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Taste of Beirut

• May 23, 2012
• 19:20

  Tumbleweed stew (Yakhnet akkoub)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This delicious stew is one of the traditional dishes made with this wild vegetable; my grandmother used to prepare it this way and so do lots of folks here. Just sauté the akkoub (tumbleweed)  in some olive oil with plenty of chopped onions and garlic, cook the stew meat separately, then mix the two and finish off the cooking with a final addition of fresh lemon juice. Serve with rice.

  

  Here Clint Eastwood is thinking of a suitable place to light up a fire and cook his tumbleweed. 

  Hmm, just a thought; it is that rustic of a dish!

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 1 pound of tumbleweeds or gundelia or akkoub, cleaned, outer leaves removed
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic or to taste, chopped and mashed with a teaspoon of salt
  • 1 large or 2 small lemons
  • 1 pound of stew meat or lamb shanks
  • salt, pepper to taste, a dash of cinnamon or allspice if desired
  • olive oil, as needed

  METHOD:

  1. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and fry the chopped onions till golden; add the akkoub and stir-fry for 20 minutes, shaking the pan every so often to keep them from burning; add the mashed garlic and stir a few seconds. In the meantime, sprinkle the spices on the meat and brown it in a pot  and add 4 cups of water. Cover and simmer one hour or longer till the meat is tender. 
  2. Add the meat and broth to the akkoub and stir to combine them; simmer the stew a good twenty minutes longer over low heat, squeeze the juice of a large lemon and serve hot with plain rice.
• May 22, 2012
• 21:03

  Gundelia (Akkoub)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Pluck its thorny leaves and this is indeed akkoub, a prized (by many) wild vegetable; also known as tumbleweed, cardon (French), or gundelia. Apparently this wild vegetable’s recent claim to fame is that its grains were identified by researchers on the shroud of Turin. 

  I got three recipes from local mountain folks; one way is to deep-fry them (coated in a batter), another is to cook them in lamb shanks like a stew, and the last one is  to marinate  and grill them.

  These faintly taste like  artichoke. The mere mention of akkoub here elicits a lot of excitement. After all, it is a wild plant, it is not easy to forage (you have to climb steep mountains), and it requires a lot of effort (plucking all these spiny leaves out). 

• May 21, 2012
• 13:08

  Wild vegetable

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Plucked at high altitude (over 3000 feet) in the Shouf mountains in Lebanon, this vegetable is wild and highly prized for its exquisite taste. (it is also supposed to be full of antioxidants)

  Anybody care to guess or know its name?

  The answer (and a recipe) will be given in the next couple of days.

  

• May 19, 2012
• 15:08

  Fresh chickpeas

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This is a bunch of fresh chickpeas sold everywhere these days on the side of the road. Street cart vendors used to call on customers with a jingle that went like this:

  Um Elaibaneh (Mother elaibaneh)

  Khodra w-malieaneh (green and full)

  bet salleh al-za3laneh(will cheer up whoever is angry)

  btejoueh al-dekkaneh(will mess up the store)

  You will find these at Middle-Eastern stores or Latino stores (or try requesting them from your local supermarket since chickpeas are grown in the US); peel and eat as a snack with a glass of your favorite beverage.

   

  

• May 18, 2012
• 10:51

  Lamb confit (Awarma)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Awarma is the word used to indicate bits of lamb preserved in lamb fat; it is usually prepared in rural areas and the jars are used up throughout the year to flavor one dish or another; the fat used is from the lamb tail and that variety of lamb  (fat-tailed sheep) is not raised in the US or Canada.

  A traditional  breakfast is eggs in awarma  baked in a clay skillet. The equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon eggs and bacon, except the fat here is lamb fat. Awarma is  also used as part of the stuffing for kibbeh. A tablespoon of awarma adds meat flavor to a stew or pilaf, even if no meat is used. It is nice to have on hand for last-minute cooking.

  The recipe is courtesy of  Rabih,  a young meat-cutter  in Beirut.

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound of lean lamb ground (habra)
  • 1 pound of lamb fat, ground
  • 1 tbsp of salt, 1 tsp of allspice or seven-spice

  METHOD:

  1. Melt  the lamb fat  over very  low heat in a deep pot. Sprinkle the meat  with spices and add to the pot. Let the lamb cook in its own fat for 45 minutes over very low heat, adding salt to it halfway, stirring it constantly and watching so that the meat does not burn.  Transfer the mixture to a sterilized jar and store in the fridge for a few weeks. 

  NOTE: Fat from the tail is not easily available in the US; you could substitute fat from other sections. Awarma keeps for months but I prefer to err on the side of cautiousness. Feel free to keep it longer if you are familiar with the canning process.
• May 16, 2012
• 13:38

  Tawlet Ammiq

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Last Sunday was the grand opening of Tawlet Ammiq, Kamal Mouzawak‘s latest venture. 

  The restaurant is located in the Bekaa Valley, nudged between the village of Ammiq and a mountain range with a bird’s eye view of the valley beyond. The restaurant and village of Ammiq sit on a natural reserve (UN protected site).  It was designed with  solar chimneys, Canadian wells, and an infrastructure aimed at minimizing the use of electricity  as well as saving water and recycling most of the waste; all of the furnishings are made of recycled wood and lamp fixtures are made of recycled wine bottles.  The restaurant proposes in addition to a fine organic local cuisine, various activities such as hiking in the reserve as well as children’s activities (nature-related).

  Most commendable, however, is Kamal’s vision which always seeks to involve and support others; in this case, the folks in the village of Ammiq as well as those living in the West Bekaa Valley would be the ones directly involved in manning the kitchen, producing the food served in the restaurant nearby, and supplying the wine grown in the valley from one of the many major wineries. After all, the Bekaa Valley is a fertile land that supplied ancient Rome with grains in its heyday, wines in Biblical times  and Lebanon’s most pressing agricultural needs in modern history. This venture will help revitalize the village of Ammiq and economically support many of its residents; it will also focus on the cuisine of that particular region.

   In Kamal’s world, everyone   from the janitor to the chef is crucial and important and is valued equally.  Kamal’s boundless  energy, generosity and sensitivity seems to be  contagious and everyone on staff was friendly and helpful and the guests were relaxed and happy to be there. 

  

   Hand-painted bird mobiles hang from the ceiling with names of local birds. The cuisine reflects what the Bekaa Valley produces seasonally and that day the offerings were picked fresh from the surrounding gardens and included broad bean salad, fattoush, various kibbeh, spinach and bulgur, shanklish salad, among others, as well as a vast array of desserts.

  

  On grand opening day, we spotted many dignitaries, politicians and their wives, designers and local celebrities as well as Ammiq’s mayor (who was smiling from ear to ear) but the restaurant ambiance was  down-to-earth and  low-key; everyone was busy savoring  that wonderful cuisine du terroir.

  

  

  

  Famed fashion designer Rabih Kayrouz graciously smiling for the shot.

  

  

  Kamal managed to exchanged niceties with everyone there.

  

  

  In the foreground, candied Seville orange peels, ‘arreesh cheese served with honey (similar to ricotta), milk cookies and cookies made with grape molasses, as well as a wonderful knefe with cheese, the lightest I have ever had.

  To reach Tawlet Ammiq by phone: (03) oo4481

  Website: www.tawletammiq.com

   

• May 13, 2012
• 20:26

  Rice and fava beans

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  The fava beans have been ubiquitous lately; every street vendor, every greengrocer, is carrying mounds of freshly picked fava beans. Some are large (stalks are about 7 inches long) and get plucked open, seeds eaten and pods discarded; others are tiny (about 3 to 4 inches long) and get cooked whole pods and seeds, just like green beans, with a simple dressing of cilantro and garlic pesto. 

  You can also do the Lebanese thing: Eat them raw, as a snack, with a beer or a glass of arak.

  

  This rice is delicious and filling and simple to prepare. 

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 1 pound of fava beans
  • 1 1/4 cup of rice (any type, here Italian or Egyptian rice is used, any starchy rice like sushi will do)
  • 1 large onion
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt to taste and 1 tsp of cumin
  • 1 cube of bouillon either veggie or chicken (optional)
  • 1 pound of plain yogurt, to serve with (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Chuck the fava beans pods and remove the seeds; set aside. Chop the onion fine and heat a few tablespoons of oil in the pot. When hot, add the onion and fry till translucent and golden; add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes till the grains are coated in oil. Add the fava beans and  3 cups of water (follow the directions on the package depending on the rice you use). Throw the bouillon cube if using in the water, cumin, and cover the pot. Let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Toss and serve warm or at room temperature, with a side of yogurt if desired.

  NOTE: Some people find the skins to be hard to digest; the skins can be removed prior to cooking or after.  The fava beans (with the trash bag to dispose of the stalks and shells) were served as a snack at the new TAWLET Ammiq restaurant in the Bekaa Valley, Kamal Mouzawak‘s latest venture. (More on that later this week).
• May 12, 2012
• 10:47

  Loquats (Akedenia)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  These loquats show up in the early summer in Lebanon and have a short season; they can be very sweet and absolutely delightful to eat, a cross between a pear and a peach. I had spotted them in the streets of LA (California) years back,  but the trees were  totally ignored and the fruits would end up on the ground or eaten by birds. 

  These were a gift from a neighbor, Amir, whose garden is blessed with two loquat trees, called akedenia here. He very generously had a few kilos sent to my place when I asked him if I could photograph his akedenia tree. 

  

  If loquats are picked early, they can be rather tangy and not too sweet; one option is to make a compote by peeling them, cutting them in chunks and simmering them for 15 minutes in a sugar syrup. They develop a taste similar to apricots or amardeen (apricot paste).

