My Culinary Journey through Lebanon

Ingredients - The Movie

2012-01-29T12:18:00.002+02:00

Ingredients

I have copied the synopsis from the press kit for you to get an idea of the movie.

SYNOPSIS
American food is in a state of crisis. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise, food costs are skyrocketing, family farms are in decline and our agricultural environment is in jeopardy. A feature-length documentary film, INGREDIENTS explores a thriving local food movement as our world becomes a more flavorless, disconnected and dangerous place to eat.

Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, the film takes us across the United States; from the urban food deserts of Harlem to the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys and to the kitchens of celebrated chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman and Greg Higgins. INGREDIENTS is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities.

With questions of food safety, accessibility, cost, and health at the forefront, we learn that seasonal food grown close to home provides consumers with a sense of security as they develop relationships with the people who grow and prepare their food. INGREDIENTS empowers and sparks the joy of discovery for living and eating well in a world in need of balance.

Barbara Armenian Christmas "Helwe Beirut"

2012-01-23T07:26:00.003+02:00

Serge and Aline invited me for a typical Armenian Christmas feast at their home! What a delightful experience. Armenian food never ceases to amaze me... more to come! PS: Notice their lovely pets, I fell in love with the cat....

Barbara In Barouk "Helwe Beirut"

2012-01-21T23:52:00.001+02:00

It is always so special to visit my friend Razzouk and this majestic forest in the Shouf (heaven). On this occassion, we went to visit a very nice family to learn the essential to make pumpkin kebbeh (mountain-style). I say mountain-style because of the use of awarma, traditional meat preserve in the stuffing. Basically, a mixture of chopped onions, awarma, and crushed chickpeas are stuffed into kebbeh balls made with cooked pumpkin flesh mixed with burghul. The result is delicious when eaten hot as soon as the kebbeh is fried (that's another issue). Enjoy!

Barbara in Anjar "Red Pepper Paste" Helwe Beirut

2012-01-18T09:20:00.002+02:00

Annie is a dear friend. I have know her for years. We met one day when I asked a friend of my sister if she knew someone who cooked delicious Armenian food. We met, cooked together, and have developed a true friendship.The recipe of red pepper paste is very special to me. It is a mouneh item that I never go without. I go to Anjar every year to live through the ritual and have become a true adept to adding red pepper paste to almost all my cooking. My kids sometimes complain when the dish is too spicy but their palates have gotten used to it. Producing this recipe is a true joy. It is a bit time consuming but if you dedicate a whole day to it's production, you will enjoy the flavors all year long. Love you Annie!

The Tassajara Bread Book

2012-01-18T09:16:00.016+02:00

One day, a long time ago, when my aunt Sandra Habal was still among us. She came to see my mother bearing a gift. She knew how much my mother loved baking bread and found this book called: The Tassajara Bread Book written by a Soto Zen Buddhist priest named Edward Espe Brown. The book became mine years later. It is really like no other. In 1995, the book published its 25th edition. The author writes: "I do not bake to be great. I bake because it is wholesome. I feel renewed, and I am renewing the world, my friends and neighbors. Most of us bake in this way."

I understand him so well. When I am feeling sad, like yesterday! I bake bread. It makes me feel so good inside. It is accepting what the earth has given us and making a prized gift to share, especially with loved ones. I think every family should own this book, it is a message of hope, of good baking, of sharing one's passion.

I love the introductory statement of his book (I quote): "Working in the Kitchen—What is it, closer than close? Not impervious or distant, not stiff or unresponsive. A get-down-in-the-mud mind: Food comes alive with your presence, reaching out, laboring, taking the time for flour, salt, water, yeast to come together, for a bowl that breaks, the dirty dishes, a leaky faucet, always more to cooking than meets the eye! Each thing asking to be seen, heard, known, loved, a companion in the dark. "Take care of the food," it is said, "as though it was your own eyesight," nto saying, oh that's all right, we have plenty, we can throw that away. Table, teapot, measuring cups, spoons: the body within the body, the place where everything connects. Ripe, succulent fruit, leaves, stems, roots, seeds: the innermost mind awakening, fully manifesting. What are you up to, after all? What is a way of life that is satisfying, fulfilling, sustaining and sustainable? Cups, glasses, sponges, one body with a hundred faces, a sticky honey jar, the half-empty cup of coffee, each asking to fulfill, each offering the touch of the beloved. Enter, plunge into the heart of the matter: an unknown destination, an unknown adventure unfolding with your wits about you and your not-so-wits. Things emerging in life. Life emerging in things, no separation. Concentrating on food, concentrating on myself, with heart opening, hands offering, my everything be deliciously full of warmth and kindness. Coming from the earth, coming from the air, a cool breeze, a spark, a flame, go ahead: Cook, offer yourself, hold nothing back. Cooking is not like you expected, not like you anticipated. What is happening is unheard of, never before experienced. You cook. No mistakes. You might do it differently next time, but you did it this way this time. Things are as they are, even if you say too much this too little that. And if you want things to stay the same, remind yourself they have no unchanging nature. "Wherever you go, remember there you are." O.K? Go ahead. Keep moving. Watch your step. "

The author

A Zen priest from Fairfax, California. Wise, clever and often surprisingly wrathful: Edward Espe Brown. Author of the famous Tassajara cookbooks, philosopher, Zen teacher and master chef. Doris Dörrie met with Edward Brown and he told her about his life. She participated in his lectures, watched the master in the kitchen and in his cooking classes. Under Edward Espe Browns guidance, cooking is more than just providing food. Cooking, or better, knowing how to cook, is a matter of caring for yourself and others. Without romanticizing Edward Espe Brown and his work, Doris Dörrie succeeds in capturing the magic moment where practical advice unlocks wisdom and deepness. A Zen monk shows us the sensuality of baking bread, the philosophy of radishes and the serenity of carrots. It is not just a culinary delight but also makes us a bit wiser. Watch the trailer of the How to Cook your Life movie.

Mouneh Reviewed in the Art of Eating - The Review

2012-01-18T09:16:00.014+02:00

The editor of the Art of Eating, Edward Behr, sent me the review of Mouneh by mail. I hope you will take the time to read it as this text is written by a person that has lived through every detail of the book (inside and out). I enjoyed reading it, it almost brought tears to my eyes. I thank you for taking such care in writing every word. My dream is for my two books to be one day in all US bookshops. It will happen, I know. It's just a matter of time.

Some facts about Edward Behr:

Edward Behr (born 1951) is an American food writer. His books include "The Art of Eating Cookbook: Essential Recipes from the First 25 Years", and The Artful Eater". Behr publishes a quarterly food magazine, The Art of Eating''. From the first modest eight-page issue published in 1986, it has grown to become one of the most respected magazines about food and wine.
Behr’s writing and magazine focus on taste, especially the connection between taste and the place food and wine come from. He has written about many of the best farmers and food artisans in France, Italy, and the United States.
Behr has taught writing at the University of Vermont, served on the first international jury for the Slow Food awards, and speaks internationally on food and culture. He has been featured in publications ranging from The New York Times and The Atlantic to Forbes and The Financial Times. He writes and publishes from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, where he lives with his wife, Kimberly, and two stepsons, Maximillian Buckminster and Zane Buckminster.

What others have to say about the Art of Eating:

“Arguably
    America’s most
    erudite and
    prestigious food
    publication.”
    The Wall Street
    Journal

“The must-
    have foodie
    quarterly.”
    NPR

“This is what
    the food
    movement
    used to be
    all about —
    honesty and
    integrity —
    not hype.”
    Alice Waters

Preserving Memory

Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry
by Barbara Abdeni Masaad, 591 pages, self-published, hardcover,
$50 from Buylebanese.com plus
$49 shipping to US (2010).

Before the first agricultural civilizations began to store grain, preserved foods were already vital to the human diet, perhaps nowhere more so than in the Middle East, where many preservation methods are believed to have originated. The Arabic word mouneh means “stored foods,” from pickles to meats, cheeses, and grains, and Barbara Abdeni Massaad’s Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry is a comprehensive handbook of the Lebanese traditions of drying, fermenting, pickling in vinegar, distilling, as well as canning and freezing, with even beekeeping and soap-making. The techniques are simple ones that she extensively researched, painstakingly recorded, and presents here in the form of modern recipes. Today, relatively few Lebanese rely on home preserved foods as staples, but women still get together to “do mouneh.” For them, it is connected to the way they regard food in general: they eat what is local and often homegrown, waste as little as possible, and insist that food be handled, prepared, and kept with the utmost care and respect.

When I married into a Lebanese family, I didn’t realize how deeply that would affect my own approach to cooking and food. In Lebanon there is a right way to do everything and any other way is... well, wrong. I was taught that when you make yogurt you should scald the milk and then allow it to cool until it’s just bearable to hold your little finger in the milk for a ten-count; relying on a thermometer would be unthinkable. I once watched a group of women break into a full-scale fight over how finely spinach should be chopped and with what knife. These details used to seem inane to me, but now I understand that they are the carefully guarded secrets of generations and compose the soul of Lebanese cooking. Without them you may make a perfectly acceptable dish, but you will likely sense, if ever so slightly, that something is missing. For example, tabbouleh, the salad of finely chopped parsley and bulgur wheat, is now commonly made with a food processor, which pulverizes the parsley and causes it to overpower the other flavors. It is still tabbouleh, but it does not have the delicate texture of the same muted flavor as the tabbouleh made in the traditional way, where parsley sprigs are meticulously cleaned, stacked in tidy bunches, and chopped uniformly with unwavering precision and care.

