Defininng cooks, the Slow Food Way

Definition of cooks according to Slow Food, this says it all!

Cooks play an essential role. They are the interpreters of a territory, who can add value to it through their own creativity. The Terra Madre cooks understood that pleasure must not be separated from responsibility to producers, without whom none of their work would be possible. In this way, they reinforce the food communities, through dialogue and collaboration with producers, and fight against the abandonment of cultural tradition and standardization of food. And it is in their restaurants that this philosophy reaches consumers.

I know there are many creative and talented cooks in Lebanon. I think they play an important role in keeping our culinary heritage alive. Many cooks are using basic Lebanese ingredients and are doing magnificent creations with the food. Lebanese cooks should be cherished, put on a pedestal, respected, and given the opportunity to shine in our society. I think this is currently taking place, slowly but surely...

Slow Food Newsletter

I just got the Slow Food newsletter in the mail. Here is a glimpse:

"Slow Food is working to help communities around the world to rebuild their local food systems in order to eat better, protect the environment and maintain cultural diversity."

The most exciting news is that the program for the Terra Madre meeting has been published:

Terra Madre 2010 Cultures and indigenous languages at the fourth world meeting of the network

More than 5,000 representatives from the worldwide Terra Madre network will meet in Turin, Italy for the fourth time this October 21 to 25 - coinciding once again with the international Slow Food fair Salone del Gusto. The five-day meeting will bring together food communities, cooks, academics, youth and musicians from all over the world, who are united in a desire to promote sustainable local food production in harmony with the environment while respecting knowledge handed down over the generations.

A new feature in 2010 will be a focus on cultural and linguistic diversities - in recognition of the need to defend minority ethnic groups and indigenous languages, and with an appreciation of the value of oral traditions and memory. At the opening ceremony, representatives of indigenous communities from all continents across the world will speak to the audience in their native languages.

The second day will be dedicated to examining eight crucial issues for the future of agriculture and the planet (from biodiversity to renewable energies and education to traditional knowledge). On the third day communities will meet in national and regional sessions, while on the fourth day Earth Workshops will be held.

The official closing session of Terra Madre will be marked by the presentation of a program of proposals from the Terra Madre network for a sustainable future.

There will be specific opportunities during the event to receive information, to present projects involving taste education (gardens, canteen projects etc.) or food biodiversity (Presidia and Earth Markets) and to organize Terra Madre Day in your community or country - with the second edition to be held on December 10, 2010 around the world. The Terra Madre youth network will play an important role during the event.

For Terra Madre information and updates: www.terramadre.org

Massaya - 1st of May

I went with my family on the 1st of May to the winery Massaya. They were hosting an arak workshop so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about arak production. A delicious lunch was served with an array of traditional Lebanese dishes. My favorite corner was where two women from the Bekaa cooked marquq - paper-thin bread. The lighting was perfect and I couldn't stop myself from indulging in both the bread and the photo shots. We lunched with our friends the Bosquin family and a very nice couple who own a restaurant in England, The Dock Kitchen . It was a very relaxing day!

As we arrived, everyone was busy preparing for the lunch.

A general view of the vineyards, very romantic!

This is where the arak, after being distilled three times, is conserved for at least 6 months.

Kishk pies being prepared the traditional way.

I simply couldn't stop photographing this woman.

One more shot!

Isn't he cute?

I have come to love this traditional drink, often called the lion's milk.

The frikeh was simply delicious!

Grilled vegetables served with lots of sesame seeds.

A nice dish of  meat shawarma ....

Final Day at Horeca

I think the final day was one of the best days at the fair... We had two important guests: Al Hallab and Baba Sweets. Al Hallab is notorious for its production of delicious oriental sweets, a destination one always visits in Tripoli. Baba Sweets is another famous stop located at the other extreme of the country in the city of Saida, among other locations. Things definitely got sticky with all the sugar, but it was definitely a great treat for both Chef Richard and I, and of course our huge crowds.

Al Hallab prepared Halawet el Jebn - This is made with unsalted fresh cow milk cheese that is boiled for a few minutes. Its water is thrown out and butter is added, melted and mixed with semolina. The mixture is cooked to a fine dough then it is put on a large round tray. The cheese is then pulled and stretched and becomes very elastic. It is cut into even squared shapes and filled with ashta - curd cheese. The whole is drenched with sugar syrup. A true delicacy!

Baba Sweets prepared an array of oriental pastries with an innovative twist for today's customers. Crowds stretched out their arms for a small bite, as the Baba Sweets employees frantically worked hard to serve everyone. The portions were very generous. I particularly enjoyed eating the aashet el saraya with the misk ice cream.

3rd Day at Horeca

Last night with the collaboration of IBSAR - The AUB project, the food animation dealt with recipes and food of the Lebanese "terroir" cooked in different villages.

Halimeh, from the village of Aarssal in the Bekaa, whom I know very well, produced for the audience kebbet battata balls. The recipe is simple ... Prepare two large bowls. In one, add 1 1/2 kilo of burghul + 1/2 cup of  flour + water to make a thick dough. Knead the dough to have an even texture. Leave to rest. In the second bowl, add 1 1/2 kilo of boiled potatoes. Crush them with a potato masher. Leave to cool. When cool, add 1/4 cup of dried mint, 1 tbs. cumin powder, 1 tsp. of sweet pepper, salt to taste. Add about 4 tbs.of olive oil. Cut 2 medium onions finely, fry in a mixture of olive and vegetable oil until brown. Add to the potatoes. The stuffing is ready. To make the kebbeh balls, wet your hands with a few drops of water and place one heaping tbs. of stuffing in the palm of your hand. Roll into the shape of a long cylinder. Hold the dough in one hand and make an indentation with the index finger of your opposite hand in one end of the cylinder to create an opening. Open only one end. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tsp. of the stuffing. Seal the open end of the cylinder by pinching it closed. Cook in the oven at a temperature of 200 for 20 minutes or deep-fry in vegetable oil.

