It’s Summertime in the South, temperatures are already soaring close to 100˚F and my oven is sort of taking a break. I love making playful light dishes with all the fresh greens and seafood from the local market, and proud to say that many of the herbs that I’m using now come from my little herb garden – oregano, marjoram, …
Herb Meatballs with Spinach and Zucchini
May has flown by! It’s been busy around here. With school ending in a couple of weeks, schedules are packed with birthday parties and school activities, kitchen is filled with the aromas of fresh produce, herbs and fruits. Lots of cooking and experimenting going on, and unfortunately I don’t always have a chance to take pictures and share with you. …
Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage with Pomegranate & the SuperMoon
I have a fascination with rolling and stuffing things, well in particular vegetables. It might be a Mediterranean thing, still not sure though. In Lebanon, we have stuffed grape leaves , stuffed cousa squash, stuffed eggplants, stuffed squid, etc … and stuffed cabbage, which may not sound so appetizing at first glance, but actually is delicious. The thing is though …
Cedar-wrapped Local Flounder with Fennel, Zucchini and Thyme
And finally Spring weather! A beautiful day to soak the sun and prepare a healthy super fast lunch. I’ve had the cedar paper sitting on the kitchen counter for a few days, my mind percolating different ideas. Until this morning as I walked to our local market and saw some gorgeous flounder calling my name. Suddenly everything fell into place …
Lamb and Brown Rice Porridge (Hreessy)
Hreessy (which is different than harissa, the Tunisian hot paste) is a traditional Lebanese dish made with pearled wheat and lamb or chicken, usually prepared in large quantities and shared with families. In our village, it is prepared by the groom’s family on his wedding day, among a very large buffet where the whole family is invited to celebrate the …
Grilled Winter Greens, Herbed Red Snapper and a Tart Apple Dressing
The idea for this plate has been twirling in my head for a couple of weeks and didn’t get to it until now. I love grilled foods and I always want some kind of dip, sauce, dressing with it. I was craving acidic, tart flavors, but citrus is out for the next few months (unfortunately!), I opted to make a …
Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Greens, Artichokes and Pomegranate
Hey friends. Didn’t mean to stay away for so long. Life has been a bit hectic, in a good way. Things are changing, morphing, and I like change. It keeps me focused and makes my brain a bit more creative. In other news, I am two weeks into a 3-months (as I was assured by Dr. S) detox period …
Braised Lamb Shanks with Root Veggies and a Concussion in my Sleep!
Lately I have been admiring the spontaneity and unpredictability of Life. Whether on a worldly level or my own microcosm, I’m fascinated how quickly something can turn. And this feeling accentuates a million times with children. It’s not a bad feeling, it just is. A sense of the unknown around the corner, it keeps me entertained to say the least. …
Kibbe in Minted Yogurt Sauce
I can’t go on any further without including a Kibbe dish, afterall, this is a Lebanese food blog. It’s a welcome interruption from the sugar/butter/flour party I’ve been having in the kitchen. Kibbe is in fact the quintessential Levantine dish, essentially a paste of burgul, lamb and spices stuffed with nuts and more meat and shaped into torpedos or layered …
Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Chanterelle Confit
December. Absolutely my favorite month of the year (well that and June, my birthday month). Love everything about it and the cold weather too. Just more reasons to bake and cook, as if I needed anymore. And that brings me to: confit n. a piece of meat cooked in its own fat. The Levantine version of confit is made with …