2012 - The Movie

For those who have not seen 2012, GO SEE IT! OK it's a Hollywood movie, a la Hollywood. But what a movie, the message is very important. We (humans) have destroyed our planet, the consequences are devastating! It is sort of a remake of Noah's ark, but with amazing side effects. It touched me a lot (I cried many times), yet it made realize how every day how we (humans) are destroying everything that should be left untouched. We are the only species doing such a great job at destroying what Mother Nature has implanted. Do you see animals carrying on this way? And yet we do everything to destroy them too...

In Lebanon, we are building apartment buildings EVERYWHERE. Trees are disappearing. Farmers are working to get the most profit from their land because the government does nothing to help them. We are polluting with our cars (I am too), our electrical generators (every building has one or two) . This is just to name just a few of the many wrongs. I could write a book about it. Where are we heading? Are future generations going to pay the price? Or are we because the consequences are really just around the corner. May God forgive us for what we've done to our planet, and what we have done to our beautiful country!

Go see the movie, it might change your lifestyle just a little ...

Going Organic in Lebanon - Different Ways:

Looking for an organic solution is not always easy in Lebanon, but it is possible! I know a lot of you don't have the time to go and buy your fruits and vegetables. Some of you love to pick each fruit and each vegetable individually, and some of you just prefer to buy everything on-line. It's a choice, it's personal and here is what I found for each and everyone of you:

To buy your fruit and vegetables at a farmer's market where (most) producers are certified organic go to:

1. Souk el Tayeb - Saturday at Saifi Village from 8 am-2 pm ; Weds. at ABC Mall from 3 pm-10 pm. I suggest you go early, as all the vegetables disappear at 11.

2. Souk el Ard - Tuesday at Hamra from 8 am-2 pm at the Bread alleyway.

To buy your fruits and vegetables online from a reliable source go to:

1. Bioboxlb.com - I ordered my list today and waiting for it to come on Thursday, I'll let you know. I will go and visit the owner of the company Mr. Charbel Rizk next week to learn all about his products.

2. Healthy Basket - a project by AUB ; google it!

To go to a shop and pick vegetables, fruits, and other products dealing with the Lebanese "terroir" go to:

1. Al Marej - Ashrafieh - Abdel Wahab El Ingizi - 01-210211 opened 8:30 am - 7:00 pm; for more details check them out on Facebook at Al Marej Organic Food Store.

2. Earth Market - Ashrafieh - Zahret el Ihsan Street - 01-219920 ; very cozy - like taking a culinary trip all over the world in the world of organic foods.


I hope this helps to get you to go organic! I know I am, I love my children too much ... Can't imagine poisons in their bodies ... what have we done, shame on those who are not ethical ...

Celebrating Eating Locally

"Preparations are underway for the worldwide celebration of Slow Food’s 20th anniversary and ‘Eating Locally’ on Terra Madre Day this December 10. With just over a month until the big day, people from all corners of the world are planning a wide range of actitivites and events which will be as diverse and unique as the communities holding them - from a shared dinner under an elephant at the Tolouse Natural history museum in France, to a community folk festival in Bangladesh, and a fish canning party in the USA.

In Africa, the Slow Food Mukono convivium in Uganda is bringing together their members with school children, producers, consumers, teachers, parents, and local leaders, for a huge Eat-In - a shared meal of dishes made from local ingredients to represent the nation’s different food traditions. In Kenya, the Nyanza convivium is establishing a garden for indigenous crops and seed saving while the Central Rift convivium is linking artisan chefs with artisan farmers. In Cuba, the Las Terrazas food community is running a full-day program: planting of food trees with children from a local pre-school, a lunch for local farmers prepared by students from the “Cocina Ecologica” association, a community tasting of local juices and foods and a film screening. Meanwhile, in Australia Slow Food Sunshine Coast is inviting everyone to follow the 'Snail Trail' through the region, where they will be able to sample local ingredients and meet producers, as well as attend several Eat-Ins in parks." - from the official Slow food website.

Today I have a meeting with Slow Food founding members to decide on the Lebanese Event, I shall keep you posted!

Photo Exhibition at Green Party Lebanon

Now for a lighter subject, 25 of my photos have been chosen to make a photo exhibition at The Green Party Lebanon. If you are interested to see the exhibition, it is situated at Natour Bldg. 3rd Floor, Maaraad Street - Downtown Beirut. I'd like to thank Mr. Pierre Bared, author of Made in Lebanon, for making this possible.

State of Emergency Over Poisoned Produce

I don't know about you, but I'm really worried about this issue. How long have we been eating these poisoned fruits and vegetables. I read that this is causing cancer in the long run. I'm really afraid for us - the Lebanese - our families, our friends... Shame on those who are not doing a thing about this, this is a disaster!

MP Qabbani urges state of emergency over poisoned produce

Daily Star staff
Monday, November 09, 2009

BEIRUT: The Agriculture Ministry should declare a state of food emergency, said Beirut MP Mohammad Qabbani Sunday, following growing concern about poisoned fruits and vegetables in the local market.

Qabbani condemned the chaotic situation in Lebanon and accused the government and the country’s authorities of negligence in supervising agricultural products, calling the phenomenon a “mass” crime. Qabbani urged the judiciary and state supervisory bodies to intervene in the matter in order to determine who was responsible for the negligence and to punish them. “Those who collaborated in this affair with full knowledge of its dangers should be accused for being partners in a murder,” he said.

The MP also called on the authorities to immediately pass a food-safety draft law that was authored in 2003 and urged civil society to put pressure on politicians. He urged the organization Consumers Lebanon to step in and oversee the agricultural product sector.

“Stop your indifference and act. The danger not only threatens your neighbors it also threatens your life and the lives of your families,” he added, addressing the public.

But, head of the Association of the Farmers of the South, Hani Safieddine, asked politicians and officials not to exaggerate the matter and to deal with it in “a scientific and objective way.” Safieddine made the remarks at a news conference in Tyre on Sunday. “The random manner in which the case is being handled harms Lebanon’s agricultural reputation,” he said.

