Barbara in Bejdarfel with Chadia Lahoud "Helwe El Hayet"

My neighbor Sarri called me the other day saying that I should meet Chadia from his adopted village Bejdarfel, near Batroun. That is exactly what I did!  She is such an adorable woman with a lot of knowledge on edible wild herbs and plants from her village. I was delighted to share this adventure with my friend Tangor from Turkey who is a food connoisseur, having studied in Italy at the university of Gastronomy in Polenza. He is now working for one of the most famous restaurants in Turkey in research and development. Gioconda is from Andalusia in Spain and was raised in a hotel / restaurant. She is passionate about food and was really touched by this country promenade. A special bond was created that day with my two friends. I want to thank my new "habib albi" Mike Massy for giving us permission to use his beautiful song "Ya Zaman"! I absolutely love it.... Thanks, thanks! It made this episode even more special.

Last but not least, I dedicate this episode to my dear Roula, the show's segment director who has left us to pursue a job outside Lebanon. She is so special to me... She understood exactly what is inside my head and most important what is inside my heart. Love you... more to come, I promise!

Opening of a Mouneh Shop - Dekenet al Falamanki

Someone went out and finally done it!!! Wish it had been me....

Good for them. Falamanki on Damascus road, the new trendy Lebanese restaurant is opening a mouneh shop. When I entered the premises, it was like O my goodness! This looks like the Mouneh book. I was so happy to see my book everywhere too. I feel very close to this idea and concept. I wish them all the success. The most important point is that they are working on bringing small scale producers closer to end users (consumers). May they always be true to this philosophy. The place is very cozy, you must come and visit. I will be signing copies of Man'oushe and Mouneh, if anyone is interested.

For those who want to read the details in English:

You're cordially invited you to the opening of Dekkanet Al Falamanki on Friday, April 20 between 4pm and 8pm in Al Falamanki's garden.

The opening is animated/MC'd by: Al Zeytoun, Al Jams, Al Makdouss, Al Cheese, etc (this is a traditional lebanese expression to say who's the entertainment of the night).
 

The event is open to public.

Dekkanet AL Falamanki is a boutique where all sorts of provisions offered from many villages of Lebanon can be found. Seasonally oriented and farm fresh, Dekkanet al Falamanki is specialized in providing you with blossoming foods of the months; Whether you are looking for arak, jams, pickles, dairy products or even oils our boutique is dedicated to bringing traditional flavors into your home.

Tel: 01-333246; address: Al Falamanki gardens, Sodeco, Damascus road, Beirut. 

Open from 7am till midnight.

Website: www.alfalamanki.com

My Review of L'Osteria

I am not a food critic, but I do hold strong opinions about the subjects and I intend to express them. How is that for a beginning?

Last night, in the desperate search for an authentic eatery in Lebanon, we got lucky! My husband and I went to an amazing place bursting with positive vibes. Yes, I  sense these things, am I psychic? Perhaps! Seriously I tend to feel positive and negative vibes, and that makes the whole difference in a restaurant setting. We arrived and were seated on a tiny corner table (love corners). The setting is very romantic, authentic and charming. I think the place seats about 30 customers. I asked about the history of the location. Apparently, it used to be a "dekken" where one used to buy fruits and vegetables. It looks like an "qabou" refurbished to feel good, actually great! The food is unpretentious! I look for that because it is important, a rarity these days in our capital. Good quality products cannot go wrong in however way you cook or serve them. Am I right? We started with a glass of wine made by a friend in Zahleh, Jean Paul Khoury. Thanks Jean Paul for persisting in doing this juice of the gods. Our waiter, who seems like an old timer in the restaurant (happy to be), suggested bruschetta — toast with cherry tomatoes marinated with garlic, olive oil, and zaatar. I could tell! I liked the fact that the cook used local seasoning! Then we had slices of carpaccio, thinly sliced with garlic and olive oil with Parmesan shavings. Simple but good! We finished with a wonderful torta (tortilla) made with eggs, of course and Swiss chard, mushrooms, pine nuts, flavored with coriander or parsley and garlic. I think the owner is having a love affair with garlic. Good for you! We loved it. It felt good, we left HAPPY!

