Commercial kitchens from Milan to Sydney to Singapour to Dallas are serving Panna Cotta these days. I get the impression that most chefs the world over think that Italy is where the mediterranean starts and ends!

I wish they would serve what we call ashtaliyeh. Ashta is the word for cream in Arabic and ashtaliyeh is the pudding derived from it; a bit deceiving, because it does not contain cream!

This is a very creamy pudding, without any cream! It is thickened with cornstarch which avoids the rubberiness that comes from gelatin; it is nearly unsweetened and served with a syrup on the side. Flavorings are traditionally orange blossom and rose water and mastic.

This is a recipe from a Lebanese chef  and restaurant owner in the UK, Hussien Dekmak. It is an extra rich recipe that adds some cream cheese spread such as Kiri to the pudding; optional, since the pudding can just as easily be made with milk alone.

Time to make?  figure on less than 10 minutes; however, it needs to cool and firm up  in the fridge, preferably overnight.

INGREDIENTS :

Ashtaliyeh:

• 1  pint of milk (500ml)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 75 g of Kiri (the equivalent of 5 small packages, 1/2 ounce each or 15 g); can substitute any cream cheese spread; OR skip it!
• 3 pebbles of mastic-optional-
• 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water and 1 teaspoon of rose water

For the syrup: (You will most likely have some leftover, which is fine, it will keep for several weeks in the fridge)

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• a squirt of lemon (about a teaspoon)
• a teaspoon of orange blossom water, a teaspoon of rose water

To garnish the ashtaliyeh:

• A couple of tablespoons of pistachios, ground in a mortar with a pinch of sugar

METHOD:

1. Heat the milk, sugar and cheese (if using) over medium heat, stirring to dissolve both the sugar and cheese. Take the cornstarch and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cold water or milk. As soon as the milk mixture starts steaming, add the cornstarch and keep stirring nonstop for a couple of minutes until the mixture thickens.
2. Add the mastic, the orange blossom and rose water, stir for 30 seconds or so and remove from the stove.
3. Pour the pudding mixture through a strainer into a bowl or measuring cup, pushing it through with a spoon to get it as smooth as possible.
4. Pour into several ramequins. Cool on the counter and then chill in the fridge overnight.

How to use the mastic:

The mastic or miskeh (in Arabic) is sold in middle-eastern groceries; it is imported from Greece. The store where I shop keeps it under lock and in small jars. It comes in tiny pebbles. It needs to be ground up in order to be mixed into the pudding in the last minutes of cooking. My method was to grind it in a tiny marble mortar with a pinch of sugar until powdery and throw the lot into the milk mixture; the problem is that this method leaves a residue of mastic in the mortar.

Another method which was recommended by Peter from kalofagas.ca is to freeze the mastic for a minimum of two hours (I would keep the jar in the freezer); then place the pebbles between two sheets of plastic wrap and pulverize them with a rolling pin. He claims this method uses up every last speck of mastic.

Taro root is a vegetable that is commonly used in Lebanon, especially during Lent. It is cultivated locally and  known as kolkass; I know from my Egyptian friend Phoebe that the Egyptians love it too; in fact, when I stopped by the Palestinian grocer I found bags of Taro root in the freezer imported from Egypt, all cut up with a spice packet included for a paltry $1.40.

According to Wikipedia, it is one of the oldest vegetable known to man; judging by its gnarled and downright repulsive aspect, I have no problem believing that cave-man AKA Fred Flintstone, used to eat it for a snack. Don’t let appearances fool you, however; this is a “good for you” veggie, recommended by all the higher authorities on health. It is sold everywhere, I found it at Target, Asian and Latino markets, mid-eastern grocers, even plain old American supermarkets and health food stores.

Taro is prepared in several ways in Lebanon; its texture is similar to potatoes,  but it has a very pleasant and distinct flavor: so, as I was saying, it is cooked with lentils, or lamb shanks or even with a tahini and Seville orange sauce. You can substitute it with turnips, rutabagas, or  potatoes.