  

• May 10, 2012
• 6:19

  Meat fingers with sour cherry sauce (Fishneyov khorovatz)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  A dish that is listed in Armenian cuisine and that I had sampled a couple of times and liked very much. I saw some tiny cherries at the greengrocer and figured “now or never!”. In the book, sour cherries are  used and made into a compote. Since getting wild sour cherries that grow in Armenia and Cilicia may be a challenge, I would suggest using any type of cherry  and adjusting the sugar accordingly. 

  The meat fingers are a combination of ground beef and lamb (to make it juicier) but you can use all beef if you prefer, just get one that has a bit of fat. 

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound of ground beef (or a combo of 1/2 ground lamb, 1/2 ground beef), at 85%
  • Spices: salt, 1 1/2 tsp of red pepper powder (or chili powder), 1/2 tsp of allspice and seven-spice
  • oil, as needed
  • Sauce: 2 cups of wild cherry compote with 1/2 cup of water, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cumin
  • 1 lemon

  To make the wild cherry compote: get 3 cups of cherries, wash them, pit them and place them in a pot; add the juice of a lemon and let them simmer very gently, adding 1/2 cup of water as needed, for about 15 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and let them simmer until they look like a jelly. Test by taking a quarter teaspoon and dropping it on the counter; if the liquid looks syrupy, they are done. To use as a sauce for this dish, add 1/2 cup of water, the spices and mix gently simmering till it is thick enough to be suitable for a sauce. METHOD:

  1. Sprinkle the spices on the meat and shape into fingers. Either grill the meat or (as I did), pan-fry in a little oil. 
  2. Add the cherry compote to the meat, mix gently and serve with flatbread or pita.

  
• May 08, 2012
• 11:02

  Eggs poached in tomato sauce (Bayd bel-banadoora)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

   Proof that simple is best. Eggs are poached in a tomato sauce made with lots of onions, ripe tomatoes and some garlic; scooped up with pita bread. A mouthwatering luncheon or brunch item from the Lebanese rural cuisine.

  INGREDIENTS:

  •  8 eggs, size small (depending on the size of the tomatoes)
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic (or to taste) with salt
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 2 pounds of tomatoes or 1 can of great tomatoes 

  METHOD:

  1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet and fry the onions till golden. Add the tomatoes, cut up in dice, the tomato juice and simmer for 20 minutes or so; add the garlic, chopped and pounded into a paste in a mortar with some salt. Simmer a few more minutes then poach each egg in the sauce or in the actual tomato. If using the tomatoes, use the tomato flesh as well for the sauce and drop the eggs in the tomatoes. In that case, it is best to pick small eggs as the large ones will spread all over the sauce.
  2. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 10 to 17 minutes until the eggs are set. Serve with pita bread.

  
• May 06, 2012
• 22:19

  Cedar honey

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Just like any other natural product, there is honey and then there is honey. This one aptly called Cedar honey comes from bees pollinating in one of the Cedar tree Reserves in Lebanon from two thousand-year old trees and more than 550 types of plants and herbs.

  This honey can even be consumed by diabetics. According to the forest ranger three tablespoons of this honey will, after a ten day regimen,  lower bad cholesterol, improve memory, stamina and strengthen immunity. It is one of the purest honeys you will ever taste.

  

  

  

  Photos were taken in the Shouf Reserve where cedar honey is produced. 

• May 05, 2012
• 19:15

  Armenian cuisine by Aline Kamakian, Barbara Drieskens

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This coffee-table book was on display at the local bookstore and it sparked my interest immediately, especially after I realized that the author was also co-owner of one of the finest Armenian restaurants in Beirut, Mayrig.

  What I liked about the book:

  • It is a cookbook with a soul; several Armenian gentle folks are portrayed with their life story recounting the terrible ordeal they lived through; the images in this book point out wide subdued landscapes, gnarled hands stretching cheese or dough, close-up shots of taro, flour or sausages being hung to dry and convey a meditative mood.
  • The layout of the book is clean and extremely well-done; the recipes are very easy to follow and represent homestyle cooking with ingredients that are common in most supermarkets or available in Middle-Eastern shops throughout the world. This cuisine as an Eastern Mediterranean cuisine makes use of fresh and seasonal vegetables.
  • The book is peppered with interesting  side bars containing tips and anecdotes relating to the dish described.
  • This is a very practical cookbook with comfort-style dishes that can be prepared on a weeknight as well as more elaborate ones such as the stuffed keufte in yoghurt soup for special occasions.

  What I did not like about the book:

  • This book focuses on Armenian cooking found in the area formerly known as Cilicia which is located in modern-day Turkey. There are no references to Armenia proper, which used to be part of the Soviet Union and is now an independent state.
  • The book is high on feeling but the photos do not showcase the food adequately; most of the recipes show a thumbprint of the actual dish with the large images reserved to close-ups of ingredients or hand gestures. Some of the photos are close-ups of hands or gestures in motion which makes them look blurry.

  In conclusion, I am glad I bought this cookbook. Armenian cuisine has a lot of commonalities with Lebanese cuisine (similar kibbeh, use of yogurt, vegetable stews); this cuisine places a lot of emphasis on the Aleppo pepper ( a type of red pepper), which is powdered and used to flavor many dishes and happens to be one of my favorite condiments! I was familiar with most of the dishes in this book (sou burek is a fantastic pasta dish), but was excited by two dishes: pickled fresh almonds and sour plums! Next time I know I will pickle them as well as nibble on them fresh.
• May 03, 2012
• 18:48

  Wild herbs in Lebanon

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  The list of wild herbs is long in Lebanon and this post is just a start. Here Asma, a wonderful Kurdish/Lebanese lady is holding a bunch of wild sage picked up in a forest clearing in a mountain 40 minutes from Beirut. 

  

  Sage (wild or cultivated) is a great remedy for digestive troubles; try it in the morning by making it into a tea with some honey on an empty stomach. 

  

  The only thing I was able to gather is that this edible herb is called chinook in Kurdish, that it was used to make soap and that it comes from a tree with sap. (More research required!)

  

  This one is a type of wild peas, the pod contains tiny peas that are crunchy and sweet.

• May 01, 2012
• 16:46

  Stuffed grape leaves

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This time of year, grape leaves are perfect: tender, smallish and shiny. They can be used to stuff, can be frozen to use later in the year, or eaten fresh with tabbouleh salad.

  Here is a classic example that only requires fresh veggies, fresh herbs, fresh grape leaves (for that melt-in-the-mouth result), rice and lemon and olive oil.

  When stuffing grape leaves, here is what you need to know: 

  1. If using fresh leaves or canned leaves, place the leaf in front of you on the side that has all the veins, not the smooth side. You want the smooth shiny side to be showing when you are done.
  2. It is important to line the pot in which the leaves are going to cook with slices of potatoes, tomatoes and even onions; this is to prevent the leaves from sticking to the pot or burning and it also will infuse the broth. 
  3. If you have a lot of leaves and want to save the extra ones, simply line them up one on top of the other and place them in a ziploc bag; take care that no water gets into the bag, and freeze them as is. You will be able to reuse them at any time just like you would with fresh leaves off the vine.
  4. Don’t pack the stuffing inside each leaf as you want to leave room for the rice to expand and not burst the leaves.
  5.  It is fine to add a dash of sugar to the stuffing or a dash of chili powder or hot red pepper powder, however it is not traditional.
  6. If you have never stuffed leaves before, don’t sweat it; you can form any kind of little parcel and it will work; just make sure before you cook them to hold them in the pot with a heavy plate and even a rock on top of that plate if you can get one.

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 70 grape leaves (approximately)
  • 1 cup of rice; needs to be either Egyptian, sushi, Italian, or Turkish rice (medium grain and starchy not Basmati!)
  • 2 large onions (one used to line the pan and the other chopped for the stuffing)
  • 4 pounds of tomatoes (pick ripe tomatoes with lots of flavor, reserving 2 to line the pot)
  • 4 lemons, juiced
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt, as needed
  • 2 bunches of Italian, flat-leaved parsley
  • 1 bunch of fresh mint
  • 3 large Russet or baking potatoes to line the pot 
  • 1 tsp of sugar or (and) chili pepper powder, optional
  • 1/2 cup of pine nuts (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Wash the leaves if fresh and bring several cups of water to a boil in a pot; dip the leaves in the pot for a few seconds until they turn limp and drain. If using canned leaves, do the same thing in order to remove that briny taste from the leaves.
  2. In a bowl, place the rice and cover with water to soak with a dash of salt while you chop the veggies.
  3.  Chop the onion fine, and the other onion in large rings to line the pot. Peel the potatoes and cut in thick slices and line the pot with them.Line the pot with the potatoes, tomatoes and onion rings.
  4.  Chop the tomatoes fine. Wash, chop the parsley leaves and mint and place in the bowl with the chopped onion and tomatoes; add the drained rice. Mix the stuffing and add 1/2 cup of lemon and 1/2 cup of olive oil to it. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Add the sugar or chili powder if using, and mix well to combine.
  5. Assembling the leaves; place each leaf in front of you (smooth side not showing), place a tablespoon of stuffing in the middle of it and roll up by first folding the leaves from one side to the other. Place side by side in the pot. 
  6. Place a heavy plate and a rock if you have one on top of the plate to hold the leaves tight and add the remaining juice from the bowl in which you have mixed the stuffing. Add one cup of water and bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Simmer very gently for 45 minutes. The leaves and stuffing should release extra juice in which the rice and leaves will cook gently. If the broth is not sufficient, add some more water.  Taste one leaf to make sure the rice is cooked and set the pot aside to cool. Flip the pot onto a large platter and serve at room temperature as an appetizer. 

  
  
  
• April 29, 2012
• 7:28

  Armenian tahini galette (Tahinov hatz)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This Armenian specialty is a crispy, flaky, sweet bread that is slathered with tahini and doused in sugar prior to baking. You can make it at home like I did or buy it fresh in the Armenian district (Bourj Hamoud) in Beirut.

  Click here for the recipe.

