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...
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...
Family road trips or even day trips can be mind-blowing. I mean that in a good way. I really really do. As we are always up for a good laugh, a good cry or just a good mental breakdown, we decided that we would make a day trip to Baalback, all of us, together, in one car. This day trip would include my father, my step-mother Aliona, her daughter Alina, my brother Eli, and let's not forget me. Baalbeck is home to some of the biggest temples ever...
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...
Tripoli is a city with a lingering history; the air stained with the scent of orange flowers, bustling sounds coming from the streets, markets and mosques, with lavish sweets to appease your lusty cravings, and a beautiful seaside for relaxation. "Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon, is located in North Lebanon on the East Mediterranean coast and enjoys a strategic position with the added advantage of offshore islands and natural...
I get a knock on my door the other day. My landlord is standing there with branches of bay leaves: "I thought you would enjoy these! I've been pruning the tree" he said. What a kind and thoughtful guy! One thing I love about summer cooking is knocking up perfectly simple and quick dishes like this one and the abundance of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, of course! I had some haddock that Chris picked up earlier that morning and thought I'd pair the...
" I'm giving away a $50 Sur La Table gift card. READ ON TO ENTER!" I recently made this salad for my niece Vanessa who loved it so much; she now proclaims it one of her favourite salads. After watching me do a few cooking videos for the blog, she decided that she, too, wanted to be part of the "web show", as she likes to call it. Given that this is her favorite salad now, I showed her how to make it on her own. In the video below, Vanessa...
For a while... I could never betray my soul mate! But, Muhammara; a red-hot Syrian concoction which in Arabic means 'reddened' is a necessary addition to any worthy mezze spread. If you like Mutable or Baba Ghanouj (Lebanese Eggplant Dip) and Hummus (Lebanese Chickpea Dip) then you will absolutely love this red-dusk temptation. A combination of charred red bell peppers, walnuts and oh...oh...oh pomegranate molasses, makes Muhammara a...
My first taste of a lettuce veloute, was in New York, a few weeks ago. I never thought mushy lettuce could blossom in a soup. It was velvety smooth and it felt strange that it tasted so well. And I suppose why not we use a lot of different greens we eat in salads to make soups too. So, as soon as I got home, I ventured into the kitchen in an effort to re-create something similar. With the weather finally nearing pleasant temperatures, I...
This week, I was lucky enough to pin down Arlette, a family friend of Portuguese origin, and get her cooking with me in the kitchen. She shared a delicious Portuguese fish recipe while I tried my best during the whole lovely experience to snap a picture of her, but to no avail. She said she would rather remain mysterious, like the 'dark side of the moon'. I was not prepared to argue with this tough Portuguese cookie. This is one of those...
This is a family recipe that's been around ever since I can remember. It's a chicken casserole recipe with Spanish influence, not Indian, contrary to its name. Nevertheless and for unidentifiable reasons my aunt Janane, coined it "Poulet A L'indien" perhaps because the spices hailed from India. I met up with my other aunt, Amale, in Montreal this week. After a few phone calls to Lebanon, we got the recipe from aunt Janane and got busy in...
Arabic Bread/Khubz is commonly known as pita in the west where it is usually thicker and in an oval shape. Traditional Arabic bread is flat, leavened, circular and usually about 10in/25cm in diameter although it can vary. It is baked at high temperatures causing the dough to puff and create pockets. Once cooled, the bread deflates and can then be opened around the seams and the layers used to form sandwiches/wraps, or pieces are torn off...
Days when you're craving a pizza with all your soul but you're just feeling like the laziest person in the world end up also being a creative. And so it was on a lazy Saturday afternoon, that this 'Arabic bread as a pizza base' idea was put to the test. Of course, I do much prefer to make my own pizza and yes I know this is sacrilege and I accept that you will judge me for the sinning mortal that I am! This method yields a...
Can yours pleeease beet for me and forgive me for being so slack over the last month, and not really being an active member of the food obsessing society?! I'm sure you will, right? After all, it's valentines and you are supposed to share love! and forgive?! Especially after sharing the recipe for the cutest and cuddliest hearts ever?! Beetroot Ravoli Ingredients Ravioli 150g cooked beetroot, pureed 300g “oo” flour 1 egg Salt...
Alright! So I'm doing a terrible job at getting these posts up before the 31st as I was intending on doing! Many welcomed and un-welcomed factors have been standing in my way; my brother's arrival, new internet router's inability to arrive on time, some wicked sales I can't get my eyes hands off, and now I'm working on a quick last minute NY eve menu... So I'll get the rest of the recipes up as soon as humanly possible! I've been wanting to try...
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