A strength of Massaad’s book is her inclusion of these traditional techniques. The recipe for drying grapes calls for 250 grams of “ashes (oak,lemon or olive tree)”; they are mixed with water to create lye that is

sprinkled over the drying grapes using “an olive branch or a branch of Tayoun (Inula viscosa),” a strong-smelling bush known for having medicinal properties. In the recipe for Plum Roll Ups, made from a dried sheet of sugar and plum paste, the directions say, “Leave in the hot sun to dry for 3 to 5 days, depending on weather conditions.” Though Massaad mentions dehydrators, solar panels,and conventional ovens in the general section on dried fruits and vegetables, she gives only the traditional methods. But in recipes for syrup and molasses that require fruits to be ground, she provides modern methods and shortcuts — a few of which mercifully involve a food processor instead of arduous kneading, grating, or hand grinding. Massaad doesn’t only catalogue traditional recipes in her book, she also tells the story of how local food and traditional production methods unite people from diverse religious, social, and economic backgrounds,which have

in recent history violently divided Lebanon. She describes Abu Kassem, a poor farmer from southern Lebanon, who replaced his tobacco fields with thyme for the production of the herb mixture za’atar and gained financial independence. And through the farmers’ market network, for the first time in his life he interacted with other religious and social groups. Massaad observes about two families, one conservative Muslim and the other Christian, both of which produce the local cheese darfieh: “this Shi’a family had merged both physically and mentally with their Maronite employers. They were living in perfect harmony.”

Born in Lebanon, Massaad immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up helping her father in his Lebanese restaurant. She returned to Lebanon as an adult and apprenticed with French, Italian, and Lebanese chefs, and then she turned her attention to the food of Lebanon and wrote her first book, the award-winning Man’oushé: Inside the Street Corner Lebanese Bakery. As one of the founding members of Slow Food Beirut and an advocate of preserving food traditions, she helped to establish the Souk El Tayeb, the popular farmers’ market in Beirut. There, culinary diplomacy rules over the country’s usual factionalization. The market has become an important feature in the contemporary map of Lebanese cuisine, and Massaad used it to the fullest in her research for Mouneh, interviewing and photographing market producers and cajoling them to reveal age-old family recipes and nearly forgotten techniques. She also gleaned some modern recipes, such as grape leaves stuffed with labneh, dried yogurt cheese, preserved in oil, and watermelon jam.

The book connects recipes with their origins — the families that passed them from generation to generation, refining them with time and experience. Take the obscure recipe for Poor Man’s Cheese. Out of context it would have seemed inaccessible to me, but with the author’s clear, simple instructionsand the story of Mona and Nelly, two farmers’ market producers who have“gone to great lengths to safeguard this ancient recipe,” I confidently set out to ferment one kilo of bulgur wheat into a mysterious dairyless “cheese.” I just filled a container with water and bulgur, sealed it, and covered it with a towel. I did look for guidance over the next week as the bulgur took on a strange smell and consistency, but even the savviest old Lebanese ladies I could find only smiled with appreciation when I mentioned kishk el khameer and could at best recall a time when their grandmothers may have made it. After a week of kneading the dubious mixture every other day, I was relieved to find it smelled pleasant and cheesy. I seasoned it according to the recipe with red pepper paste and nigella seeds and rolled it into balls. It was a success (except perhaps that the red pepper paste made the balls too soft and some became misshapen in their jars). The taste was surprisingly light and tangy, similar to a fermented nut cheese.

The book is organized by month, to “emphasize the use of nature’s gifts at the peak of their ripeness,” beginning with spring, and to serve as a reminder of the time-honored, annual schedule of food preservation.

Searching for a particular recipe can be difficult — the index is meager —and much of the book’s vital information is distributed randomly. In the April chapter, hidden between a recipe for pickled sea fennel and the entry on strawberries, are the instructions for processing jams, jellies, and syrups, which contain important, basic canning information, such as how to sterilize and prepare jars.

The intended audience for the book may seem unclear. The author introduces many of the dishes and ingredients as if to a foreigner, but the lack of a glossary and suggestions that you take your dried chickpeas to be ground at the local mill or that rennet can be easily purchased at the corner pharmacy indicate that she is writing for a Lebanese reader. Mouneh seems especially directed to the many Lebanese who fled during the civil war and settled throughout the world. They eat, speak, and feel Lebanese, and yet they may not read Arabic and may have forgotten what their grandmothers knew. Those unfamiliar with Lebanese cuisine may find some ingredients, such as mastic granules or geranium leaves, strange or difficult to procure or find a substitute for. But Massaad’s book is exceedingly detailed in describing methods for choosing ripe produce and in describing certain ingredients, such as the thorny branch akub, or gundelia, a spiny relative of the sunflower usually translated as “thistle,” which can be grilled or pickled. She is equally detailed in explaining techniques, such as how to harvest pine nuts, turn wheat berries into bulgur, or make molasses from carob pods. The photographs on the pages between recipes are more often aesthetic than informational, but they provide context for the food, the land, and the people.

The dozen or so recipes that I made were generally easy to follow and tasted authentic — my dried yogurt, or labneh, balls in oil were the envy of the family table and I was complimented with “’Smallah shoo sit-beit,” meaning, “God bless, what a house-lady.” However, some recipes lacked key information. I would have liked to know the approximate yield for many of the recipes, so that I could have known how many jars to prepare. For the vegetables packed in oil, it was unclear how long they needed to cure to become soft and palatable; I know from experience that stuffed eggplants take at least two weeks, but my artichoke hearts in oil were still crunchy after three weeks. Yet such omissions are minor in such an ambitious work.Massaad does a great service in collecting myriad fundamental recipes and processes together for the first time. For example, the recipe for Basic Pickling Solution can be used to pickle any variety or combination of vegetables. I found that my cucumber pickles tasted a bit salty and flat,something that could be remedied with spice, but the turnips and beets were excellent, crispy, flavorful, and attractive in their jars. I also followed her advice and sealed extra pickling solution in a jar for later use. I appreciated the simple, old-fashioned method for preparing fruit jams, all of which begin with placing the clean, cut-up fruit “in a glass bowl starting and finishing with a layer of sugar. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to stand overnight.” In the morning you find your sugar dissolved and your fruit floating in a pleasant bath of syrup. This mixture is simply boiled with some lemon juice, no pectin added. My apricot jam was perfect, full of flavor.

During the few weeks that I was cooking through the book, I left it lying on my coffee table — it’s eye-catching. Nearly every visitor I had was drawn to it. While most commented on the photographs, cultural narrative, and unique topic, my Lebanese visitors, many of them women in their fifties and sixties, were delighted to see in print so many cherished recipes that they had been recreating from memory. More than once I heard: “Yes! You see, here I’ve been doing it wrong!” or “Aha! I’ve been trying to figure this out for years!” Barbara Abdeni Massaad has taken the “feeling” that an old Lebanese woman had about a “pinch” of this and a “drop” of that and transformed it into complete, accurate recipes for the supermarket generation.— Michelle Dumitriu Machtoub

Barbara Organic Food with Fadi Daw "Helwe W Morra"

2012-01-16T11:54:00.001+02:00

Fadi has been working very hard to build a reputation for his Adonis Valley brand name. His products are different from many because they are produced from organic fruits and vegetables. Lots of good stuff goes into the jars without all the insecticides and pesticides that harm our bodies. The recipes come from years of experience. Wishing you all the best always Fadi!

Barbara with Chef Alexis Couqley New Year's Eve "Helwe Beirut"

2012-01-16T08:55:00.001+02:00

Chef Alexis is French / Belgium / and American! I think it's a great combination to make delicious food, he's a "makhloutah" like me! His duck confit was absolutely delicious. His story is made of hard work, determination, and success. I admire that in so many people, especially chefs around the country. He has adopted Lebanon in his heart and is growing strong with the opening of a second restaurant in Zaytouneh Bay in Downtown Beirut. It is called Amarres. To follow Chef Alexis's food journey join the group's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Couqley.

Happy New Year!

Piece of Art

Souvenir photo

Barbara with Chef Joe Barza "Christmas Dinner" Part 2 Helwe Beirut

2012-01-16T08:16:00.001+02:00

This is the second part of the Christmas menu. Here Chef Joe demonstrates how to make a special salad with Parmesan crust filled with labneh. To finish our special menu, Chef Rami executes Chef Joe's recipe with a chocolate mousse filling mixed with meghli.. I shall post the all the recipes shortly in detail.

Barbara with Chef Joe Barza Christmas Dinner Part 1 "Helwe Beirut"

2012-01-16T07:09:00.002+02:00

It was a lot of fun to cook this Christmas menu with Chef Joe.Part I of this segment is based on two recipes: roasting the turkey and cooking freekeh. The result was absolutely amazing! The segment was shot in a new catering venue called Bread and Roses. Joe Barza Culinary Consultancy is the culinary consultant firm of Bread and Roses, among many of his other endeavors. The premises hold what you may call "a dream" professional kitchen. I hope you try this recipe at home because it is really worth while.

Mouneh Reviewed in the Art of Eating

2012-01-12T14:29:00.004+02:00

the Art of Eating

I am very proud to announce that Mouneh has been reviewed by the Art of Eating this month, a prestigious magazine in the USA. Whoever had something to do with this, I thank them wherever they may be. I hope that the review is positive. I shall post it as soon as I get a copy. Hopefully I can find it in a local bookshop. I have this need to have my work and writings in my "other" homeland, the one I grew up in. It is important to me that part of who I am remains there forever, that I may also leave a trace in this distant land that I hold forever in my heart. I once read a phrase that Khalil Gibran wrote. It went something like, " I belong in two different worlds, Lebanon and America - I feel that I belong to neither". In my case, I feel like that too and sometimes I feel like I belong to both!

A glimpse of the review:

"Barbara Abdeni Massad has taken 'the feeling' that an old Lebanese woman had about a 'pinch' of this and 'a drop' of that and transformed it into complete, accurate recipes for the supermarket generation."

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T08:13:00.000+02:00

It's Christmas morning, I was just awaken by a beautiful dream. I was walking in the streets of Tripoli (North of Lebanon) in the old souk. I see a shepherd coming with a flock of goats. Each goat is tied to another goat. People start pushing and shoving them, almost afraid. I start shouting to explain to everyone that goats are harmless and very friendly to humans. Why can't they understand? The shepherd approves and smiles at me, I rejoice when I see his eyes on me. He walks away with his herd, discreetly cutting off the rope to leave a baby goat with me. My heart rejoices, full of love and happiness—I am awaken by my daughter who is excited to open her presents. I feel enlightened by this message, this dream of hope.... A spiritual Christmas gift especially for me. Very symbolic, positive hope for the new coming year. God bless!

