Happy New Year! This is my first post for the year and it’s a very special one. It’s been a longtime dream to write an article about Lebanon and 2010 saw me realize that dream. Accompanied by Roderick Field, we flew to Lebanon where we spent five days gorging ourselves. In fact, on one of the days, we managed to visit 6 different restaurants, and it wasn’t just tastings that took place. Part of Lebanon’s great charm is the abundant hospitality of its people. In other words, they don’t take no for an answer when it comes to feeding their guests, because let’s face it, a guest could just be shy and of course, the host must insist several times in an effort to dissolve the guests shyness. And that’s exactly what happened with each restaurant we visited. They wanted us to try nearly everything on the menu and after 5 days we were pretty much bursting at the seams. The Gourmet Traveller feature on Beirut is in Food & Travel Magazine February/March issue, which is out now in all major bookstores, worldwide. Hope you will grab a copy and have a read 🙂
One of the places I highlighted in the feature was Furn Al-Sabaya or the Bakery of the Ladies. This is the only bakery in Lebanon that still makes mouwaraka; bread dough that is rolled out thinly, lathered with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, almonds, walnuts and orange blossom water and then rolled into a spiral shape and baked till golden and crusty. The Lebanese version of cinnamon rolls, if you like. I was able to track down the recipe but with a couple of secret ingredients that could not be revealed. However, I made it at home and it worked like a charm.
I’d like to take this opportunity to inform you of my Taste Lebanon tours- 7 day culinary journeys that I lead throughout the year. The next one is scheduled from April 28th- May 6 2011. There is one more seat available, however, we can make arrangements to include one more couple. For more information and to register for the tour follow this link.
A warm welcome!
JINC-
- 120g white flour
- 3g salt
- 3g of fast-rising yeast
- About 6 tablespoons of water- more or less
- 60g fresh almonds, crushed
- 60g fresh walnuts, crushed
- 60g white sugar
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 5g butter
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast and adding half the water and then more as you need it. knead till the dough is elastic.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 3 hours at room temperature.
- Spread the dough with a rolling pin, very finely (3mm thick).
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
- Cut the dough into 3 pieces and shape a circle of 25 cm in diameter.
- In a bowl, blend the almonds and walnuts.
- In a bowl, combine almonds, walnuts, sugar, rose water and orange blossom water.
- Coat the dough with butter.
- Spread the mixture. Leave 2 cm from the edge without mixture.
- Piece a hole in the middle. Roll the dough from the inside to the outside.
- With a brush, coat it with oil or butter.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
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This is the first of many!!!. Inspiring insight into the country you love.
Thank you for your constant support 🙂 xx
I will rush and buy the issue at once! I am so happy to see Lebanon featured in happy news for a change; My aunt took me to the bakery last Christmas and of course we bought some and some manakeesh. This is great! Bravo to you Beth for being the beautiful and bright ambassador to Lebanon for us. Joumana
Joumana you are too kind. This is the sweetest comment. You do a brilliant job yourself. Kudos to you too. Hope to see you soon in Lebanon x
Bethany, Congratulations on the Food & Travel article! I’m going to buy it! Mouraka recipe looks amazing…I’m so much into making flat breads right now! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you very much Sara! I think you will really enjoy this then. Do let me know. 🙂 x
WOW !! talk about starting 2011 with a bang ! mazel tov b !! this is so extremely exciting. i can only imagine (and dream of) writing a huge (12 page !!) feature on zürich, the city i fell in love with – i’m practically giddy at the idea. so i *can’t* even imagine what it is like for you, with even more passion for lebanon and a stronger relationship to beirut – to have done so. and i seriously can not wait to see your article. then eventually get there with you one day too ! je rêve !
thank you for sharing that video, it’s awesome ! love the music too. fascinating to watch the baker at work. i’ve never seen a dough rolled like that, starting with a hole in the center. she made it look so easy… and voilà , a perfect circle ! ha ! i wonder what shape i’ll get when i try… and i can not wait to try, yum. congrats again beth ! =)
Kerrin I honestly await impatiently the day that we will travel to Lebanon together. Oh how grand it will be! Dreams will come true and we will do a nice group and go. Very soon. Thank you for your constant support and sweetness. xx
i have no doubt in my mind, b… we *will* travel to lebanon together one day. it’s just a matter of when ! so we can add impatience to the mix of support and sweetness too ! haha ! xxx
A lovely story about the women’s bakery. I would love to visit Lebanon again – a fantastic country, lovely people, great food.
Yes the ladies bakery is a favorite. They really have it figured out.
Sorry I meant bakery of ladies – brain not too bright at this time of night!
Awesome stuff. I can only imagine how good that tastes. Congratulations on that amazing sounding magazine article Beth. Well done. And happy 2011 to you xx
Where did you find the cool bath tub and where did she get her vintage litlte outfits??? I love this! So cute! I wanna do something like this!
Thanks Colleen! Happy New Year to you too! All the happiness xx
What a brilliant start to the year! Huge congrats – I’ve always wanted to visit Lebanon, you’ve just made me want to go more than ever 🙂
Thanks Julie! Hope you get to make it out to Lebanon one day.
Very well done on the feature and I love the idea of a food tour. I need to save some money for this but going on tour with you sounds like a fantastic experience! One day…
Thanks Trissa. Hope you have you join one day, too. Would be lovely to finally meet you 🙂
Congratulations Bethany! At some point, we will definitely need to take one of your Lebanese culinary tours.
Thanks Akila! Yes would love to have you join and look forward to meeting you at FBC in August 🙂
Congrats! that is awesome.
What a wonderful recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
So hugely proud of you and happy for you, Bethany! I love your work so much and am thrilled to pieces to see all your efforts paying off in the publicity and exposure you deserve. One day I WILL go on a tour with you. It makes me smile just thinking of it. 🙂
This is wonderful and the recipe looks amazing! I wonder what you think of Fiona Dunlop’s book Medina Kitchen? I have found it to be really a great introduction to the food of the area and also the women home cooks who make it. But this is wonderful, I will definitely try this recipe soon!
I watched the video. It’s a great recipe I’m thinking about making it to impress my friends! 🙂
Hi Bethany, I just want to say I love love your work and am so inspired by your blog. I just saw this post, and I really hope I can still find the February issue of the magazine! I am going out immediately in search. (: I’m very happy for you and look forward to more to come..
?Hi Bethany, I just want to say I love love your work and am so inspired by your blog. I just saw this post, and I really hope I can still find the February issue of the magazine! I am going out immediately in search. (: I’m very happy for you and look forward to more to come..
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how wonderful. People who follow their passion shine in life. that is you. congratulations Beth.x
Thanks for the recipe! I am preparing the dough and looking ahead. Why do I need to cut the dought into three pieces? I am not getting that part especially when I see the recipe makes one mouwaraka. Thanks!