(Photography by Sarka Babicka) In honour of Shrove Tuesday, I thought I'd share another favourite from The Jewelled Kitchen (AKA Pomegranates & Pine Nuts). These semolina pancakes are known as beghrir in North Africa, which means “1000 holes”. The name refers to the multitude of holes that develop on the surface as they cook. I've added a levantine touch by sealing them as we do with qatayef ashta (beghrir's cousins really) and stuffing...
Star Anise Yogurt Mousse with Fig Compote Author: Bethany Prep time: 4 hours 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 4 hours 40 mins Serves: 6 I'm gonna keep this post short and sweet (pun not altogether intended). I picked up the combination of flavors for this recipe early on from my grandmother. She loved infusing her fig jam with aniseed or "yansoun" as it's called in Arabic. Here, I chose to infuse the yogurt mousse rather than the fig jam...
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...
Happy New Year! This is my first post for the year and it's a very special one. It's been a longtime dream to write an article about Lebanon and 2010 saw me realize that dream. Accompanied by Roderick Field, we flew to Lebanon where we spent five days gorging ourselves. In fact, on one of the days, we managed to visit 6 different restaurants, and it wasn't just tastings that took place. Part of Lebanon's great charm is the abundant hospitality...
I'm back home, in Brighton, after spending two lovely months in Lebanon. I am always so torn between where home lies for me. I feel I belong here and there and I love each place for entirely different reasons. When I'm here I want to be there and when I'm there I want to be here. Now, if I could just get it right... One of the very wonderful aspects of Lebanon that I cherish so much is the natural bounty that abounds. Lebanon is a very blessed...
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...
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...
All good things must come to an end, and now here I am back in my kitchen, in my pajamas, my hair in tangles, listening to the chickpeas boil on the stove. I rub my eyes- was it all a dream? I am physically back from Rome where I've spent the last seven days playing Maid of Honor at my cousin Mel's fairytale wedding. Being a maid has never been so fun! It's been hard getting back into the groove after such an extravagant time. (picture courtesy...
I had a sudden inspiration to make panna cotta last week while my cousin Melanie was visiting. Before I talk about that, let me introduce Mel... Mel and I were born the same year, same day AND in the same hospital! Yea, pretty freakish! Have you ever noticed how many late August/September babies there are?! I've always put it down to the holiday spirit...If ya know what I mean ;) Anyway, one of the other things Mel and I share is our...
Ghraybeh are Lebanese butter cookies laced wonderfully with orange blossom flower then individually adorned by a piece of almond, pistachio or a pine nut. They are usually made into either S shapes, diamond shapes and most often shaped into wreath- like shapes where the ends are sealed together with a nut of choice. They are very delicate and melt in your mouth. Ghraybeh cookies are served around the holidays and are delicious with a cup...
Ayayay! Today is a day that's going to titillate your visual senses and change your lives, forever. Unless, you've already been to Mowie's blog and you've already begun receiving wholesome doses of visualgasms. I can never get enough! I am beyond thrilled to have the beautiful Mowie from Mowielicious.com posting here, today. I first fell upon Mowie's blog a few months ago, when Ms. Gourmet published a link back to his post: Self-Saucing...
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...
I always love a really good Lebanese rice pudding. It is so easy to make and a blend of some of my favorite flavors. This one in particular has one I don't get to use so often; mastic gum. Mastic gum reminds me of the Lebanese milk & mastic ice cream we used to have all the time growing up. It was and still is one of my favorites. I love how the ice cream gains a very light stretchy pull, as a result of the mastic gum. You can imagine how...
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...
Although, this entire month is dedicated to Lebanon and all its glory, I must interrupt the regularly scheduled programming with a jamming post that doesn't have a lot to do with any particular country, as far as we are aware, that is. My dad's wife is Moldovan and has an impressive recipe box. She's inspired me many-a-times. This specific recipe comes from her; she got it from her mother; who got it from her mother; But, it's not Moldovan....
Sharab el Toot is one of Lebanon's most traditional drinks; a thirst quencher served to guests on hot summer afternoons. It is an exotic, revitalizing, wholesome drink that is sweet yet tangy and is rich with antioxidants. There is also a history that comes with Mulberry syrup, delving back into Lebanon's past... At the turn of the century, Lebanon was known for its high-quality silk industry. Bestowed with ideal climate and...
I hope you like jammin' too! For all you jam lovers, here's one delicious post. Read on through till the end, because there is a little competition for you. I'm in Nice, France at the moment, visiting my aunt and cousin and having a fantastically delicious time. My Aunt and I headed over to Ventimiglia Market in Italy the other day and bought cases of fruits and vegetables. Every year, my aunt makes her jam for the year while in France and then...
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....