Barbara's Lebanese Mezze

2011-12-20T07:17:00.001+02:00

Can you taste this hummus bi-tahineh?

I have decided to dedicate a blog to the Lebanese Mezze. I am going to teach you (my readers) the steps to making your own Lebanese mezze from A to Z. I will discuss in detail each recipe with the flaws that you might encounter if you are not careful. We will share variations, creations, and regional differences among many subjects. This is a learning process both for me and for you. I am very excited to go through this discovery together. I expect a lot of comments and participation. If you have recipes to share, they are most welcome. My aim is to reach 100 recipes to conclude this delectable research. One might never know, it might turn out to be one day a book! I want to celebrate local foods and the people that make it happen.

One Person's Food Vision in Beirut

2011-12-19T10:35:00.001+02:00

The Brownbook Urban Series | Kamal Mouzawak from Brownbook Magazine on Vimeo.

This is an interesting video, depicting one man's food vision. It was done during the time when I had my Mouneh photo exhibition at Tawlet. I have one criticism though, the music—which is definately not Lebanese—does not correspond with the subject (at all!).

Barbara Preparing Man'oushé with Fares Helwe Beirut

2011-12-18T09:19:00.018+02:00

Fares has played an important role in my life. I met him because I was meant to become his apprentice. My Man'oushe book started in this small street corner bakery. Fares was generous with his time and his teachings were a must to begin my adventure. I visited over 250 bakeries throughout the country but his remains very special to me.

Majjounet Gardenia
Hazmieh
Fares Issaac: 03-304483

I would like to share with you what I wrote about him in Man'oushé: Inside the Street Corner Lebanese Bakery.

"On the same street, three shops down from the first bakery where my training started stands a small bakery owned by a man called Fares. I entered his bakery with the same scenario that I would present to each baker. He was friendly and answered all my questions. I asked him why he became a baker. He smiled. “This answer needs time.” I retorted, “I’ve got all the time you need!”

It was raining outside and customers were scarce. Fares and I sat down in his bakery for three consecutive hours. As the story of his life unfolded before me, tears ran down my cheeks.

Fares was born in Bayno ‘Akkar, in the extreme North of Lebanon. He comes from a poor family and is the youngest of eleven children. According to him, his mother had time and affection only for three. Fares’ father was a farmer working odd jobs that could not give his family financial stability. Life was hard. Fares’ early childhood memories are not happy ones. He quit school early. A family dispute at an early age led him to Beirut. At the age of eight, Fares found himself alone and scared at nightfall under a bridge. A woman in a nearby building offered him refuge for the night and helped him find a job in a factory.

This job didn’t last. Fares found work in a bread bakery. The owner asked him “What can you do, son?” Fares replied, “Anything at all!” This is where he learned the ropes to become a baker.

The young boy became a man. With his savings, he took on the responsibility of opening his own bakery. He worked very hard, yet was fulfilled by his success.

On the same street, three shops down from the first bakery where my training started stands a small bakery owned by a man called Fares. I entered his bakery with the same scenario that I would present to each baker. He was friendly and answered all my questions. I asked him why he became a baker. He smiled. “This answer needs time.” I retorted, “I’ve got all the time you need!”

It was raining outside and customers were scarce. Fares and I sat down in his bakery for three consecutive hours. As the story of his life unfolded before me, tears ran down my cheeks.

This job didn’t last. Fares found work in a bread bakery. The owner asked him “What can you do, son?” Fares replied, “Anything at all!” This is where he learned the ropes to become a baker.

The young boy became a man. With his savings, he took on the responsibility of opening his own bakery. He worked very hard, yet was fulfilled by his success."

Barbara with Chef Giovanni Helwe Beirut

2011-12-13T07:28:00.005+02:00

La pâte ... tu la sens ... tu la vis... translated the dough, you feel it ... you live it! I can really relate to what Giovanni is saying there. I have had this love affair with dough, the result ... all these years of research. He is such a character and it was really a pleasure to be in his restaurant Marguarita in Gemayzeh cooking up my favorite food in the world PIZZA. I'm not finished with this man (chef), I'm going to dig deeper and learn more ...

I'm Inspired

2011-12-12T15:19:00.001+02:00

I love the subject, the composition, the colors of this photo. Can anyone relate?

A goat walks in deserted school classroom in the village of Voynitsa, some 100 km (60 miles) north of the capital Sofia, at the heart of Bulgaria s northwestern region. AFP PHOTO/DIMITAR DILKOFF

Saj bread | خبز المرقوق

2011-12-12T14:51:00.003+02:00

I was browsing through the internet, as one does during one's afternoon coffee break, and what do I see—

a romantic interpretation of the making of saj bread (paper thin bread). Wonderful! I love the music and I really believe that making bread on saj is an art. I am grateful to those who took the time and energy to record this video (Tinia Nassif - Al Nahar 2011), thanks!!!

The Making of Kishk and Awarma in Helwe Beirut

2011-12-07T14:45:00.004+02:00

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I went to a lovely little village in the Kessouran still free from the "beton revolution" pretty much happening in many places all over our poor country. The name of the village is called Ain El Delbe, close to Wata Joz. I was accompanied by Francois Beaini who founded a small scale production of homemade mouneh items. He names his operation Mounetna - meaning our mouneh - our preserves. His parents were working on producing awarma and the drying of kishk. Quite impressive!

Mounetna is really about a family's yearly mouneh production which extended into a small family business. They grow fruits and vegetables in their lands and have always done so, like their ancestors. Francois, who is an employee at a local school, decided to open a small store in Sarba where the family lives in winter to sell his prized family mouneh. Visiting the store, you can tell that this is not only a business venture but somehow a passion for Francois and his family who have decorated the store with a lot of care and precision. I can't help but admire this family who work hand in hand. If you are interested to drop by, here are some contact information you may need:

Francois Beaini
03-741484
www.mounetnafood.com
info@mounetnafood.com

Honoring Lebanese Chefs at AUT University

2011-11-25T18:34:00.001+02:00

The American University of Technology which is a leading University in Lebanon, is organizing a major event on November 28th 2010 in the Fidar Campus. This Major event is to Honor major Lebanese chefs and chefs of Lebanese descendents that had an impact in international culinary activities. This event will be under the hospices of the Ministry of Tourism and in collaboration of the syndicate of Hotels and Syndicate of restaurants.

Local and international chefs will include: Joe Barza: Greg Maalouf, Clovis Khoury, Philipe Massoud, and Alex Atallah among others.I really look forward to meeting them.

Joe Barza will receive a special award for all his achievements both in Lebanon and abroad.

I am really proud of him, keep walking my friend!

Mouneh Reviews

2011-11-25T18:14:00.004+02:00

This is what happens when you google your own book: I want to thank Peter Bouckaert for taking the time to do this review and Ed from California! Fouad Kassab, of the Food Blog and finally Mama's Lebanese Kitchen. Choucran.

5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent, inspirational book, July 21, 2011
By Peter Bouckaert – This review is from: Mouneh (Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry, Volume 1) (Hardcover)

I came across this book on a recent visit to Lebanon, and it has quickly become a favorite. It isn’t a cookbook, so don’t expect to find recipes for Lebanese food inside. But it is a great work, documenting Lebanon’s fascinating traditions of food preservation through pickling, brining, drying, and various other procedures. If you like having food in the pantry, this is a work for you. In Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian culture, almost every household still preserves much of its foodstuffs, harvesting or buying produce at the height of the season and processing them for the rest of the year–whether it is vegetable pickles or mulberry syrup. One of the more exciting developments in recent times in Lebanon is how a new generation of chefs have embraced this, and started incorporating more traditional Lebanese products into their modern cuisine, championing their national diversity. This is an important work of documenting that unique national diversity, and an inspiration to read and use.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Tradition Documentation, September 27, 2011 By Ed “Ed” (Santa Clara, CA) – This review is from: Mouneh (Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry, Volume 1) (Hardcover)

I got this book as a gift and was very happy and impressed with it. It documents in details, and in a very cool and smooth writing style old Lebanese traditions of keeping “Mouneh”, ie preserving food. It goes through produce and foods by seasons, and documents places, people, and procedures used to preserve those foods the traditional way. It is such a gift to the Lebanese culture and is a well written book! I highly recommend it.

The Food Blog:

This is my first ever book review. My intention is to introduce you, dear reader, to books that inspire me to cook, ones that teach me new things, or ones that contain extremely valuable information. It so happens that this first book, Mouneh, does these things all at once.

