Category Archives: jams and chutneys

Quince jam

It is quince season now and while waiting for the fruits to ripen a few weeks on the trees, I was plotting ways to use them. First off, jam is in order. Here is a recipe inspired by the Persian tradition and Najmieh Batmanglij’s Food of Life.  If you have never tried quince, it is [...]
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Mulberry jam

Mulberry season is in for a short while here in Lebanon. Sweet as can be (especially the purple variety), these little berries can be preserved into jams or syrups. Full of fiber too, these are the ideal fruit for breakfast.  INGREDIENTS: 1 pound of mulberries 3 cups of sugar 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice [...]
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Chicken with apple chutney

I adore apples; and I am already mourning the end of their season. So,  why not make a chutney? It is easy and goes with anything. (I would love to make it with duck). Here it is served with  chicken thighs cooked in the  skillet with some seven-spice seasoning  and deglazed with a splash of [...]
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Candied dates with cardamom

What does one ask of a coffee shop?  Free wi-fi, outdoor seating with shade, really good coffee drinks and pastries, friendly staff and animation. In Beirut, there is Café Younès, which fills these requirements. Walking home after  some leisurely time spent there, I saw these fresh dates, (guess it must be the season), and was [...]
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Whole fig preserve

One feature of life in Lebanon that is a big positive is the abundance of fruit trees that seem to grow everywhere; figs and olives being a prime example. We had a large bucket of figs; they were not the best figs of the season but they were still sweet. Here is a traditional way [...]
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