  Bourj Hamoud is the place to explore if you like narrow alleyways, artisans working outside of their shops while chatting with passers-by, stores with lots of bling and prices at least 30% lower than in the other districts in Beirut. A foreigner in Bourj Hamoud will not get gawked at and the general atmosphere is that of a beehive with lots of discoveries in store. More to come, with photos and addresses in the next few weeks.

  

  These wild cyclamens  all over the mountains in Lebanon this time of year.

• April 27, 2012
• 13:43

  Fish in papillote

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Even a die-hard cooking aficionado needs a respite; that’s why this technique of cooking fish is so great; first of all, it won’t smell up the kitchen, it takes just minutes to put together, and the results are always superlative. A perfect way to end the workweek. 

  All you need is a good fish fillet (or more). Some spices to throw on the fish, a lemon, olive oil, some capers if you like them or olives. Baking paper or foil. Bake the fish about 7 minutes in a hot oven. 

  INGREDIENTS:

  •  1 pound of fish fillet (I used hamour), the best possible fish
  • spices: 1 tsp of coriander, 1 tsp of dill, 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of pink peppercorns (or white), 1 tsp of rosemary or marjoram or zaatar, salt, to taste
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1 lemon, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup of capers or green olives, sliced 

  METHOD:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  2. Cut the paper into large rectangles. Place each fillet (cut into a neat rectangle or square) in the middle; sprinkle with the spices on both sides, pour some olive oil (about 2 tbsp), some capers or olives, and place 3 slices of lemon on top of the fillet; close the paper as if wrapping a gift (tight) and place on a baking sheet; bake for no more than 7 minutes. Check to see if the fish flakes easily and serve immediately.

  NOTE: Hamour goes by the name grouper in the US.

   

• April 25, 2012
• 15:31

  Olives stuffed with cheese

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Or how to eat olives and cheese in one bite!

  Pick a strong goat cheese to offset the pungent taste of the olives; get some pitted olives and a decorating bag with a tiny tube and you can get this fancy appetizer ready in no time!

  

  Photo taken from my aunt’s balcony in Adma, Lebanon.

• April 23, 2012
• 14:37

  Soapwort meringue (Natef)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Congratulations to those of you who knew what these roots were!

  Called shilsh al-halawa or soapwort or Bois de Panama roots , these are used to make natef. Natef is a type of meringue, similar in texture to marshmallow fluff, that is served alongside a semolina and pistachio pastry called karabij. 

  These roots are also used to clean Persian rugs here in Lebanon (of course, the method is different than for natef!). If you care to know more about these roots, click here.

  Their uses and benefits are numerous!

  Seek them out in the US at Middle-Eastern grocers or health food stores or Chinese herbal shops. Another option is to plant them yourself! 

  

  The method that I followed was simple; first, soak the roots in water overnight; dump the water and cover the roots with more fresh water. Bring the mixture to a boil and dump the water. Add more fresh water and this time boil the roots for a while until the liquid has evaporated save for a pint. The liquid will have taken on a reddish tint. Cool and drain, placing the liquid in a mixing bowl.

  Prepare a sugar syrup and while the syrup is cooking, start beating the soapwort liquid in a mixer at high speed; it will start to froth immediately. Add the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream. The meringue will form within minutes. Add some rose water or another flavoring if you wish. Serve.

  

  NOTE: I will provide an exact recipe once I am done experimenting with it. It will be included in an upcoming cookbook I am working on. If you would like a recipe, I have found one on Anissa‘s blog. 

  Please note that this meringue does not contain any egg white. There are recipes for natef using egg white (uncooked) but I prefer to avoid them. 

  

• April 21, 2012
• 20:01

  Mysterious ingredient in the Lebanese pastry kitchen

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Anybody care to guess what this is? And what it is used for?

• April 20, 2012
• 7:28

  Flourless black forest cupcake

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Beirut is not lacking in fine pastry shops; quite the contrary, I can list several that rival Paris best pâtisseries (there is even a Ladurée shop in Beirut for macarons), not counting my friendAnne-Marie‘s yummy creations.

  As a side note, the reason Lebanon has such a strong French influence is not because it was a former colony (which it was not), but because in the 19th century Lebanon’s first industry was producing silk and its main client was France (the city of Lyon), which encouraged the French government and their trading partners to invest heavily in the country, establishing schools and beefing up infrastructure. 

   One likes to make a little chocolatey something at home  on the spur-of-the-moment and this is it. The technique used in making these is the same as for a mousse, except that the batter is baked a little. The cake has a light and slightly spongy texture, a result of incorporating a meringue to the batter. 

  The recipe for these black forest cupcakes came from a chocolate bar wrapper (Nestlé corsé, called fondant au chocolat); figured I would call it black forest because I baked the fondant in muffin cups and added kirsch-smothered cherries to the batter (called griottes). Use pitted canned dark  cherries and add a touch of cherry liqueur as a fine substitute, since these types of cherries (wild and soaked in liqueur and jarred in France) may be hard to find elsewhere.

  INGREDIENTS: 8 servings

  • 6 oz of  dark chocolate ( I used Nestlé corsé) (200 g.)
  • 4 oz  of unsalted butter (125 g.)
  • 1 1/4 cup of  powdered sugar (regular sugar is OK)(150 g.)
  • 6  large eggs
  • 1 cup of sour cherries or griottes if possible or dark canned pitted cherries (150 g.)
  • 1 tbsp of kirsch or cherry syrup (optional)
  • whipping cream to serve  or garnish with (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C (375F). In a saucepan, melt the chocolate broken into chunks with the butter (or in the microwave). Mix the egg yolks and the sugar and add the chocolate mixture. 
  2. Beat the egg whites till stiff and glossy and incorporate to the chocolate mixture gently using a spatula and an up-and-down motion.
  3. Pour into a cake pan lined with baking paper and greased and floured or (9 inch cake mold) or into cupcake liners in a muffin pan.  Drop 2 or 3 cherries on the batter as you are filling the cupcake liners (per liner) or about a cup of cherries for the entire cake pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes if in a cake mold or 8 minutes in a muffin pan, checking to make sure it is not too wet or does not get too dry. The cakes will puff up and stay moist in the center.

  
• April 19, 2012
• 3:20

  Duck breast with apples

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Perfect for a weeknight meal (speedy) yet elegant enough for a sit-down dinner. To coat the apples and duck use a superlative honey ( I used that jar of grape molasses on the left) or apple molasses.

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 2 duck breasts
  • 4 apples, peeled and sliced 
  • 1/2 stick of unsalted butter (or more as needed)+ 1 tbsp of oil
  • 1/2 cup of grape molasses or apple molasses or honey or raw sugar
  • salt, freshly cracked pepper to taste (I used pink peppercorns with the black)

  METHOD:

  1. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet till frothy with a tablespoon of oil; salt and pepper the ducks and place them  skin side on the butter and fry for 10 minutes; turn and fry on the other side 2 to 5 minutes depending on how well-done you like it. 
  2. While the ducks are cooking, melt the remaining butter and  add the  molasses or honey in another skillet and add the apple slices, flipping them once to coat them in the sauce; cook gently a few minutes till tender. Slice the duck breasts thinly and serve surrounded by the apple slices. 

  This recipe is inspired by several online French cooking sites in which the duck and apples are cooked in butter and honey.
• April 17, 2012
• 19:41

  Lebanese snacks

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Greengrocers, street cart vendors are displaying huge mounds of these fresh almonds (background) and sour plums called janarek. 

  These are eaten here as a snack with a dab of salt, but I have used the almonds cut up in salads with good results. They are very crunchy and a bit sour. 

   

• April 16, 2012
• 21:47

  Chicken Asian-style

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  A  large number of Filipinos  reside in Lebanon  and this dish is inspired by  a recipe from an article  featuring  Filipino cuisine in Fatafeat magazine (12/09 issue).

  This chicken and veggie dish  belongs to the category of no-brainers, with minimum fuss and maximum flavor from the coconut milk, ginger and garlic trio.

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 1 Chicken, cut up
  • 6 garlic cloves, mashed in a mortar
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut in chunks (seeds and white flesh discarded)
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1 bunch of string beans, sliced in half
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1 cube of chicken bouillon (optional)
  • butter or oil, as needed
  • 1/2 tsp of black pepper and salt to taste
  • 6 tbsp of flour or cornstarch (optional)
  • 8 oz of pasta, such as short penne

  METHOD:

  1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken pieces and dip in flour or cornstarch. Heat some oil and pan fry the chicken pieces until golden-brown on all sides; remove and set aside. 
  2. Fry the onion till golden; add the red pepper chunks, carrots and green beans and pan fry for a few minutes till softened; add the garlic and ginger and coconut milk and stir, add the chicken pieces and simmer for about 20 minutes until the veggies and chicken are cooked. Serve with pasta.

  

• April 15, 2012
• 18:30

  Zaatar, Aleppo or Lebanese-style

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Had to stop for a kaak on my way to the mountains this weekend at ABU ARAB. ABU ARAB is a kaak place in which kaak is baked on the premises and stuffed with traditional things like zaatar or Picon cheese (a cross between cream cheese and Velveeta)or non-traditional like mortadella and cheese, or muhammara and cheese or even Nutella. They have outlets on the highways and their kaak is to-die-for.

  Anyway, so Abu Arab (Abu means dad in Arabic) sells zaatar (by the pound) which is the traditional food that kaak gets stuffed with; however theirs is called Aleppo zaatar. I wanted to find out what the difference was between the Lebanese and Aleppo zaatar and the man at Abu Arab kindly gave me samples  to take home and taste. 

  

  Zaatar is a mix  of three things: thyme, sumac and toasted sesame seeds (with some salt); it is never used as a spice but is used as a condiment for bread or baked in a flatbread called man’ooshe. At least, this is the Lebanese version and people usually prefer to make their own (that way they trust what goes in it!).

  Aleppo zaatar tasted fruity; it has some cumin  in it, just not sure how it is added on or what the exact dosage is. Loved it too, however the taste is radically different from the Lebanese zaatar.