Book Highlights

A comprehensive work
Contains recipes for lesser-known aspects of Lebanese food
A one-of-a-kind book which has, for the first time, made these recipes publicly available
Chefs and cooks will be inspired and educated about old techniques and obscure dishes that are absolutely stunning
Has beautiful photography
A must have for anyone serious or even slightly interested about Lebanese food

Book Review

To call the task of putting together a book like Mouneh daunting would be a gross understatement. Mouneh is the Lebanese word for the larder, the supplies and provisions that saw village people through the rough Lebanese winters. Weighing in at 592 pages, Mouneh is a comprehensive work, encompassing recipes for pretty much all Lebanese pantry items, from the well-known to the obscure. Author Barbara Abdeni Massaad is an American born of Lebanese parents and she is more than passionate about preserving both pantry items and Lebanese traditions. It takes individuals like Barbara who feel a connection to a country but see it through an outsider’s perspective to fully appreciate the value and need to document its fragile traditions. This work is the result of years of research and experimentation to produce accurate, authentic recipes categorized by month to give the reader an idea of what can be preserved at that time of year. Many of the recipes contained in Mouneh have never been previously documented or made this easily available.
In the style of her first book Man’oushé, which is dedicated in its entirety to manakish, the Levantine pizza, Barbara has written Mouneh in a personal tone. The recipes, it becomes obvious, are not her own, but belong to the farmers and artisan producers she introduces us to. She relays her stories and encounters with heart, and shares the recipes she has gathered from numerous people living all over Lebanon.
In addition to doing all the writing, Barbara has also done most of the photography. Her portrayal of wonderful and often exotic ingredients largely contributes to the pleasure of reading Mouneh. The book explodes with colour and the images of farmers in their fields or producers preparing their recipes speak a thousand words.
I aim to provide honest, balanced reviews, so here’s some dwelling on the negatives. In my opinion, the book could have used an editor to give it the once over as sometimes, the sentences could be better structured and there are some minor, infrequent spelling mistakes. My second criticism is common to most books I’ve seen come out of Lebanon, though it is observed less with Mouneh. Here, the layout and the typography could be better handled. A more suitable font could have been selected, the images are sometimes placed in awkward positions on the page, and in some cases the text clashes with its background and becomes difficult to read.
All in all, these are minor issues that would not stand in the way of Mouneh becoming a true classic. To me, Mouneh has become my first reference for Lebanese preserves. No other book has gone to such lengths to describe these recipes in such a serious, well-researched manner. Non-Lebanese readers will truly enter a new and colourful world of Lebanese food, one that is very distinct from any other Lebanese cook book, as it relates to a completely different facet of our cuisine. You won’t find a recipe for hummus here, but instead, you will learn how to make orange blossom petal jam, pickled green almonds, candied pumpkin and a plethora of other Lebanese classics that until now have been known mostly to a handful of the Lebanese. Barbara has done the Lebanese people a great service in producing Mouneh, and I, for one, am very grateful.
You can buy the book here: http://www.buylebanese.com/browse.asp?pr=596&x=2&y=4

Book Score

Content: 7.5/10
Recipes: 10/10
Layout: 7/10
Total: 24.5/30

Additional Information

I heard about Barbara when she left a comment on my Manakish post
Barbara is also a blogger. Her blog can be found here: http://myculinaryjourneythroughlebanon.blogspot.com
In the interest of full disclosure, Barbara is one of my Facebook contacts, but I personally purchased the book and have written this review with no bias or favouritism.

Mama's Lebanese Kitchen Mouneh Review:

Posted in: Cook Books|September 28, 20116 Comments

A few days ago our mother arrived from Lebanon for a visit. Aside from the many edible delights that she brought with her including her freshly made Zaatar, Baklava from AbdulRahman Hallab Sweets, fresh batches of Lebanese 7-spices and Sumac spice, she brought us something unique this time, Barbara Massaad’s recent book titled “Mouneh, Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry.”

Background:

“Mouneh” is a Lebanese slang word coming from the Arabic word “Mana” which means to preserve food. Mouneh is a living Lebanese tradition refined through the generations by culture and creativity. And what makes the Lebanese Mouneh specifically so special is the rich mixture and inheritance of civilizations that Lebanon and its surroundings have had over thousands of years, including but not limited to the civilizations of the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Byzantine, Islamic Caliphates, Ottoman and up to the recent French colonization.With that in mind, the people of Lebanon learned to preserve hundreds of food items and staples across seasons, and this is what Barbara’s book is meant to archive.

Barbara's Mouneh:

Barbara took over 5 years to write and publish this book. She moved from one Lebanese village to the other, sat down with the old and the young, and she took her time in not only listening to and writing their stories, but also in actually helping out the villagers in their processes of preserving their local foods. Hence, her experience is practical and is first hand.
So this is not a typical “recipes” cookbook. “Mouneh” documents the stories of the people and the traditions behind its recipes as well.

Content and Style:

The book “Mouneh” is organized into sections according to the 4 seasons that Lebanon enjoys. Each section contains recipes and methods of naturally preserving vegetables, fruits, grains, crops, spices and dairy products according to seasonal availability. The book has about 590 pages, is full color, and features hundreds of Barbara’s professionally taken photographs, along with photographs by other professional photographers. The book’s images are quite vivid and impressive, and give the book another dimension by helping the reader get fully immersed in the story.
Typically villagers in Lebanon tend to focus on preserving their own local crops and foods, with some exceptions. So it’s not common to find one village that aced it all since nature, weather and even history play a big role in dictating what type of produce or food products each village grows. And that is why Barbara’s work is quite important: it gathers all those precious methods from hundreds of Lebanese villages and people and puts its all in one place. The content is rich.
In terms of writing style, “Mouneh” is a very easy and lively read, despite its intimidating volume. Barbara overviews vividly the personal experiences she’s had in many villages. She talks about people, and their stories, and she talks about their own traditions in preserving local foods, and in some case she talks about villages and their history. From this perspective, the book is quite a piece of cultural archive.

Conclusion:

As a final word on Barbara, she is a founding member of Slow Food Beirut, a delegate of the International Terra Madre Community, and Slow Food Italy. She is a contributing editor to local and international publications. She has also worked on an extensive portfolio dealing with children’s portraiture. She lives in Beirut with her husband and three children who are very much involved in her culinary journey.
We found Barbara’s work to be quite impressive and in our opinion, her book is a service to Lebanon’s future generations as it preserves a slowly fading aspect of their culture in such a beautiful and detailed way.

Barbara Preparing Olive Oil "Helwe Beirut"

2011-11-24T23:58:00.004+02:00

Yussef Fares is a boy at heart with a lot of knowledge about olive oil production. This line of business has been passed on from generations starting with his grandfather. Yussef has taken modern technology to make the highest quality virgin olive oil with his brand name Jezd, made in Lebanon. He prides himself on the olive trees in his native village in Bayno, Akkar - north Lebanon. I have visited the village many times for different reasons and occasions and find it quite charming. I hope you enjoy this trip with me in Yussef's world.

OK, we are both like children!

Beautiful harvest

Uncle Fares, Yussef's guiding light

Simply awesome!

Barbara with Mexican Ambassador "Helwe Beirut"

2011-11-24T22:33:00.003+02:00

This is really special! You all know how much I love Mexican food, top it with the most enthusiastic and very cute (if I may say that!) ambassador who loves to portray Mexican food, a renewed friendship with a dear friend from the past - Patricia Kebbeh, Chef Fernando and the Gou team cooking up a storm, good music and good friends... My Happiness!

And finally, a great bonus, my husband Serge was captured on film ...!

Enjoy!

Barbara With Aline and Serge Armenian Food "Helwe Beirut"

2011-11-12T09:22:00.001+02:00

I don't need to tell you how much I love Armenian food. Aline and Serge Manoukian of Mayrig were so kind to show me around their restaurant. I really admire this dream that became a reality. Now the name Mayrig is growing into an international name with franchises all over the world. The great news too is that Aline and her friend Barbara (not me) have written a recipe book on Armenian cuisine which will be launched next week, more details will follow. I had a look at it already and I can hardly wait to start cooking. Notice the Armenian music background in the video too...

Barbara Preparing Pumpkin Jam "Helwe Beirut"

2011-11-09T10:50:00.002+02:00

This is one of my favorite traditional Lebanese recipes using pumpkins in season (of course). Siham and Hani Ghanem, a couple from Warhanieh whom have become wonderful friends have taught me many recipes throughout my culinary journey from their region. Hani is a hearty farmer who always has something funny to say. He takes life as it goes, while Siham—is a busy homemaker who worries a lot and spends most of her time in the kitchen cooking up delicious food. They have two adorable daughters who seem to grow so fast and have become little women in no time at all. This recipe needs to be planned ahead, as the pumpkin pieces need to be soaked in limestone for one night. This enables the pumpkin to stay crispy during cooking. Serve this confection at the end of a meal, your guests will certainly appreciate it.

Barbara with Chef Fernando "Helwe Beirut"

2011-10-31T08:12:00.007+02:00

Introducing Chef Fernando and delicious Mexican food! This food is MY WEAKNESS!

Chef Fernando and Edid (my love)!

Chef Fernando trying to eat his compadre (Pepito)

Edid always working to make things pretty

Roasting green bell peppers on the saj

Chef Fernando's Mexican recipes:

Guacamole en Molcajete

Chile Paste Ingredients

1 tbs of finely chopped white onion
1 firmly packed tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp finely chopped jalapeno, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed

Additional Ingredients

3 medium ripe but firm Hass avocadoes
3 tbs diced tomato
2 firmly packed tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs finely chopped white onion
salt to taste
Tortilla chips and / or fresh corn tortilla

Make the chile paste: Grind the onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and salt together in a molcajete until all the ingredients are very finely ground. Alternatively, use a fork to mash all ingredients to a paste in a wide hardwood bowl.

Cut each avocado in half, working the knife blade around the pit. Twist the halves to separate them and flick out the pit with the tip of the knife. Fold a kitchen towel in quarters and hold it in the palm of your "non-knife" hand. Rest an avocado half cut side up in your palm and make 3 or 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts through the avocado flesh down to the skin, without cutting through it. Make 4 crosswise cuts in the same way. Scoop the diced avocado flesh into the molcajete. Repeat with the remaining avocado halves.

Makes 4 servings.

Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients

· 4 large red bell peppers

· 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

· 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)

· 3 cloves garlic

· 1 quart chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option)

· 1/4 cup cream or milk

· 3 Tbsp butter

· Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Roast the red bell peppers by placing them over or under an open flame until they blacken on all sides. (You can use a grill, cooktop gas burner, or oven broiler.) Place the blackened peppers in a bag, close the bag and let the peppers steam for 10-15 minutes, or until the skins feel like they can easily be slipped off. Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off the blackened skins, remove the seeds. Chop the peppers roughly.

2. Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and cook another 1-2 minutes, then add the garlic and roasted peppers. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the stock, stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are soft.

4. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Fill the blender about halfway with the soup. Start the blender on low and keep your hand on the top, in case the lid wants to pop off from the rising steam. Once everything is well chopped, turn the blender to its highest setting and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. You might need to do this in batches.

