Kamal Mouzawak was describing a dessert his grandmother used to make, a sort of pudding made of rice and covered with walnuts and syrup. He was getting so lyrical about it, I was fascinated. I was picturing a grandma, wearing a  bun and an apron, stirring and stirring rice in a big pot until it was thick;  letting it cool outside in the terrace, ladling it out to her grandchildren, with the walnuts and syrup on top for a special treat.

I wanted to find that recipe.

In our world, where every food item under the sun is available at our neighborhood supermarket, from Italian cold cuts to Hungarian spices to Thai curries, I can’t help but be drawn to those recipes devised by people who had little at their disposal. A little rice, some nuts from the trees nearby, a bit of sugar.

I found a recipe in Nada Saleh New Flavours of the Lebanese Table, in which she describes an old-time dessert, made with rice mashed into a cream and a top layer of nuts and rose water jelly;  probably not Kamal’s grandmother’s, but it will do. I have adapted the recipe to simplify its execution.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of short-grain rice, such as sushi rice or risotto rice
• 2 1/2  cups of water (to cook the rice in)
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup (or so) of cream (can use a can of ashta, reduce the amount of milk accordingly)
• a few pebbles of mastic ( freeze the mastic for one hour, then  place in a plastic bag and grind up with a rolling pin till powdery)
• 1 (or more) tablespoon of rose water
• a handful of nuts, soaked in water (I also used some candied walnuts)
• 2   tablespoons of cornstarch (can use wheat starch instead)
• 1/2 cup (or more, to taste) of sugar

METHOD:

1. Soak the nuts in water.
2. Cook the rice in about 2 1/2  cups of boiling water until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes, and has absorbed most of the water; if there is still a lot of water left in the pot, drain most of it and replace it with milk and cream. Add a few tablespoons of sugar (to taste) and cook the rice some more, until the mixture is a moist and gooey mass. Add the mastic and stir to distribute the flavor evenly.
3. Cool the rice mixture a bit and pour into the food processor in batches. Puree until the mixture is smooth and velvety, adding more milk if needed. Cool in a serving platter or ramequins.

1. Sprinkle the nuts over the rice cream.
2. Make the rose water jelly; dilute 2  tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water. Heat 1 3/4 cups of water in a saucepan; add about 3 (or more, to taste) tablespoons of sugar, stir to dissolve; when the water starts to steam, add the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until it bubbles and thickens; add the rose water and stir.
3. Pour onto the rice cream through a strainer. Cool and serve. (If the mixture does not thicken, it is fine to repeat the operation adding a bit more cornstarch and diluting it in water, then mixing it in)

NOTE: Mastic is imported from Greece and is used extensively in Lebanese sweets and even savory dishes; it is available online or at Greek or Middle-Eastern grocers; it comes in very small jars or pouches and consists of clear pebbles that come from the resin of a specific bush. Freeze the pebbles and grind them (they will not dissolve easily otherwise) or mash them with a bit of sugar in a mortar.

“I need a little peace and quiet“, I said  to my daughter  as I drove the 30 kilometers into the Chouf mountains and the village of Deir el Qamar. Enough of the high voltage  hustle and bustle of Beirut. Enough of traffic and cars and noise 24/7.

I am not a fan of team sports; it did not matter. I still HAD to listen to the entire basketball game retransmitted with loudspeakers and a live commentator from the village into all residents, myself included;  its happy conclusion (Lebanon BEAT Canada 81/71) was expressed with thundering fireworks into the night.

So much for a little R&R (rest and relaxation).

What about these lentils? Lentils are God‘s perfect food. No wonder Jacob traded his inheritance for a plate of lentils  (check the Book of Genesis).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of brown lentils
• 1 onion, chopped
• olive oil, as needed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• a few tablespoons of parsley, leaves chopped
• a couple of cloves of garlic, mashed
• dash of cumin, dried coriander, salt, pepper
• one eggplant, slices salted and drained and fried in olive oil (optional)
• a teaspoon of red pepper paste (optional)
• pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

1. Heat some water in a saucepan (about 4 cups); as soon as the water steams, add the lentils; you need to have at least 2 inches of water above the lentils. Simmer the lentils gently, skimming the surface from time to time until they are tender to the bite, about 30 minutes. Ideally, they should have absorbed all the water. If a lot of water is left, drain them. Add a jiggle of olive oil to the lentils, blend and set aside.
2. Heat some olive oil in a skillet; add the eggplant slices and fry on both sides till soft, about 30 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.
3. Add to the lentils all the fresh vegetables: chopped onion, diced tomatoes, chopped peppers, parsley, spices (cumin, salt, pepper), garlic,  blend well. Serve on a platter with the eggplant slices  forming a ring around the lentil salad.

