Thursday, June 11, 2015
Soup for Syria Cover
It's finally done!
Good news is that my US publisher found a UK publisher too to help publishing Soup for Syria. Presently the book is being printed in China! Ouf...I am planning a launch in Beirut in September. In the US there will be launch/benefit concert on September 20th in MA.Will keep you posted on developments.Thank you to all who made this book possible! Everyone worked for FREE. All proceeds will go to a fund to help Syrian refugees It feels good to have been part of this amazing experience. Hope people will understand the core message behind the book.
You can pre-order the book on Amazon or directly on the Interlink page.
“Soup for Syria may be the most compelling cookbook ever created. Through her photographs and collected recipes, Barbara Massaad directly connects us with a people in dire need of our help. Just holding this book is nourishment for the soul.”
—Jim Clancy, former CNN Correspondent and Anchor, awarded A.H. Boerma medal for coverage of food and hunger issues by F.A.O. (U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization)
A BEAUTIFUL COOKBOOK TO BE CHERISHED FOR ITS LOOK, ITS CONTENT, AND THE CAUSE IT SUPPORTS
The world has failed Syria's refugees and some of the world's wealthiest countries have turned their backs on this humanitarian disaster. Syria's neighbors-Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq-have together absorbed more that 3.8 million refugees. The need for food relief is great and growing.
Acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors the world over have come together to help food relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees. Each has contributed a recipe to this beautifully illustrated cookbook of delicious soups from around the world. Contributors include: Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Anthony Bourdain, Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Paula Wolfert, Ana Sortiun, Sally Butcher, Claudia Roden, Greg Malouf, Alexis Coquelet, Chris Borunda, Alexandra Stratou, Necibe Dogru, Aglaia Kremenzi, and many others.
• Celebrity chefs contribute favorite recipes to help feed Syrian refugees
• Fabulous soups from around the world-from hearty winter warmers to chilled summer soups
• Easy-to-follow instructions with stunning color photos throughout
• Recipes made with no-fuss ingredients found in your local supermarket
All profits from the sales of the cookbook will be donated to help fund food relief efforts through various nonprofit organizations. Most Syrians hope that one day they will be able to return to their country and rebuild their lives. For now, though, what we can do is listen to their pleas. Be part of this vital work of saving lives and help us deliver essential food items to the displaced refugees.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Fate
This means a lot to me. You will never understand but it's OK because I don't want you to. Sometimes things are better left unsaid.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Baking Pizza "en Famille" at the Beirut Street Food Festival
Caramelized onion and fresh mozzarella made in Lebanon |
"Mami, it's OK, if everyone knew it, there would me too many of us." — Albert, my son at the first Beirut Street Food Festival on the day of his 18th birthday, May 17 2015, while baking flat breads (pizza).
This was such a special evening for us as a family. It reminded me of the "restaurant" years with my own family in Florida.
I'd like to thank the organizers of this event for doing such a great job namely Zeina Halawi and Youmna Mteiny. The only problem they had was that the festival was so in demand to so many that food stalls could not deliver so much food to such a crowd. Lesson learned .... next time will be even better. You have my full support.
It all started with Lea and the balloons |
And then it suddenly filled up like mad |
And we had hundreds of people waiting to EAT |
And we we were very hard at work |
Lea and Sarah becameperplexed on the crowd's demands |
Mia finally showed off her talent |
Albert baked like mad |
A moment of tenderness with my youngest daughter Sarah |
We watching in awe the crowd and giving thanks. This will be a memory someday. |
Miou and me |
Papi (dough, cut cheese, bring cheese) ... Our constant support |
It was a memorable day.... 18 years ago today, I had given birth to my first child. It had been one of the happiest days of my life... Today, the happiness continues. I am lucky to have such a supportive family at my side. It's definitely my strength.May we always cook, eat and share our food together and with those who want to share it with us...Can't wait till the next one...
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Beirut Street Food Festival - Some Thoughts
To the ones who cook, cheers! |
And this is what we are doing! |
The future... |
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Maktoob - Destiny
olives cracked one by one with a stone |
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 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.
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Prophet - The Movie
I don't know if you all have noticed that all my books include a saying of Khalil Gibran somewhere. He has been an inspiration to so many of us Lebanese and non-Lebanese alike all over the world.
His words are sacred and really do make a lot of sense.
Many are asking me what I thought of the film:
The film The Prophet is wonderful. I simply loved it. It's not for everyone though. Everyone should study the book and watch the movie later. It's better like that. It might confuse those who have never read the book. The interpretation of the book is really simple and yet the different artistic styles used in different segments is really creative. Artists, who know what it takes to draw and paint, will really appreciate the work. The music is AMAZING adding a lot to the different elements portrayed throughout the film. The story is less exciting and in my opinion could have been more elaborately developed but again it is perfect for an all age audience. The "actors" are well chosen, although I would have preferred that Mustafa especially be of Middle-Eastern origins. The mixing of Mexican, American, Irish accents is weird to me...But I guess nowadays you need big names to get people to come and see the movie.