5. Return to a clean pot set over low heat. Add the cream, stir well and taste. Add some cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Mexican Fiesta at Gou

2011-10-28T20:56:00.006+03:00

Gou restaurant is hosting a special week full of surprises in participation with the Embassy of Mexico in Lebanon ! Mexican food will be highlighted for 7 days from the 2nd to the 8th of November. I will be shooting for Helweh Beirut on the first night, the "Day of the Dead" Feast, to learn all the delicious recipes of one of my favorite destinations in the world, Mexico. Chef Fernando and Gou's kitchen crew will be cooking up a storm.

The menu of the first night includes:

Appetizers: guacamole and mango seafood ceviche will be served. Colorful tamales will be presented as an entree. Main dishes will include chicken leg, mole sauce, rice and jalapeno peppers. Last but not least, the dessert is called Capirotada - banana pudding with coconut ice cream and Cajeta sauce. Yum, sounds sinful! I can't wait really.

Here are some of my food / people photos I took in Mexico last year while visiting the Sanchez family (the best):

Homemade tortilla baked on the comal

A bit of everything served on a wooden board

Inspirational

Insects, you bet with a spicy bite

Pomme d'amour

Woman selling tortilla on the street

A Mexican chicken stew

Hundreds of peppers are available in street markets

Happy in Mexico

Mexican Buffet

Street Foods of Mexico City

Introducing Shahiya.com

2011-10-28T13:55:00.001+03:00

Today I received an interesting press release from Shahiya.com, I'd like to share it with you. It is a good initiative taken by food lovers who wanted to document our "Arabic" food heritage. The site lets one interact and share recipes and is designed in a professional and computer-friendly way. I think if someone has time, one can stay for a while browsing and tasting the virtual foods. I have not tried any of the recipes yet, I am very tempted to do so. The site is available for both Arabic and English readers alike.

To visit the website: Shahiya.com

The press release:

The Arab Food Revolution:

The words “food revolution” might conjure up images of Jamie Oliver, whereas the “Arab revolution” refers more to the recent Arab Spring uprisings.

However, for Hala Labaki, Carole Makhoul Hani and Daniel Neuwirth, the three co-founders of shahiya.com, their “Arab Foodie Revolution” has been quiet, subtle and tasty.

It all started with a simple realization: for all Arab cuisines, finding reliable online sources of recipes was close to impossible. The Arab culinary heritage had been stored forever in family notebooks, lying on the shelves of every grandmother’s kitchen. But most of the time, it was only transmitted to the close family, sometimes even being lost with the departure of the elderly.

“We thought of the idea for this site while studying abroad. We craved Lebanese food, but couldn’t find a single dependable online source for Lebanese recipes, especially in Arabic”, says co-founder Hala Labaki. “We used to call parents and friends, wasting hours in international calls to be able to make this or that dish. But for other cuisines, French, Italian, American or Chinese, reliable recipes were all over the net. This is how we first identified a need.”

When the three friends rejoined in Lebanon, they shared their concern for safeguarding their culinary heritage and their desire to make it more accessible. With the rise of online social platforms, the solution was plain to see, and shahiya.com was born.

The 100% user generated website aspired to be a platform where home cooks from all over the Arab world could create a free profile and add their own recipes. They would share recipes they had tested and cooked many times - hence offering reliable, feasible and authentic recipes.

Today, a year and a half after it was launched, shahiya.com is well on the way to fulfilling its initial aim: with more than 25,000 members viewing, reviewing, and trying out the 2,200 recipes shared since on the site, it is quickly becoming a first point of call for authentic and reliable Arab food recipes. Currently more than 60% of visits are from the KSA, making shahiya.com the number one food website visited in the Kingdom.

What makes this site unique, among other things, is a feature found on no other Arab food site: each published recipe gets its nutrition facts calculated. So if you always wondered how many calories there are in your sayyadieh, now all you have to do is to post the recipe on shahiya.com and when it gets published you’ll find out! This service, along with diet recipes and an online free nutritional profile, is provided under the supervision of Carole Makhoul Hani, an RD.

“Cook Lebanese- 101 recipes” iPhone application

Encouraged by the success of the site, the trio decided to take their idea further; to bring Arab food home to even more people, they launched an iPhone application. “For our first iPhone application we decided to focus on what we know best: Lebanese Cuisine”, says Daniel Neuwirth.

101 quintessentially Lebanese recipes were selected by the Shahiya team. The team then actually cooked, tasted and fine-tuned these recipes. The resulting final, foolproof set of recipes made it into the app. The 101 recipes are divided into nine categories with a vegetarian filter offered for each. The dish pictures are not only beautiful; they genuinely illustrate the expected end result.

The app ‘Cook Lebanese – 101 recipes’ is available in six languages (Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese). Conveniently, all the listed ingredients are readily available anywhere in the world, and all recipes can be emailed to friends with a click of a button. In a nutshell, that’s the Lebanese culinary heritage meeting the entire world, 21^st century style.

“Food is at the heart of our lives”, says Labaki. “It’s a great vehicle for drawing people together, and introducing them to new experiences and cultures. It is also such a huge part of our heritage, and we hope to keep it alive on the web with shahiya.com.”

Cook Lebanese is available on the iPhone App Store
at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cook-lebanese-101-recipes/id443934198?mt=8&ls=1#

For additional information about Cook Lebanese, including screenshots, a demo video and more, please visit http://shahiya.com/english/app_iphone.aspx or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z_t61HlEmU

Introducing Fouad Kassab, the Food Blogger in "Helwe Beirut"

2011-10-25T01:37:00.003+03:00

The focus of this segment is to introduce food blogger, Fouad Kassab, writer of the Food blog to the Lebanese. Fouad is especially known in Australia, where he resides with his Australian wife and adorable baby girl. He writes mostly of regional cuisine, emphasizing the love of ingredients, flavors, and how to put them together to make delicious foods. We met through the great maze of the world wide web. On his summer visit to Lebanon, we met in person and instantly hit it off. We discussed for hours our common passion - food! The Food Blog is an interesting escape for all foodies alike, especially those interested in Middle Eastern foods with an emphasis on Lebanese cuisine. It is very informative and skillfully designed. I invite you to drop in and visit Fouad's world!

To read an interview of his work, click here.

Apple Season in Mayrouba

2011-10-11T07:41:00.003+03:00

Therese is a special lady! She is a small scale producer from the Souk el Tayeb "family". What I did not know is that she is also a school teacher. She is so proud of her mother's village and really made it a point to show it off. She reminisces of her carefree childhood where her family would live from the harvest of nature. She shared with us her apple jam because it was an important part of the mouneh every year in her home. The village of Mayrouba (38 km from Beirut) is known for its delicious apples, what better way to introduce viewers to this sweet recipe. Thanks Therese!

The jam cooks slowly emitting a delicious aroma

Different flavors add a special touch to the jam

Apple chips drying in the autumn sun

Jibneh baladi "White Cheese"

2011-10-06T07:34:00.001+03:00

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Jibneh baladi is the cheese made in high mountains all over Lebanon by shepherds and their families. It is very delicious. Often the milk is derived from a mix of goat and sheep milk. The milk of the sheep gives the cheese a stronger taste because of the percentage of fat available in the milk. Charbel Chamoun and his family were so kind to me during our shooting and I felt right at home amidst all these beautiful animals. The technique of production to make the cheese is not so difficult, the result is well worth it. The milk is usually not pasteurized. To prevent any health problems, the animals are kept clean and free from any diseases. This and many other recipes will be included in my next book CHEESE.

La Pizza a Cheese 2011

2011-10-01T09:41:00.005+03:00

The president of the AssociazioneVerace Pizza Napoletana talking about PIZZA

One of the highlights of visiting CHEESE in Bra, Italy this fall was to train (for two hours) with people from the Verace Napoletana Pizza Association. You could say it was a dream come true for me to meet with these fine people. Why, you may ask. I have had a passion for pizza-making for such a long time. Those who know me, know this. In fact, very often I invite my friends and family for pizza because I really enjoy baking and eating pizza. My Man’oushé book started with a dream of going to Italy and doing a thorough study on the pizza. One sees the grass greener on the other side always, yet I was wise enough to carry out this dream in my own country in search of all the baked foods in a typical street corner Lebanese bakery. The Verace chef showed us how to make the pizza according to the standards and regulation set by the association. I met a chef lately in Lebanon, owner of da Giovanni and Marguerita. I told him of my meeting with Verace, he did not believe me at first. Later, he was convinced. We shot a segment for Helweh wa Moora (who's name now has changed to Helweh Beirut) one week later for me to stay in the pizza-making mood. The show focused on how to make the best pizza (straight from a fellow who comes from Napoli), stay tuned... Giovanni and I had so much fun that we both forgot that the LBC crew was there, as we talked and talked and talked...He is special!

I was chosen to try because I asked so many questions

The dough is garnished with canned San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo cheese, fresh basil leaves, with a drizzle of olive oil

Before

After

Pizza Marinara

Beirut: Schuhbecks Reise in die Welt der Gewürze

2011-09-22T14:36:00.004+03:00

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Chef Alfons Schuhbeck is a famous chef from Germany who came to visit Lebanon. I was introduced to him by a dear cousin from Aleppo who lives in Germany. He was treated to a faboulous array of Lebanese food in the presence of talented food producers, thanks to the hospitality of the Doumar family. Great souvenir.

For further reading (in German), read the blog.

Schuhbecks with Chef Joe Barza :)

Schuhbecks with Jean Doumar, our kind host

Potato Kebbeh

2011-09-21T18:14:00.003+03:00

Eating grapes from Mayrouba

Today I spent the day EATING! I visited Therese Sarkis at her mother's house in Mayrouba. We shot the segment for Helweh wa Moora : the making of apple jam. I will post the segment when it is diffused. I want to share with you a delicious recipe that Shahideh Saadeh Sarkis shared with me. She made this delicious kebbeh for us while we were at her house, among many other saj items. The recipe differs from the traditional potato kebbeh because instead of using burghul, she uses walnuts. Adding tehini also is innovative.The recipe is said to be from a neighbor in Jounieh who is originally from Deir el Ahmar in the Bekaa.