Safieddine added that the association was conducting tests to verify whether or not poisonous substances were present in food products and confirmed that no such substances were found so far in the south. He also called on the government to provide experts to handle the case.

Safieddine also said that the association would present a gentlemen’s agreement that would oblige farmers to abide by international agricultural standards.

Several figures had previously cast light on this issue. Zouhair Berro, the head of the Consumers’ Protection Association, said on Friday that the government should declare a state of emergency over the matter, criticizing official negligence in the agricultural sector and demanding that officials publicize information about the proper use of pesticides.

He said that illegal pesticides were being used in spraying fruits and vegetables. “Some of these chemicals are banned internationally but they are being smuggled to Lebanon and used by farmers,” Berro said adding that poisonous chemicals were found not only in Lebanese products but also in imported goods. “Strawberry samples coming from four Arab countries were tested and they contain pesticides residues of around 46 times more than the average approved internationally.”

Beirut MP Atef Majdalani, a physician, has also voiced his concern about poisoned fruits and vegetables, demanding that the food safety draft law be passed. The law was presented in 2003 but its ratification was suspended because of a fight over jurisdiction, Majdalani said last week. – The Daily Star

more....


Politicians' squabbles lead to poisonous produce

Daily Star staff
Friday, November 06, 2009

BEIRUT: Toxic substances could be present in fruit and vegetables and Lebanon should revive the food-safety law of 2003, warned MP Atef Majdalani on Thursday. Majdalani issued a statement in which he voiced his concern that all Lebanese were in danger of poisoning from fruit and vegetables due to the government’s neglect. He called for reopening the file of the food safety draft law presented in 2003 by late Minister Bassil Fleihan. The statement added that the draft law aimed at monitoring food in the country in order to guarantee people’s health. It however said that parliamentary discussions concerning the law were halted after the agriculture minister and the industry minister at the time refused it, claiming it deprived the ministries of their authorities. “The Lebanese are paying the price of fights over authorities … today we are witnessing ministries claiming they are not responsible and transferring responsibility to other ministries,” the statement also said. – The Daily Star


in L'orient le Jour today:


Les pesticides au Liban, un fiasco agricole et économique

Par Dalal MEDAWAR | 10/11/2009

L’accumulation dans le foie et le rein de matières toxiques contenues dans certains pesticides utilisés au Liban peut provoquer un cancer à long terme.
L’accumulation dans le foie et le rein de matières toxiques contenues dans certains pesticides utilisés au Liban peut provoquer un cancer à long terme.
Liban - Agriculture Le secteur de l'agriculture risque de souffrir des retombées économiques du scandale des fruits et légumes dits cancérigènes car contenant des résidus de produits chimiques.

Le ministre sortant de l'Environnement, Antoine Karam, a récemment dénoncé l'usage « arbitraire » des pesticides par les agriculteurs. En effet, les taux de pesticides contenus dans presque la moitié de notre production nationale de fruits et légumes sont anormalement élevés. Ils seraient potentiellement responsables à long terme de maladies cancérigènes.
Au cours d'un entretien avec la publication électronique al-Nashra, M. Karam a déclaré que « 40 % en moyenne des cultures » étaient touchées par ce problème, avec une proportion de produits agricoles souillés variant d'une région à l'autre. Malheureusement, alors que la majorité des ministères concernés se lancent la pierre à tour de bras, un secteur en particulier devrait faire les frais de cette débâcle : l'agriculture libanaise et, à travers elle, l'économie dans son ensemble. Comme d'habitude.

Un phénomène de masse
Le problème est qu'au-delà de celui, très grave, qui nous touche directement en tant que consommateurs, les chiffres cités par Antoine Karam touchent de près le secteur agricole dans son intégralité.
Une étude parue en 2004 et intitulée « Les filières fruits et légumes frais au Liban : structures, fonctionnement et perspectives » a été réalisée par Jean-Claude Montigaud pour l'Union européenne, l'ambassade de France, l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) ainsi que le gouvernement libanais. Selon cette étude, le Liban a produit plus de deux millions de tonnes de fruits et légumes en 2001, constituant 3,5 % du produit intérieur brut (PIB) ou presque 600 millions de dollars. Si 40 % des cultures sont effectivement touchées par la crise des pesticides, les dégâts risquent de ce fait d'être graves, notamment au niveau des exportations.
Plus en détail, et toujours d'après Antoine Karam, 40 % des fraises, 32 % des oranges, 30 % des tomates, 49 % des concombres, 14 % des citrons, 33 % des prunes et 100 % des courgettes contiendraient des résidus de pesticides, nocifs en théorie et donc impropres à la consommation car « le lavage n'élimine pas les pesticides et les maladies n'apparaissent qu'après des années ».
En se basant sur les statistiques de 2001 citées dans l'étude de J-C Montigaud concernant la production agricole libanaise, cela voudrait dire qu'environ 12 000 tonnes de fraises, 100 000 tonnes de concombres, ou encore 11 000 tonnes de prunes seraient affectées par la présence de pesticides.
En ce qui concerne les exportations, un rapport paru en 2006 du ministère de l'Agriculture indique que 400 019 tonnes de fruits et légumes ont été exportées au cours de l'année, dont 58 804 tonnes d'oranges et plus de 16 000 tonnes de citrons. Les tomates ont quant à elles représenté en 2002 une production de 273 000 tonnes, avec 6 500 tonnes d'exportées. La perte sèche occasionnée par un refoulement potentiel de ces produits aux frontières des pays importateurs, notamment les pays du Golfe, s'évaluerait alors à des millions de dollars.

