Beirut is a city that is fast becoming unrecognizable to those of us who grew up here; Ottoman-style homes with inner courtyards, street cart vendors and baskets lowered from balconies are nearly all gone; this is why when I went searching for this candy called na3oomeh I came home empty-handed. One man I asked told me I needed to go to Sidon and look for it in the old souks. Luckily, Asma, my trusted friend, chef, and go-to person for all things traditional and culinary, knew exactly where to find some and promptly got me a bag.

This candy will be remembered by some as the one that cart vendors would hawk yelling in the streets “na3oomeh, na3oomeh”. My friend Hoda tells me she never tasted it because her mother forbade  her from touching  anything that was sold in the streets. The cart vendor would quickly wrap it in a paper cone and hand it out to kids after school. 

It is simply roasted chickpeas and sugar. As fine as flour. Delicious. 

It could be made at home with a good coffee grinder. These colored candied chickpeas are still sold nowadays and I found them at the Dallas Middle-Eastern grocery store. I would try to grind them as fine as possible; however, I bet it would not come out as fine as this one which is made in a commercial flour mill. 

I was thinking about my friend Phoebe and how fun it was to cook together. She taught me a few of her kitchen secrets and we would exchange stories about her native Egypt and my native Lebanon; Phoebe loves Lebanese food; she remarked to me once “you know, your food is very healthy you have a lot of fresh salads”. She had her son’s graduation party at her favorite Lebanese restaurant in Dallas, Ali-Baba.

Apparently now that place has branches everywhere, including Vegas. There are so many good entertainment in Vegas! I like the shows, the shopping center and the wide variety of great restaurants. Ali-Baba is the type of Lebanese restaurant with American-style comfort and a generic traditional menu with food that you might find at your aunt or best friend’s house in Lebanon. I read so many good reviews about it. The interior design of the restaurant is amazing, they have chandeliers that are Tiffany-inspired, nice long tables and they also offer belly dancing entertainment which pleased my Egyptian-born friend immensely (I think Egyptians really adore belly dancing, much more than the Lebanese do).

Here is what she would typically order from their menu.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground meat (beef or lamb or a mixture of the two)
• 1 onion, grated
• 1/2 bunch of Italian parsley, leaves chopped
• Spices: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp paprika. 
• 2 slices of sandwich bread, soaked in water and drained and squeezed dry or 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk (optional)

If you have a meat grinder, run the meat with the onion and parsley and spices through the grinder a couple of times through the fine grinder. If not, place them in the bowl of a food processor and run the machine till you get a homogenous paste. 

NOTE: I added about 1/4 cup of tomato paste, and a couple of tablespoons of tahini,  which is not necessary, just an option!

METHOD:

1.     Divide the meat mixture into golf-size balls; insert one ball into a skewer  and using the palm of one hand, shape each ball into a kebab, stretching it and patting it constantly till it look even and elongated. 

2.     Grill the meat or roast in a 400F oven for 12 minutes, rotating the skewers after 5 minutes to cook all sides evenly. 

3.     Serve on pita bread, previously slathered with tomato paste and covered with chopped parsley, onion and sumac.

• 2  cups assorted dried fruits ( I used figs, prunes and apricots)
• 1/2 cup roasted nuts ( I used pistachios and almonds)
• 1/4 cup grape molasses or honey (add more if the paste is too stiff)
• 1/2 cup grated coconut 

METHOD: 1. Place the fruits and nuts in the bowl of a food processor; run the machine and add the molasses or honey to obtain a thick paste. Either form the paste into balls or pat onto a brownie pan. If balls are used, dip in the coconut. Otherwise, sprinkle coconut all over the pan; dry out for a couple of hours and cut into bars. Balls can be kept in the fridge in a box. 

NOTE: If your fruits are too dry, you can soak them in a little hot tea or liqueur to plump up for a couple of hours; also, if you don’t want to do this, you can add a touch more of honey or molasses to make the mixture hold together better. 

The recipe for this dish was generously shared with me by a lady chef who told me that it comes from Tripoli, Lebanon’s Northern coastal city. It is simpler to make than other eggplant and yogurt dishes and just delicious; the eggplant is silky and the cooked yogurt sauce light; the ensemble is divine. Recipe courtesy of Chef F. Hassan.

INGREDIENTS: 4  to 6  servings

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 lb ground beef or lamb
• 1 lb yogurt
• cilantro pesto (1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, 4 cloves of garlic, salt, olive oil) optional
• spices: salt, to taste, pinch of black pepper, 1/2 tsp allspice 
• 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
• oil, as needed

 METHOD:

1. Peel the eggplants; cut into long strips; sprinkle with salt and let them spit out their brown juice; pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 cup of oil in a large skillet and fry the slices for a few minutes on each sides until golden and soft. Drain on paper towels or dip in a pot of simmering water for one second, then drain on paper towels. 

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil and fry the onion till golden; add the meat and brown, add the spices and stir to combine well. Set the meat aside. To cook the yogurt: dissolve one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl and mix in one egg white.  Add this mixture to the yogurt and stir continuously until the yogurt thickens a bit. Add the cilantro pesto if using. 

