Barbara With Pierre Bared "Helwe Beirut"

Ladies and gentlemen, it is very sad to say but this is my last report with Helwe Beirut. Why? I have no idea. The show shut down a few days ago. What you are seeing these days are reruns. According to rumors, it's because of in-house politics bla bla bla.... The producer called me the night before I was to head down to Tyre to do a report on lost forgotten recipes of the South and BOUM she hit me with this news! I was overwhelmed because these weekly segments have become part of my life and sharing all my adventures with the audience was really special to me. I am what you call a believer in a philosophy that states: "If it's meant to be, than it's probably better for me", so I say as long as I have good health, I will keep walking— doing what I always do (with or without a camera to record my trips).

This report above was shot just a week before this harsh ruling. It's very symbolic! I shot the segment with one of my very good friends (Pierrot) and captured life of a shepherd (Nizar) with goats (baby goats included) and the making of traditional bread in the tannur. All these elements are so special to me. The simple life, nature, friendship, family, good wholesome food—This was my message to the Lebanese people and to the people in Arab countries who also viewed Helwe Beirut.

I would like to thank all those who worked with me especially Randa Abyad, the producer of Helwe Beirut. She was the one who pushed me to become a TV host. I will always be grateful to her for believing in me and never questioning my "trips". Roula Sidnawi is the segment director who worked on all my reports with unconditional love. She is amazing and I really would not have succeeded if I did not have her by my side. To Roula Saad and all the LBC crew with whom I worked: cameramen, sound engineers, light ... Thank you!

I asked my husband when I heard the news, "Do you think my fans are going to accept not seeing me every week in a different location in Lebanon cooking with food producers?" He answered, "Of course not, they will go down to Martyr's Square and shout... We want Barbara back!" He is silly, but it's a thought! Just kidding.

To all my dear fans, I will be back soon—I promise!

It's the Season for Baby Goats

Photo taken from a recent article on the net, hope no one minds!

This week I am going North to see the shepherd Nizar and his family with my friend Pierrot to visit new born baby goats! You probably know by now that I am in love with baby goat and that is one of the reasons that I am dedicating a book to Lebanese dairy foods. This is my excuse to spend time with shepherds from all over the country—folks who understand the basic meaning of life. It's a glimpse of a different period, of  a past very different from today. I will do my best to portray this lifestyle whilst recording local recipes dealing with the abundance of milk—cow, goat, sheep alike.

Baby Goat in the North of Lebanon

Merry Christmas

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!

Cheese 2011

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

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

Serdeleh Cheese and the Baby Goat

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.

Today in the Shouf

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.

What is a Polyglot?

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