Pourquoi, comment, solutions ?
Le problème ne date pas d'hier. Cela fait des années que plusieurs autres organisations non gouvernementales dénoncent les pratiques agricoles illégales en vigueur dans l'ensemble du pays. Plusieurs décrets ont pourtant été votés pour réguler l'utilisation des pesticides et fongicides (la liste complète est disponible sur le site du ministère de l'Agriculture), mais le scandale récent lié à leur usage immodéré semble démontrer que ces mesures n'ont apparemment pas été appliquées, ou respectées par les agriculteurs.
M. Élia Choueiri, de l'Institut de recherches agricoles libanais (IRAL), a déclaré à L'Orient-le Jour que les pesticides représentaient un réel danger : « L'accumulation des matières toxiques dans le foie ou les reins peut provoquer un cancer à long terme. De plus, les enfants en bas âge sont beaucoup plus fragiles et donc susceptibles d'être gravement touchés par les effets nocifs des pesticides. Les cultures annuelles, comme la culture maraîchère et les cultures sous serre, notamment les concombres, les fraises et les tomates sont parmi les plus dangereuses à la consommation, si polluées. En effet, la chaleur élevée en serre favorise la multiplication des maladies et des insectes nuisibles, d'où une utilisation abusive de pesticides. Souvent, les agriculteurs ne respectent pas les délais d'attente obligatoires. J'ai moi-même vu certains d'entre eux récolter les fruits 48 heures après les avoir arrosés de matières chimiques toxiques. » Alors, quelles sont les solutions ?
Pour M. Choueiri, les solutions sont évidentes : une meilleure coordination entre les différents ministères et services, une législation claire, appliquée sur l'ensemble du territoire, un contrôle strict des produits agricoles, des ateliers de formation mis en place pour et par les agriculteurs, des séminaires de vulgarisation, de meilleures normes de stockage et d'hygiène au niveau des pesticides qui sont souvent très inflammables et de leur date de péremption... « Le problème réside surtout dans l'anarchie totale en vigueur dans ce pays. Les agriculteurs vont consulter n'importe quel charlatan qui a ouvert boutique au village, lequel en contrepartie leur revend des produits dangereux et surtout interdits à la vente, tel ce fongicide interdit en Europe depuis 2008 et que j'ai vu circuler librement au Liban. »
Il est néanmoins trop facile d'accuser l'agriculteur lambda d'irresponsabilité : le ministre sortant de l'Agriculture Élie Skaff, déclarait pourtant hier que l'agriculteur libanais était « le premier responsable de la violation des normes internationales dans l'utilisation des pesticides ». Certains exploitants ayant connaissance de cause sont effectivement plus que coupables.
Néanmoins, au vu de la crise de l'agriculture au Liban et la difficulté de certains producteurs à écouler leur marchandise en raison de la concurrence des pays voisins, peut-être serait-il plus judicieux de poursuivre une politique de coordination, d'information, de formation et de subventions au lieu de stigmatiser.

Coffe Morning at the Belgium Ambassador's House

Today I was invited by Mrs. Kathlyn Verkammen, wife of the Belgium ambassador, to give a speech on my work at their resident. I had two teams of producers come and discuss their story and show off their goods too. Nelly and Mona, better known as Imm Ali, joined us to make their delightful man'oushe with their homemade cheese, chanklish, and the traditional za'atar. Amal Harb, from Ajaltoun, came to sell and showcase her mouneh items. I spoke of my work: Man'oushe, the coming book Mouneh, and about the Slow Food foundation and Slow Food Beirut. The women seemed very interested and the ambiance was very friendly. We all discussed the important issue concerning pesticides and its use and abuse in vegetables all around Lebanon. I fear that now it's time to go 100% organic when all these issues are going on, especially that my children are eating all these fruits and vegetables. Don't these farmers have children? I am really concerned! Is making a dollar so important that they have to poison the society? What a crime... I shall be going to the farmer's market very soon to make a deal with a farmer to get poison-free vegetables! What about you?

A New Address for Fish

Today went to a lovely restaurant apparently known to a few selected customers, the fish eating type! Nestled on the road going to Saida in Khaldeh overlooking the Mediterranean sea, this cozy restaurant serves a very tasty meal. My favorite dish, apart from the barbecued fish, was the tarrator sauce seasoned with coriander, garlic, slices of green hot pepper, and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Out of this world! The raw fish in lemon sauce is quite tasty too... I highly recommend this restaurant. The prices are fair, a bit on the high end. Ask for Sayah Hassoun, the owner and the name of the restaurant. He speaks German too... For reservations, call 05-801022 or 03-206030.

An Unexpected Call

I was taking a little nap Friday afternoon, before the kids came from school. My mobile rang, "no!" I continued sleeping, can't be bothered with this now... I need a rest! I looked at the number and did not recognize it. It was not the school calling, as far I was concerned it was not an emergency. I went back to my comfortable long-awaited sleep. Nothing like it! Ten minutes later, again, the same number...
I put on my best "awakened" voice, it was the Minister of Culture, Tammam Salam. It took me a minute to focus, then I remembered I sent him my book. What a nice man, he congratulated me on the book, said the photos were great and that he was very keen on taking pictures himself, having learned from his father. He spoke about the book for a while and apologized for not having seen it before. What a nice gesture to have taken the time personally to call me, I really appreciated it... It gave me a boost to continue my very strenuous endeavor - finishing mouneh!!! I told him that now he was obliged to attend my next book signing, he agreed and we promised to keep in touch. I don't know if he will continue in politics in the new government that is being formed, but it was a real treat to have met Mr. Salam, and now I have a new fan!

Spicy Potatoes (Patata Harra)

This is one of my favorite recipes (learned it in my training days too):

What you need:
potatoes - 1kg
chicken stock - a ladle or two
coriander - a bunch chopped
vegetable oil - a bit
olive oil - a bit
tomato paste - 2 tbs.
red pepper paste - 1 tbs., this will depend on how spicy you want it!
garlic cut very finely - 4-5 cloves
lemon juice - 1/4 cup
salt and pepper to taste

Method of preparation:
1. wash, peel and cut the potatoes into even cubes.
2. deep-fry them for 5 minutes (not more), strain through a sieve.
3. in a large saucepan, add vegetable oil and olive oil, fry the garlic.
4. In a mixing bowl blend tomato paste and red pepper paste, pour the lemon and the chicken stock. Add to the frying garlic in the saucepan. Heat for 2 minutes. Add the coriander.
5. Throw in the potatoes, cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Careful, don't break the potatoes and make sure the juice is evenly distributed.
6. Serve hot! Sahteyn...

This will make a large serving enough for a family of 5 - 6.



You will absolutely love it!