Today, I decided to be lazy all the way, using what is in the kitchen already. I am making a stew with taro, spinach, cilantro pesto and serving it over rice. I made the cilantro pesto fresh, but if you have some stashed away in the freezer, now is the time to dump it into the stew.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag of frozen cut up Taro root (or one pound of fresh taro, peeled, cut in cubes and dipped in a bowl of water with a squirt of lemon)
• 1 small bag of chopped frozen spinach (about 10 ounces); substitute any greens like swiss chard.
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1 can of chick peas, rinsed thoroughly.
• 1 rib of celery.
• 1/4 cup (or more) of cilantro pesto (recipe follows)
• 1 small cube of vegetable bouillon diluted in 6 cups of water (optional)
• quartered lemons to squeeze over the stew (optional)

If using fresh taro root, I would recommend using gloves and after peeling it, you should dump it into a bowl filled with water and a squirt of a lemon.

For the vermicelli rice: Optional you can eat it as is! (no rice)

This is the traditional side dish with a stew in Lebanon; you can forego the rice and use bread or any other grain of your choice.

• 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice
• 1 cup of cut Vermicelli noodles AKA fideos
• 2 tablespoons of oil or butter, a dash of salt

Instructions on making rice: Please refer to the post on lamb shanks with peas & carrots.

METHOD:  Make the cilantro pesto:

1. Grab a bunch of cilantro, wash and dry it and chop off the stems. Chop the cilantro as fine as possible and set aside.
2. Mash the garlic with a dash of salt.
3. Heat some olive oil, add the cilantro and garlic and fry the mixture for one minute or so. Set aside.

Make the taro stew:

1. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped onions. Cover the pan for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and then uncover the pan and let the onions get some golden color.
2. Add the taro to the pan (frozen or fresh), stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add 6 cups of water (to which a cube of veggie bouillon has been added),the rib of celery,  cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add the spinach, the chick peas, the cilantro pesto and uncover the pan to simmer 10 minutes more until the water has evaporated and the stew has gotten more compact.
4. Season to taste, serve as is or with rice or bread.

Some women like to buy new shoes or earrings; I like to buy cool-looking veggies. I thought these purple and yellow cauliflower would make Dali proud.

In any case, cauliflower in Lebanese cuisine are blanched then fried then served with a tarator sauce. I did not fry them, merely roasted them with a bit of olive oil; the tarator sauce is a dressing made with tahini and fresh lemon juice and spiked with a little mashed garlic.

INGREDIENTS:

1 head of purple cauliflower, 1 head of yellow cauliflower

For the tarator sauce:

• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed with a dash of salt
• juice of a large lemon
• 1/2 cup of tahini
• 1/2 cup of water (or to taste)

METHOD:

First step:

1. Boil or steam the cauliflower, cut into florets, for about 5 minutes until it is tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the cauliflower. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small bowl and brush the olive oil on the florets before roasting them. Roast in a 350f oven for 15 minutes or until they start to show brown specks. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Second Step:

1. Making the tarator sauce: Since this is a dressing, you will rely on your taste for the dosage; I like mine garlicky and lemony, so I will tend to add more lemon and garlic. Your call!
2. Mash the garlic with a dash  of salt; add the juice of a lemon; add the tahini, mixing all along. Add about 1/2 cup of water, keep stirring; the sauce should be smooth and free of lumps; now taste it. If you like it, great, if not, adjust to your taste, adding more of one or the other.

For a nice presentation, you can place all the cauliflower florets in a bowl, flower side facing the curvature of the bowl and let them sit tight for a while; invert onto a serving dish. Serve the tarator on the side or dripping over the cauliflower. This dish is also served as part of a mezze or appetizer.

A Lebanese designer once again at the Oscar night, with Anna Kendrick wearing an Elie Saab couture dress.

