Greetings Friends, Do I have a special blog today! Last weekend we celebrated the 100th birthday of my grandmother Dalal, otherwise known as “Sito Dalal.” She was born in September 15, 1922, then got married in 1944. My grandparents decided to move out of Palestine after the war in 1948, and waited to move legally…… Continue reading My Big G’s (Grandma) 100 Year Birthday Bash!
Category: Middle Eastern Food
Drink Like An Egyptian Pharoah: HIBISCUS LEMONADE – an Appetite Suppressant!
We can learn a lot from ancient civilizations, as they intuitively knew that food and drink can have dual medicinal values, and the Pharaohs of Egypt were no exception. Hibiscus tea, otherwise known as Karkadé, was the preferred drink of the pharaohs, and the popularity of this beverage continues to this day. Karkadé is actually…… Continue reading Drink Like An Egyptian Pharoah: HIBISCUS LEMONADE – an Appetite Suppressant!
Why I Never Complained about Eating Green Beans
There is a subset of society that truly loathes green beans, and I can understand why. Whether their exposure to mushy tasteless green beans came from a can, or they bit into tough and stringy beans the consistency of hay, I truly feel their pain. But you can enjoy this vegetable without an ounce of…… Continue reading Why I Never Complained about Eating Green Beans
The Recourceful Zucchini Mediterranean Tart
I learned the art of repurposing food at a very young age. As a 10 year old, I watched with wonder how the chefs on America’s Test Kitchen turned black bananas into a beautiful and moist banana bread. Growing up with immigrant parents, banana bread was just not a thing, so I made my first…… Continue reading The Recourceful Zucchini Mediterranean Tart
Halawet El Jibn: An Iconic Syrian Dessert for My Baba’s Bday!
It all began in the 1870s with a sweets vendor in Hama Syria. The patriarch of the Salloura family figured out a way to make sweet cheese pancakes rolled around sweet cream, called Halawet El Jibn, which in Arabic means “sweetness of the cheese.” The cheese rolls were scented with rose or orange blossom, then doused…… Continue reading Halawet El Jibn: An Iconic Syrian Dessert for My Baba’s Bday!
Our Favorite Family Egg Breakfast: Batata o Baid
Hello My Friends, Today’s post is about simple comfort food, especially for breakfast. This is the kind of breakfast which will fill your home with the most beautiful scent, waking up the family with the anticipation of love on a plate. Who needs an alarm clock when you get a whiff of fried potatoes and…… Continue reading Our Favorite Family Egg Breakfast: Batata o Baid
My Childhood Fav! Arab Style Cauliflower Fritters
With a wide variety of vegetable “nuggets” proliferating in supermarkets, I can’t help but think of the old school, traditional cauliflower fritters of my childhood. These fritters are the Palestinian version of vegetable nuggets, made by hand lovingly by my great Auntie Bahia. The Arabic term for these fritters is “Em Shaat.” While this makes…… Continue reading My Childhood Fav! Arab Style Cauliflower Fritters
2 Mediterranean Summer Apps – 3 Minutes Each!
You know it’s summer when those bland, pale, and tasteless strawberries of winter get replaced with those sultry, red sweet berries of summer on supermarket shelves. If you get your berries at the farmer’s market, expect another level of peak flavor and ripeness. I often get so excited I end up buying too much, because…… Continue reading 2 Mediterranean Summer Apps – 3 Minutes Each!
Mediterranean Lentil Soup to the Rescue!
While this food shortage is making me more nervous by the day, there is one thing I do know. The people of my culture have been resilient throughout the ages despite war, famine, poverty, and forced expulsion. I credit one food for helping them get through all of these challenges,and that food is the lowly…… Continue reading Mediterranean Lentil Soup to the Rescue!
Sage Tea Benefits+ Other Fair Trade Goodies from PalBox!
Hello Friends hope you are doing well! This week I have a short and sweet episode on one of life’s simple pleasures, sage tea. I think tea is so underrated, as each kind of herbal tea has a unique set of health benefits, and sage is no exception. Here in the states people only seem…… Continue reading Sage Tea Benefits+ Other Fair Trade Goodies from PalBox!