A Book for Children on the Mouneh

The book is entitled The Days of Mouneh. This is a book written and designed by a mother and her daughter Youmna Jazzar Medlej and Joumana Medlej. They make an excellent team because Youmna makes all the necessary research to write the book and Joumana, an artist, draws the story to bring it to life. The book The Days of Mouneh is a book depicting the Mouneh of our ancestors. It begins with a grandmother washing her jars and her grandchildren asking lots of questions...The grandmother starts her narration by explaining step by step the mouneh to her grandchildren. She speaks of village life, of harvest time, of pickling, of salt marshes,of dairy products, of meat preserve, of collecting honey, of preserving different fruits and vegetables, of arak making, and many other subjects. The book is full of so much information easily presented to children to understand and grasp the subject. You can understand how happy I was when the book came out. I bought it for every birthday my children were invited to because I wanted all children to know of the subject. I really hope they took the time to read it carefully. These two artists have many other books under their sleeves pertaining to Lebanon and its heritage and traditions.
Ask your librarian to show you were they are stacked, because sometimes they are hidden somewhere very deep. It upsets me so!!! It's really good reading for both Lebanese and foreign children alike.... and for adults too... I have read all their books cover to cover... Look out for their new release on the ancient city of Tyre.

Birth of Tawlet Souk el Tayeb

Got an interesting invite, it's open to all ...

Meet us for a meghli, a drink, and Tony Mouanie's food music to celebrate the birth of Tawlet Souk el Tayeb

Thursday November 5 at 5pm

Beirut, sector 79
Naher street, n˚ 12 (Jisr el hadid)
Chalhoub building, n˚ 22 - Ground floor
facing Spoiler Center, dead end street at the corner of Anthurium flower shop
left side, corner bldg

The Book Mouneh is Coming Alive

After a few trials and what not... the book is coming alive... I'm so pleased to see it all coming together... Years of work, research, and worries will now all go forgotten when the book will be printed. This weekend Mirna Hamady, the graphic designer working on the layouts, and I met to discuss the changes and alterations needed to make the book SHINE! Last night, she sent me the result... I was so happy! It's starting to look like an actual book. What is so exciting is seeing the words and photos come together in an artistic way. We are presently conquering the winter months (December-January-February). I can't wait until we work on Spring, my absolute favorite season. This is how the book starts because this is when life starts... Trees start blooming with spectacular ranges of colors. I will ask Mirna to give me a spread so you can get a glimpse. If you know of anyone who would be interested to buy a quantity before I start printing, please let me know, as this would help me to decrease printing costs.... How unromantic to talk about that!!! I am thinking of doing an Arabic version too. I want all the producers and farmers to read every single word of my book for it is their book too. I could not have done it without them. I appreciate all their advice, their hospitality, their generosity, and more importantly their friendship.

I must stop writing now, for I have to write about Hadi Sayegh, the pine nuts (snoo'bar) producer. He has left a job in construction to work in nature in the midst of pine trees and forests... I envy him... His story is quite interesting... I shall develop it for you in the Mouneh book :)

A relative of Hadi who owns a production plant which produces mass quantities of pine nuts.


Hadi and the Sheick... when I met the Sheick at first, he was very cold with me... thinking I was a foreigner, who knows... at the end of our meeting, he invited me to come with my family to spend a summer day with his family in this hut to have a picnic. He insisted that I visit him again. Meeting him was definately memorable and I learned so much from him.

The Women's League Event - A Lecture on Culture at AUB

Yesterday, I was invited to a lecture at AUB in the West Hall organized by the Women's League on Beirut's cultural influence in the area. It was raining and pouring and the streets were flooded, but my great aunt, Nina Djidejian a famous author who has written books on archeology for the past 40 years, insisted we go to this lecture. You can't never say no to dear Nina! I just love her so much and she inspires me with her continuous efforts and strenght. Actually, it was the ride to AUB that gave us the chance to discuss events of the past that dated to Nina's and my grandmothers childhood. I'm always intrigued to hear stories of our ancestors.

We arrived safe and sound to AUB. The lecturer was the minister of culture Tammam Salam. He gave a 15 minute speech on culture - defining it, discussing Beirut's influence in the region, pointing out our pride in major sectors concerning different cultural aspects. He was going on and on about many important cultural characteristics achieved in Beirut, but for a while did not mention FOOD CULTURE - AHHHH!!! But then he mentioned the influence of Lebanese restaurants in Arab countries and how Lebanese restaurants were franchising all over with very competitive results. OUF! It was brief, but at least he mentioned what to me is a major cultural influence that should not be ignored. I spoke to him after the lecture and asked if he knew about my book, he didn't!!! His wife, on the contrary, knew about the book and complimented me on the man'oushe's portrayal. So, something must really be wrong if the minister of culture of Lebanon does not know about my book... I shall send him a copy today, I really hope he reads it and appreciates its content. It might even inspire him to discuss the food culture of Lebanon more extensively during his next speech....

Aredna - Another Visit

Today I wrote about how to preserve apricots in the morning, then I got really tired... Too many more recipes to go dealing with apricots, so I stopped. I decided to go and visit Aredna again. You can't get too much of a good thing. I passed by every single stand asking them what they produced, where they were from, and how I could join them later. I intend to go and visit each and everyone of these producers in my life time. I did learn again something new... Zaarour jam, Zaarour syrup... a plant from the wild with red berries... usually the leaves are dried and used in the mixture to make zhourat. Also, I tasted a new jam made with pomegranate seeds. I found it very sweet, almost overwhelming, not very good. The producer explained that the seeds were cooked in syrup and put in jars, so basically what you are eating is sugar. It's too bad because I did get excited to learn about making this new jam, but was disappointed to taste it...

I also met Aaron, a radio journalist, who came with his wife and two adorable children. We carried out our interview, discussing why it's so important to focus on our Lebanese culinary heritage, which I believe may disappear with the future generations to come.... Aaron, an American, doesn't believe that there is a threat of that ever happening in Lebanon. I'd like to share his opinion, but I fear the opposite. That was our debate! It rained outside, cleaning all the pollution that was stagnating in Beirut - a new page is turned, winter is arriving, at last!