One of the most popular dishes in the near-east is  makloubet al-batenjan: It is a casserole of rice and lamb chunks encased in eggplant slices. To die for. I made a lighter dish and it is meatless. No less delicious it was gobbled up in no time. Eggplant, coarse bulgur, tomatoes, onions and chick peas.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 or 2 large eggplants
• olive oil as needed
• 2 large onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• salt, pepper, dash of cinnamon, dash of allspice
• 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 can of chick peas, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups of coarse bulgur (#4)
• 1 cube of vegetable bouillon (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste or red pepper paste (optional)

METHOD:

First Step:

1. Peel the eggplant and slice; sprinkle with salt and let them sit for 30 minutes.
2. Pat dry and fry them in hot oil till limp. Dry with paper towels and set aside till needed. Season a bit.

Second Step:

1. Soak the bulgur in water for 30 minutes while you make the tomato sauce.
2. Chop the onions, dice the tomatoes and heat some olive oil. Fry the onions in the oil till golden, add the tomatoes, season and cover the pan for about 30 minutes.
3. Mash the garlic and add to the tomato sauce. Stir a bit. Add the bulgur and the chick peas, stir, add some water (about 2  to 3 cups) and the paste if using  and close the lid; bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover the pot and check seasoning and if the bulgur is all cooked. If not, cover and cook a few minutes more, adding more water if needed.

Third Step:

1. Line a bowl with plastic wrap. Line the bowl with all the eggplant slices, overlapping them if needed.
2. Fill the bowl with the bulgur mixture. Cover with plastic wrap. when ready to serve, you can either reheat a bit in the microwave or serve at room temperature. Yogurt would be nice with it.
3. Flip the bowl onto a serving platter. Enjoy! Sahteyn!

I was thrilled to find this recipe on Maryline’s blog En Direct d’Athènes. It is listed as a Lent-friendly chocolate cake; it does not contain eggs. It is made with tahini, not butter. Maryline claimed that it was délicieux, so I thought “I will find out for myself!”

Not only is this brownie delicious, but it is also easier to make than pancakes! no need for a mixer, all one needs is a bowl, a wooden spoon and a sifter. I halved the recipe (hers yielded two cakes) and I will only recommend that you line your cake pan with parchment or wax paper.

That brownie is moist in the middle, crispy at the top and will leave you the (intoxicating) aftertaste of halvah in your palate. What more can one ask for?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Bar of cooking chocolate, such as 60 or 70% bittersweet, 100 g
• 150 g of tahini (don’t forget to stir the jar before pouring)
• 150 g of all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 150 g of powdered sugar
• 150 g of orange juice, freshly squeezed preferably OR a combination of rum and orange juice

METHOD:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave following directions on the package; it took 1 minute, 15 seconds to melt the bar. You can also melt it in a double-boiler if you prefer.
2. Mix the tahini, orange juice and rum or other liqueur in a large bowl. Add the melted chocolate and the powdered sugar. Mix well.
3. Add the flour and baking powder through a sifter into the mixture. Mix well.
4. Grease an 8 inch baking pan and line with parchment. Pour the batter and spread it as evenly as possible. Heat the oven to 350F and bake the brownies 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

/www.wikeez.com/en/music/watch-yara-lapidus-video-le-cedre-6213. This is a short clip shot in Lebanon by Yara Lapidus, wife of designer Olivier Lapidus (whose father Ted dressed the Beatles). Yara is a Lebanese-born  musician and this is a song (in French) from her new album.

In the Near East, everybody is crazy about fava beans; it’s my mother’s favorite dish. In our family, fava beans were made in a yogurt-based stew with lamb shanks.  I grabbed a bag of frozen fava beans from the Palestinian grocer; these  are imported from Egypt ( fava beans are a staple food in Egypt).

In Lebanese cuisine, you have three  major types of sauces: yogurt-based sauces,  tomato-based sauces and tahini-based sauces. This stew is yogurt-based and meatless today.