  I invite you to visit Alépine’s blog Paris Alep in which she gives her grandmother’s recipe for zaatar, a most unique combo of spices and nuts!

  

  Aleppo zaatar is on the left, and Lebanese zaatar (green for zaatar and reddish for sumac) is on the right.

  

  

  These retirees like to play cards by the sea wearing their suits and laying on cardboard sheets. Taken on the waterfront aka the corniche. 

  

  Teenagers smoking hookah by the seashore in Beirut.

   

• April 13, 2012
• 6:12

  Fresh pineapple crumble

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Yet another dessert inspired by Femme Actuelle of this week, streamlined to make it faster. A bite of this buttery crumble is offset by the tangy/sweet/mellow pineapple and banana slice. Not too shabby with a dollop of cream either.

  INGREDIENTS: 8 servings

  • 100 g. of whole-wheat flour (can use regular white all-purpose)
  • 125 g. of unsalted butter
  • 60 g. of grated coconut
  • 75 g. of sugar (brown or raw best)
  • 40 g. of almond flour (can omit)
  • 1/4 cup of grape molasses or honey (optional)
  • 1/3 cup of dark rum (optional)
  • 1 pineapple
  • 2 bananas
  • Whipped cream in a can or topping or vanilla ice-cream (optional)

  METHOD: Preheat the oven to 375F.

  1. Place the flour, almond flour, sugar, and coconut in the mixer or food processor bowl. Mix for a few seconds till combined. Add the butter (previously cut in small chunks) and grape molasses or honey and process till the mixture hold together. Pat into a greased and floured 9X13 pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Crumble the mixture with a couple of forks.
  2. Peel and cut the pineapple into small bite-size chunks. Cut the bananas into slices. Mix the two and set aside. With your fingers, cut the crumble into crumbs. To assemble the dessert, place a cup of pineapple and banana in each bowl, add the crumble and bake for a few minutes in the oven till browned. Serve warm with some cream or vanilla ice-cream.

  NOTE: In the Femme Actuelle version, the fruits are first cooked briefly over the stove in a little butter and sugar till slightly caramelized, then 1/2 cup of dark rum is poured over the fruit mixture and flambéed; then the recipe is the same as step 2.
  
  
• April 11, 2012
• 7:42

  Lentil kibbeh

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This is a speedy and delicious type of kibbeh (in Kurdish balloo3) that I tasted at the home of a Kurdish friend whose family resided in  Turkey. The lentils cook in water in minutes and are combined with fine bulgur; spices here are dried coriander and fried onions and a touch of red pepper powder if desired. It is enjoyed with a cold glass of ayran or yogurt drink.

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 1 cup of red lentils
  • 1 1/2 cup of white fine bulgur (#1)
  • 2 large onions
  • Spices: 1 tbsp of dried coriander, salt to taste, red pepper powder to taste (optional)
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley

  METHOD:

  1. Wash the lentils under running tap water and drain; place in a pot and cover with water (about 1 inch over the lentils); bring to a simmer and cook the lentils until they are cooked yet still firm, about 15 minutes; don’t let the lentils disintegrate in the water since this would affect the looks of your lentil kibbeh (not the taste however). 
  2. In the meantime, run the bulgur under running tap water and drain and place in a bowl; when the lentils are cooked, throw the drained bulgur in the pot with the lentils and cover; after about 10 minutes, check and fluff  the mixture; the bulgur should be soft, if not, add a cup of water and cook very gently until the bulgur is cooked. Add the coriander, salt and pepper to the mixture and toss. 
  3. Fry the onion in a generous amount of olive oil (1/3 cup) until golden; add to the lentil and bulgur mixture as well as the chopped parsley and toss to mix. Knead the mixture a couple of minutes either with your palms or in a food processor or mixer until it holds together like a dough; shape the mixture into elongated balls and serve as is at room temperature with radishes, tomato slices and whatever raw veggies you fancy. 

  NOTE: If the lentil balls are on the dry side, it is fine to brush them with a little olive oil.
• April 09, 2012
• 16:38

  Red pepper powder

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  A mere 25 minutes from Beirut and you can be right smack in the heart of the Shouf region; this region is beautiful and well-preserved by its locals and is made up of lush  mountains and valleys as well as forests of majestic cedars. 

  A short stop at Moukhtara where one can visit a 400-year old palace, led me to the local grocer; on his counter sat a large bag filled with red pepper powder. This is the local chili pepper which is sprinkled on man’ooshes (flatbread). The man’ooshe is topped with yogurt cheese, red pepper powder, crushed walnuts, keshek , tomatoes and onions. 

  

  I asked if he lived in the beautiful mountain year-round and he said that he only comes up for the weekend and spends his weeks working in Beirut. The mountains have seen its locals leave in droves for decades.  I asked the grocer about  his huge vats of yogurt sitting behind his counter and he told me about the line of cheeses he produces here and I vowed to come back.

  Did you ever make your own red pepper powder? 

  

  

  According to my friend Milady Khairallah who at 84  still makes her own red pepper powder, grape molasses and zaatar and cooks everything fresh from her garden in the Kesrouan region, there is nothing difficult about it; just dry your peppers on a large clean cloth in the sun (bring indoors at night to avoid humidity) and grind  in your coffee grinder. If you don’t like heat, discard the seeds. Keep in a jar for up to a year in the fridge.

  

   

• April 06, 2012
• 8:01

  Cheese ma’amoul

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Thanks to witty, warm and talented Ruby, I found out I have been nominated by SAVEUR in the category of  Best Regional Cuisine Blog. If you, dear reader, the anonymous one and the one that I have made friends with, care to see this little blog make it to instant STARDOM (lol), well, you can vote for Taste of Beirut, right here.

  This pastry is so traditional for Easter that billboards all over the city had a picture of ma’amoul with the caption ” Only ma’amoul made by hand is good: use REAL butter” (ad for Danish butter). 

  Pick a good melting cheese. The key is to desalt the cheese thoroughly. Middle-Eastern stores in the US sell a type of white cheese called sweet cheese that does not contain any salt and is specifically made for these types of pastries. Otherwise, you can use a mozzarella that has been soaked in water and desalted.

  INGREDIENTS: makes about 30 ma’amoul

  • 1 1/2 cups of fine semolina flour
  • 1 1/2 cups of coarse semolina flour or cream of wheat
  • 1/2 tsp of dry instant yeast (optional)
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter + 1 tbsp of shortening or oil
  • 1/2 tsp of mahlab (optional)
  • 1/4 cup of rose and orange blossom water
  • 1/4 cup of water (+more as needed)
  • 8 ounces of cheese, like a sweet cheese or mozzarella
  • 3 tbsp of flour or cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups of sugar
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1 tsp of lemon juice
  • 1 tsp of rose and orange blossom water

  METHOD:

  1. Prepare the syrup: place the sugar, water in a saucepan and bring to a boil; add the lemon juice and boil for 10 minutes or until a drop of syrup on a countertop will feel sticky and somewhat firm. Add the flavoring at the end (rose and orange blossom or one or the other). Keep the syrup in a jar, in the fridge till needed. 
  2. Make the dough: Place the semolina flour and cream of wheat in the bowl of a mixer or food processor. Add the dry instant yeast and mahlab if using. Combine for a few seconds. Melt the butter, skimming the froth if possible,  and add the melted butter and shortening or oil to the bowl, mixing until the dough looks sandy. Add the orange blossom and rose water and the extra water and process till the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. 
  3. Gather the dough, transfer into a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge overnight. 
  4. Place the cheese in a bowl filled with water and change the water every 30 minutes or so until the cheese has lost all of its salt (this should take a couple of hours). Pat the cheese dry and shred in a food processor. Add the flour or cornstarch and mix to combine. Place in a bowl, cover and set aside.
  5. Remove the ma’amoul dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature; make sure it is malleable; if it is too stiff, add a bit of rose water and knead it to get it softer. Break pieces of dough the size of large walnuts and set aside. Form a hole in the ball and fill with one tablespoon of cheese. Pinch the ball shut and crimp it with the special tweezers called malkat or a fork. Set the ma’amoul on a tray covered with baking paper and bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the pastries are light golden. Cool a bit and serve them with syrup. 

  HAPPY EASTER and HAPPY PASSOVER!!!!!!!
• April 05, 2012
• 22:16

  Kibbeh sajieh

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This kibbeh is baked rather than fried; it is shaped like a saj, this concave-shaped oven that sits on many street corners in Beirut these days; it is filled with fried onions and walnuts and spiced with hot chili pepper and pomegranate molasses. Served with some muhammara dip on the side.

  

  A traditional saj being heated with a branch in Deir el-Qamar, Chouf 

  The basic recipe is a kibbeh shell made up of lean ground meat (veal, lamb or beef or a mixture), a small grated onion and a cup of fine bulgur. Click here for the recipe.

  The filling consists of the following:

  • 2 cups of chopped onions
  • 2 cups of chopped walnuts
  • 1 tbsp of hot red pepper paste (or to taste)
  • 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses
  • salt, pepper, to taste
  • olive oil as needed

  The method for making this kibbeh is straightforward; select a cookie cutter of about 3 inches in diameter and a can on which you will shape the kibbeh one by one. Grease a large baking sheet. 

  1. Fry the onions and when the onions are golden, add the walnuts and fry till slightly toasted and fragrant. Add the hot pepper paste and the pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine well. Set aside to cool a bit. 
  2. Roll out the kibbeh dough between two sheets of wax paper as if you are cutting cookies and cut into round shapes with the cookie cutter. Place a square piece of plastic or wax paper on the can and set the kibbeh round on it. Place about one tablespoon of filling on it and cover with the top round of kibbeh. Cover the kibbeh with the piece of paper or plastic and pat it gently to seal it and shape it into a saj. Set on a greased pan; fill the pan and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the kibbeh are thoroughly cooked; serve with muhammara sauce on the side if desired. 