Shahida, an 87 year old woman, preparing lovingly the potato kebbeh

Potato Kebbeh (Kebbet Patata)

1 kg potato
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 medium onion
1/4 cup of tehini
200 gr chopped walnuts
salt

Boil the potatoes. When cooked, peel off skin while hot. Grind the potatoes in a vegetable mill in a large mixing bowl. Chop the mint leaves with a sharp knife. Do the same with the onion. Chop the walnuts or crush them with a pestle in a mortar. When potatoes cool, mix all the ingredients together. Slowly combine the tehini into the mixture. Thoroughly mix with hands. Add salt to taste.

Serve with a bunch of fresh mint leaves and onion. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The final product

Therese, her daughter, fixing the trimmings for the kebbeh

Zaatar Prodruction with Abu Kassem in Zawtar

2011-09-19T11:48:00.002+03:00

At this point, I think introductions are not necessary. Abu Kassem has always been a great part of my research and has become a good friend too... He originates from the Nabatieh in a small village called Zawtar. With the help of AUB and Land and People, he was able to carry on his dream (to grow zaatar from seeds). His life has changed because of this discovery. He became an authority on an important agricultural practice and has given future generations something to build on. Watch the show, it's very interesting!

Abu Kassem is always happy in midst of his zaatar plantations

Sheep in Motion

2011-09-19T10:45:00.000+03:00

Feel the energy

Cooking Seafood in Tyre with Chef Joe Barza and Chef Habib Hadid

2011-09-14T08:07:00.003+03:00

I had a great time shooting this segment. Not only because I was surrounded by two great chefs, but the combination of both talents in the kitchen of the restaurant "Le Phenicien" made an exceptional meal.. Both chefs are very attached to the ancient city of Tyr in South Lebanon, where they originate. With seafood, the key to delicious food is to have simple recipes that bring out the taste of the fish or shellfish. The freekeh that Chef Joe prepared was light and yet wholesome and robust, just perfect! Chef Habib has had decades of experience cooking seafood and it certainly shows. I was impressed. The city of Tyr is currently going through major reparations. I just hope that the ancient ambiance remains and that the architecture is preserved professionally. We shall wait and see...

With Chef Joe, by the ancient fishing shore of Tyr

Very exciting to be amongst two great chefs

Chef Joe cooking his seafood freekeh

Chef Hadid's creation

Chef Joe's creation

A fisherman from Tyr

Tasting the day's creations at Le Phonecien

Cheese 2011

2011-09-06T13:49:00.006+03:00

Bra in all it's splendor!

16-19: Cheese (INTERNATIONAL)Bra, Italy
Cheese is organized by Slow Food International every two years in the town of Bra – the home of Slow Food’s headquarters and an important center for cheese aging and sales in northern Italy. Since its debut in 1997, it has grown to be the leading international festival for artisinal cheesemakers, attracting over 100,000 visitors to the four-day event. Cheese provides an opportunity to turn the public’s attention to important issues such as the legal battles facing raw milk cheese producers and the disappearing tradition of shepherding — not to mention hundreds of the very best cheeses from all over the world.
www.cheese.slowfood.com

The wonderful world of dairy will be celebrated in all its shapes and forms at the eighth edition of Cheese this September 16–19. Since Slow Food organized the first edition of this international event in 1997, a large network of artisan cheesemakers, cheesemongers and experts has grown. Every two years they come together in Bra, Italy, taking over the streets to present their unique products, meet enthusiastic visitors and discuss the challenges of the trade and share solutions in workshops and discussions.

The theme of Cheese 2011 is milks, crafts and places. Special attention will be paid to exploring the complexity of knowledge, needs, problems and resources linked to dairy products, turning the spotlight onto these three important pillars for quality.

Milks – The complexity and variety of cheese starts with the complexity and variety of milk. Milk may come from cows, sheep, goats, yaks and other animals, with each species having a rich variety of breeds. Many of these varieties are unsuited to the living conditions imposed by industrial farming and many are at risk of extinction. Their milk produces cheeses with a unique taste and story, the result of pastures and practices that constitute an invaluable environmental and cultural heritage. Most importantly, raw milk is a guarantee of the highest possible sensory quality, displaying a close relationship to the land. Slow Food has led the battle for the recognition of raw-milk cheese quality, bringing it to an international level since the first edition.

Crafts – Herders are the guardians of the rural and mountain environments, and pasturing animals helps protect many environments from abandonment and erosion. Cheesemakers are the repositories of centuries-old empirical wisdom, refined and passed down through the generations. Affineurs, the cheese agers, guarantee an income to producers and carefully tend cheeses as their flavors and aromas improve. The Cheese event gives rightful recognition to these artisans, bringing them to center-stage.

Places – Alpine dairies, mountain pastures and rural landscapes. Sustainable development can only be driven by the creation and implementation of local micro-economies based on quality, environmental protection and the maintenance of young populations in marginal areas. Promoting local products can mean creating work and social opportunities for communities.

Alongside a spotlight on these three themes, attention will also be given to the challenges facing the dairy industry. Workshops and activities will focus on a range of issues such as: an uncertain future for youth who wish to dedicate themselves to artisan diary production; or the potential of product labeling to go beyond a list of ingredients and indicate quality through naming the breed, cheesemaker and place of production.

France is the 2011 star country of Cheese, a nation that has long protected raw-milk cheese production; promoted the work of cheesemakers and affineurs; and treasured regional differences. French producers will be joined by international producers including many Slow Food Presidia. Favorites from past editions such as Bulgarian Tcherni Vit Green Cheese, Swedish Jämtland Cellar Matured Goat Cheese and Pokot Ash Yogurt from Kenya will be joined by three Presidia participating in Cheese for the first time: traditional Salers from France, Mavrovo Reka Mountain Pasture Cheeses from Macedonia and Mascarplin from Switzerland. Along with these will be many of the Italian Slow Food Presidia Cheeses and representatives from Terra Madre food communities. The Presidia will all display their products on a dedicated street.

For further reading, read the full press kit of CHEESE.
© text Slow Food.

Today, I decided that I have to go to this very important event. I am sure it will inspire me so much to write my book on local Lebanese cheese. This will be my 2nd time to attend this fair. The first time was magical! I will have lots to say when I return. Stay tuned...

Season II 2011- 2012

2011-08-30T16:47:00.001+03:00

Summer is coming to an end!

"Manon des Sources" the Lebanese way

Back to work or may I say back to " La Passion". I did get to do something that I've always wanted to do forever. I walked with a herd of goats and sheep in the deep mountains of Kfardebian. What a joy to be amongst these shepherds and their families. It's a way of life. I traveled to see foreign countries on a boat with my family and friends. I appreciated many aspects of their habits and customs. I ate their foods, socialized with different people. I met a new friend from Australia who shares my food passion. I ate seafood with my friend Joe, the Top Chef superstar and our common friend Habib Hadid, owner of Le Phonecien. I invited friends to share a meal celebrating my adopted country's food - Mexico, with the help of a new friend Fernando Gomez, a Mexican chef.

Now as I look forward to a new season, a new year - I am setting goals for myself to achieve during this time. I have finally met the one who will translate MOUNEH in Arabic (God sends you good people along your way in due time), as this task needs to be done for the people of Lebanon, for the people of Lebanon. This is very important for me because finally it is the Lebanese who need to safeguard this very important cultural tradition and teach their children.That being done, I would have done what I set out to do...

Season II of Helweh wa Moora with our food segment every Thurs, I'm very excited! Many more stories, recipes and exciting people to meet. I want to share with viewers this wonderful FOOD related world with the people behind it. There will be new topics: I will adventure myself to peak into kitchens in new restaurants opening all around the country and also visit the ones who have withstood the test of time. Keeping culinary traditions alive is very important to me (you've heard it a thousand times), I will continue seeking those who are working to safeguard it and capture their task. I will travel to the depths of the country to find those hidden treasures. May God give me good health!

Learning to make Jibneh Baladi

A new book in the making, of course! It's addictive. I am currently working on a book dealing with local dairy products and everything relating to that topic This will include lots of beautiful animals, people, recipes and techniques with numerous places to visit. I am going to purchase a few goats / sheep to live through the experience myself. I am in the process of negotiating with a shepherd on how we can share responsibilities. I can't wait! You cannot write about something unless you live every aspect of the topic. It's a sacrifice, ha ha ha....

Milking the sheep in the mountains of Kfardebian

Armenian Hi Food with Mayda

2011-07-31T10:17:00.000+03:00

Fishing with Raymond

2011-07-12T09:51:00.001+03:00

This is my friend Raymond Yazbeck, Ray to some...Ray is a professional photographer with years of experience, including the publication of several books. I met him many years ago when I first had the dream of doing a book on man'oushe. He showed me the way. He is like the brother I never had... So what does one do with his brother, one goes fishing! Great fun.

Freekeh in the Deep South

2011-07-12T09:28:00.001+03:00

Roasted green wheat, better known as freekeh, is roasted, parched wheat which has a chewy green grain and a flavorful, smoky nutty taste. It is said that wheat was picked early in the season and burnt during the Ottoman period to deter farmers from paying high taxes. Since, it has become a traditional way of eating wheat. It is a specialty known in Lebanon and neighboring countries such as Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. The word freekeh comes from the Arabic word al-freek meaning “what is rubbed”; this is in reference to the process of making the actual roasted wheat, which involves rubbing the wheat grains with one’s hands to free them of their shell.

Freekeh can be cooked in many ways. As a substitute for burghul or rice, it accompanies recipes made with beef, chicken, lamb and lately even seafood. It can make flavorful stuffing for vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and grape leaves. Freekeh can also be an interesting ingredient cooked in soups. Combined with fresh vegetables, it is often mixed in different types of salads. Experimentation with freekeh has also led to interesting and delicious breads. Roasted green wheat is certainly gaining recognition in homes around the country and from chefs worldwide. With the increase in the number of vegetarians, freekeh is popular among those who savor its roasted smoky flavor, suggesting the taste of smoked meats.

