Tag Archives: rice and couscous and other grains

Rice pilaf with sujuk

The Chouf mountains are the one area of Lebanon that I missed the most as an expat; I missed the smell of the parasol pines and the constant creaking noise of the crickets, so relentless that we would stop hearing it. We stopped by the side of the road to buy some prickly pears and [...]
27 Comments

Rice pudding West Bekaa-style (Muazzabeh)

Geraniums are very popular in Lebanon; even the most modest home will adorn its doorsteps or balcony with a pot filled with these cheerful flowers; as a kid, I would  secretly pluck  the petals of our potted geraniums with a girlfriend: the idea was to blot  them onto  our 10-year-old lips hoping to wear that [...]
35 Comments

Swiss Chard cake

This is a recipe from Lebanese  chef Marlene Mattar. I am Lebanese-born, which means that I love stuffed grape leaves. I hate stringy, rubbery, stuffed grape leaves. I am appalled at restaurants that are not ashamed to sell them to their customers. They should know better! In Lebanese cuisine, grape leaves are picked when they [...]
75 Comments