Here is a lovely fruit that appears in Lebanon around the month of August; in North America there are apparently more than 800 varieties of this tree (aubépine in French) and yet I have never seen anybody eat the fruit! The hawthorn tree gives out pretty white flowers around May; a few months later they  turn into pretty reddish berries. The tree can live over 400 years.

It is  an  excellent remedy  for the treatment of cardiac problems such as high blood pressure, heart palpitations, angina, anxiety and bad circulation in the legs. It has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years.

In addition to being eaten as is, it is also dried up in the sun and drunk  as a tea with other herbs in the winter. It is also made into a jam in the fall, before the birds eat it all!

Its taste is crunchy and similar to an apple; it contains one or two small seeds.

I am a wine ignoramus; it just so happened that  I had lunch with Kamal and his guests at Tawlet recently; a man with a British accent sitting on my left was introduced to me as  Michael Karam, author of a book on Lebanese wines.

In the course of the following  months, both my English cousin in London and my dad in Beirut received this book as a birthday present.

Yesterday, I picked up this coffee table book, thinking I would spend a few minutes looking at the photos. I could not put it down.

Here is what I liked about this book:

• This is not a pedantic book for  wine experts who are looking for detailed and technical exposés on Lebanese wines. This book is for people like myself, who are interested in stories. Frankly, the winemakers of Lebanon have quite a story to tell. Michael Karam knows how to draw them out and his tales are captivating.
• The book is divided into three main sections: a historical background on Lebanese wines, dating back to Phoenician times and beyond. A section on the established winemakers in Lebanon, such as Ksara and Kefraya. Lastly, a series of small chapters focusing on the new arrivals on the Lebanese winemaking scene such as Massaya, Clos de Cana or Domaine Wardy.
• The photos in this book, taken by famed photographer Norbert Schiller are as compelling as the stories. I especially liked the portraits of Bedouin women, who, as it turns out, play an essential role in the harvesting of grapes (and have for thousands of years).
• This book informs, but in a leisurely and enjoyable fashion. I am now aware, for instance, that Lebanese winemaking goes back at least 7000 years. That the vast majority of the labor hired to pick grapes are Bedouin women (who get paid on the average $4 a day for their efforts). That winemaking in Lebanon, while ancient in tradition, has been strongly influenced and coached by Bordeaux winemakers. That Lebanon has indigenous varieties of grape that have not been touched by disease yet, unlike their European counterparts.
• I felt through this book  as if  I knew  the winemakers intimately. Their childhood, their struggles (narrowly escaping bombing, looting, kidnapping), their challenges (trying to sell wine in a country that traditionally drinks arak), their triumphs. Château Musar, for instance, being singled out by a leading wine expert as one of the best wines in  the world.
• This book managed to spark my interest in wine, interest that had been dormant up until now. I immediately took my daughter out for dinner and ordered a Kefraya Rosé blanc (sweet and delicious) and a Cabernet.

What I did not like about the book:

• This book is not very technical; since this would have discouraged me from reading it, I don’t consider it a drawback, but I guess some people might.

This post was originally published on June 7, 2009.

Marie-Therese, who was French and married to a Lebanese,  told me one day (that was probably 35 years ago) that she was helping their family cook, Amira, who was so poor that she had to eat radish greens. I remember this conversation because of the dramatic tone of voice of Marie-Therese and her intense empathy for poor Amira. I was  saddened by the news, because in our household we ate radishes but we would discard  the green leaves.

Today, nutritionists would no doubt encourage people to eat more of these radish greens!

