It's been a while now that I keep getting requests for a fattoush salad recipe... Well it's finally here! I've guest posted the recipe over at the lovely Michelle, on her blog Greedy Gourmet. Please head over there and do make it soon. It's perfect for the weather we're having now and it makes a wonderful barbecue accompaniment. Bethx
I'm going home on Wednesday! I can't wait to be back in Lebanon hanging out with family and friends. I'll be there for the next month working on several really exciting projects that will be unveiled over the coming months. Speaking of which, have you heard about Taste Lebanon Taste Lebanon is a "real life" culinary tour across Lebanon which I'll be leading in September, taking 8-11 lucky travelers on a tasting journey over 7 days. Some of you...
I'm back from a lovely, relaxing holiday in Antigua where I sunned my self brown and drank rum punch galore. I've got some gorgeous pictures I can't wait to share with all of you in my next post. Antigua is so picturesque and I can't wait to return. Holidays are great for rejuvenating the mind and inspiring all kinds of creativity and ideas. I love it when I find inspiration on Holiday. I think it's a good sign that I relaxed the mind and soul....
I'd like to thank you all so much for participating in the Lebanese Pantry Giveaway. I've really appreciated all your feedback! It's always a joy to hear what you have to say! You guys rock! I'm happy to announce and with the help of this website the lucky winner of the Lebanese Pantry Givewaway is Asha with comment # 7: "Asha@FSK 21 April 2010 at 1:55 am (Edit) # Love the new look and the Lebanese sections are fantastic!!! :) And, yes, awesome...
Notice anything different? Yup. DKS has just had a face lift. Just a little nip tuck to help make space for more content like the new section called "The Lebanese Pantry" where you can find information about the key ingredients used in Lebanese cuisine. I've also added a section called "The Mediterranean Diet" which brings together wholesome, nutritious recipes that incorporate essential ingredients to the Mediterranean diet; grains, pulses and...
How many of you agree that consuming processed, fat-free foods is probably the most frightful thing you could do to yourself? Take fat-free yogurt as a simple example; the ones that have slender, gorgeous ladies advertised all over the packaging. I can promise you one thing: these ladies are not eating that yogurt to get that figure. Fat Free anything, in this case yogurt, will have copious amounts of added sugar, high-fructose corn...
I've not posted in a while! I'm sorry! Some of you have been in contact asking me if everything is o.k? Thank you for your genuine concern and kind words. I really appreciate it! I've been really busy mainly with FBC 2010, entertaining my sisters who made an awfully quick pit stop on their way back from Lebanon to Hawaii, helping my cousin move in to her new place and well if I'm to be frank: my spirit is in fact hanging low at the moment! I'm...
I have a confession to make... I have no exact measurements for this recipe. I always write down my recipe measurements on a notepad as I go about in the kitchen. This system has worked a charm and I've never had a problem with loosing the notepad or forgetting it somewhere...Till now! I left Brighton and the notepad behind. When I arrived in Rome and realized this a few hours later I went bonkers. "NO! I don't have the measurements for my next...
Let me apologies for the radio silence over the last week or so. I've been so busy with different things from dealing with projects regarding this blog, FBC and then a last minute trip to Dubai to help with preparations for my cousin's upcoming wedding in Rome. February is going to be a very crazy month. But, I'm not complaining...I'd much prefer to be busy! Valentine's Day is a couple of weeks away and I thought I'd offer you a three-course,...
Ah! Chicken wings...What's not to like! Actually, do you know what I like even more? Little birdies. Yes. You heard me right. The same ones that fly in the sky. They are absolutely, mouth watering, delicious eaten whole; grilled or sauteed and lathered with a sweet and sour pomegranate molasses basting sauce. I am consciously aware that what I've just said is politically incorrect and illegal in most places. But, in Lebanon they are still...
Once more, I will express my undying love for chickpeas: I Am M.A.D About Chickpeas! After all, how can one not succumb to such a delectable and pulsing love affair! The chickpea, belonging to the protein food group, is such a versatile and wholesome leguminous pulse. You can make anything out of it; falafel, all kinds of hummus dips, veggie burgers, bread, and it's also a perfect addition to stews, curries, salads... I could go on and on. And,...
We've been enjoying this soup for about two months now and we're still not bored of it. It's so delicious and a fantastic option for those of you looking to lighten up after the holidays. I enjoy fennel any way it comes but turning it into a warming soup as the snow tumbles outside, is the perfect cure for the winter blues. Adding flakes of white fish like cod makes it even more fulfilling and a perfect way to end the day while still keeping...
Happy New Year! The festivities have come to an end and now we make way for a new year and a new decade. I wish that the coming year brings everyone real happiness and sets you off into this fresh decade on the right path. For many of us, the delicious celebrations that we merrily welcome are also jubilantly welcomed by our waistlines. It's no secret that many of us start the new year with mighty resolutions, swearing that we will finally put...
We all know what it's like when the world is spinning at two hundred miles an hour and you're standing there in a dizzy, desperately trying to remain sane and get on with your ever expanding to-do list while tackling tasteless fireballs. I feel like that all too often. In fact, I feel like that right now. But, a while ago, I promised myself to learn to enjoy the moment no matter what it is! When all goes "Pete Tong" - as the cliche goes in my...
I felt like head butting my computer screen on several occasions last night. The fear of causing severe brain damage to myself was the only reason I practiced laborious restraint. I have a Macbook Air that I bought long before I knew how obsessed I was to become with food blogging; the practice of over-tasting while holding a camera in one hand photographing the smallest of crumbs and rambling on about the importance of dry chickpeas while all...
Couscous is probably one of the easiest, simplest and quickest dishes to put together. Done right and it can be the most satisfying. That's why I love it. It's also a great blank canvas; you can really get creative and add whatever ingredients you want, resulting in your own personal masterpiece of flavors. That's why it just seems ludicrous to include a recipe for couscous. As long as you know how to cook (I wouldn't even call it...
It seems as though all I've been talking about recently is Kebbeh and that's because I really never tire of it, especially as they're are so many variations of it. The below recipe is just one other example.I recently gifted my friend Sacha a Middle Eastern cookbook entitled "Turquoise" authored by Greg and Lucy Malouf and full of tales about their journey through Turkey. The book is exquisite; from the turquoise cover (which happens to be my...
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...
These baby aubergines are part of the Lebanese mouneh or preserving and pickling process for the winter months. They are vegetarian, gluten-free and so moreish. I've heard it's a good idea to eat them straight from the jar, oil dripping all over your chin and your once-worn silk ruffle shirt, not even giving it a moments notice- till the jar is empty. Then you're screwed. No, I'm not speaking from experience. But, you can also try serving them...
I last enjoyed this salad whilst in Lebanon, at a restaurant off the beaten track in a coastal town full of charm and history. The small, family-run restaurant, appropriately named after its owner, "Chez Maggy", is nestled along the coast of Batroun. It hosts some of the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean and the old Phoenician Wall. Batenjan El Raheb translates into English as the monk's aubergine. I'm not exactly sure why it was...