Restaurant Training - Day 3: Dough for Sambousik

On the 3rd day, I arrived and examined how vegetables were being cut up for the basic preparations. Vegetables included: radish, rocca, za'tar, purslane, mint, etc. I quickly went downstairs to chat with Imm' Tony, we discussed the making of sambousik. I quickly asked her the basic recipe of how to make these wonderful pastries.

Ingredients:
1 kg of flour (type o)
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I use Slim, it's the lightest in the market)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of yeast diluted in water.
enough water to make dough... (I'll measure and tell you)

Stuffing:
meat, onion, parsley, and labneh

I'm going to make some today and tell you exactly how to proceed... I'll write later....

Pumpkin Soup

It's pumpkin season, always reminds me of Thanksgiving in the States! Today I have some friends coming for supper. I have made a wonderful soup that I would like to share with you. Choose a pumpkin from a reliable source. And why not an organic pumpkin to make the soup even more special? First cut open the pumpkin, scoop out all the membranes and the seeds. Cut the flesh into even cubes. Put on a baking tray with 1 or 2 whole garlic without peeling. Take apart the garlic to have individual cloves in between the cubed pumpkin. Take out the olive oil and splash it on to baste the cubed pumpkin. Add a dash of coarse sea salt all over. Turn on the grill of your oven. Let the pumpkin and the garlic roast and become charred. When you finish, put all in a large casserole. Add chicken stock to cover the pumpkin, cook until tender for about 25 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves from the soup. Puree in a blender. Top with freshly cut parsley. If you are feeling adventurous, cut up some fried bacon and serve. Voila!

Largest Tabbouleh in the World - List of Ingredients

According to the booklet given out at the Saifi Exhibition the tabbouleh weighed 3000 kg. My goodness! Check this out, wonder who can't beat that?

Ingredient:
parsley - 1600kg
medium onions - 420kg
lemon juice - 450kg
salt - 24kg
fine burghul - 60kg
olive oil - 300 liters
ripe tomatoes for decoration - 1500kg
lettuce for decoration - 250 heads

Easy Jalapeno Pickling Recipe

As promised, I will let you know how to pickle your jalapeno peppers. First get 2 liters of water (not from the faucet, I use drinking water). You will need 1 1/4 cup coarse sea salt. Bring to the boil the water and salt and leave to boil until the salt has completely dissolved. Turn off the fire and leave to cool. When the liquid is cool, add 1 cup of white vinegar with 5% acetic acid. Mix thoroughly. Pack tightly the jalapeno peppers in chosen sterilized jars and fill with the prepared brine. Close the jars. Boil them in a water canner for 10 minutes at least to sterilize them. There you have it, this is the base to pickling ... now you can be creative by adding dried leaves, seeds, or any condiments to your pickles. Don't use ground spices as it will make the pickles very cloudy. Bon Appetit!

Pickling Jalepenos / Writing about Sweet Wine Making

My friend Fady Daw, an organic producer, who founded Adonis Valley gave me a whole bunch of jalapeno peppers on Sunday night. He makes a red chili pepper paste with the jalapenos. Today I am going to dedicate some time to pickling these wonderful treasures. I absolutely love everything that is HOT! (well, almost!). Anyway, there's really nothing to it. I will give you the methods of preparing these pickles so if you get your hands on some, you can pickle them and enjoy them all year long. Nothing should ever go to waste, actually that's why I am so intrigued with mouneh making because you really use every single ingredient / harvested vegetable or fruit fully and conserve it for later use without any spoilage or waste. Fantastic!

I am also to dedicate time to writing about the wonderful day I had yesterday with Francois's father making sweet wine and awarma. Can you imagine that one can make wine at home? The whole process is so interesting + the family story is even more. When you are welcomed with such hospitality in a beautiful village where all you can hear is your voice and perhaps a distant goat, you realize that this is heaven on earth. We sat down for breakfast outside to eat kisheck bi awarma. It was so delicious. Salwa, Francois's mother put 2 heads of garlic to prepare this rich soup, 2 tbs. of awarma and kisheck powder diluted in water. I ate the whole garlic cloves and to my surprise did not feel sick or full after the meal. Usually if I eat garlic, it's off to bed or I'm sick the whole day... I had so much energy. Francois's father gave me some sweet wine, dated 10 years back, to finish off this lavish breakfast. It was delicious! It had the same taste as the wine served in church with communion. So today I shall write about this wonderful day and how to make wine at home for those who feel that they want to adventure themselves into such a production. I thank God for days like this when you come home with photos of a lifetime and memories which keep you going ... for one needs fuel to keep going ... that's mine!

Anyone for kisheck bi awarma? You can make your own, it's quite easy. Get yourself 2 garlic heads, yes heads ... not cloves... You won't die I promise... 1 onion, 2 tbs. of awarma, 2 cups of kisheck, and about 3 to 4 cups of water. In a cooking pan, add the awarma and the onion, fry. Add the garlic cloves and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add the kisheck, mix then slowly add the water. Bring to a boil and cook for an additional 5 minutes. It's done!


I call this photo, PRIDE... pride of a father, pride of a producer, pride of carrying traditional recipes of one's forefathers...

What better way for a father and a son to spend quality time together than by producing homemade wine? Well, perhaps drinking it later!

Oops, I almost forgot to post this photo taken by Francois entitled Me and the Goat, when will I ever have my own? Dreams... dreams... (I will one day, I feel it!)


You have to cook the fat (liyeh) before adding the meat to make the awarma - the Lebanese meat preserve par excellence ....



Practice makes perfect ...



I shall post the jalapeno recipe later ...

My weekend - Tabouleh / Aredna

Enough about Food Wars, does everything have to be about war? Can't we just enjoy hummus and tabouleh without thinking that someone or some state is stealing it from us... Can't people understand that this is just borrowed land and borrowed time... Can't we appreciate our differences instead? Build on them, share them, and teach our children ... stop being a dreamer, not in your lifetime...

Anyway, I was able to go to the Tabouleh Festival and let me say it was amazing! I was very impressed. A lot of people showed up at the tent in Saifi and it was very crowded. The ambiance exciting, the goal was met. It smelled like onion... It was a huge tabbouleh indeed! The children sang the song tabouleh tabouleh and we went home satisfied ... We had a little something to do with the success of this immense event. That was the goal!