To make freekeh, the green wheat stalks are harvested when the wheat is between the milk and soft dough stage. With experience, the farmer knows exactly when to pick the wheat. If the wheat is picked too early, the grains collapse. If it is picked too late, the grains will not have their distinctive green color. The wheat is harvested by mowing the stand down with a sickle bar or a mower. It is then gathered into bunches in a big pile and tied into tight bundles. The wheat is dried for 2 to 4 hours before being roasted in the fields over an open wood or charcoal fire made with dry bunches of a thorny bush called ballan. Ballan is used to smoke the freekeh because it produces a small amount of ash when it burns, dying down after a few minutes. Its use is said to reduce contamination of the wheat. The burning lasts for 10 to 15 minutes, until a characteristic popping sound is made. Here again, the farmer’s experience is essential. Wind velocity and actual site position is taken into consideration to ensure uniform roasting.

When the wheat is finally roasted, a wire mesh frame is set up, usually made up of an old bedspring. The wheat is thrown in bunches on the bedspring and beaten with a small broom to rid it of impurities, debris, and undesirable black ash. The wheat bunches are gathered from the wire mesh and carefully stored to dry for a couple of days. The heads are collected in large bags and taken to a mill where the grain will be separated from the chaff. In the past, this was done by flailing the wheat with wooden poles. Today, the operation is done through a threshing machine. The threshed grains are later left to dry on clean dry surface in a shaded area for a couple of days or weeks depending on the weather. When the grains are completely dry, they are scrupulously checked for remaining debris; this is where you can differentiate the quality of the freekeh purchased from one producer to another. The grains are kept whole or coarsely ground to be packed into neat storage bags. Before freekeh is used for cooking, it is usually soaked overnight to reduce the amount of cooking time.

Serdeleh Cheese and the Baby Goat

2011-07-12T08:55:00.003+03:00

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Mothers will understand how I felt about this baby goat. The experience of life with goats: caring for them, milking them, walking them and simply living with them is special. I, for one, am deeply affected by it. I will go and walk with Ezzat Majed this summer to live through this experience. I will never forget this day spent with them. The Serdeleh cheese is really awesome. It is pungent, sharp, creamy, crumbly and salty. It melts in your mouth and leaves an aftertaste of goat that is simply unforgettable.

The MyMouné Sisters

2011-06-18T08:21:00.002+03:00

The story of my MyMouné dates back to late 80's, these women are wonderful, inspirational and have gone through a lot to make their brand a success (worldwide). I think the video says it all, thanks Youmna and Leila for this memorable day at Ain el Qabou. It was truly heaven!

Life's Journey

2011-06-14T16:34:00.000+03:00

The Beginning of a Long Journey
as posted in Poetry of Food

Serendipity "is the effect by which one accidentally stumbles upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated." You may say "it is written", it is destiny. This is my story, the one I fell upon, the one I am still writing, the one I am struggling each day to produce, to invent, to fabricate, and most of all to create. My life should have a sense. I always felt this from the very beginning. I should leave a trace—

one that is significant to me, to my family, to my community, to this place we call "earth". This trace should make some kind of difference. Someone or something must be better because of my doing —of my continuous efforts. It should be like a faraway scent that produces a memory —a memory of the past, a memory of better days, a memory of the senses, a memory of man's fading goodness ...

It began in my father's restaurant at the age of fifteen. Those were difficult years, but the base of my culinary education. Times passed since those days - I married , had three beautiful children, and still in the back of my mind, the recurring dreams of food related journeys and adventures. A woman's role in a family is maternal. What better way to show your innermost maternal instinct than by feeding your children. Isn't it the first instinct that a child initiates when he suckles on his mother's breast? Feeding your children with your knowledge and wisdom of life's experiences is essential, but also feeding them with real wholesome food made with the most important ingredient, LOVE, is imperative and sets THE example.

"It was written" that I would leave the USA and go searching for my roots in Lebanon, my country of origin. It was destiny, some call her fate, that knocked on my door and showed me the way. It was she that led me to visit all corners of the country in search of food related subjects and matters. It was she that gave me the chance to understand this diversified group of people who have all welcomed me as one of their own. It was she that gave me the perseverance to learn a new trade to capture these moments through the use of my camera. It is she that gives me the strength to carry on to fulfill my assignment—to preserve my country's culinary traditions, to defend its authenticity, to ensure its survival.

Picking Akub in the Shouf with the Massoud Family

2011-06-12T21:19:00.005+03:00

Rima and Masssoud Massoud are wonderful people. They live in Ramlieh, Aley. Massoud works the land, while Rima makes mouneh from the produce of her husband's hard labor. She sets up shop every Saturday at Souk el Tayeb selling her products and makes the most amazing manakish (all types including fatayer). I have known them for years. I have seen their children grow up so fast to young handsome adults. This trip to Niha is special to me because the time I have spent with the Massoud family was forever recorded in a beautiful story written in the Mouneh book.The place where they go to pick Akub on a yearly basis is simply breathtaking. Samira, Massoud's sister is phenomenal. She is amazing, full of energy and spunk. I'm really lucky to have moments like these with the people of my country. I really cherish these moments and I wish everyone would stop thinking of politics and just sit and enjoy each others company over FOOD. Is there hope for our country? I'm thinking of a food revolution, anyone interested?

A few pics to share ...

Today in the Shouf

2011-06-10T17:43:00.002+03:00

Two young male goats fighting

Shooting for Helwe wa Moora

I simply could not have this baby goat killed for the rennet demonstration

Life as a goat, simply wonderful!

Ezzat Majed, a dedicated goat herder

Over 500 hundred goats

Today in the Shouf, I visited Abla and Ezzat Majed to shoot my weekly program. We had discussed with Majed a full demonstration on the making of rennet, naturally using the stomach of a milking calf. As soon as he came with the kid, I grabbed the goat and decided that no way would I be part of this. I took the goat and felt that feeling, like one has when a mother gives birth—an indescribable feeling of love for this animal. I almost took it home, but I pictured the miserable goat in an apartment in Beirut, longing for his mother. The feeling you get in nature with this herd of goats, away from man's pollution is incredible. I felt at peace during the whole day, as if I had taken a long vacation. I'm sharing this with you to let you know that "heaven"— or the likes is not very far. It can be a few kilometers (miles) away. You just need to disconnect and remember how our forefathers lived, perhaps by visiting your local shepherd. I intend to put these wonderful people on a pedestal with my next book.

Green Responsible Tourism Program

2011-06-09T09:02:00.002+03:00

Green Hand is taking initiatives to create very exciting tourism that I can certainly identify with. Here enclosed is their next journey. Join them if you can, it sounds like great fun.

Green Responsible Tourism Program

Launching of the Aacoub Trail on Sunday, June 19^th, 2011

Aacoub Trail Program: (Aacoub Latin name: Gundelia Tournefortii)

8:00 Departure from Beirut meeting point in-front of AL-NAHAR building, Down Town.

8:40 Departure from Aley meeting point in-front of Green Hand Main office, Old Souk.

Ain Hercha (~ 100 km trip) expected arrival 10:00 am

- Lebanese traditional breakfast delivered by the families of Ain Hercha (45 min time).

- Soft to Medium round trip hike to Ain Hercha Romanian Temple (90 min time).

- Spiritual visit to the nassek of Ain Hercha “Brother Naseeb” (60 min time).

Rachaya Al Wadi (~7 km trip)

- Independence fortress (30 min time).

- Old souks (30 min time).

- Craftsman – traditional and artistic stoves (30 min time).

Aiha (~ 5 km trip)

- Environmental Green Lunch. (90 min time).

- Exhibition of traditional home made food items of the women’s cooperate in Aiha.

Estimated time for arrival, Aley: 6:00 pm and Beirut: 6:45 pm.

The Aacoub Trail Needs:

1- Walking Shoes, Hat, Sunglasses, Sun Screen, Extra Jacket or Flees.

2- Bottle of Water.

3- Camera.

4- ID or Passport.

The Aacoub Trail Donation Cost:

40 USD, including: Guide, Transportation, Breakfast, Lunch and guided Aacoub visit.

For Reservation and Confirmation:

Deadline, Monday – June 13, 2011 by SMS on 03716344 or e-mail: info@greenhand.org.lb

Payment is requested to be delivered in cash to Green Hand Main Office in Aley by Wednesday, June 15, 2011 maximum, or by Western Union to Mrs Abir Kassis & through sending the code by sms to 03716344.

N.B.:

1- Kids are allowed on parents own responsibility via the same donation cost. I spoke to Zaher to lower the price, he agreed for $30.

2- Pets are not allowed.

3- Friends that like to follow with their cars are welcomed via the same donation cost.

4- Booking without payment will not be counted.

5- Our trip does not include medical insurance.

Please Feel Free to Contact Us for any Further Inquiry:

Abir Kassis	03 716 344	info@greenhand.org.lb	Aley Meeting Point
Zaher Redwan	03 760 854	info@greenhand.org.lb	Beirut Meeting Point

Organic Bakery in Beirut

2011-06-06T10:42:00.000+03:00

I'm always a sucker for trying new breads. Today I ordered through BioBox, the Lebanese organic e-market, a loaf of whole wheat bread from Lebanon's first organic bakery (to my knowledge). I have the loaf in front of me. It comes in a neat bag with a lot of information printed on the package. The bread is certified by IMC to be 100% organic. I open the bag and it smells great. . The loaf is medium - small, but for me...it's looks too perfect. I wanted something more rustic, but that's just me. It smells very sweet, according to the label the bread is sugar free - instead of sugar the bread recipe is produced with agave syrup (how much?). The price of the loaf is 6,500 LL. This is good option for those looking for an organic alternative. I, for one, cannot imagine not baking my weekly bread. It's part of who I am, what I want to be...what I want my children to remember when they leave the nest. I hope to find an organic wheat one day with a reasonable price so I can use it to make my loaves of bread.

