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 »
It’s great having a recipe for something easy and requires very little cooking in this hot weather but that is also immensely satisfying in their own. Lots of salads fall in this category and I am partial to a few recipes I have learned from Michael Solomonv’s book “Zahav” that he creates as variations on
Quinoa Salad with Peas, Parsley and Mint Read More »
We avoid burning things in most of cooking. It produces acrid, bitter and unpleasant textures. Yet, for some things, under certain circumstances “burnt” is good, very good. Heating sugar to just the point of smoking makes for amazing caramel. Those leopard dark spots on Neapolitan pizza give it a wonderful taste and texture. I do
Burnt Eggplant Salad Read More »
I had dinner at Zahav in Philadelphia recently. It’s a very popular Israeli restaurant with tons of acclaim and awards. It was a fantastic meal with lots of small vegetable appetizers, some delicious hummus tahini, and very good lamb shoulder and chicken (the dessert on the other hand was not exactly my cup of tea).
The Manresa cookbook from the three- star restaurant of the same name in California is a beautiful, inspiring and thoughtfully written book. I read it cover to cover and frequently flip through it to read various parts every so often. Chef David Kinch got my attention when he was featured on a season of The
Manresa: Assorted Potatoes, Curds and Whey, Norinade 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 »
If I had to pick all time favorite vegetarian meals they would have to be Mediterranean. They probably focus on lots of greens and wrapped in thin flatbread or dough (proper Falafel is probably on the top of that list). This Italian gem of a recipe from Paula Wolfert is one of those recipes and
Greens, Pumpkin and Rice Torta Read More »
It’s very much a stretch calling this mixture of spring vegetables a Bouillabaisse, but it gives you an idea at least about the flavor profile. In Happy in the Kitchen chef Michel Richard serves this “Bouillabaisse” with nothing more than the Aïoli and croutons (like a real Bouillabaisse). I’ve always loved the idea of this vegetable stew that is
Cod, Green Bouillabaisse and Aïoli Read More »
A couple of months ago all kinds of local cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli were available. The different colors of cauliflower alone was very impressive from white to green to orange and purple. I started thinking about one dish that can combine lots of these varieties in various preparation. This delicious and satisfying vegetarian dish is
Brassicas: Cauliflower, Aligot, Kohlarbi, Leaves 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 »