My son Albert singing, with Omar Farhat playing the derbakeh.


I also went to see Aredna, the food exhibition in Dahieh. I learned again something new about the mouneh - that depresses me because I thought I knew it all. No, not quite... I learned how to make debs teen, meaning fig molasses, another recipe to include in my book. I bought interesting packages to add to all my mouneh items in my pantry. I got a bag of dried Damascus roses. I intend to use them to decorate cheese platters and to add them in some of my cooking to give an exotic touch to the dishes. I bought another bag of "cammounieh", I can't get enough of this spice mixture. I really find it to be a piece of art. Its smell is just exquisite and the dried rose petals are so gorgeous in the mixture. I bought a bag of red lentils from Yohmor, a village known for its lentils in South Lebanon. I have been told that they are quite special. Of course, I passed by to see my friend Abou Cassem. I got from him some za'tar roughly sieved to use in cooking my tomato sauces. A man in the corner was making brooms, I could not resist for a mere 4.000 LL. Some producers sell bags for flavoring stock. I got a whole bunch of those to use for my chicken stock. I also got a bag of dried rosemary to use to season meats. I'm thinking of going back again because it is truly an exceptional market. Producers and farmers come from all over Lebanon: Hermel, Jbeil, Bekaa, Baalbeck, etc. It is so interesting to talk to them about their production and stock up on mouneh items for the winter. My next visit will be to see if indeed there is something else that I can learn from mouneh making. Min' shuf!

Here is the man who makes the brooms:

Hands off hummus article

Lebanese to Israel: Hands off our hummus!

By ZEINA KARAM (AP) – 22 hours ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_bC3N1RPvWmQjmX_DO2hbP1uIqAD9BHJ4L83?index=0

A Full Week in Beirut Made Especially for Foodies

Come join producers and farmers from all over Lebanon every Tuesday in Hamra, in the Bread Republic alleyway; for more info check out this link!

http://www.mercatidellaterra.it/network/beirut

There is also a grand food exhibition / market in DAHIEH starting Oct. 23 called AREDNA... It will include over 100 food producers and farmers... I have been visiting this exhibition for the last two years and found it to be by far the best market ever... It's a MUST SEE for people who are intrigued to live through something exceptional... FOODIES OF COURSE! I will take photographs and post them when I go...

I wonder what Souk el Tayeb is cooking up this weekend... It's truly a wonderful week for food market lovers: the food fight in Saifi, the Slow Food Earth Market in Hamra, and the weekly market on Saturday of Souk el Tayeb.

AND to top it off: for those who love to read about food ... Le 16eme Salon du Livre Francophone de Beyrouth, meaning the 16th Edition of the French Beirut Book Fair in Beirut. We are spoiled!

I will write more later ...

Restaurant Training - Day 2: Kebbeh Labanieh

So enough about fighting food wars, tomorow we'll do that! Second day of my training, a basic element that should not be forsaken on a Lebanese table - The vegetable basket. For those who want to know, tomatoes (baladi is best), cucumbers, mint, radish, lettuce, carrot sticks, green and red chili peppers. The vegetables should be crisp and just washed. It makes quite a statement when you enter the restaurant and start with a drink and snack on fresh vegetables. That's Lebanon! Ok enough said about this subject ...



Today, I was aimed to delve into the making of Kebbeh Labanieh, don't know about you, but this is one of my favorite Lebanese dishes. I'm looking at my notebook and there so many comments, let's start:

1. Use the freshest laban (yogurt) you get get - not bitter - (baladi)
2. When you start heating the laban, it should be already at room temperature. The biggest fallacy is to start cooking the laban straight from the fridge (instant shock, no good!!!) So we agree that the laban is to be taken out of the fridge hours before heating it on the fire.
3. When you start heating the laban, you must use the lowest temperature before you add cornstarch diluted into a bit of water. Then you can raise the fire a bit to let the cornstarch act to thicken the laban. NO EGGS!

Ingredients:
laban - 1kg
clarified butter - a bit
kebbeh balls (unfilled/ but i prefer the filled ones)- 24
corn flour - 1 tbs
garlic - 3 cloves
mint or cilantro (kezbarah) - a bunch



1. deep-fry the kebbeh balls, strain and reserve.
2. heat the laban as mentioned above, cook until it starts to boil, here comes the secret ingredient - add a bit of cream (a small box) and some warm stock (reserved from a previous cooking).
3. in a small pan, add some clarified butter, fry garlic for a minute, add diced mint or cilantro, turn off fire... don't over cook the mint or cilantro
4. when the laban is hot, add the fried mint or cilantro, mix then add the kebbeh balls carefully without breaking them. Heat for a further 5 minutes. It's ready!

Serve kebbeh labanieh with rice ... you know how to make rice, right? Use angel hairs in the rice, kids love it....

Hummus Food Fight Between Lebanon and Israel

here is a link I just found on the internet: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/3178040/Hummus-food-fight-between-Lebanon-and-Israel.html It's pretty hot, what ever happened to the make FOOD not WAR campaign!! It's long gone... but seriously, I find it ridiculous to call hummus an Israeli dish come on there's plenty of dishes to go around... I remember eating the Israeli pastrami in the States...! How will all this be resolved... Will we make history this weekend? to be continued ...

More on the Exhibition... Exhibition Overview - IFP Lebanon

El Hommos Lebneneh 2009
24 October - 25 October

An attempt to break the current Hommos & Tabbouleh world Guinness Record


Exhibition Overview


El Hommos el Lebneneh will be a national event destined to place Lebanon on the culinary map again giving back to Caesar what was originally to Caesar…”g Yes we the Lebanese are claiming loud & proud our proprietorship for the “Oh so famous” Lebanese hommos & tabbouleh mezzeh. Held under the patronage of the ministry of industry & in partnership with the association of Lebanese Industrialists A.L.I IFP is organizing an attempt to break the current world record of the biggest hommos platter ever made! Add to that tabbouleh too! A special workforce will be put together under the supervision of world renowned Lebanese Chef Ramzi- current manager of Al-Kafaat catering school- that is concretizing this local attempt. Talking to the Chef: “I am delighted & proud to be supervising this attempt. We are mobilizing some 250 young Chef Apprentices that will be preparing everything on site under the strictest hygiene regulations .The General public will be able to taste safely the final product”.


