Photo by Sarka Babicka I call these scrambled eggs "loved-up" because of the amount of time, love and care I invest towards their perfect development. It's a slow process, without the addition of cream or butter, just a generous dollop of butter, on very low heat, and lots of stirring. The lavender pepper is inspired from a similar blend I came across when living in Maui, Hawaii. There was a nearby lavender farm that made delicious edible...
(Photography by Sarka Babicka) In honour of Shrove Tuesday, I thought I'd share another favourite from The Jewelled Kitchen (AKA Pomegranates & Pine Nuts). These semolina pancakes are known as beghrir in North Africa, which means “1000 holes”. The name refers to the multitude of holes that develop on the surface as they cook. I've added a levantine touch by sealing them as we do with qatayef ashta (beghrir's cousins really) and stuffing...
Have some leftover tabbouleh to use up? I've got just the recipe for you! Head on over to Design Sponge's In The Kitchen With for the recipe and story behind its inspiration.
There are many schools of thought on the origin of the Scotch egg. Of the two most notable, the first claims it was invented by the London department store Fortnum & Mason in 1738 and the other claim is that it traveled from Persia to India with the Moghuls, where it is now known as nargisi kofta. In fact, a version of a kafta-encased egg appears in several volumes of Middle Eastern cookery books, including my upcoming cookbook. Anyone have...
"Can't wait to get organized" seems to have been my favourite moan phrase over the last two years. Over the last few weeks, and with the last of The Jewelled Kitchen book edits officially out of the way, I've finally found some down time to bring organization back into my life. Besides clearing up my desktop, folders, emails, and much more, I have also begun thinking about a new design/layout/feel for the blog, and look forward to...
Photography by Sarka Babicka Who doesn’t love roasties? I wrote a post about these a few years back, but thought I’d revisit them as my recipe writing skills have since improved tremendously (thankfully!) You can season them to your heart’s desire and here I’ve chosen to go with sumac; if you like, you can also throw in a few smashed, unpeeled garlic cloves. If you’ve got large appetites, double up the recipe. Sumac...
Candied Pumpkin Jam and Labneh Cheesecake Author: Bethany Prep time: 1 hour 15 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour 55 mins Serves: 6 This recipe is inspired by three different dishes: the Turkish dish kabak tatlisi, the cheesecake and, of course, Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. I do prefer this to the traditional pumpkin pie, as it’s far less sickly sweet. The pumpkin really gets to shine and it also melds well with the zesty labneh...
My lovely friends Nando from LiveKitchen & Sarka from Cook Your Dream joined me a couple of weeks back to shoot a series of DKS recipe videos. It was a brilliantly fun day and a great learning curve as I'm trying to become more active in v-blogging. Here goes my first shot, I hope you like it! For more info and for the recipe on labneh and some inspired variations visit one of my other posts about it here. Also, here's a recent recipe...
Which egg's your favorite? Mine is the lilac colored egg with the butterflies. Of course, you already knew that since I gave it the best seat in the house! I've always loved Easter and all the celebrations that came with it. In Lebanon, we have a beautiful custom that is called Chaa'nine which takes place on Palm Sunday. On this bright and sunny day, the air filled with the scents of spring, all the young ones come out dressed in white or...
Can you believe it's March already? I woke up this morning completely unaware that we had stepped into a new month, till I received the news on Twitter (the source of most if not all my information these days)! Oh how I love March! March means the onset of spring even though it isn't officially spring till March 20th also known as the Vernal Equinox. It's a great month that signals a fresh start, longer days, the chirping of birds, the...
My American grandmother introduced me to Jackass! She came into the room and whispered hysterically: " Beth you've gotta come see this!" So, I dropped whatever I was doing and followed her anxiously, wondering what she was going on about? Then... I saw two men with bleach white bums running wildly across the screen, yelling out obscenities while my grandmother was on the floor in tears! I was petrified. Well, I tell a lie. I was amused...Well...
Anyone that knows me, knows I'm mad about chickpeas. I soak chickpeas, weekly. I always have home made hummus in my fridge and I love to donate it to friends and family with Dirty Kitchen Secrets and Lick Your Plate Clean written all over the tubs. I've always got a spoon in a tub of hummus. It's my go-to snack. When it comes to chickpeas I don't like the canned option. I'm like my Italian friend who gets the quivers when Arabic bread is...
I always love a really good Lebanese rice pudding. It is so easy to make and a blend of some of my favorite flavors. This one in particular has one I don't get to use so often; mastic gum. Mastic gum reminds me of the Lebanese milk & mastic ice cream we used to have all the time growing up. It was and still is one of my favorites. I love how the ice cream gains a very light stretchy pull, as a result of the mastic gum. You can imagine how...
Family road trips or even day trips can be mind-blowing. I mean that in a good way. I really really do. As we are always up for a good laugh, a good cry or just a good mental breakdown, we decided that we would make a day trip to Baalback, all of us, together, in one car. This day trip would include my father, my step-mother Aliona, her daughter Alina, my brother Eli, and let's not forget me. Baalbeck is home to some of the biggest temples ever...
Although, this entire month is dedicated to Lebanon and all its glory, I must interrupt the regularly scheduled programming with a jamming post that doesn't have a lot to do with any particular country, as far as we are aware, that is. My dad's wife is Moldovan and has an impressive recipe box. She's inspired me many-a-times. This specific recipe comes from her; she got it from her mother; who got it from her mother; But, it's not Moldovan....
Sharab el Toot is one of Lebanon's most traditional drinks; a thirst quencher served to guests on hot summer afternoons. It is an exotic, revitalizing, wholesome drink that is sweet yet tangy and is rich with antioxidants. There is also a history that comes with Mulberry syrup, delving back into Lebanon's past... At the turn of the century, Lebanon was known for its high-quality silk industry. Bestowed with ideal climate and...
Hollandaise sauce is one of the 5 mother sauces in French cuisine and is made of warmed eggs, a hint of lemon, then melted butter is added slowly, to form a thick, creamy, smooth sauce. Because of the use of eggs and the application of heat, it deters many from attempting it, as the eggs yolks can quickly curdle, if not enough care is given. I assure you, it's easy to make but first you need to know the facts. Here are the facts to getting a...
A while ago I showed you how to perfectly poach an egg, as step 1 to making eggs Benedict. Finally, it's the English muffins turn, the classic base for eggs Benedict! Alternatively, they are also incredibly luscious drenched in butter and heaps of honey or jam. They are great made ahead and freeze well. I am giving you step-by-step photo instructions from Rachel Allen's English Muffins recipe from her recent cookbook "Bake". P.S....
I grew up on a farm for part of my childhood, during the turbulent civil war in Beirut, Lebanon. As many other Lebanese, we fled the city (many more left the country altogether), in search of refuge in the mountains. As every family traditionally hails from a village, we returned to our home village of Baskinta. My father, an international lawyer, started a dairy farm and began planting the land where we grew just about everything. We were...
For some time, I've been meaning to write a post on Eggs Benedict but I've been side tracked by the likes of Tabbouleh, Pizza Arabia and Heart Beet Ravioli. Poached egg recipes will vary and some will call for vinegar. This one doesn't because I find it alters the taste and the texture. Stirring the water before introducing the egg works just the same. It keeps the egg whites together without altering the taste. Here's a step by step...
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