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...
Banana, Rum and Macadamia Cake Author: Bethany Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Serves: 8 This versatile recipe makes either a sweet banana, rum and macadamia cake or (by reducing the sugar quantity) an equally delicious banana bread, just waiting to be spread generously with butter while it is still warm from the oven. Heaven on Earth! I find the sweetness of the cake just right, but you could add a rum drizzle...
What's your idea of a perfect holiday? Mine? My bottom perfectly poised on a sandy beach, chilled music in the background, a good self-help book (because everyone needs help), a few tropical cocktails to set things in motion, and of course a good-looking charmer sweet-talking me all the way. Luckily, I'm married to one so that's already a given! And, where will my bottom be settling in the next 10 days, you ask? Ah, it will be on one of the...
I recently called my father in search of a ma'amoul recipe. A bit perplexed he proclaimed in Arabic: "Why do you want to trouble yourself with making ma'amoul. It's so much work and anyway I don't like ma'amoul. Really it's too much effort for nothing. Shou baddeek bi ha shaghle" See my father is not a baker. A fantastic cook but definitely not a baker. Also, the majority of people in Lebanon don't make ma'amoul anymore given the...
There are many ways to make a chicken liver parfait, the following recipe is my preferred method. It's easy, uses only a few ingredients, is fairly quick to knock up and yields silky smooth results. So, what is the difference between a chicken liver pate and a chicken liver parfait? A chicken liver pate becomes a chicken liver parfait (French for perfect) when the cooked liver mixture is pushed through a sieve to remove any sinewy bits,...
I'm in love with green bean casserole! Not any green bean casserole, however. Dish me up the classic green bean casserole invented in 1955 by Campbell's Soup Company using canned ingredients and beware the dragon fire. As I've mentioned before, I like to use fresh ingredients and to build a dish from scratch. There really is nothing more satisfying, more delicious, more virtuous, more necessary. I realize that for some, the mere mention of the...
Before I begin rambling on about bloggetitis, I would like to say that this post is dedicated to Halloween, Thanksgiving... And, a certain man in my life. This cake and post is dedicated to my brother Eli, because he's just turned the wonderful age of 19! There he is in the below picture, the youngest one, chewing grass at such a tender age. (From left; moi, Eli, Joslin, & Addie in Baskinta, Lebanon. Our parents had a weird thing for...
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...
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...