the stories...
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Chicken cold cut
I don’t set foot in fast-food sandwich places. I hate cold cuts. Too salty, no flavor. That being said, I still love a good club sandwich. So I made the cold cuts myself. I got the idea from Eric Bernardin, a wine expert from Bordeaux (France) who has strokes...
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Winter tabbouleh
After this past National Tabouleh day contest in Beirut’s souk el tayeb, where tabboulehs of all stripes were entered, including a lovely one with pink geranium petals, I thought I would introduce my version of winter tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is the national salad of Lebanon and our pride and joy;...
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Ashtalieh with pistachios
Do you like to end your main meal with a touch of sweetness? I don’t really want a thick slice of cheesecake; just a little something sweet, not too sweet, just right. Ashtalieh is a cream pudding; it comes from ashta, which is the Arabic word for cream; here,...
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Brioche with date
A notable treat carried by cart vendors alongside the common kaak. I wanted to make a luxury version at home. So I made it with a rich brioche dough (I just added a bunch of egg yolks). You can make it the street-way, without all these yolks. It is...
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Chicken soup with semolina
This is a simple chicken soup thickened a bit with some semolina and flavored with cardamom; cardamom is a spice much beloved in the Arab world, actually said to have been used all the way back to the Pharaoh’s time. My mother hated cardamom so we never had it...
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Bacon and potato cake
One of those meals that will hit the spot, feed a crowd economically, looks good and is easy to make; the only requirement is to get thick-sliced bacon and some good waxy potatoes. Recipe is adapted from Chef Guillaume Gomez, from the Elysée Palace, Paris, France. INGREDIENTS: Pan used...
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Chocolate cream with meringue heart (Chocolate muhallabieh)
The beauty of some Lebanese home-style desserts is that they are lighter than the average dessert with eggs or butter; take this chocolate muhallabieh for instance; cream is added sparingly to the milk and the dessert is thickened with cornstarch. It is super creamy and chocolaty, but very light....
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Smoked fish pâté with avocado butter
This is a quickly made fish pâté (15 seconds in a food processor) for a light but filling meal; it is made of smoked mackerel, avocado, lime juice, cilantro, diced green apple and seasonings. This recipe would taste fine with any kind of smoked fish (trout would be a...
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