When the lovely folks over at Food52 asked me to contribute an heirloom recipe for their blog, the first thing that came to mind was my grandmother's and aunt's kebbeh. For more on the story, the recipe (and some vintage pics) follow this link.
Pomegranate and Cider-Glazed Ham Author: Bethany Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 2 hours Total time: 2 hours 20 mins Serves: 6-8 Go ahead, call me crazy, but I think Johnny Depp and pomegranate molasses have a lot in common. Seductive chameleons, whether on screen or on a plate, they are truly versatile star acts. Captivating and bold with a sharp attitude, they can make you swoon into consensual submission. Think Johnny Depp in the Rum Diary...
You may have noticed over the last couple of weeks that most of the photography has been the jaw-dropping work of the very talented lifestyle photographer Sarka Babicka. Over the last 3 years, Sarka and I have become close friends and several months back we decided to collaborate on a series of projects. What began as a weekend visit to my home in the West Country turned into a two-month long 'rock and roll' kibbutz experience. At the time, my...
Yup, it has been a good while since I've last posted. I have been and still am incredibly busy but I won't bore you with the what/where/how. Things will soon unravel in their own time. Meanwhile, I've got a stellar recipe for you. It's inspired by Lebanon, of course, and by my wonderful visits to Abu Kassem, but also from the Food Blogger Connect 2011 goodie bag. The lovely people over at Steenbergs were kind enough to provide us with some...
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...
Back in the good ol' days when there was no twitter, facebook, television, oh and a food processor there were lovely ladies who made kebbeh b jorn; minced lamb pounded for at least an hour in a jorn or mortar. Those days are long gone! I had to state the obvious. As you can imagine making kebbeh this way is lengthy, exhausting, dramatic and I'm not sure makes that much difference in taste or texture. I couldn't tell and nor did anyone else....
I've procrastinated for about a year now about filming a video recipe... Mainly because I knew how amateur it was going to look and as you can see it is! BUT, I guess I did have some fun and broke the ice as they say. I used a canon powershot, secured on a tri-pod, and this was a one-woman show. In fact, I think it's also pertinent you know that I passed on a shopping trip. Dedicated I know :) That's my niece enjoying a burger with no...
Kebbeh, the national dish of Lebanon, is an emulsification of the freshest minced lamb and burghul with essential 7-spices. In the old days, Lebanese women would pound the meat and the burghul in a mortar and pestle then knead in the spices, a process which can be excruciatingly exhausting. Oh hail, thou food processor! Kebbeh can be eaten raw (kebbeh naye) which is similar to steak tartare and is one of the popular methods of enjoying...