Check this out: 6 times more Vitamin C than the actual radish, calcium, rich in potassium, full of antioxidants, helps gallbladder and liver and relieves flatulence and indigestion…one of the many benefits of eating the poor, overlooked and humble radish greens!

This salad is a balance of flavors and textures. The radish greens provide body and earthiness and a bit of bite, the golden raisins offer sweetness, the onions some slight tanginess and acidity  and the garbanzo beans are mellowing the ensemble!

This recipe was picked out of the more than 600 from Chef Ramzi’s book The Culinary Heritage of Lebanon. I found it and jumped because it reminded me of this friend and her maid and also because I honestly had never tried  a dish of radish greens before.

INGREDIENTS:

• Greens from 2 bunches of radishes
• 1 teaspoon of mashed or crushed garlic with a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of raisins (substitute cranberries or cherries or dates)
• 1 onion or 3 scallions; if using onion, cut in rings, scallions need to be chopped fine
• 1 can  of cooked garbanzo beans (or 1/2 can)

METHOD

• Wash and dry the radish greens. Chop them coarsely.
• Make the dressing by mixing the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
• Add to the radish greens the raisins, scallions and garbanzo beans. Mix and pour the dressing.

Sahteyn!

NOTE:

You can plump up the raisins in some hot water for 30 minutes if you wish. I always cook the canned garbanzo in some fresh water for 30 minutes to get rid of the metallic taste, but it is strictly your call.

This afternoon was earmarked for some shopping in Beirut‘s new and glistening souks, a mall reminiscent of the most upscale ones  in the US. Unfortunately, as soon as we got to the garage, a  surprise was in store for us: a vehicle was parked in front of the  garage door, blocking our car. A derelict-looking thing too, not one of those resplendent BMWs, the #1 preferred car here, the car that says “ I am the King of the Road“.

No, this was a car that could have used a few months of tender loving care  at a body shop and upholsterer.

We looked around, hoping to spot the impudent driver. No one in sight, not even on a balcony. What to do? Go home and hope that in a few hours it will be gone? Alice (daugther) suggested getting in our car and honking nonstop to alert the neighborhood. I said:” Try it if you want, but  we are in Beirut here, nobody pays any attention to honking!

Fifty  feet away, I saw a man loitering about; I called him ” are you the driver of this car?”;  ”no, lady” he yelled back; he moved closer and leaned over the windshield, scrutinizing it ” Look, a phone number!”.

Sure enough, on the driver’s side of the dashboard, I saw a phone  number scribbled on a wrinkled tiny piece of paper in pencil. The man said to me ” See, all you have to do is call that  number  on your cell phone”.

He read the numbers out loud to me with  an Egyptian accent. ” Pfft! “, I thought, ” this guy seems to think it is that easy!”

A minute later, I heard a voice on the other end,  apologizing : ” I will be there in a jiffy, lady, I am in the Sabbagh  building across the street, just give me a minute!”.

Living in Beirut can be maddening, charming, exciting, dangerous, fun and  all of these combined.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of risotto rice
• 1 small onion
• olive oil, as needed
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• a cup of porcini mushrooms, either fresh or dried (if dried, soak in hot water for 30 minutes)
• a few shakes of pink peppercorns and salt to taste
• one jiggle of white wine (optional)
• 1/2 cup of whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (optional)
• a handful of pine nuts, sauteed in butter till brown or toasted

METHOD:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot; add the chopped onion. Stir until the onion is translucent (cover the pot to speed up the process).
2. Add the rice and stir for 3 minutes till the rice takes on the color of mother-of-pearl.
3. Add the white wine and let it simmer till it almost evaporates.
4. Add the tomato and the mushrooms and stir. At this point, add a couple  ladles  of water  (about 2 cups) and let it simmer, stirring from time to time.
5. Add some salt, pepper and some cream, let it simmer and meld into the rice.
6. Add the parmesan cheese last, stir and serve the risotto when it is cooked but still firm to the bite and all the rice, when stirred, moves in the same direction. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

When my friend Jacqueline mentioned L’Atelier as being the best place to eat in Beirut, I thought to myself “Yeah, whatever...” I had secretly sworn off most eateries as being either too expensive or too disappointing.