Another group of women from Batloun in the  Shouf made delicious kaak sweetened with homemade grape molasses. These small delights were quickly consumed by everyone. Grape molasses is a great substitute for sugar and is best for one's health. The secret is to melt down the molasses before using, as the molasses tend to be very hard and thick. Iqbal mixed 1 kilo of whole wheat flour with 1/2 kilo of grape molasses (warm). She added 1/2 kilo oil (50% olive, 50% sunflower), one tablespoon of anise powder, one tsp. baking powder. The dough was shaped into finger-like shapes and dipped in sesame seeds. The kaak was put to bake in the hot oven at a temperature of 180 for 15 minutes. They were really delicious.

2nd Day at Horeca

Yesterday was indeed special for everyone, especially for me! I was introduced to the fine cuisine of LePhonecian , a restaurant founded by Mr. Habib located in the city of Tyre in the South of Lebanon, with its second branch in Horsh Tabet in the suburbs of  Beirut. I sat with Mr. Habib discussing his passion for food and how the restaurant came to life many years back. According to Habib, his father loved to entertain. As a child, he would see celebrities, including the late President Camille Chamoun, sit and eat at the family house in Tyre. He would stay endless hours with his mother in the kitchen and learn the secrets of fine Lebanese cuisine. Because of the proximity of Habib's natal city to the sea, Habib was exposed to many recipes which included seafood. Based on many years of experience, he founded his restaurant. At Horeca, we got a glimpse of the food including shrimp croquettes, seafood pastry, fish kebbeh balls, cabbage tabbouleh, exotic salad, fish sausages, and finally smoked wheat “frikeh" served with fish. The tabbouleh was really delicious, flavored with grated lemon rinds and a pinch of cumin. The salad included finely chopped cabbage, parsley, tomatoes, burghul, and the whole was mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt. I have often noticed that indeed the simple things in life are often the best things in life, thus this simple but delicious dressing! I particularly liked this innovative tabbouleh because it was very refreshing and light. Habib also mentioned that his shrimp croquettes recipe was derived from a Belgium recipe he had tasted on one of his trips to Belgium. He stated, “The owner of the Belgian restaurant refused to give me the recipe of his croquettes! “. Habib determined, figured it out by tasting and testing out the recipe in his kitchen. He now serves these seafood croquettes to all his clients. I intend to go back to see Mr. Habib and his crew. They have really inspired me and I intend to learn a lot about Lebanese recipes which include seafood - a rich asset in our culinary heritage.

 The second part of our demonstration included the new restaurant / Lebanese fast food with a twist, Semsom.A  group of chefs arrived, full of energy, with many dishes to showcase to the crowd passing through the halls.Dishes included pink and green colored hummus, feta salad served in the heart of a tomato, fish kebbeh stuffed with dried fruits and nuts, kebbeh from Jezzine stuffed with goat labneh, smoked wheat served with fish, and the whole was served with an array of delicious and colorful desserts. The crowds pushed and shoved to get a share of these sweet delights.. The ambiance was very cordial and friendly, as Chef Richard animated with humor and laughter. Arak Faqra served the crowd glasses of cold arak, a perfect drink to accompany all these fine Lebanese dishes. 

 Today, IBSAR, a project dealing with sustainability, part of  the AUB project, will demonstrate favorite recipes dealing with Mouneh items. I am looking forward to this, obviously!

My new culinary friend, Chef Richard El Khoury at the Atelier Gourmand at Horeca 2010.
Photo: Anthony Rahayel - www.beirutnightlife.com

1st Day at Horeca

The first day of my 4-days at Horeca was certainly interesting. Chef Richard El Khoury is definitely very fun to be around. He is simply a riot. He loves to entertain, talk, and share his knowledge with passer byes. Chef Richard and I hosted two guests last night: Keyrouz Bakery and Boutros Bakery. Chef Bechara Rahal of Keyrouz Bakery made some very remarkable recipes including a sweet sushi a la Libanaise.This creation is a sandwich wrap glazed with honey, curd cheese (ashta), and a sheet of dried fruit (fig, apple, apricot). The crowds really loved the taste of the wrap / sushi. Chef Bechara also discussed an old recipe for bread called mishtah revived with different flavors including dried tomatoes, garbanzo beans, glazed fennel seeds, and my favorite, rose petal. What is interesting about the rose petal mishtah is that the petals have been soaked in water overnight and this scented and perfumed water has been used to make the bread. This insight, for me, made the night all worth while. It gave me many ideas for further testing.


I took a break to visit the stands in the halls which displayed many products, machinery, and looked around to see the various competitions taking place. The place was certainly full of life and animated.

The next guess was Mr. Boutros, of Boutros Bakery. They are specialized in producing paper-thin bread, better known as marquq. A full demonstration of the bread making process was showcased. The bread was very delicious. Suddenly, I hear the sound of a big explosion - I frantically tried to jump above the counter, the hose of the gas bottle attached to the saj exploded and started a small fire. It was very scary but thank God nothing happened. The man who was working on the saj got a mild burn on his hand, all the hairs of his arm burnt off. I stood there shaking for a bit. Chef Richard joked and laughed and all was forgotten. Oh, I forgot to mention that at a certain period, when walking around, I tasted Jean-Paul Khoury's new white wine. It relaxed me at bit so back at the stand, Chef Richard and I sang a duet, "It's Now or Never" - Elvis song.... Definitely weird but so much fun! I am looking forward to tonight because we have very interesting guests coming: Le Phonecien restaurant and Semsom. They will demonstrate their mezze-making skills. Hope to see you all there!