I arrived to Lebanon over a week ago, during the "mouneh" months; pickling and preserving summer produce for the winter months. Preparing the mouneh is a practice that goes back for centuries and is an essential partĀ of the Middle Eastern kitchen. We pickle and preserve pretty much everything. Alina, my father's girl friend, and I have been trying out some traditional recipes and some rather non-traditional recipes. We've been in the mountains...
As I begin writing this, the aromas of mloukhieh, cardamom, coriander, and garlic infuse the air, sending my stomach in mad rages. Mloukhieh, the Egyptian national dish, is extremely popular in Lebanon and is one of my favorite dishes. Mloukhieh leaves are a type of edible green similar to spinach and in the English language are called Jew's mallow. This leafy green vegetable has a mucilaginous texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The...
Verjuice Verjuice (aka as hosrum) is the unfermented, sour juice, extracted from semi-ripe grapes. Verjuice adds a wonderfully delicate, sweet-tangy tone to dishes, salads and reductions. Verjuice is available in some supermarkets and Middle Eastern delicatessens. Apple Vinegar Our family farm in Baskinta is host to hundreds of apple trees of which much of their fruit goes to souk each year. My father retains a...