The yogurt is cooked and stabilized with the help of cornstarch and sometimes eggs. Then, a pesto is added to give the yogurt flavor, usually cilantro pesto. Lastly, you  add whatever vegetable or meat that strikes your fancy. Serve  with  rice.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice, soaked in fresh water 2 hours
• 3 tablespoons of butter or oil
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric and a squirt of ketchup OR a pinch of saffron
• 1 bag of frozen fava beans
• 1 32-oz container of yogurt
• 3 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 egg (optional) or 1 egg white, beaten lightly
• Cilantro pesto: 1 heaping tablespoon of chopped cilantro and 1 heaping tablespoon of mashed garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• olive oil as needed
• salt, pepper as needed

METHOD:

A. Make the cilantro pesto:

1. Chop the cilantro leaves as fine as possible. Mash the garlic cloves, cut up, with a little salt.
2. Heat some olive oil in a skillet, add the chopped onion and fry till golden, add the mashed garlic and the chopped cilantro. Stir gently for one or two minutes and remove from the heat.

B. Cook the fava beans:

1. Follow package directions; usually it calls for boiling salted water and dumping the fava beans in the boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain almost completely, reserving one scant cup of cooking water  and mix the fava beans with the cilantro pesto.

C. Cook the yogurt:

1. Dump the yogurt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Mix the cornstarch with the cooking fava bean water till smooth. Heat the yogurt over medium-low heat, start stirring in the same direction,  and add the cornstarch mixture (and beaten egg if using); when the yogurt starts steaming, keep stirring  for one  minute and remove from the heat.
2. Add the fava beans and pesto mixture. Serve with rice or bread if desired.

D. Cook the rice:

1. Drain the rice of its soaking water and place it in a pot; cover with fresh water, at least 2 inches above the surface of the rice.
2. Bring to a boil and boil the rice 7 minutes; taste and if it is cooked but still firm it is ready.
3. Drain the rice and rinse with fresh tap water.
4. In the same pot, melt a few tablespoons of butter (or oil) add some turmeric and ketchup (or saffron), 1/2 cup of water and place the rice. Cover the pot, keep the heat on medium for 10 minutes then lower the heat and steam for 30 minutes.
5. Uncover the pot, taste the rice, add some salt and more butter if needed, fluff it and serve.

Walima  Challenge focuses on Saudi Arabian cuisine, February 2010.

This cookie epitomizes Saudi Arabia for most of us: A large country with a huge desert, lots of date trees and tons of oil. It is also the country where the Prophet Mohammed  صلى الله عليه وسلم  was born and where he spearheaded  one of the world’s largest  religions.

No baking required!

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces of good quality dates such as mejdool or deglet noor, pitted
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter or ghee
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces of toasted walnuts (or any other nuts you like-optional)
• 1 generous teaspoon of ground cardamom

For the optional garnish: a handful of chopped pistachios, or a handful of unsweetened shredded coconut, about 1/2 cup of syrup to help the garnish adhere to the cookie (optional).

METHOD:

1. Place the dates in a food processor bowl.
2. Heat a skillet on medium heat, add the butter and let it foam; ad the flour and stir till the flour is toasted and cooked (as if making a roux for gumbo); add the walnuts and cardamom and stir a few seconds and place the entire mixture in the food processor.
3. Process till the mixture is pasty. Dump the paste into a bowl and  start shaping the cookies.
4. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, shape into balls and dip in the syrup a bit then into the pistachios or coconut. Serve.
5. These cookies will keep for at least a week tightly sealed in the fridge.

I hesitated a long time before writing this post. After all, who does not know how to use garlic? It just is such an essential part of Lebanese cooking, I had to include it!

Mashing garlic is the classic way that it is used in our cuisine. Garlic is not chopped up in little pieces and fried the way the Italians do it; garlic is mashed with a bit of salt in a wood mortar until it becomes pasty.

This was the only task I was allowed to perform in the kitchen as a kid; I remember as if it was yesterday showing my pounded garlic to my mother and asking her ” is it good now?” and she would invariably reply “no, pound some more!”. I used to think she did it on purpose to torture me. Today, I know that if you obtain a smooth paste, it will incorporate better with the dish and that there are no shortcuts. Don’t bother with a food processor. It has to be done by hand!

That being said, I wonder how many of you actually use this method.

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY:

I used random.org, assigned every comment a number and the result is: Heguiberto Souza from San Fransisco. Check out his and Stevie’s blog weirdcombinations.com it is really cool and very interesting! Heguiberto,  please mail me your address if you are still interested.

