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!
Tag: syrian food
My Appearance on NBC Sharing Muhammara Dip!
A dip can make or break a party don’t you think? If you have an inventive and super delicious dip, it turns into a conversation starter, and a magnet of togetherness, bringing people to a table like bees to honey. If you serve a bad dip it can be a total let down, with disappointing…… Continue reading My Appearance on NBC Sharing Muhammara Dip!
Homemade Pita Bread (Khobiz Arabe)
If there is one consistent item missing from supermarket shelves during this quarantine, it’s yeast. People are buying up yeast like never before, and social media has been saturated with home cooks posting warm and fuzzy photos of baguettes, pizzas and banana bread baked from scratch. These longer baking projects have the extra bonus of…… Continue reading Homemade Pita Bread (Khobiz Arabe)
Fattet Batinjan-Arabic Style 5 Layer Dip with Lamb and Eggplant!
Hello Friends! Here is a fun recipe for your Memorial Day weekend! In the Arab world we waste nothing, and I can tell you we have devised a ton of recipes that do miraculous things with stale bread. Fattet Batinjan is one of those dishes. Crispy pita chips add a bold and crunchy texture to…… Continue reading Fattet Batinjan-Arabic Style 5 Layer Dip with Lamb and Eggplant!
How to Make Homemade Labneh! (Yogurt Cheese)
Hello Friends! First of all an announcement! My mother and I will be on a new show on NBC called California Live! It is a mother’s day special, where they followed us around, watched us cook, and interviewed us about our family and food philosophy! This will air on all NBC stations throughout California on…… Continue reading How to Make Homemade Labneh! (Yogurt Cheese)
Vermicelli Rice: The rice that Goes with EVERYTHING!
Hello FITME family, I just finished the last revision of my cookbook hoo wee! As I get ready for the printing phase, I thought I would share with you a little recipe in the meantime that is foundational to Middle Eastern cuisine. Sometimes you just want a rice that goes with everything, and vermicelli rice…… Continue reading Vermicelli Rice: The rice that Goes with EVERYTHING!
Baba Ghanoush- A Story of Love
Hummus gets so much attention and glory. Restaurants feature hummus mixed with every vegetable under the sun, ranging from sun dried tomatoes to red peppers. School children now eat this dip with pitas as a lunch addition without a thought. Nutritionists recommend hummus as a healthy snack. But there is one cousin to hummus that…… Continue reading Baba Ghanoush- A Story of Love
Kibbeh: The Shepards Pie of the Middle East!
“Kibbeh kibbeh kibbeh chameleon…..you come and goooo you come and goooo…” Ok so I know the Boy George song doesn’t really go like that, but I can’t help but get so giddy and excited that I break into song at the thought of my favorite food, Kibbeh. And Kibbeh really is a chameleon, in that…… Continue reading Kibbeh: The Shepards Pie of the Middle East!
Ghraybeh- Arabic Shortbread Cookies (S Cookies)
These buttery shortbread cookies seem to appear in various parts of the Middle East with different names. Throughout the Arab world they are known as Ghraybeh, shaped either as the letter ‘S’ or as a diamond. In Greece these are known as Kourabiedes. In Armenia they are known as Kourabia. When my husband was a…… Continue reading Ghraybeh- Arabic Shortbread Cookies (S Cookies)
My New Cooking Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area!
I love Christmas, but not the landfill that surrounds it. I would much rather make homemade treats, or give gift certificates that support local business than buy “stuff” that ends up in the junk pile. If any of you have foodie friends, and want to give a gift of a culinary demonstration with a sampling…… Continue reading My New Cooking Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area!