Monthly Archives: October 2010

Pork tenderloin with fennel and onion jam

Lebanon is a small mediterranean country; as such, it is covered with wild fennel. I saw this herb growing in the mountains and on the coastline. It can be made into an infusion or incorporated into all sorts of dishes. This dish however uses the fennel bulb offered in supermarkets, caramelized in a bit of [...]
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Coffee pudding

Lebanese folks fall into two categories: the ones that like to drink their Turkish coffee with ground cardamom mixed in (hale in Arabic) and those who like it just plain. In the Middle-Eastern stores, the packages of Turkish coffee with cardamom have a green border and printed with cardamom at the bottom. People (in the [...]
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Chicken loaf with cranberries and pistachios (Rosto)

This loaf is made in  traditional Lebanese homes with extra-lean  ground veal or beef and usually stuffed with carrot sticks or hard-boiled eggs. Seared in fat and simmered slowly in a vinegar sauce. My aunt Wadad is 88 years-young; about four feet tall and eighty pounds or so, she has a commanding and blunt tone [...]
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Artichoke bottoms with a yogurt sauce

I made this today in memory of a great lunch I shared with a friend in Beirut recently; he took me to a place called Walima, that used to be located in a traditional old house, unfortunately  demolished since;  the homestyle restaurant had to move to a nearby location in a non-descript building; the cuisine [...]
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Goat chili

Goat meat is available at my neighborhood Middle-Eastern store. Much leaner and much more nutritious than other red meats, it makes  an  excellent  chili. I used cranberry beans to go with it. Simmered the mixture for about  three hours and served it with a handful of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of chopped onions. [...]
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