  

   

• April 04, 2012
• 5:35

  Zucchini fritters

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  A great way to use some leftover zucchini; in Lebanon, these fritters are made with the zucchini pulp leftover after they have been cored for stuffing. Simply grate or shred the zucchini in a food processor, add a bit of grated onion, garlic paste and lots of chopped herbs and fry them in olive oil for a few minutes on each side. 

  

  A frequent site in the Lebanese mountains, these remnant of  houses were made with local stones.

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups of grated zucchini or zucchini pulp
  • 1 cup of chopped parsley (or mixture of herbs)
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • salt, pepper, to taste
  • 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt (or to taste)
  • olive oil as needed (or use vegetable oil)

  METHOD: These were made using uncooked zucchini pulp and onions; another method is to fry the onion and zucchini in a little olive oil until the mixture is cooked and dry. Cool the mixture a few minutes, then add the eggs, herbs and garlic and fry again.

  1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the shredded zucchini, parsley, chopped onion and mashed garlic; season to taste. 
  2. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large skillet and drop small (about 1/4 cup) ladles of the mixture in the hot oil; fry on both sides and serve warm or at room temperature.

  NOTE: These can also be made by cooking the shredded zucchini first in a skillet with a little oil and garlic; the onions can also be fried previously and added to the mixture.
• April 02, 2012
• 20:29

  Lebanese candy (Tarbouche)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This candy which has been around forever in Lebanon is the equivalent of the American twinkie. Very sweet and hugely popular; so much so that entire boxes can be bought for the equivalent of US$4. 

  Must be a universal craving, to want something sweet, creamy and fluffy. 

  The above candy has been renamed tarbouche, or fez, the  hat worn during the Ottoman period (my grandfather used to wear one). Nobody in Lebanon wears a tarbouche anymore, but I guess the image  elicits nostalgia. 

  

  I bought a box and offered it around, but only the men accepted one while the ladies demurred.

  

• April 01, 2012
• 16:52

  Wild sorrel (Hommaydah)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  A wild green popping all over the mountains in Lebanon called hommaydah, or wild sorrel (oseille in French); delicious in any dish that calls for greens with a bite and used frequently in turnovers  or fatayers. 

  This time of year the mountains are starting to fill up with wildflowers and herbs, such as zaatar, cyclamens, wild orchids, daisies and the like. 

  

  

  Some zaatar filling up a gap in a rock.

  

  

  

   

• March 30, 2012
• 18:04

  Sticky rice balls

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  There is a substantial workforce  of Filipinos in Lebanon; due to their presence, stores have popped up with a selection of Filipino products.

  I love the Filipino ladies that I have encountered in Lebanon and learned a bit  about their culture as well. 

  These rice balls are a twist on a traditional Filipino dessert, palitaw, consisting  of  sticky rice pancakes boiled and topped with coconut, sugar and toasted sesame seeds (served on a banana leaf, I am told). 

  Don’t be afraid of working with sticky rice flour; it is extremely easy to form these balls. Just place a mound of flour in a mixing bowl, add enough water to get a dough (similar to play-dough) and you are done; (you can also add some sugar or coconut to the dough itself).

  These balls are filled with a small sugar cube or a chocolate chip (I used white chocolate). The balls cook in just minutes in simmering water and are then dipped in shredded coconut. 

  INGREDIENTS: Makes about 18

  • 1 cup of sticky rice flour (at Asian stores)
  • 3/4 cup of water (can replace with coconut milk)
  • 1/2 cup of small sugar cubes or chocolate chips 
  • 3/4 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
  • 3 drops of food color (per color desired) (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Place the sticky rice flour in the bowl of a mixer; add the water gradually, mixing continuously, until a firm dough forms. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour and if it is too stiff, add a bit more water but do so gradually, one tablespoon at a time. If you want to color the balls, drop a few drops of food color in the dough and mix until the color is even throughout. Form the dough into even-sized balls and fill each ball with a small sugar cube or a few chocolate chips. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
  2. Bring 2 quarts of water to a simmer and drop the cake balls, only a few at a time. Cook until the balls rise up to the surface and remove with a spoon and drop in a bucket of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and dip into the shredded coconut and serve. 

  Recipe adapted from QOOQ.com
• March 28, 2012
• 20:22

  Eggplant with yogurt sauce (Fattet al-Makdoos)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  In what city in the world can you get this meal delivered to your door? That is what happened today when I called my caterer/friend/neighbor, Rima @RimRam Gourmet and asked her to help me out. 

  Rima, whose is a true Beiruti, specializes in many traditional dishes and cooks herself once a month at Tawlet, Kamal Mouzawak’s famed restaurant. 

  What I got today was fattet al-makdoos, the most exquisite eggplant dish you will ever taste. The eggplants are silky and melt in your mouth, the yogurt and tahini sauce blanket them and the fried pita croutons and pine nuts provide crunch. Heavenly. 

  This is not Rima’s recipe, just a template to make your own if you decide to.

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 8 small baby eggplants
  • 1/3 pound of ground meat
  • 2 cups of tomato sauce
  • 2 cups of yogurt
  • 1/4 cup of tahini
  • 1/4 cup of pine nuts
  • 1 pita bread
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
  • salt, to taste; 1 tsp of allspice and a pinch of cinnamon 
  • oil, as needed

  METHOD:

  1. Peel the eggplants (or peel off just bands of skin for a prettier look). Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander while you fry the meat. Place the meat in a skillet and brown, separating the meat with two wooden spoons to keep the meat small. Sprinkle with spices and stir then transfer to a sieve and drain of all extra fat. Add a pad of butter to the skillet and fry the pine nuts until golden for just 4 minutes or so watching them so they don’t burn. Set aside. 
  2. Pat the eggplants with paper towels. Add 1/2 cup of oil to the skillet and fry the eggplants on all sides until tender. Drain the skillet of all the oil and slit each eggplant with a sharp knife to form a pocket. Insert the meat (a tablespoon or so) inside and place the eggplants side by side in the skillet. Add the tomato sauce and season. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes over very gentle heat. 
  3. In the meantime, mash the garlic with a dash of salt and add to the yogurt; mix in the tahini. Cut the pita into small croutons with scissors and toast in a 300F oven on a baking sheet until golden-brown. (You can fry them which is traditional, although more calorific).
  4. Assembly: Serve the eggplants with their sauce, covered with the yogurt sauce, the toasted pine nuts and the pita croutons. 

  

   

• March 26, 2012
• 19:34

  Muhammara kebabs

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  There is a local restaurant here in Beirut called Kebab-ji with several outlets throughout the city; their kebabs are neatly shaped by their expert kebab-makers and come in several varieties. The photo below is of a kebab-maker from Kebab-ji shaping the kebabs for a catered party.

  The kebabs today are not the traditional Lebanese ones that simply rely on a kafta mixture (ground beef or veal or lamb, plus onion and parsley and minimum spices). I mixed this mixture with a generous portion of muhammara. 

  Muhammara is a relish or a sauce devised in Aleppo, Syria, and quickly adopted by the Lebanese public. It has many variations, but essentially consists of ground walnuts mixed with red pepper paste, a touch of cumin and pomegranate molasses. Normally it is served on the side to dip a morsel of meat into. Here I took it one step further and combined  the meat with it. The result is a kebab with a complex play of flavors that is typically Levantine.

  

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound of ground beef and ground lamb mixed (can also use one or the other, just don’t pick meat that is too lean)
  • 1 onion
  • Salt, to taste, 1 tsp of allspice, 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of muhammara sauce (click here for the recipe)

  

  METHOD:

  1. Place the onion and parsley in the bowl of a food processor; chop the onion and parsley as much as possible by pulsing. Add the meat and spices and run the machine for a minute or longer until the meat, onion and parsley are well mixed. Add the muhammara and mix to combine well. 
  2. Take one small cup of meat mixture and shape it into a long sausage in a skewer; alternatively, place on a piece of greased foil side by side (without skewers). Bake in a 400F oven for 10 minutes or so, flipping the skewers or meat fingers to the other side halfway through. Serve with pita and a salad.

  NOTE: The muhammara here is made of a lot of walnuts and red pepper paste. I did not use fresh red peppers at all. Feel free to experiment and come up with your own version.

   

• March 24, 2012
• 22:51

  Retro cake

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

   

  

  I guess everyone has their own personal notion of what a retro cake is. A retro cake, to me, is the one my mother used to serve when she had her girlfriends over for the purpose of playing bridge or gossiping. Personally, out of the two activities I find gossiping to be  a lot  more fun than spending hours shuffling cards. 

  To get back to the cake, her cake was this dense rectangular pound cake studded with hard candied things (angelika and such) that tasted sour and that I would secretly pluck out when no one was looking. Strangely I had a yearning for this cake, wondering if I would find it as boring now as then. 

  The cake is a bit boring, but, hey, it is a classic. The major improvement here is that the candied fruits are actually good.

  If you go through the trouble of making it, don’t worry, it will be gone fairly rapidly. It freezes well and I would freeze it in individual slices so that whenever you feel like it, you can reach into the freezer, grab a slice and warm it up in the toaster.

   INGREDIENTS: 12 servings

  •  2 cups all-purpose or cake flour (add 1/4 cup if using cake flour)
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter or 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of oil
  • 1 1/2 cups of extra-fine sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla or orange blossom or rose water or any other flavoring you like
  • 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • Fruits: 1 cup of dried cranberries, golden raisins, dried kiwi or melons or mangoes, diced small

  METHOD:

  1. Beat butter (and oil, if using) and sugar till lighter in color. Mix the flour in a bowl with the baking powder and salt. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time and mix thoroughly each time. Add the flavoring. Add the flour mixture gradually and mix until well combined. Add the diced fruits. 
  2. Line a rectangular loaf pan (or 2 if necessary) with parchment paper. Pour the batter and bake in a preheated 350F oven for about an hour. Twenty minutes into baking, you can score the cake with a knife all the way across the pan to form a slit in the middle; this is supposed to help the cake bake evenly. About 40 minutes into baking, check to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle. 