I will watch it again and again, for it is very inspiring and true.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Beirut Street Food Festival
Barbara (that's me) and Albert Massaad @foodyoulike (my son) will be participating at the
Street Food Festival this year representing Slow Food Beirut. We will be
making flat breads with all kind of toppings: call them pizza, call
them man'oushe, call them bread cooked with love. This will be a special
occasion for mother and son, before Albert goes off to university at
Lyon to study at Paul Bocusse to be a chef / restaurateur. Not only that
but this will be a special day for Albert as he celebrates his18th
birthday! Also on the agenda, the newly formed Slow Food Youth Network
Lebanon will be cooking soup with vegetables which would have been
dumped otherwise. Keep posted.
#beirutstreetfoodfest on Instagram
Beirut Street Food Festival on Facebook
#beirutstreetfoodfest on Instagram
Beirut Street Food Festival on Facebook
The Mother Of Slow Food
I had the privilege to stay at Alice Water's house and live through her Chez Panisse restaurant with some awesome people. I visited the farms she works with and the edible school garden too... It was an experience I will never forget. Finally, people who are meant to meet, do! Why, because they share the same philosophy. It's basic, eat food that is less processed, straight from the earth to your mouth which has been treated without too much fuss, just naturally grown as mother nature intended. We humans complicate things and create chaos. It's so sad what has happened to the world's food system. Can we really call it food? One must respect what goes in one's mouth. Expensive to buy organic foods? I don't think so, considering that you buy designer clothes, etc... Isn't it more important what you put in your body than what you put to cover it? The whole system is messed up. The more we advance in technology, the more we are ruining the basics of our human lifestyle and going into a large gap of nothing. I know I am writing you on a computer through Facebook.... The irony of it all! So cheers Alice Waters to the mother of Slow Food International, I am continuing what you have started. I hope I can get good results as you have.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Diet for A New America - Hosted by John Robbins
Sometimes you read or watch something and say, "HEY this is exactly how I think". Please watch this video if you don't have time to read the book. Diet For A New America - Hosted by John Robbins.
Onno - Sad News, Owner Dies in a Car Crash
Today my friend Helena posted on Facebook the sad news about the owner of ONNO, Karnigue Nicolian, brother of Carmen Nicolian.
Many of you may know that this is one of my favorite restaurants in
Beirut. I wrote a review in 2012 and they put it on the wall of the
restaurant in Bourj Hamoud. I am so proud to be a tiny part of this
restaurant. The family who own and operate it are lovely and really
cook with love. They have been in operation for 25 years and finally a
year ago, they got their big break—They opened in Badaro and were also
going to open in Hamra....and now BANG! Life is so unfair. I am very
sad.
http://myculinaryjourneythroughlebanon.blogspot.com/…/my-re…
It
is with a very heavy heart and enormous sadness that I write these few
words. Karnigue Nicolian passed away yesterday in a car accident. His
funeral is going to take place at the
Sourp Nishan Church at 3:00 P.M. this afternoon. Our condolences go to
his wife, Siran and his daughters, and his sister, Carmen and brother,
Nazo. We are saddened by this news and pray that he rests in peace. Helena Krikorian Zakharia
http://myculinaryjourneythroughlebanon.blogspot.com/…/my-re…
Slow Down
I majored in advertising / marketing and worked in the field for many years before turning into a total food activist / researcher, etc... so when I see material which really strikes me as good. I am very much aware of the work...
Sit back, while having your morning coffee and read this text... breath in... breath out!
Because Slow Food is getting to people, even advertising companies are using the the "Slow Down" motto for their campaigns. I picked up a brochure at a food fair somewhere for bison (Canadian Meat). I'll spare you the details on the bison meat, but would like to share what they had to write about slowing down...
"Today, more people are shopping the farmers' markets. Buying fresh, locally grown food. Chopping it, dicing it and marinating it themselves. Then serving it the same night. To good friends. They're sitting down with cloth napkins, perhaps a few candles and yes real cutlery. They're offering appetizers before, dessert after, and maybe a humble opinion in between. What they're doing is slowing down. Taking a deep breath. Recognizing that life isn't a tyrant, and that the kitchen and the table can be centers of pleasures, culture and community. It's a good thing. A revival. One that you can take part in and benefit from. You can start by eating ....(advertising at play here)."
What do you think?
Sit back, while having your morning coffee and read this text... breath in... breath out!
Because Slow Food is getting to people, even advertising companies are using the the "Slow Down" motto for their campaigns. I picked up a brochure at a food fair somewhere for bison (Canadian Meat). I'll spare you the details on the bison meat, but would like to share what they had to write about slowing down...
"Today, more people are shopping the farmers' markets. Buying fresh, locally grown food. Chopping it, dicing it and marinating it themselves. Then serving it the same night. To good friends. They're sitting down with cloth napkins, perhaps a few candles and yes real cutlery. They're offering appetizers before, dessert after, and maybe a humble opinion in between. What they're doing is slowing down. Taking a deep breath. Recognizing that life isn't a tyrant, and that the kitchen and the table can be centers of pleasures, culture and community. It's a good thing. A revival. One that you can take part in and benefit from. You can start by eating ....(advertising at play here)."
