There are many schools of thought on the origin of the Scotch egg. Of the two most notable, the first claims it was invented by the London department store Fortnum & Mason in 1738 and the other claim is that it traveled from Persia to India with the Moghuls, where it is now known as nargisi kofta. In fact, a version of a kafta-encased egg appears in several volumes of Middle Eastern cookery books, including my upcoming cookbook. Anyone have...
Tabbouleh Author: Bethany Prep time: 25 mins Total time: 25 mins Serves: 4 Tabbouleh is a salad I can eat (and have eaten) daily for weeks at a time with no complaint. My Teta (Lebanese for Nana) was renowned for making the most delicious tabbouleh (but then so is every other Lebanese grandmother!). Living abroad over the last 8 years, I have noticed that Western versions of this dish use a larger bulgur-to-parsley...
The last few months have been extremely hectic. Thankfully I have been kept very busy with different projects and prospects although this has meant a little less time for blogging. Holiday season is nearing and I'm really looking forward to more recipe creations and new inspirations. One thing that has also been on my mind is creating football friendly food, like these cauliflower fritters with tahini dressing. So, over the next couple of...
On my recent trip to Lebanon, my brother and I spent quality time together making these moreish stuffed Swiss chard fingers and I think they're just the right treat. I had never made them before and when I asked my aunt for the recipe her response went a little like this:" a handful of this, pinch of that, taste and see..." and well we had to make 3 different batches before we got it just right. Making these heavenly chard fingers was also...
I've been in Lebanon for a month and a half now and I am starting to blow fuses because of the ridiculously slow internet connection. Apparently, there are only 3 other countries with worse internet than Lebanon and I was shocked to learn that internet in the Palestinian territories is actually much better. Since my arrival to Lebanon, one of the projects I've been working on is the photography for a Lebanese cookbook that was first written...
I'm going home on Wednesday! I can't wait to be back in Lebanon hanging out with family and friends. I'll be there for the next month working on several really exciting projects that will be unveiled over the coming months. Speaking of which, have you heard about Taste Lebanon Taste Lebanon is a "real life" culinary tour across Lebanon which I'll be leading in September, taking 8-11 lucky travelers on a tasting journey over 7 days. Some of you...
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...
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...
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...
I love risottos...almost any kind. They make my heart beat fast. One of my ultimate favorites is a simple, classic mushroom risotto with truffles. I'm a sucker for it. You can get me to do just about anything- laundry, back-bends and I'll even dance with snakes- for a creamy, luscious bite. I know that some are very frightened by the thought of making risotto and see it more of a punishment than a labor of love. I assure you, it is really easy...
My Lebanese grandmother would often make something very similar to this ratatouille which we knew in Arabic as mtab'a. About age 15, I finally had a "French" ratatouille in Provence, made by my French step-mom's father. I always loved my grandmother's mtab'a and so embraced ratatouille immediately. It's very satisfying served as a main meal with some rustic bread (Pain de Campagne), or goes well as an accompaniment to fish, meat or rice....
Tarator Author: Bethany Prep time: 10 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 4 One of my ultimate dressings or dips, this wonderfully versatile mixture is traditionally paired with falafel, baked fish, meatballs and many other dishes. If you have leftovers from this recipe, it will keep refrigerated, in a sealed container, for about 5-7 days. Ingredients 200ml/7fl oz/heaped 3/4 cup tahini 2 garlic cloves, crushed juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp finely...
Mad About Chickpeas- Falafel Author: Bethany Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 40 mins Serves: 20-24 It’s commonly believed that falafel (known as taamiya in Egypt) originated millennia ago in Egypt, where they were prepared using a mixture of broad beans and chickpeas. I prefer to stick to the Lebanese version which uses chickpeas only, but don’t be tempted to the tinned variety, as they will fall apart. A versatile...