Sorry for using a French word; I did not know how to call this and since I baked the salmon in custard cups with a broccoli/potato puree in the middle, the word seemed fitting. Just an idea that came to me after I bought some wild Alaskan salmon at the super Target store!

The salmon is skinned and cut into long fillets; each lines  a custard cup and a broccoli/potato puree is plopped in the middle; after baking 10 minutes or so, the salmon is served with a salad of baby arugula and encrusted with some chopped pistachios for the middle-eastern touch.

It is actually easy and fast and the whole meal will take less than 45 minutes to prepare.

STEP ONE:

1. Skin the salmon with a sharp knife. Discard the skin. Cut the fillet lengthwise in three portions and line a greased custard cup with one slice, leaving a gap in the middle in which to plop the broccoli puree. Don’t forget to season the salmon with some salt, pepper.

STEP TWO:

1. Steam or boil the broccoli. Place in a food processor. Prepare a potato puree using a small bag and following instructions on the bag. Place the potato puree in the food processor along with the broccoli.
2. Pulse until ground coarsely. Add a teaspoon of mashed garlic, the juice of a lemon, a couple teaspoons of grated ginger, a dash of smoked paprika, some black pepper, some grated nutmeg; taste and adjust seasoning. You can also add some cream or cheese if you feel like it.
3. Plop the puree in the custard cup inside the salmon fillet. Preheat the oven to 400F and bake for 10 minutes.

STEP THREE:

1. Skin some pistachios (optional) by soaking in boiling water for at least 15 minutes. Skin by rubbing with your fingertips and some paper towels. Dry them well (you can use a hair drier!) and chop roughly.
2. Run a knife around the circumference of the custard cup to loosen the salmon; flip it onto the plate.  Brush the salmon with a little olive oil and pat the pistachios on it, the way you would a cake that is covered in frosting.
3. Make a quick dressing for the arugula: mix one part lemon juice or rice vinegar with two parts olive oil, cracked black pepper, a pinch of salt. Serve the salmon timbale with some arugula and additional broccoli puree on the side.

What would you do if you had a couple of pieces of pita bread growing stale on your kitchen counter? Well, if you were Lebanese (or from Syria, Palestine or Jordan), chances are you would make a fatteh.

Fatteh (trans: crumbled) is a layered dish consisting of an  ingredient- eggplant- cut in dice and fried, topped  with toasted (or fried) pita bread chips in turn  blanketed by a garlicky yogurt sauce,  sprinkled  with golden pine nuts and (or) almonds.

There are many versions of fatteh: It can be made with garbanzo beans, chicken or even baby eggplants stuffed with minced lamb and walnuts. The basic principle is to layer one type of food with bread and yogurt.

Today  is a busy day for me so I am opting for a simple version. This dish takes 30 minutes to fix.

I am presenting the fatteh in a verrine. The traditional presentation is in a large serving platter. I think the verrine lends itself perfectly to the fatteh because it can showcase all  the  layers  of this classic dish.

According to Clifford A. Wright in his A Mediterranean Feast this dish goes back all the way to Crusader’s time in the thirteenth century, as it was mentioned in a cookbook of that era.

Step one: Toast the pita bread or fry it; cut in small squares with a pair of kitchen scissors. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes till golden-brown. I like to brush or spray it with some oil, I find that it tastes better!

Step Two: Peel the eggplants and slice; sprinkle salt on the slices and let them sit for 15 minutes. Pat dry with a towel and fry in oil until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Step three: Mash the garlic (2 or 2 cloves) with a dash of salt, whisk the garlic in the yogurt.

Step four: Toast the pine nuts or almonds in a skillet with a few teaspoons of butter.

ASSEMBLY: Place a cup of eggplant in a verrine or bowl; add a cup of toasted pita bread on top; ladle a half cup of garlicky yogurt on top of the bread. Sprinkle some dried mint  or pine nuts or pomegranate seeds on top. Serve.

I am not giving quantities because it depends on how many people you are feeding. One large eggplant will feed 3 people.