Apple and cabbage salad
I was fortunate to meet in Beirut a Lebanese chef I had admired from afar, Maroun Chédid. He had won a Bocuse d’Or representing Lebanon in 2005 (This award is the culinary equivalent of the Olympic games, the US won in 2009), was the Executif Chef for a string...
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Potato croquettes (Batata chap)
I wrote a post about our family trip to Iraq and the Marsh Lands a few monthsago and included a recipe for a traditional Iraqi dish, batata chap (batata means potato in Arabic). A reader of this blog, Samir, was having trouble with the recipe (the potatoes not holding...
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Pumpkin, taro and chicken soup
Thank God for soups! I love them, don’t you? All you need here is some winter vegetables and a chicken. I used canned pumpkin, and some taro root from the neighborhood supermarket. Taro is similar to potatoes in taste, just with a more pronounced flavor. Taro root is popular...
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Anise rolls (Zalebieh)
Every year, I get so relieved the Christmas holiday is finally over, I forget one celebration that always brought us goodies when we were kids: Epiphany aka Ghtass. My grandmother would make fritters called ouwaymate and these zalebieh on the eve of January 6 of every year. This is...
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Yemeni-style falafel (Al-bajeeh)
Are you familiar with Yemen? I wasn’t either, except that my mother and several relatives had been there and told me about this magical place. Photo:stentormedia.com Very ancient civilizations flourished in Yemen; it was believed to have been the home of the Queen of Sheba; it was a center for...
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Apple muffins with apple cider molasses
When I found apple molasses sold in the Chouf cedar reserve in Lebanon, I was so excited yet my feelings were tempered: I knew that this product was made in small quantities and that finding it in other countries was going to be very difficult. Lo and behold I...
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Blackeyed peas with rice casserole
I discovered hoppin’ John while in Texas, along with nachos, chess pies, Texas toasts, fajitas and of course smoked meats and BBQs. Hoppin’ John is made on New Year’s day and is supposed to bring good luck. The dish contains black-eyed peas and some greens which symbolize financial prosperity. Lebanese...
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Pork tenderloin stuffed with cheese
Nicole was French, lived in Dallas and worked for the French-American chamber of commerce. She had a stylish flat in a high-rise and used to entertain on the balcony; it had a great view of the Dallas skyline; I thought she lived the ideal life. One night we were sitting...
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Mint tea with arak
In 1988, the American Red Cross awarded the Lebanese Red Cross with a medal commending it for the best rescue effort internationally. Back then the war was still raging and casualties numbered in the thousands. Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross displayed heroic courage in their rescue efforts. A few...
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