Assembly: Lay the eggplant slices in  an ovenproof dish; ladle the yogurt over the eggplant, then the meat mixture;  sprinkle the pine nuts. Serve immediately. 

NOTE: You can serve this with yogurt, as is, without cooking it or adding the cilantro pesto. 

I posted an image of my foray into zaatar hunting and both Arlette and Dana mentioned the zaatar and feta cheese combo. Feta (aka Bulgarian cheese here) is crumbled, doused in olive oil and sprinkled with fresh zaatar; a breakfast and after-school snack that helped assuage my hunger daily as a child growing up in Beirut. 

Obviously, not all of us can go out and pluck a handful of wild zaatar; getting a good-quality dry mix is fine as a substitute or a little oregano. Last but not least, the best olive oil and all the trimmings: Pita bread, chopped tomatoes, olives and sliced cucumbers should be included in the mouthful. 

The most satisfying  breakfast or snack. 

I followed this man, Salah.

Zaatar is having a growth spurt this time of year and I happily accepted an offer from Salah, gentleman-farmer (originally from Egypt), to show me where and how to forage wild zaatar; there are several varieties of zaatar and this one is elongated and  called dukka; folks like to eat it in a salad or pickle it or mix it with cheese. This type of zaatar is not the one made into a mix with sumac and sesame seeds.

Can you see zaatar in there? I could’n't!

getting closer; now zaatar loves limestone, rocky soils, and lots of thorns

There it is! 

Salah was showing me how to snip it with both hands, without touching the root. 

Oh, saw some wild sage too! (called as3een in the Chouf and meeramieh in other regions).

Had fun, it was a short 2 minutes away; that’s the beauty of the Lebanese mountains. 

I feel very fortunate to be able to escape from the hustle-bustle and super charged atmosphere of Beirut into the mountains every weekend; there, only 35 minutes away at 3000 feet altitude, lies a peaceful town surrounded by nature. After spending some time with a seasoned farmer who offered to show me where to find ( and forage) wild zaatar, I got home and realized that there was no food in the house save for some red lentils and a bit of  bulgur. Thankfuly the onions were right there in the garden and I snatched a few. This dish is the result.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 green onions, chopped including green tops (or 1 large onion)
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil (3 tbsp)
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup coarse bulgur (#3 or 4)
• Spices: Salt, dash of black pepper, 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp red pepper paste or tomato paste
• 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs ( I used dill and zaatar and parsley)

Salah is picking zaatar from a field nearby.

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot; drop the chopped scallions and fry for 2 minutes; add the bulgur and stir to coat with oil; add the red lentils, the spices (less the salt) and the red pepper paste and pomegranate molasses and 3 cups of water with the bouillon cube; cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the bulgur and lentils are done. Uncover, add the salt to taste  and the fresh chopped herbs and serve.

NOTE: This dish tastes even better after a day or two.

Another version of a carrot and cheese cake I made a couple of years ago;  eating a bar feels more virtuous!

INGREDIENTS: 9″x9″ pan (or larger)

• 2 large eggs
• 6 ounces oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup raw sugar or regular
• 1 tablespoon of grape molasses (optional) or honey
• 1 tablespoon of orange rind (optional)
• 8 oz carrots, shredded fine (4 carrots)

DRY:

• 1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• dash salt

Cheese layer:

• 8 ounces of labneh or cream cheese or mascarpone, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C)

1. Place the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, rind (if using), grape molasses (if using) in the bowl of a mixer and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes until the texture is a bit thick, like a runny mayo. Meanwhile, place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture;  fold the carrots  into the batter.  Make the cheese layer:
3. Beat the cheese with the  powdered sugar, cornstarch  and vanilla until the cheese batter is smooth. Line the pan  with parchment paper and pour the carrot cake batter into the pan in dollops, here and there. Pour the cheese batter  (also in dollops here and there). Bake until puffed up and dry, about 20 minutes. 

View of a valley in the Chouf, Lebanon.

One of the biggest advantages of living in Beirut is this: I can order this at my favorite deli. It comes with all the trimmings. The flavor is superb and I did not spend a second in the kitchen. 

If you are looking for a classic hummus recipe, click here. 

A beef shawarma recipe, click here. 

This dish can also be served with ground lamb fried with chopped onions. The pine nuts taste best fried in butter separately. 

The idea for this omelet came from Joel Robuchon’s book on his Sunday menus (Les Dimanches de Joel Robuchon); the famed French chef is known for his classic, down-to-earth cuisine and this one was entitled omelette du prêtre or priest omelet. It is a perfect solution when you have just a few minutes to spare. A can of tuna, a few eggs, some herbs or a shallot are all that’s needed. 

INGREDIENTS: 2 servings 

• 4 large eggs
  
• 1/4 cup of chopped dill or parsley  or onion or shallots (or both)
• 1 can tuna (3 oz)
• olive oil, as needed
• salt, pepper

Mix the ingredients in a bowl; heat 1/3 cup of olive oil in a skillet; pour the omelet and cook for a few minutes until set, pushing the uncooked batter into the hot skillet with a wooden spatula. Serve. 

Last days of cool weather in Deir el-Qamar (Chouf mountains).