  Recipe is loosely adapted from Anahid Doniguian’s Cookbook of Gourmet Cooking.
• March 23, 2012
• 10:10

  Green tea and broccoli soup

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  My mother subscribes to a French magazine, Femme Actuelle, which is always full of recipes. This is where I plucked the idea of making a broccoli soup with some green tea. Why not? Just substitute the chicken broth for the steeped green tea (minus the leaves) and that’s it!

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 1 1/2 pounds (or so) of fresh or frozen broccoli
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch of cilantro
  • 2 tsp of green tea
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 or up to 4 cloves of garlic
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt, white pepper, to taste

  METHOD:

  1. Boil the water and steep the tea in it for a few minutes. Strain and reserve. Heat some oil in a large pot and add the onion and stir-fry for a few minutes until translucent and golden; add the broccoli cut into florets and small chunks and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the strained tea water and cook the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes at a slow simmer until the broccoli is cooked. 
  2. Meanwhile, mash the garlic in a mortar with a dash of salt, chop the cilantro. Heat a touch of olive oil in a small skillet and fry the garlic and cilantro for no more than 5 seconds until the fragrance is released and touches your nostrils. 
  3. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup and add the cilantro/garlic fry right before serving to enhance the flavor of the soup. Serve with small croutons or kaak on the side.

  NOTE: You can add a few tablespoons of quinoa or oatmeal halfway through cooking the soup to thicken it.

   

• March 21, 2012
• 17:07

  Black rice seafood pilaf

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This is black rice; not wild rice or toasted white rice. The rice is short-grain and just as dark as can be. The Emperor of China used to love it and it was believed  to be an aphrodisiac. Apparently, he’d forbid his subjects to eat it, it was meant only for him. In any case, it has lots of nutrients, much more so than regular rice.

  This black rice is now  produced in Italy, and I bought it at a grocery store in Beirut. 

  Cooking this rice is like any other rice; bring a liquid (at least double the volume of rice) to a simmer and drop the rice in it. It cooks in about 45 minutes and releases a nice nutty fragrance during the process. 

  

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 1 cup of black rice (can substitute any short-grain white rice, just reduce the cooking time)
  • 2 cups of sliced calamari or shrimps 
  • 1 large onion
  •  1/4  cup of tomato paste (the equivalent of 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 tbsp of hot red pepper paste (optional)
  • pinch of saffron diluted in 1 tbsp of hot water
  • 2 1/2 cups of fish stock or water
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp of coriander (optional)
  • olive oil, as needed

  METHOD:

  1. Chop the onion and fry in some olive oil or butter. When the onion is translucent, add the sliced calamari or shrimp and briefly cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. The cooking time for shrimp is very short, whereas the cooking time for calamari is long and slow. If using shrimp, remove from the pan and reserve. If cooking calamari, add the spices (including the saffron) and toss then add the rice and toss a few seconds. 
  2. Add 2 1/2 cups of fish stock or water and the tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the rice and calamari for 45 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the calamari is tender. Serve with some radishes and (or) grilled shrimps or more calamari. If using shrimp, toss the rice with the fried shrimps and serve.

  

• March 19, 2012
• 23:03

  Kafta gratin

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

   Some  folks might frown at my calling this dish a gratin; I say it deserves the title, because it is meat encased in a tahini sauce, the way the French coat theirs  in a béchamel sauce; you spread the meat mixture onto a pan, you add a quickly assembled tahini sauce and you plop it into the oven.

  Easier to make than the French version, just as delicious. The only (slight) effort required is mixing the kafta; in a food processor, the kafta can be prepared in minutes. 

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 1 pound of ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and ground lamb (fatty is better)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bunch of Italian parsley
  • Spices: salt, 1 tsp of allspice, 1 tsp of cinnamon OR 1 1/2 tsp of seven-spice mix
  • 3/4 cup of tahini
  • 1/3 cup of orange juice (if you can from a Seville orange) and 2 tbsp of lemon juice
  • enough water to make the sauce thick but pourable
  • 1/4 cup of pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp of butter 

  METHOD:

  1. Place the onion in the food processor with the parsley (leaves only). Process until they are finely chopped; add the meat and spices and process until the mixture is well combined and pasty. Transfer to a greased oven-proof pan and pat it to spread it evenly. 
  2. Pour the tahini into a bowl, add the freshly squeezed citrus juice and water, stirring all the way, until the sauce is thick but pourable. Spread over the kafta. Bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes or until the kafta is thoroughly cooked. 
  3. Fry pine nuts in a little butter and spread on the surface of the gratin to garnish. Serve warm.

  
  
• March 18, 2012
• 17:36

  Mysterious vegetable (or fruit)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  For those of you who recognized it, this is indeed a desert truffle or kema. In Lebanon, these are brought over from Syria. Lina Hamdan, board member of the Lebanese Association of Gastronomy was telling me that these erupt after a storm and lots of lightning. The desert floor cracks and the truffles pop up and are quickly snatched up by the Bedouin women who live nearby. At a grocery store in Beirut  these can fetch L.L. 60,000 a kilo (about $22 a pound). 

  When I asked the greengrocer if I could use them for an omelette, he gave a look of disdain “eggs? you want to use eggs with these? MEAT, that’s what these are for”. 

  Lebanese foodies buy them while they’re in season  in bulk (20 pound sacks); they get peeled and blanched and stored in the freezer in small bags and can last the rest of the year. Their season is very short.

  In the US I found cans of these at the Middle-Eastern store but I thought they tasted bland.

  It would be a thrill to spend a few days in the desert and forage them with the Bedouins don’t you agree?

   

   

   

• March 15, 2012
• 22:02

  Pistachio semolina cake with cream (Mafroukeh bel-festuk)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This dessert is in celebration of St Patrick’s day in Lebanon; after all, there is an Irish contingent based here and a few (scattered) Irish folks in the country. Just met one yesterday as a matter of fact.  Notice the sugar cube? It is shaped like a shamrock. The pistachios in the dough give this dessert its green color, another must for St Pat’s Day. 

  This dessert is based on what is called here mafroukeh; it is simply semolina flour that is rubbed with a little butter and cooked over the stove in a sugar syrup with rose and orange blossom water. As a result,  it swells a bit and becomes a cooked dough. The semolina dough can  be molded or shaped in many different ways. Today, I mixed in some ground pistachios with the semolina flour.

  The key to success in this recipe is the sugar syrup; if you cook it too long and it becomes too heavy, the dough will be heavy and a bit stiff. Keep the sugar syrup light (do not cook it too long)  and the dough will be very tender (the texture of cooked cream of wheat).

  I used some prepared ashta (clotted cream)  available in pastry shops in Beirut for the stuffing, but you can easily make your own at home or use some full-fat ricotta cheese instead. Click here for the recipe.

   

  INGREDIENTS: 

  • 250 g. of pistachios (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tbsp of butter
  • 1 1/4 cup of fine semolina flour
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 tsp of lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of orange blossom water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of rose water
  • 2 cups of prepared ashta or ricotta cheese

  

  METHOD:

  1. Peel the pistachios: Place the pistachios in a bowl and cover with several cups of warm water; leave for a couple of hours or longer (overnight is OK). Rub the pistachios with your fingers and peel off the skins. Set aside to dry on several pieces of paper towels for thirty minutes or longer. 
  2. Place the pistachios with 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process till powdery. Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat, stirring from time to time to dissolve. Simmer gently about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, place the semolina flour and butter in a large skillet over medium/low heat. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until slightly toasted, stirring from to time. Add the sugar syrup and combine the mixture rapidly. Transfer half the mixture to the bowl of the food processor and mix it with the pistachios for thirty seconds or so  until it shapes up like a moist dough; transfer to a bowl, cover and let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours or longer until ready to assemble. Keep the rest of the semolina dough wrapped in plastic for another dessert.
  3. Grease the tartlet molds and line with plastic wrap. Scoop out a small ball of pistachio mafroukeh and tap it gently to line the mold with it; place a smaller ball of cream on top and then scoop out a smaller ball of dough and pad it gently to cover the tartlet mold. Fold the edges of the plastic wrap over and place in the fridge until serving time (which could be an hour or up to two days later). To serve, flip the tartlet onto a plate and gently remove the plastic wrap to dislodge the mafroukeh. Serve. 

  NOTE: When shaping the tartlets, keep a small bowl with 1/4 cup of rose and orange blossom water in it; dip your fingers in the bowl to help in shaping the dough if it is too stiff. The leftover quantity of semolina dough can be used for other desserts later and will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. You can also use more than half for this dessert if you don’t have a lot of pistachios. The semolina dough will harden in the fridge so warm it up 20 seconds or so in the microwave to make it flexible. It can also be enjoyed plain with some cream or ricotta-type cheese. Two Beirut birds resting on the window ledge during a rain storm.

   

   

   

• March 14, 2012
• 6:59

  Spinach stew (Yakhnet sabanegh)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

   

  

  This stew is for me the epitome of Lebanese home cooking; it is extremely plain, just spinach, a little meat and some garlic and cilantro. However,  it is very very good and really does a fine job of showcasing spinach. 

  If you can, use fresh spinach, preferably organic. Chop and use the stems as well. Flavor is added with mashed garlic and chopped cilantro. 

  The stew is served with some rice and quartered lemons. If you don’t want to use meat, you can substitute lentils or mung beans or chickpeas.