What do you think?
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Beth Howard, Author of Making PieceVisits Lebanon in July
Serendipity... Life is always full of surprises! Thank God for that. On a trip to the USA in Seattle years ago, I fell upon a book called Making Piece. Of course, I bought it although it was stained with coffee. You know lots of people come to Barnes and Nobles, drink coffee and browse for hours through cookbooks. Am I one of those people, you bet!
I brought the book home to Lebanon and read it in a few days. I could relate to Beth's passion and finding therapy through food. I often write the author of the book I read to show my appreciation for his / her writing with an effort to make the story last longer. When I finish a book, I often get the blues because I want more and feel that by ending the book I am cutting relations with that story. My attempt to contact the author is to make the story part of my life too. Some authors connect with me and stay friends for life, others don't.
Beth Howard and I connected two years ago. We have been following each other since then through social networks. She is part of my life, as I am part of hers. I received a letter that she is planning to come and visit me this summer as part of a project entitled, "World Piece". I am delighted! I wrote on her Facebook page, "The queen of American pie comes to meet the queen of Lebanese pie", not that we take ourselves too seriously but we have both been coined as such.
She has created a website for this project. This is what she wrote concerning her trip to Lebanon. "From India, I fly to Beirut, Lebanon, with a five-hour stopover in Cairo. Because the round-the-world ticket only allows so many stopovers I won’t get to explore Egypt, the birthplace of pie, or see the pyramids (unless they are visible from the plane), but at least my feet will get to touch that red, electrified, ancient African soil — the cradle of mankind where all this madness started. In Beirut, I will spend a week with cookbook author, photographer, and social activist, Barbara Massaad. She was one of the original anchors to this trip and while it is tricky to get to Lebanon — and the US suggests avoiding it — this stop underscores everything about my mission as it’s all about using pie to spread goodwill and promote peace."
If you would like to follow her adventure, please do. I will post on her adventures in Lebanon when she arrives this summer. It will be great fun to cook together in Ballouneh!
I brought the book home to Lebanon and read it in a few days. I could relate to Beth's passion and finding therapy through food. I often write the author of the book I read to show my appreciation for his / her writing with an effort to make the story last longer. When I finish a book, I often get the blues because I want more and feel that by ending the book I am cutting relations with that story. My attempt to contact the author is to make the story part of my life too. Some authors connect with me and stay friends for life, others don't.
Beth's Pie Book |
She has created a website for this project. This is what she wrote concerning her trip to Lebanon. "From India, I fly to Beirut, Lebanon, with a five-hour stopover in Cairo. Because the round-the-world ticket only allows so many stopovers I won’t get to explore Egypt, the birthplace of pie, or see the pyramids (unless they are visible from the plane), but at least my feet will get to touch that red, electrified, ancient African soil — the cradle of mankind where all this madness started. In Beirut, I will spend a week with cookbook author, photographer, and social activist, Barbara Massaad. She was one of the original anchors to this trip and while it is tricky to get to Lebanon — and the US suggests avoiding it — this stop underscores everything about my mission as it’s all about using pie to spread goodwill and promote peace."
Beth Howard |
Monday, March 23, 2015
Slow Food Beirut / Kitchenlab / Students Hadchit
Slow Food Beirut will host 24 children from Hadchit tomorrow at
Kitchenlab. We will teach the children to bake bread (2 recipes using
local flavors), show them what is yeast and why it is important for good bread, make Itch (an Armenian tabbouleh with lots of burghul)
and we will have lunch all together. I will discuss my
book Mouneh with the children and give them a lesson on the importance
of eating local products in season. Volunteers are welcomed if
interested. I can't wait to meet them. I'm very excited.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
Yesterday was indeed special for everyone, especially for me! I was introduced to the fine cuisine of...
-
Yesterday I set out to meet a man who grows fields of zaatar (origanum syriacum) in the South of Lebanon. His name is Mohammad Ali Neimeh,...
-
The Italian NGOs UCODEP and ICU in cooperation with Slow Food Beirut are organizing a 2 day event celebrating Lebanese olives. When? Novembe...
-
I am like a little ant who keeps all types of documents and find herself with a load of papers and other stuff... I have decided to put away...
-
Someone went out and finally done it!!! Wish it had been me.... Good for them. Falamanki on Damascus road, the new trendy Lebanese resta...
-
Mouneh has won in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010 . The book will qualify for the "Gourmand Best in the World"competition ...
-
Today is the first day of the rest of my life, AGAIN! ... It is indeed a stepping stone for me! I am going to the printers to test papers an...
-
Bravo, keep going... continue. We need more like you! The music rocks and the lyrics are authentic, true to the actual culture and ideolog...
-
It was last week on the 7th of May... It's Wednesday - My children's school has decided to open it's doors which means in my mi...
-
El Hommos Lebneneh 2009 24 October - 25 October An attempt to break the current Hommos & Tabbouleh world Guinness Record Exhibition...