Well, serendipitously, I was invited there a couple of days later by a childhood friend I had not seen in a few (hmm..) decades.

L’Atelier is no ordinary restaurant. It is staffed by students of the hotel management school of the Université Saint-Joseph.  The kitchen is under the creative direction of the hottest chef in Lebanon, Chef Maroun Chédid (more on him in another post!) and the most brilliant Pastry  Chef Charles Azar.

To sum it up, I had the most exquisite meal and the best service! Furthermore, judging by a quick glance at the prices, for a fraction of the cost of any starred restaurant in a world capital.

Judge for yourself:

A bread basket  with warm, fresh and crusty rolls made in-house.

An appetizer which consisted of a hummus trilogy, a brilliant interpretation of our classic hummus by Chef Chédid, with a medley of crisp veggies incorporated into the classic  hummus.

The salad, which we split (it was huge) was a sweet and delicate, subtly-spiced construction including shredded cabbage, crabmeat, strawberries, kiwis, melons, grapefruit segments, all meshed with  a light vinaigrette and  a  garnish of  walnuts.

I ordered a local mediterranean fish, which came baked in a salt crust and, once the crust removed, was incredibly moist. My friend ordered a fabulously tender filet of beef, which came with some crispy potatoes carved in geometric shapes,  on a bed of lightly steamed green beans. Classic but perfectly executed.

Of course, I was not going to pass up a dessert! In came the Tarte el-Khalil,  a pistachio tart, with a rich pâte sablée, a most ethereal ashta (clotted cream), served with a dollop of sahlep ice-cream,  some  dots of rosewater-flavored sauce and a pecan  and caramel crisp.

L’Atelier will not disappoint you; in fact, you will love the cuisine and the staff.  The kitchen, which was graciously shown to me, is outfitted with the best equipment in the world, from sous-vide machines, to ovens or pastry  sheeters and the standards of hygiene get  the highest marks. (I have never been more impressed by a restaurant kitchen).

(I am taking my darling aunts and cousins there next week!)

L’Atelier

Damas street (Rue de Damas)

Phone number (01) 426-474, Beirut (next to the French Embassy and the National  Museum)

No question carrot cake is a great American classic now popular all over the globe. I wanted to make an over-the-top carrot cake for my dad’s milestone eighty-years-young birthday tomorrow. Here is what I came up with:

This cake is extra moist.

INGREDIENTS: One 12-inch round cake pan, lined with parchment paper

• 3 cups of grated carrots
• 2 cups of flour (can substitute one cup of semolina)
• 1/2 cup of almond flour
• 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
• 1/2 cup of apple molasses (can use honey or a different type of molasses or maple syrup)
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda and baking powder, a dash of salt
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the rind of an orange
• 1 cup of pistachios
• 1/2 cup of grated coconut
• 1/2 cup of raisins, soaked in hot water till plump (about 2 hours)

For the frosting:

• 400 g or 2 boxes of cream cheese spread (I used Puck brand)
• 2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar (to taste, stop when it tastes too sweet)
• 175 g of butter (almost 2 sticks), unsalted
• 2 teaspoons of orange blossom water

For the garnishing:

• 2 cups of pistachios, soaked in water for one or two hours, then peeled and dried and chopped extra fine.
• some gold leaf (optional!)

METHOD:

1. In one bowl, place the dry ingredients and whisk for a few seconds to mix them well: flour, semolina (if using), almond flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. In a mixing bowl, place the eggs, sugar, molasses and oil. Mix until the ingredients are well combined.
3. Add the flour mixture, then the carrots and mix well; add the coconut, pistachios and raisins. Mix and pour into a baking pan greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F (180C-200C) for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted towards the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool, frost and cool again. Garnish with the pistachios and serve.
4. For the frosting: Place the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl; mix till smooth, add the sugar gradually and the orange blossom water. Mix till smooth and using a spatula, spread all over the cake.

NOTE: Serve the cake in small portions like a wedding cake. Form a circle two inches from the circumference of the cake and cut small portions two inches in width; then form another circle, and so on until the cake is all gone.