Barbara at the Fish Market Helwe w Morra

2011-06-04T10:49:00.037+03:00

This report is special because it deals with foreign Chef Brody White, from Canada, coming and working in Lebanon after training in Paris - the result, delicious food and fine cuisine in a fine setting called Burgundy. The segment starts at the fish market at the port of Beirut where Brody and I meet early morning. It's exciting to watch the fishmongers sell their fish and display the wide array available. I appreciated the fact that Brody goes out of his way to learn about local products and recipes and integrates them in his cuisine when possible. His plates are beautifully presented and I was really amazed with the taste and different flavors. Many TV viewers have asked for the recipes mentioned in the segment. Chef Brody will send them to me very soon, therefore I shall post them asap for you to experiment.

Here it is, sent today ....can't wait to try my batch! Thanks Brody...

Pickled Market Vegetables

This recipe was developed in order to have a regular stock of great tasting vegetables year round. I have been very fortunate to find some passionate people here in Lebanon producing and foraging fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, due to strict guidelines when using or abstaining completely from growth aids and pest control in vegetable production, the seasons become very short. Pickling, as we know is a great way to extend the time frame a little bit, thus we can enjoy certain products in one form or another almost year round. While staying true to our health strategies, we are adding flavor with a few “NO FAT” ingredients such as vinegar and time.

Pickled Organic Baby Beets

250ml White wine or champagne vinegar

250ml Regular white vinegar

500g White sugar

2L Filtered water

50g Pickling spice mix

2kg Cooked and peeled organic baby beets
(in the report, he mentions salt too - let's say about a tablespoon of sea salt)

2 Clean and sterilized large glass jars and appropriate sized lid

• Combine vinegars, sugar, salt and water and bring to a boil.

• Divide beets and spice mix into the two jars and cover with hot vinegar solution.

• Cover jars with lid and submerge entirely in boiling water for 30 minutes.

• Cool jars to room temperature then store in a cool dark place for at least one week before serving.

This recipe can be used for any vegetable and even some unripe fruits by simply adapting to the required cooking times for each variety.

What is a Polyglot?

2011-06-02T08:12:00.001+03:00

Wayne Parry spent a month in Beirut. He is an Australian polyglot, meaning he can speak several languages. I think he told me he can get by with eight - not bad! Wayne is on a global quest to write his book dealing with learning languages, essentially the 12 most important ones. He usually stays for about a week in different parts of the world, but with Lebanon it was different. He settled for a month and became very well accustomed to our Lebanese "way of life". He contacted me through my website. I responded, and the start of a beautiful friendship started. The best way to show Wayne Lebanon, I believe, was to take him on a FOOD tour. He has written some of his experiences on his travel blog. Check it out! As I write this, Wayne is on his way to Turkey, then he is heading to Russia, later to China and Japan. He is certainly a globe-trotter. I look forward to reading his amazing adventures when he publishes his book. I'll let you know when that happens. Here are a few pics I took of him.

Wayne amidst the goats of the Shouf

We have our theory on goats, the gray ones are so friendly!

Contemplating the Lebanese nature at its best

Visiting a farm in Batloun

Goats are irresistible!

Razzouk and Wayne

Barbara Preparing Hrissé in Arsoun Helwe w Morra

2011-05-30T20:04:00.001+03:00

Hisham, Nawal and their two boys really went out of their way to make this day special. I organized the next week, with a group of friends, a picnic with Cuisinette - Arsoun. It was a hit! Everyone was so delighted by their hospitality, their good food, and this sensational scenery. I invite you to join their fan page on facebook.

Maher helping to build the fire

The wheat is added to the stock

LBC crew in action

It's hard work to mix the wheat

The finished product

Nawal prepares a tabbouleh

Picnic in Arsoun

Nawal is very generous

A lovely picnic with a special family

Last but not least, a hot cup of Arabic coffee

Barbara in Zghorta Preparing Kebbeh "Helwe w Morra"

2011-05-24T17:44:00.006+03:00

I absolutely love Suzanne, why? because she flows with positive energy all the time. You can't help but squeeze her to death - she's so cute!!! Anyway, I've learned through all this experience that rarely do you find people who cook that are not sympatico! I say rarely because unfortunately a few exist. I won't go into that now. The goat herders and their family I met during this trip really touched me. Barbara, the little girl is very smart but unfortunately her and her siblings cannot go to school because they are not declared legally. They need our help. They are growing up without an education and I think that is a real shame. I will try to do my best to do something to help with the help of my friends Sarkis and Suzanne. I'll let you in on a little secret, "this is the best kebbeh nayeh in the world!" I'm sure you can tell how much I enjoyed it. I really love my job!

Here are the ingredients for Suzanne's kebbeh recipes:

Ingredients for the Kebbeh bi Sanniyeh:

for a 60 cm cooking tray

1 1/2 kg of meat (cow) - ask the butcher for "habra" ground twice! If you ground the meat at home, add 1/4 cup of ice cubes when turning the food processor.
4 1/2 cups of burgul (1 kg)
1 tsp of salt

for the filling:
1 large ground onion
1 1/2 tsp of 7-Spice mixture
2 tsp of salt

Ingredients for the Kebbeh Nayeh:

1 kg goat meat
1 cup of burghul
1 1/2 white pepper
1 ground onion

The best way to learn is to help out

Kebbeh bil saniyeh before it's cooked

The Doueihey family with my daughter Maria

Can you taste it??????

Shooting for the show

Love this romantic setting

Happiness

Thanks Michele!

Local Lebanese Spices

2011-05-23T18:05:00.002+03:00

This is the chef's spice box at Abdel Wahab, the restaurant where I got a training in Lebanon.

Lebanese spices are important to flavor our local dishes, but do you know exactly what they are? I went to visit a local spice merchant last week and discussed the local varieties with him.

In a nutshell here is a simple list:

1. white pepper
2. ginger
3. falafel mix
4. anis
5. 7-spices

6. red pepper powder (Indian)
7. red pepper powder (Aleppo)
8. black pepper
9. cloves
10. kebbeh mix
11. nutmeg
12. allspice (called sweet pepper in Arabic)
13. cinammon sticks
14. cumin
15. shawarma mix (chicken / meat)
16. caraway
17. sumac
18. zaatar
19. camounieh (Southern cumin mix)

Of course we use bay leaves, basil, and many other aromatic herbs too ... Now you must be wondering which spice for which recipe. This entails Lebanese cuisine 101, soon!

Bread Movement

2011-05-23T14:34:00.003+03:00

With graceful motion of the hands, paper-thin bread is made in Lebanon

Bread and anything that has to do with the subject is very important to me. I am making bread on a weekly basis for my family, not only because I think it tastes better but because the essential food of my children needs to be baked by their mother, I believe ... Their is a certain engergy that transcends into the dough making it nourishing both to the body and to the soul.

During the last Terra Madre, I met founder of the Bread Movement Nadezhda Savova. Bread Movement was founded in Bulgaria in 2009. It is associated with the Slow Food International Movement and Terra Madre Network.I highly suggest you visit the link provided above and read all about it. The great thing about all this is that Nadezhda will be visiting Lebanon in June. Bread and bread-making in Lebanon is indeed quintessential, we will have to celebrate its existence, somehow...Does anyone have any ideas to propose to Nadezhda? Ideas are welcomed. Let's open a Bread House in Lebanon.

I quote from the website:
"The movement inspires people from around the world to join and make the first step toward sustainable, responsible lifestyle: making one’s own bread, and making it collectively as a leisure entertainment! "

"Workshops with different religious groups and immigrant communities, as in Cape Town with Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, African animists, and atheists, showed the unifying and peace-building power, not in inter-religious “dialogue” but inter-religious “making” the most basic and universal human sustenance for life! Bread as a symbol and as a tactile experience also embraces spiritual and religious values, and communities within the BREAD Movement are encouraged to think how to inter-weave the community ecology with local spiritual practices, so sustainability would have strong roots in people’s hearts and minds as much as in their local soil."

The site goes on to say, Why BREAD?

I quote ...

Bread is universally present and loved around the world (even rice and corn-based cultures have rice and corn breads), consumed by people without division of economic status, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, education,etc: therefore, bread is a universal experience and a universal language to unite and educate
Can be made by anyone, from child to grandparent, and is at the same time the most entertaining cooking activity
When people share food, they are very much likely to establish peace and cooperation
Creating, not passively consuming, bread and art inspires the confidence that there are creative solutions to any problem, and that problems are not as grave as imagined
Tactile and taste experiences (bread-making stimulates all five senses!) develop particular parts of the brain, as studied by psychologists, which makes one perceive the world differently and ask deeper, critical questions: “Where does food come from and why? How do I treat my body, and what other food – intellectual and spiritual – do I need for a meaningful life?”

Their motto is " grain by grain, one bread at a time"

Because I have been photographing this subject for years in Lebanon, here is a glimpse as to what bread means to us as Lebanese, it's the common denominator in our diversified country ...

photo Raymond Yazbeck

A Cheese Shop in Beirut

2011-05-20T07:40:00.003+03:00

I was browsing through the Commerce du Levant which I think everyone should purchase this month because they have a special on Beirut restaurants, cafes and bars prepared by Hodema, a hospitality consulting service firm based in Beirut and in major Arab cities. I am dying to go and see this place, especially now that I am working on my new book dealing with dairy products—cheese included of course. Please if anyone has been to the shop and would like to comment, please do so! Here is the article, as written in the magazine (in French).

Boutique

Fromages alléchants

Muriel Rozelier, Mai 2011

Lorsqu’on est épris de tome de brebis, de Saint-Nectaire ou, pire, d’un Munster fondant… les adresses de qualité à Beyrouth se comptent sur les doigts de la main. D’où notre chapeau bas à ce nouveau “comptoir” ouvert dans la descente de l’hôtel Alexandre, qui propose quelque 85 sortes de fromage à des prix raisonnables. Ce printemps, sa boutique s’étoffe d’une terrasse pour offrir à ses clients la possibilité de grignoter sur le pouce une assiette fromages et vins. « Il suffit de composer son assiette, de choisir sa boisson au comptoir. On pèse le tout. On ajoute cinq dollars pour le service, sans autre surcharge. »
Jean, Charles, rue Adib Ishak, Achrafié, ouvert de 9h à 19h en semaine, jusqu’à 20h les week-ends, Tél. : 70/324253