And to add: “All of the ingredients that we are going to use are fresh with no chemical derivatives or substitutes. Imagine some 2.5 tons of lemon juice only! That says a lot concerning the colossal size of this event.” Thanks to Mr. Fadi Abboud, President of A.L.I (Association of Lebanese industrialists) the food copyright issue was raised during the summer of 2008, as he rightfully shed the light on the millions of dollars in loss in the lucrative Hommos market.


Talking to Abboud: “I first noticed this piracy during the many international food exhibitions that we attended: Lebanese producers would find out that most of our specialties, such as Hommos, Falafel and Baba Ghannouj, were marketed as Israeli. Our cuisine is being dishonestly used as Israel is appropriating our dishes: today, the fame of Hommos reached out to the globe. Upscale restaurants in New York & London are serving gourmet versions of hommos and falafel, as traditional Jewish dishes. We are talking about colossal losses as the Hommos market is a robust one with worth of over $1bn with 500,000 tubs eaten a day in the UK alone. If we win this fight, there is huge potential for Lebanon”


And to add: “We have been researching & documenting data to prove that 25 traditional dishes hail from Lebanon and deserve the EU's Protected Designated Origin status, meaning they can be marketed under their name only if they were made in the country. It is time that Lebanon registered its main food trademarks to avoid substantial losses like these. We are preparing to file an international lawsuit against Israel for claiming ownership of traditional dishes that are believed to be originally Lebanese. ”


The attempts for breaking the biggest Hommos and biggest Tabbouleh records (in addition to a new one: the biggest “Platter ever made”, conceived, designed & executed by Lebanese engineer Mr. Joesph Kabalan) were born here, in collaboration with the syndicate of Lebanese food industries. They will be all held in Saifi market on October 24th & 25th 2009, stretching on some 5800 SQM, hosting Lebanese restaurants and Artisans from the oil, soap, souvenirs and craftsmanship industries in addition to a variety of entertainers, games & auctions.

The event is expected to attract some 50 000 visitors, families, children, adults & young adults alike. For more info, please visit our website: www.ifpexpo.com or contact Ms. Sarah Fayad or Ms. Joelle Ghannam at: +961 5 959 111

Largest Bowl of Tabbouleh / Hummus

I just got this mail and thought I'd share it with you, how exciting!!!

Upcoming record attempts:

Lebanon: Largest bowl of tabbouleh, Largest serving of hummus, and the Largest plate
The 3 records attempts will be organized by the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Guinness World Records, Waseet, IFP and Chef Ramzi. The event will be held in Down Town Saifi market on October 24th and 25th, stretching on 5800 SQM. The Hummus and Tabbouleh will be prepared by 250 young chefs apprentices supervised by Chef Ramzi as well as assistant chefs. The big media campaign has already begun all around the country and regionally under the theme Fight for your bite, you know you are right. Hummus & Tabbouleh are 100% Lebanese.

The event will also host Lebanese restaurants and artisans from the oil, soap, souvenirs and craftsmanship industries in addition to a variety of entertainers, games & auctions. The event is expected to attract some 100 000 visitors, families, children, adults and young adults alike. For more info, please visit:www.ifpexpo.com

Hummus

May 7 03: It's my first day. What better way to start then by learning to make the hummus. Of course I knew how to make the hummus, but each restaurant/home has its way of preparing the quintessential Lebanese mezza dish. For 1kg of humus, add 1/2 tbs. of baking soda and leave to soak overnight. The next day simmer the chickpeas until it's cooked, take out the froth as it boils. There is a little white spot on the chickpea. When it's cooked, then it's time to stop cooking and to drain in cold water. Leave to rest. Grind in a food processor. In the restaurant, they have a huge industrial machine that makes a very smooth paste - there lies one of the secrets - There is another secret, but I won't share it with you because it might upset the chef. Sorry! Let's just say it has to do with the temperature as you process the beans. Enough said...So for 1kg of hummus, mix about 500g of tahini, 1/2 lemon or more (taste for goodness sake), salt, and 1/2 or 1 crushed garlic (depends on if you like the taste of garlic to overpower the taste of your hummus). I don't! Once the hummus is done, top it with bits of fried meat or fried pine nuts drenched in clarified butter or just add a bit of olive oil and a dash of red pepper powder or paprika. I remember in our family restaurant, Kebabs and Things, I use to sprinkle the hummus with a dash of cumin powder too... Delicious!

Training Days at the Lebanese Restaurant

Did you know I trained in a Lebanese restaurant in Beirut for 1 year and 1/2? It was in 2003. Sarah, my youngest child went to school that year. I called the principal crying telling her that she had stolen my child because the school had decided to change the school schedule and children were to come at 3:00 instead of 1:30. You could say I had a little depression. Did the principal understand me? I doubt it, she said that she changed the schedule to satisfy working mothers... and what about mothers who quit their careers to become 100% moms and chose to be only that ... What about them? What would my life be about... without children until 3:00.- Who would eat lunch with me? Who would have a nap with me? I was so alone...

I had to do something with my life? Restaurant ideas kept popping up in my brain... no way... with three kids... I knew what the restaurant deal was about... slavery... although it was so exciting... I felt so at home there... but, I chose to be a mom now..so why don't I just go to a restaurant during the day when the kids are at school... great idea! In search of my training, I wound up in a French restaurant for a year, then an Italian for a few months (as it was closing up), and finally I wound up where I was destined to be, in a Lebanese restaurant... It brought back familiar flavors, feelings, food situations, and the "this is home" gratification I was searching for... My depression ended and my learning started... I jotted down every single thing you can imagine. Everyone mocked me, "Why are you wasting your time?" the cooks would say... "Go home and relax!" No one understood why this housewife was busting her back... learning the ropes, while cutting onions, cleaning livers, jotting every single step and smelling like food in this busy kitchen... It was heaven for me!