Quick preview: good food, good vibes, friendly service, adorable setting, fair prices! Also, the owner Thomas is kind — you can tell that he is passionate about his job. We did not speak for long, but that was my first impression. Did I mention that his wife is Italian? Love that! I think it's a good combination: Lebanese / Italian, especially when dealing with food.

Grazie mille!

If you are interested to visit:
L'OSTERIA
Aschrafieh - Nahr Street
+ 961 1 566 175

Tabbouleh Photo in Saveur

 

I just joined Pinterest . I found this photo from Saveur magazine. It is absolutely amazing! Do you like? It speaks to you and really makes you want to have tabbouleh NOW!

Know your Meal at Horeca

If you want to read about this amazing group from Italy certifying restaurants in Lebanon "Consosci il tuo pasto" read their website. There is an article in today's Daily Star which describes our event at Horeca and how restaurants and institutions are being certified locally. Some local examples include: OBOX, Bio Mass, Jrebta, La Boulangere Bio, Sanctus wine, Tawlet Souk el Tayeb, Adonis Valley, La Table de Joseph, Jouzourna, Cow and Apple, Biocaprin, Le Petit Gris.

"The Conosci il tuo pasto certification process is underpinned by the philosophy that one should know who made one’s food, where it came from, and how it has been prepared. Indeed, tracing one’s food, from source to plate, is about the best thing a vulnerable public can do to safeguard against ingesting rotten or dangerous food."

Chilhood Memories

2nd day Horeca 2012

Very talented chefs visited Atelier Gourmand today. I was really impressed by their recipes and talent, yet I was disappointed too because visitors did not pay enough attention to what they were preparing and saying. A lot of people come to the fair to eat free food, although this fair is solely for professionals ONLY!  We have so much to learn from each other. People are in pursuit of money and glory and forget the essential. For me, it was exceptional.

My first guest was Chef Mohamed Ourad from Momo.Not only is this chef talented but a true gentleman with years of experience. I am so glad that we hired a cameraman to document his teachings. The aim was to have renown international chefs revisit a Lebanese recipe. Chef Mohamed cooked for us moghrabieh and tajin. I will be posting the video very soon. I loved both dishes but preferred the tajin. According to Chef Mohamed our tajin is too heavy. He lightened the traditional tajin sauce with some fish broth and added a dollop of fresh cream. It was exceptional. His moghrabieh was innovative as he made it with fresh seafood. I loved the taste but cried out for a bit of spice (you all know how I am!). I think we can learn a lot from Chef Mohamed because he has so much experience and regional culture. I am definitely going to visit his kitchen sometime soon.

My second guest was Chef Remy Lefebvre from La Maison du Caviar. Chef Remy is a self taught chef who has traveled extensively to fulfill his passion in cooking. He is a redhead like me so we hit it off immediately! His dish was special too because he interpreted our traditional Lebanese Sayadieh his way. He reduced the fish stock a lot to become very concentrated. He made a risotto using tarrator. I really loved that! His assistant Chef Ali attended to the risotto while he grilled the fish with caramelized onions. We spoke about La Maison du Caviar in Lebanon and the perception of Lebanese towards this establishment. Some are scared to visit the restaurant because they feel it might be too expensive. Chef Remy mentioned that some of the dishes served in the restaurant are cheaper than others who pretend to be very casual and affordable. One can spend thousands of dollars at the restaurant eating very fine caviar and others can simply eat at an affordable price other menu items. Makes sense... Thanks Remy, I'll be back.

And finally, a soul mate found called Suzanne Husseini. Host of the popular cooking program "Sohbe Taibe/صحبة طيبة " and author of the bestselling cookbook "When Suzanne Cooks," highlighting the wonders of Arabian cuisine. According to Suzanne, "Love begins in the kitchen" .  She is really amazing! She reminds me of sexy Nigella Lawson but the Arabic version (so cute and more authentic!). She cooks and talks about food with a passion. She cooked her lamb and freekeh in front of audiences who couldn't wait to taste the food. You can find the recipe in her book. It is still available at the fair. It was great to see how a person with lots perseverance was able to accomplish her dreams. She is a tough cookie who loves to share her passion with her readers and TV audiences alike. "Suzanne Husseini’s love of food began at home. She cites the meals her mother made during her childhood in Canada as the source of her everyday inspiration". We understood each other because we are going through a lot of similar circumstances in our common journey. I hope to see more of her and her cooking in the future. Habibti intee!!!