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 4 bunches of fresh spinach
  • 2 large onions
  • 1/2  pound of ground beef or 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
  • 2 tsp of fresh mashed garlic (about 6 cloves)
  • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 large lemon plus 1 more lemon 
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt, pepper

  METHOD:

  1. Chop the onions fine and fry in  olive oil till translucent in a big pot. Add the meat and fry until it loses its pink color, breaking it down with two wooden spoons as much as possible. Season the meat. Add the mashed garlic; add the cilantro and fry for a few seconds;  add one cup of water and the chopped spinach. Stir a bit and let the spinach wilt. Add the juice of a lemon, cover the pot and let the stew simmer very gently 15 minutes, then serve warm with white rice.

  
  

   

• March 12, 2012
• 18:13

  Wheat berry pudding (Ameh maslouk, hboubieh)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This could be considered the Levantine equivalent of oatmeal pudding, even though it is traditionally served on certain holidays such as New Year’s eve or St Barb or on the occasion of a baby’s first tooth. This version is flavored with orange blossom water only. Other versions include anise and cinnamon. 

  It is of the utmost simplicity: Wheat berries are cooked in water, sweetened and flavored. Served with nuts and (if available) candied chickpeas and pomegranates. For this pudding, I used almonds, pistachios, walnuts and some dried cranberries (imported from the US!).

  One recommended step is to soak: First the wheat berries overnight in water, then the nuts in individual bowls; soaking removes impurities and eliminates toxins.

  

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 1/2  cup of wheat berries (peeled or unpeeled)
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1 tbsp of orange blossom water or to taste
  • NUTS: 1/4 cup of walnuts, almonds and pine nuts (can substitute),or pistachios
  • Dried fruits: 1/4 cup of dried cranberries or dark raisins
  • Honey (to taste) (not traditional)

  METHOD:

  1. Soak the berries in water overnight; the next day, drain and place in a pot with 3 cups of water; bring to a simmer and let it cook gently for about 30 minutes; add the sugar and stir and simmer some more  till thoroughly cooked. While the berries are cooking, soak the nuts in warm water for 30 minutes or longer. Drain the nuts and add them to the berries along with the orange blossom water and any dried fruits you wish to add. Cook a few minutes longer and serve warm or at room temperature.

  NOTE: Rose water can be added as well. A kaak vendor in Beirut; Kaak is a chewy and sturdy pocket roll, flavored with spices and coated with sesame seeds and oat bran,  which can be filled with a number of things, usually cheese spread or zaatar.
  
• March 10, 2012
• 14:45

  Tart crust

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

   

  

  This is the one I keep making over and over. It is easy to make in a food processor and delivers what I am looking for: sturdy yet buttery and crispy. It can be used for a tarte or bars or even plain cookies.

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour (265 g.)
  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (100 g.)
  • 1/2 cup of extra-fine sugar (100 g.)
  • 1/4 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 tbsp of whipping cream
  • 1 tsp of vanilla or other flavoring (orange blossom water for instance)

  Makes 575 g. or 20 ounces (1 1/4 pound) of dough, enough for a 8-servings  tart. METHOD: 

  1. Place the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in the bowl of a mixer or food processor. Run the machine a few seconds to mix. Add the butter, previously cut in little squares. Process a few seconds until the dough looks sandy. Add the egg and process a few seconds longer, while pouring the cream one tablespoon at a time as well as the flavoring. When the dough becomes a moist mass, stop the machine, transfer to a large piece of wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate till needed. 

  For a savory crust, simply omit the sugar. American University of Beirut soccer field. (I guess the ball of dough made me think of a soccer ball).
• March 08, 2012
• 22:28

  Gratinéed fish

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  Just because one enjoys  cooking elaborate dishes  does not mean that meals done in a jiffy are discarded from one’s life.

  Having made that point, here is a fish plate that can be prepared in minutes. Any white fish fillet will do; the fish is seasoned then coated with a mixture of swiss,  parmesan and a bit of cream. Baked for a few minutes, voilà!

  The chef who inspired me is Marlene Mattar, a wonderful Lebanese chef (who also teaches cooking classes in Beirut). She serves this fish with a spinach coulis, which can  be prepared very easily with frozen chopped spinach,  a ladle of fish stock and a dab of cream.

  INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

  • 4 fish fillets
  • 1 cup of shredded swiss cheese (substitute another hard cheese)
  • 1/4 cup of grated parmesan
  • 4 tbsp of whipping cream
  • salt, pepper
  • If using the spinach sauce: 11 oz package of frozen chopped spinach+1/4 cup of whipping cream+1/3 cup of fish stock+salt, to taste

  METHOD:

  1. Combine the cheeses with the cream to form a paste; season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Place on a pyrex dish and cover each fillet with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Preheat the oven and bake the fillets in a 350F oven for 7 to 9 minutes. When the fillets are done the top should be puffed up and golden and the fish should flake easily and the juices should be clear. To get the top browned in spots, turn on the broiler the last minute or two of baking.
  2. If using the spinach sauce as a side, collect the fish juices after baking and place in a saucepan with the spinach and 1/4 cup of cream; bring to a simmer and stir till a sauce is formed. Serve next to the fish.

  

   

• March 07, 2012
• 7:26

  Eggplant stew (Mussaka)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  A traditional vegan eggplant stew, this one is made with winter eggplants (which have very few seeds). In addition, the eggplants slices were merely roasted with a dab of oil, instead of fried as is the tradition. I am happy to report that foregoing the frying does not  take away the flavor; the mussaka (aka maghmoor) of my childhood swimming in oil is now a faded memory.

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 2 large eggplants
  • 1 cup of  chickpeas, soaked in 4 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of baking soda for 18 hours
  • 2 large onions
  • 4 large tomatoes (or 1 can of excellent quality tomatoes), sliced or cut into chunks
  • olive oil, as needed
  • spice mix: salt, dash of white pepper, 1 tsp of dried mint (optional)
  • 6 garlic cloves (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Peel and cut the eggplants in thick slices then chunks; place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle the eggplant with some olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until the pieces are soft and golden. Set aside.
  2. Chop the onions; heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and fry the onions until soft. Add the chickpeas to the pot with 2 cups of water and simmer for 40 minutes or so. Add the eggplant chunks and the sliced tomatoes. Add the spices (and whole garlic cloves). Let the stew simmer gently another 40 minutes; if the stew has too much liquid, let it simmer until the water evaporates and keep just enough juices to sop up with bread. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita bread.

  Could not resist taking a snapshot of this man, relaxing on a Sunday afternoon, after I overheard him talking to his buddy of the wonderful eggplant and siyyadieh (fish and rice stew)  he had eaten earlier.
• March 05, 2012
• 13:38

  Lentil and rice pilaf (Mdardara)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  There are McDonald’s billboards everywhere in Beirut and the caption says: “YOU DON’T WANT TO EAT MUJADDARA EVERY DAY, DO YOU?”. The photo on the billboard is of a breaded (fried) shrimp sandwich.

  

  Call me contrarian, but that billboard immediately made me long for mujaddara or its sister, mudardara. Simpler to make, it is just a pilaf of lentils and rice, crowned with fried caramelized onion rings. A recommended side with this is simply a tomato salad or raw veggies and some yogurt. 

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings 

  • 2 cups of lentils (preferably the large green ones)
  • 1 1/2 cups of long-grain rice (Uncle Ben’s or similar)
  • 4 large yellow onions
  • Salt, as needed
  • 2 1/2  tsp of seven-spice mix or 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of allspice, 1 tsp of cumin, 1/4 tsp of white pepper
  • vegetable oil, as needed

  METHOD:

  1. Slice the onions into rings, place in a bowl and sprinkle the onions with  2 tablespoons of salt, tossing them a bit to spread the salt evenly; set them aside for at least 20 minutes or longer. 
  2. Place the lentils in a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a simmer; simmer the lentils for 20 minutes or so until they are cooked but still firm.
  3. Squeeze the onions and drain them well; heat 3 cups of oil in a skillet and fry the onions until golden-brown. Drain the onions and take half of the fried onions and add to the lentils. Add the rice and bring the mixture to a simmer, adding the spices. Cover and let the lentils and rice cook for another twenty minutes or so until the rice is cooked. You may need to add one cup or more of water before cooking the rice if the lentil mixture looks too dry. Keep in mind that there should be 3 cups of liquid to cook the rice in. (Alternatively, you can cook the rice separately and add it to the lentils, which can be drained of water).
  4. Serve the mdardara  warm with a garnish of the rest of the fried onions. 

  NOTES:

  1.  Some people like to use Italian rice or Egyptian rice to cook the mdardara; personally I find that these rice with their high-starch content make the mdardara too heavy. I prefer long-grain like Uncle Ben’s or jasmine rice.
  2. Traditionally, half of the oil was added to the rice and lentil mixture; I find that two tablespoons of oil (which will be part of the fried onions) is plenty and delivers that smoothness characteristic of this dish.
  3. The reason I sprinkle the onions rings with salt is so that the salt drain them of their water and they become crispier when fried. 
  4. As mentioned by Samir (see comment), the lentil water does take on a bit of color and some people drain the lentils and add fresh water to cook the rice in;  it works either way.

  
• March 03, 2012
• 12:33

  Savory zucchini and ricotta muffins

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

   

  

  Moist, good and good-for-you, here is a muffin you can eat without guilt!

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 oz. of shredded zucchini
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 1 tsp of baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil (4 oz.)
  • 6 oz. of ricotta (200 g.)
  • 1/2 cup of chopped onions
  • 1/4 cup of fresh zaatar or a tbsp of fresh oregano (optional)
  • Spices: 1 tsp curry, 1/4 tsp of white pepper, 1/4 tsp of chili powder (or paprika)

  METHOD:

  1. Place the eggs in the bowl of a mixer; add the ricotta and mix until the mixture is smooth. Add the olive oil and mix. Add the flour, baking powder and soda, spices, and mix well. Add the shredded zucchini and onions and mix till combined.
  2. Pour into a muffin or cupcake pan lined with muffin liners and fill to about 3/4 up the pan. Bake in a 350F (180C) oven for 12 minutes or so or until the muffins are puffed up and a toothpick comes out dry. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  
  
• March 02, 2012
• 7:35

  Pomegranate muhallabieh

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This is an easy dessert  concocted today when I noticed the pomegranates sitting on the counter were  getting very ripe; I would recommend making it with fresh pomegranate juice, not bottled juice;  for juicing the pomegranates I  place the seeds in the food processor and run the machine for a minute; I transfer the mashed mixture onto a strainer and press on it. 