So now I have this booklet full of interesting Lebanese recipes. I'd like to share them with you... Sometimes I'll just let you in on a secret and skip the recipe... Sometimes I'll let you know only about what happened while discussing with a certain chef... because trust me it's never boring in a kitchen... Chefs are like major artists who go CRAZY often... scream at you for no reason... make you cry... regret it then make you taste something to ask forgiveness... There are definitely lessons of life in the kitchen, that's why I love it so much... The food, the heat, the pressure, the friendships, the "je ne sais quoi"... I'll share it all with you ... step by step... be patient, there's a lot to tell...

Julie & Julia

Last weekend I dragged my whole family to see the movie Julie & Julia. This movie was sort of a mirror of my life... Ok, I don't live on top of a pizzeria ... I don't work in a cubicle... but I do have the same feelings as Julie and it's like ... keep walking...keep walking... although sometimes it's quite hard... many obstacles along the way... like everyone you may say... yes, tis true...tis true... So the movie is fantastic... I especially loved the interpretation of Julia Child acted by Meryl Streep. What an actress! I felt I was right there with Julia Child in Paris. I understood when her teacher told her she would never be able to cook professionally. I remember people putting me down as I tried to make something of myself, with the responsibility of managing a household with three children. Julie's husband was the one who encouraged her to start her blog. My husband's encouragement and sometimes wise (but harsh) words have always guided me along the way. It's not easy living with a frantic cookbook writer/photographer. Mostly the movie makes you dream. It makes you understand that everyone's life can be special and achievements can be aspired, it just takes determination, hard work, ambition. Not easy in our current lifestyle where everything is fast, and busy, and no one has time for anything except making money. But still some do achieve their dreams and the movies shows that with two determined women who wanted to make something out of their lives. Julia Child has always been an inspiration to me, to many I presume. I have three of her books (biographies) that I bought on a trip to Canada years ago. I cherish these books as if they were a treasure. I have not read the book of Julie, but I intend to purchase it as soon as I see it in Lebanese bookshops. Everyone should see this movie, children alike (not toddlers of course) but children over 10. I think the lesson is one that they don't teach in school, so it's worthwhile. As for me, my work is not easy as I am taking full responsibility of the work I do, the rewards are many yet the dream is not fully achieved... This tale, this movie gave me a ray of hope ... a push... + I have decided to write more often on my blog...or should I say blogs because now I am the proud owner of three blogs: My Culinary Journey through Lebanon, Man'oushe: The Lebanese Thyme Pie, and Mouneh: Exploring the Lebanese Pantry. My subjects deal with food from my country... I'm proud of Lebanon's culinary heritage. My aim is to keep it living... to slow down the global tendencies towards fast junk food and rely on local flavors. I'm not the only one ... There are many who feel the same way, each one is doing it his way... Unfortunately, in Lebanon, individualism is a character trait and team work is a long forgotten dream...Will we ever learn? I doubt it, look at our political mumble jumble... a reflection of the Lebanese society... But it won't stop me from dreaming... because without dreams... there is no life... So Julie, Julia ... thanks for the dream!



Watch the trailer !

You can google for reviews of the film...

PS: I found the book at Librairie Antoine, made my day... !

The Mouneh blog

Ok, so i have blog mania! I have created a blog solely for the purpose of mouneh related articles...here goes,

http://mounehexploringthelebanesepantry.blogspot.com/

This is the title of my next book which will be out in 2010, I promise. It's been tough, but now everything is falling to place and I am finalizing the writing and working on the layout with Mirna, the graphic designer... Looking pretty good!

I'll let you have a sneak peak...! soon... keep posted...

Handwritten Recipe Book at the Paris Flea Market

When visiting Paris this summer with my family, an imperative and most important place to visit was the Paris Flea Market. What joy, what exhilarating feelings I get to look through all the junk and all the overly priced items better known as antiques. Of course one man's junk, nic nacs, and garbage collectibles is anther's joy! For me it's looking through treasures - lost forgotten treasures of the past. Objects are quite numerous ranging from books, personal objects, clothes, cosmetics, housewares, and so much more.

Sometimes you can spend a whole day at the flea market and come out with a few items which are very likely to collect dust in your own home. And sometimes, you find a buried treasure, for a few coins, that can change your life forever... at least, for a while.

After a long search, I fall upon a handwritten collection of recipes written by a woman - it is a notebook or booklet entitled: Cahier de Recettes a Madame de Chenest. The booklet is make up of 140 handwritten pages carefully written with detailed recipes. When the merchant shows me the the book, my first thought is what a pity that the family members of this poor woman have not inherited this valuable collection. I feel almost ashamed or embarrassed to even purchase such a personal artifact. I leave the book stand and continue my search for "fleas".

Then this re-occurring thought invades my head, "and why can't I purchase this collection of recipes carefully written with tender loving care?" I decide to walk right back to the merchant's stall and decide to purchase the recipe book He is very pleased to have found a customer, but categorically refuses to lower his price.

Was I meant to have this collection of recipes? I believe in serendipity - destiny in other words. Things don't happen like that. There is a certain purpose, I am meant to write about this collection. I am meant to cherish every single page, every single recipe, every single word that this woman has written on her booklet. I think to myself I have to try out these recipes, which of course she made to feed her own family.

Where is this woman now? Has she left this earth? Surely no one would part with such a valuable scripture. Why did she not offer this collection to her close descendants? Would they have not appreciated such a tiresome effort of jotting endless numbers of recipes on this little booklet? Was it important that it falls into my own hands?

Madame de Chenest, I will do honor to your recipe collection. I know how much time and effort it takes to write and collect recipes. I wonder how many recipes must have been part of your weekly repertoire. Which ones did you use for special occasions? Who sat at your table? Did you have any children? Were you happily married? Did you live on a farm or in the city? Did you read English? I see a piece of paper with the recipe of the traditional English Christmas Cake? I see a paper dated 1925 with a handwritten recipe, one of your friends might have given you. I'm very intrigued, again it's going through a buried treasure - I shall decipher what is written and share your treasure - wherever you may be, I write in appreciation and respect to your meticulous repertoire. Thank you!