Tag Archives: appetizer

Cauliflower fritters

I found this recipe in a cookbook I bought recently while in Kurdistan (Iraq); the cookbook was in Arabic and featured the recipes of a very popular TV cooking chef personality in the Arab world, Mrs Manal el-Alem. It took reading a few recipes until I realized the book had been pirated because none of [...]
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Shawarma in kibbeh (Akrass al-kibbeh bel-shawarma)

Kibbeh is ubiquitous here; not only is it Lebanon’s national dish but it would be unthinkable to lay down a mezze table without having a plate of small appetizer-size kibbeh balls.  The idea to split the kibbeh open and stuff them with sweet things comes from Aleppo (Syria); kibbeh get stuffed with cherries, quince or [...]
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Hummus Beirut

A great recipe from chef Marlene Matar’s latest book Maedat Marlene men Halab, a cookbook devoted to dishes from Aleppo (Syria); she calls this hummus Beiruti which means from Beirut, however she writes that the hummus is also called from Aleppo. I guess it straddles the two cities and that’s fine with us.  Perfect dish [...]
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Hummus, Iraqi-style

A mere five years ago, you would have suggested I try a different spice or version of hummus and I would have certainly given you a very dirty look. Today,  any version that meets my taste buds is A-OK. (Heck, even Lebanese starred chefs are foregoing tradition and presenting hummus with different combos of flavors).  [...]
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Stuffed chard leaves (Vegan)

This dish is the mainstay of a Lebanese mezze table  (after grape leave season).  Personally, I  like it even more than stuffed grape leaves! (it melts in the mouth) As for the filling, you can apply Asma’ s directions:   Like making  a tabbouleh, just replace bulgur with rice.  Come to think of it, you [...]
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