“Toum, zait w haamid” is a phrase that one would tend to overhear repeatedly from mom while giving cooking advice to friends. In Arabic, Toum = Garlic, Zait = Oil (Olive Oil here), and Haamid = Lemon. This is a tangy-garlicky combination that is the flavoring base of many traditional Lebanese dishes, including the Baked Garlic …
Wednesdays are “Loubieh bi Zait” days. That’s how it went at home while growing up, with mom setting that day of the week for a traditional tasty dish made from green beans stewed in an onions and olive oil sautee. “Loubieh bi zait” which literally translates to “green beans in oil” is a typical Lebanese …
It wasn’t really that long ago that as kids we used to spend most of our time outdoors, playing and connecting with nature…it’s difficult for me to grasp how children and young adults today are instead spending most of their time indoors, in front of their computers connecting with artificial and simulated realities…Times have certainly …
The Spicy Potato Sautee with Onions and Tomato Paste is a simple and easy to make side dish that is known in the northern Lebanese mountains. The dish tends to be on the generic side, and could well be found in different areas and even different countries. Sarah, my sweet Indian wife noted that traditional …
Lebanese cuisine is famous for offering a wide array of Kibbe dishes. For those who are not familiar with the term, Kibbe generally refers to ground meat mixed with burghul (cracked weat), spices and herbs and then baked, fried or grilled into an amazingly savory dish. In this recipe, we’re going to feature a vegetarian …
I’ve been to many “garlic lovers” restaurants including the “Stinking Rose” in San Francisco. I savored many ethnic garlicky dishes at friends’ homes. However, so far I’ve never come across any dish with a richer and more intense garlic flavor than the Lebanese Home-Made Noodles and Potatoes With Garlic, aka, “Macaron bi Toom.” This is …
Tabbouleh is a healthy, rich and super-green salad with pure Lebanese origins that is known for its spicy-tangy kick. In traditional Lebanese cuisine, Tabbouleh (sometimes spelled and pronounced as Tabouli) is usually served along with Mezza which is a host of appetizers and hors-d’oeuvres. If you’ve had Tabbouleh salad in non-Lebanese restaurants, you would be …
During childhood, my brothers and I used to join our uncles and our late grandfather Saleem for harvest in the mountains above their village of Bakarkasha in Lebanon. Our grandpa was an old-school farmer. He had no machinery, no big toys, just traditional farm tools like shovels and forks. Some of his land at altitude …
Hummus is a delicious Middle-Eastern dip made from boiled Chickpeas, lemon juice, and Tahini sauce and which is served as an appetizer with pita bread. The word Hummus literally translates to chickpeas from Arabic. Its origins are believed to be from the Shami region (Lebanon/Syria/Palestine/Jordan) however the Lebanese are pushing hard to reclaim credit for …
Lebanese grilled chicken is a garlicky gourmet dish that tends to be our “Sunday special” at home. The recipe is quite easy to make and the secret is in the marinade, and is rather simple.