NOTE: Try to find fresh carrots and grate them fine, not coarse; they will release a lot of water and this, along with the molasses or honey,  will help the cake stay moist.

Hot muggy weather and people are swearing that this summer has been the worst ever; as a result, the streets of Beirut are deserted on the weekend, with Beirutis fleeing en masse to the beach or the mountains for a brief respite.  Well  I am happy I get to drive in the city when it has been vacated.

A chilled soup; the roasted green wheat or freekeh is an huber-nutritious grain, actually  smoked wheat, once very popular in Lebanon until it was replaced by white rice; freekeh is  experiencing a revival due to its delicious smoky taste and its amazing nutritional benefits (lots of iron and minerals).

Ingredients:

• 3 large heirloom tomatoes
• water, with a dash of salt and pepper .
• cut up cucumbers, green peppers, chili pepper
• dash of red pepper paste
• one small onion
• one cup of chopped cilantro
• juice of a lemon
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2 cups of cooked freekeh

METHOD:

1. Peel and cut the tomatoes and place in a blender (one half at a time).
2. Peel and cut the onion and place in the blender; add the cilantro.
3. Add some water (about one and a half cup), lemon juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper paste and process to get a smooth but still a bit chunky texture; taste for seasoning. Add the freekeh, mix and serve.

To cook the freekeh:

1. Soak in water for one hour or longer; drain and make sure no dirt remains or small pebbles. Rinse several times.
2. Bring double the volume of freekeh to a boil with a dash of salt, add the freekeh and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the grains are soft. With a spatula, clean off all the froth that will come up on the surface. Serve.

Daily routine when I want to get the car and go out in Beirut. First, if my daughter is with me, I ask her to kindly swivel the outside  mirrors inwards in order to give me one and a half inch extra space on each side of the car. Then I pull the car out of the garage very slowly  (an inch at a time) and make sure Ali, the valet parking attendant (there is a clothing  store in the building)  knows I am pulling out; he then stops incoming traffic (except scooters, who go anywhere in any direction they please); using his right hand fingers that he swats continuously, he makes sure I can actually get the car out without hitting the vehicles  parked on both sides of the street, the concrete walls, any drivers that ignored his signals or any pedestrians… (the width of  the street is barely enough for my Honda and a spare  inch).

After about ten intense minutes of wheel turning, to the left, right and backwards, my neck veins about to erupt and  my heart beating at 160  beats a minute,  Ali nods calmly (while  the six to eight cars that he stopped  honk in tow), and tells me ” You are done, lady, now go, and Allah be with you (allah ma’ek)”.

Dates are a much beloved fruit in the middle-east, especially during Ramadan; an old friend of my dad’s is visiting from Baghdad and brought a box of these, as sweet as can be, with a flesh so soft it melts in your mouth. This couscous salad is composed of these dates, some orange segments, chick peas and for a little kick some fresh zaatar, yet another variety of oregano grown in Lebanon and called zaatar akhdar or green zaatar.

This zaatar is pungent and is used in salads usually (although I tried it in a pesto); it can be substituted for any green with a peppery taste, such as dandelion or radish greens or baby arugula.

The dressing for this salad is simply fresh orange juice, olive oil and a dash of curry powder.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 package of couscous or 250 g
• a cube of vegetable bouillon (optional, or water)
• a cup of chopped green onions
• a cup of fresh zaatar or a handful of radish greens or dandelion or baby arugula
• 4 large oranges
• olive oil, as needed
• 1 can of chick peas (garbanzo), rinsed, drained and boil simmer a bit in fresh water, then peeled if possible
• 1 cup (or more) of dates, pitted and chopped coarsely
• salt, pepper, to taste, and a dash of curry powder

METHOD:

1. Cook the couscous according to the directions on the package, using the vegetable bouillon instead of water if desired.
2. Make the dressing: juice the oranges, leaving two for segments; add double the volume of olive oil and some salt, pepper and curry to taste.
3. When the couscous is ready, add the peeled chick peas, the dates, green onions, orange segments cut in half  and zaatar. Mix and add the dressing, mixing it beforehand to make sure it is well emulsified. Serve.

NOTE: This salad is also delicious with the addition of grated carrots and raisins.