Before there was rice, there was burghul. It was the staple grain in Lebanon and an essential part of the winter mouneh, the preserved, dried, pickled, foodstuff that sustained families through the cold winters in the mountains. Now, while rice is certainly popular in Lebanon and the whole region, burghul still commands a large presence […]
A Simple Pot of Burghul (Lebanese Cracked Wheat) Read More »
I’ve posted about Maui Nui Axis deer before here. In short it’s a delicious and densely nutrient and protein packed meat that is sustainably “raised” (since it is mostly wild) and harvested on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The leg roast is consistently my favorite cut due to its versatility and -relative to other cuts-
Venison (or Beef or Lamb) Shawarma Read More »
If you’ve ever had a good lamb shawarma wrap or have been to any Lebanese restaurant, chances are you have tried this simple sauce. It’s delicious on almost everything. Dip some fried cauliflower in it, roasted potatoes, grilled beef or lamb kebabs, fried fish, drizzle it on spiced rice and ground beef pilaf….the sour, nutty,
Taratoor – Lebanese Tahini Sauce Read More »
This one is not going to win any beauty contests, that’s for sure but it is a delicious and very emblematic of many Lebanese home-style stews that I grew up eating. Funny enough this one, really any okra based dish, was never my favorite when I was a kid. Yet, now, along with eggplant okra
Lebanese Okra and Beef Stew Read More »
Kafta is a Lebanese kitchen cornerstone. Like Kibbeh it’s a dish, a recipe and a staple that can be made into various preparations. For minced meat to be Kafta it has to be spiced and flavored with onions and plenty of parsley. I am sure this is not written in stone anywhere and someone else’s
Kafta – Ground Meat with Onions and Spices Read More »
Having grown up eating chickpeas (hummus in Arabic) mashed with garlic, lemon juice and the all-important sesame paste (Tahini or Tahina) on a regular basis it was really interesting seeing how this dip took off in the last 10 years or so. It’s everywhere now, on every other restaurant/pub/diner/health food restaurant’s menu. This is both
Hummus bil Tahini – Creamy Chickpea, Lemon and Sesame Paste Dip Read More »
Until my mom visited recently and made this dish I had only used mung beans in a couple of simple soups and southeast Asian desserts. I never really thought of the mung beans with their Arabic name, M’ash. The traditional Lebanese way to use it is to cook it with lots of browned onions and cut
Mung Beans with Burghul (Burghul M’ash) Read More »
It’s been longer than I normally would like to wait before posting a food related item here. However, I do have an excuse. My mom was visiting from Lebanon. We were busy, had a good time and really enjoyed some fantastic Lebanese cooking from her. I do have a couple of posts that I will
Almost more than any other Lebanese dish, I crave Kibbeh Nayeh the most and immediately request that my mom or grandmother make a plate of this iconic dish as soon as I am back home visiting. Growing up this was our typical Sunday lunch. Back then I honestly did not appreciate it as much and would’ve
Kibbeh Nayeh – Raw minced Beef and Burghul with Spices and Herbs Read More »
It might not look like it, but this dish’s inspiration and flavor is Lebanese. I love swiss chard ribs, those central stalks in each leaf that usually get thrown away. My mom always quickly boils them and tosses them with tahini, garlic and lemon juice. I was eating some of those recently and wanted to
Short Rib, Chard Ribs, Eggplant, Yogurt Read More »