  Make a muhallabieh with milk, sugar, cornstarch and rose water (or vanilla if you like); make the pomegranate cream the same way and pour a tablespoon at a time into a ramequin, switching from one to the other each time. You will get nice red and white layers, and a very pleasant tangy-creamy taste. 

  INGREDIENTS:

  • Muhallabieh with milk: 2 cups of whole milk (substitute 1/2 cup of whipping cream if you like)
  • 4 tbsp of sugar
  • 4 tbsp of cornstarch
  • 1 tsp of rose water
  • Pomegranate cream: 2 cups of fresh pomegranate juice
  • 4 tbsp of sugar or more (to taste)
  • 4 tbsp of cornstarch
  • 1 tsp of rose water or rose syrup
  • 1/2 cup of pomegranate arils to garnish

  METHOD:

  1. Place the milk (less 1/2 cup)  and sugar (and cream if using) in a saucepan; stir over medium heat; dissolve the cornstarch in the 1/2 cup milk remaining; as soon as the milk starts to steam, pour the cornstarch mixture and stir. When the mixture thickens, add the rose water and stir well. Set aside.
  2. Place the pomegranate juice (less 1/2 cup)  and sugar in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and heat till steaming. Add the dissolved cornstarch and remaining juice and stir until thickened. Add the rose water and stir to combine.
  3. Pour into individual ramequins or bowls, one tablespoon at a time of each kind and garnish with pomegranate arils. Cool in the refrigerator uncovered. Serve cold.

  

  
  

   

• February 29, 2012
• 18:10

  Pasta shells in pumpkin sauce

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  This is probably the easiest pasta to prepare and frankly one of the tastiest. Simply cook some pumpkin, mash it and combine it with the pasta. Sprinkle cheese, some toasted nuts and dinner is ready!

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 oz. of shell or tube pasta 
  • 1 pound of cut-up and peeled pumpkin
  • 6 oz. of cheese (could be any melting cheese, I used feta)
  • salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
  • 1/4 cup of toasted and chopped nuts (I used pecans)

  METHOD:

  1. Boil the pasta till al dente and drain. In a separate pan, boil the pumpkin with one cup of water till soft. Mash and add the spices to taste. Combine with the pasta. Add the cheese and nuts. Combine. Serve.

  Coffee man set up his shop on a street corner, with a few pieces of wood board and some vinyl covering; happy and relaxed, he serves fresh espresso, tea, water bottles, candy and cigarettes.  He posted a sign by his coffee machine, a saying that goes like this: Borrowing is forbidden Admonishments are lifted Wealth and good fortune are in God’s hands
• February 28, 2012
• 21:10

  Lebanese cucumbers (Khyar)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  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. 

  

• February 27, 2012
• 7:25

  Cauliflower salad (Arnabeet w tarator)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  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 covered with the sauce. 

  The sauce is a basic tarator which can be fancied up a bit by using Seville  oranges or another citrus  instead of lemons. 

  The same dish can be prepared slightly differently by frying the cauliflower florets till browned. I just decided to save a few calories and effort here.

  INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 small head of cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup of tahini
  • 1/2 cup of lemon juice (fresh) or Seville orange juice
  • 2 cloves of garlic mashed with a tsp of salt
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 2 tbsp of chopped parsley (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and steam or boil for a few minutes till tender; drain well and set aside in a salad bowl.
  2. In another bowl, pour the tahini, add the lemon juice and stir and add the water gradually until the mixture is smooth and fluid like a thick sauce; add the mashed garlic and combine and taste the sauce, adding more lemon juice if needed. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve at room temperature.

   

• February 24, 2012
• 23:02

  Lebanese couscous (Moghrabieh)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  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 lamb shanks and chicken but nowadays most people prefer a streamlined version with only one or the other.

  Moghrabieh can be purchased fresh in Beirut (at places like Al-Rashidi);  outside of the country,  it is sold dry  in any Middle-Eastern market.

  Moghrabieh refers to both the grains and the finished dish. This dish involves  two main  steps: The first is to cook the chicken (or meat) and the onions and obtain a good bouillon which will be used to cook the moghrabieh grains. The second is to cook the moghrabieh grains in the bouillon. 

  Moghrabieh keeps very well in the fridge for several days without loss of flavor and can be reheated in the microwave.

  INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 1 pound (1/2 kilo or 500 g.) of dry moghrabieh
  • 3/4 pound of small boiling onions
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 can of cooked chickpeas
  • 1 whole chicken weighing about 3 pounds, free-range and organic if possible
  •  Spice mix: 1 1/2 tbsp of ground caraway and 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of allspice or seven-spice mix, and salt and white pepper  to taste, 1 tsp of cumin (optional). For flavoring the chicken:  one cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, a carrot
  • olive oil or clarified butter, as needed

  NOTE: Middle-Eastern stores will have a spice mix called moghrabieh in their spice rack.    METHOD: 

  1. Clean the chicken, season it with some allspice, salt, pepper;  brown it in a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven as well as the large onion. Pour 8 cups of water over the chicken, add a cinnamon stick, bay leaf and carrot, and let it simmer gently for at least one hour, skimming the froth at the surface. This step could be done the day before.
  2. Peel and brown the small boiling onions in some oil (or better yet, clarified butter)until the onions are evenly browned on all sides. Strain the chicken, keeping the bouillon simmering gently in a large pot or saucepan. Add the chickpeas and boiling onions  and half the spices to the chicken bouillon. Take apart the chicken, dumping bones and skin;  cut the chicken meat into large pieces and set them aside on a plate. 
  3. Boil the moghrabieh in a large pot filled with salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil or butter and fry the moghrabieh in the oil on very low heat, adding the rest of the spices  for 5 minutes. Gradually add to the moghrabieh several ladles of chicken bouillon (about 2 1/2 cups) and keep over low heat simmering gently and stirring the moghrabieh from time to time with a wooden spoon until the grains feel soft and thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes (make sure to taste it and do not overcook it). Add to the moghrabieh one cup of the chickpeas and one cup of the  small boiling onions, leaving the rest for the sauce.
  4. Boil down the remainder of the broth until you have  3 cups left; add about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch diluted in a little water to the steaming broth and stir to thicken it. Keep a few chickpeas and onions in the sauce and serve in a separate saucer with the moghrabieh. Serve the moghrabieh with the chicken pieces, chick peas and onions and have the warm sauce available in a separate saucer.

  

  NOTE:   In this recipe, I have omitted a step which is to steam the moghrabieh in a colander set over the simmering chicken broth for about 20 minutes to infuse the grains with flavor and moisture; I cooked it with and without this step and did not notice much difference. Now if you own a couscoussière with the steamer already in place, by all means use this step. 

  NOTE: If you are using fresh moghrabieh, then it is not necessary to boil the grains. Proceed with the other steps.

• February 23, 2012
• 7:15

  Clementine tart

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  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 its own and keeps for a good ten days in the fridge. This recipe is inspired by one for orange curd.

  

  Clementine  curd: Makes 2 cups (250 ml.)

  • 1 1/2 cups of fresh clementine juice (or tangerine)
  • 4 tbsp of fresh Seville orange juice or lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup of raw sugar (or white sugar)
  • 8 tbsp of unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs + 4 egg yolks
  • pinch of saffron (optional)
  • 4 drops of red food color (optional)
  • a few candied orange rinds to garnish (optional)

  METHOD:

  1. Place the fresh  juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer; let it simmer gently for about 12 minutes until the juice has reduced to 1/2 cup. Add the zest and the orange juice (or lemon juice if Seville oranges are not handy) and set the mixture aside until it cools. 
  2. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is thoroughly combined; add the cooled juice with the zest and, using a wire whisk, stir the mixture continuously over very low heat until it thickens; this should take 5 to 10 minutes. 
  3. When the mixture is thick, run a metal spoon in it and swipe your finger on the spoon to see if it leaves a clean mark. If it does, the custard is ready; add the saffron and stir a few seconds longer to spread it around. If desired, add a few drops of food color and stir away from the heat. 
  4. To get the smoothest texture, pour the curd through a sieve and strain it, pressing on it with a large spatula; the zest and saffron threads (if using) will stay behind and the curd will be as smooth as silk.

  To make the crust:

  • 2 cups of flour
  • 1/2 tsp of baking powder
  • dash of salt
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter (4 oz or 100 g.)
  • 1 egg
  • 3 or 4 tbsp of whipping cream

  METHOD:

  1. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor or mixer. Mix to combine well. Add the butter, cut in small pieces and mix until the flour is coarse. Add the egg and mix and add the cream and mix until the dough is compact and moist. Transfer the dough to a plastic bag and refrigerate at least one hour. When ready to use, soften at room temperature and roll out into a greased and floured pan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a medium-hot oven (350F) until the crust is dry and golden-browned. Cool. 

  
• February 21, 2012
• 17:47

  Rose petals (Ward joury)

   » ‎ Taste of Beirut

  

  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 way to the cashier, noticed a prickly rose bush in a planter. The second I smelled the petals there was no mistake: This was the ward (rose) joury! Turns out the owner was Lebanese and he offered to let me have a cutting; when I asked where he had gotten this rose, his reply was “Home Depot”.

  Ward Joury is Damask Rose or Rosa Damascena. It is used in some spice mixes here, such as the kammounieh in the South. It adds such a lovely fragrance to  food or can be made into a tea infusion. Some accounts claim that one of the French crusaders brought it back to Europe with him from Syria in the 13th century.