Cider Can Turkey with Nutty Couscous Author: Bethany Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 2 hours 30 mins Total time: 2 hours 50 mins Serves: 6 It’s always best to bring a turkey to room temperature for at least an hour before cooking it, as this allows it to cook evenly. In addition, follow Harold McGee’s advice and apply an icepack to the breast during the last 30 minutes of this defrosting period, as this will slow down the...
I'm back from a lovely, relaxing holiday in Antigua where I sunned my self brown and drank rum punch galore. I've got some gorgeous pictures I can't wait to share with all of you in my next post. Antigua is so picturesque and I can't wait to return. Holidays are great for rejuvenating the mind and inspiring all kinds of creativity and ideas. I love it when I find inspiration on Holiday. I think it's a good sign that I relaxed the mind and soul....
Can you believe it's March already? I woke up this morning completely unaware that we had stepped into a new month, till I received the news on Twitter (the source of most if not all my information these days)! Oh how I love March! March means the onset of spring even though it isn't officially spring till March 20th also known as the Vernal Equinox. It's a great month that signals a fresh start, longer days, the chirping of birds, the...
My American grandmother introduced me to Jackass! She came into the room and whispered hysterically: " Beth you've gotta come see this!" So, I dropped whatever I was doing and followed her anxiously, wondering what she was going on about? Then... I saw two men with bleach white bums running wildly across the screen, yelling out obscenities while my grandmother was on the floor in tears! I was petrified. Well, I tell a lie. I was amused...Well...
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...
Hollandaise sauce is one of the 5 mother sauces in French cuisine and is made of warmed eggs, a hint of lemon, then melted butter is added slowly, to form a thick, creamy, smooth sauce. Because of the use of eggs and the application of heat, it deters many from attempting it, as the eggs yolks can quickly curdle, if not enough care is given. I assure you, it's easy to make but first you need to know the facts. Here are the facts to getting a...
A while ago I showed you how to perfectly poach an egg, as step 1 to making eggs Benedict. Finally, it's the English muffins turn, the classic base for eggs Benedict! Alternatively, they are also incredibly luscious drenched in butter and heaps of honey or jam. They are great made ahead and freeze well. I am giving you step-by-step photo instructions from Rachel Allen's English Muffins recipe from her recent cookbook "Bake". P.S....
I grew up on a farm for part of my childhood, during the turbulent civil war in Beirut, Lebanon. As many other Lebanese, we fled the city (many more left the country altogether), in search of refuge in the mountains. As every family traditionally hails from a village, we returned to our home village of Baskinta. My father, an international lawyer, started a dairy farm and began planting the land where we grew just about everything. We were...
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...
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...
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...
I made this dish a few months ago, when we were following a detox diet and decided to follow a vegetarian diet for a month. I have a fetish for veggies, and therefore didn't really mind the detox. Meanwhile my husband, suffered the first couple of days, constantly complaining he was hungry! But following dishes like this he began to embrace going veggie. So, I made this several times because it is very filling and the explosion of...
My father-in-law Jim is the inspiration behind this post- he can make an mean carrot soup! Now, I am big on soup and this carrot soup has to be in my top 10 soups to love. It's delicious and wholesome and so simple to make. Here's what you'll need: Ginger and Coriander Carrot Soup Author: Bethany Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients Knob of butter 1 onion, roughly...
This feisty dip is prepared in several ways in Lebanon, where it’s known as toum. It's an icon of the Lebanese culinary repertoire and I can remember my love for toum beginning early on, when as a child I would make secret midnight trips to the fridge and snack on it by dipping in with some Arabic bread. Usually, at home, pounded garlic is emulsified with olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon. In the north of the country, mint may...