Today a man was offering homemade products from his village: Carob molasses, orange and rose water, tomato paste, olives, olive oil etc. When I asked him “How much” he replied “I will give it to you for free, my mother made these”. So I offered him what I thought was a great price for the lot, except I turned down his olive oil since we get our own. He started rattling off the sad story of his sister who needed an operation and how her disease got started and how it was getting worse and worse and how much each shot to save her  was going to cost him (medicine straight from France); I said I was very sorry about his sister, but had no more money to offer him. His sister’s condition got more urgent by the minute and I was told that he did not want any money for anything, it was all free, except I had to pay for the olive oil (triple what I was offering). He added that he had a good job, naming the firm he was working for, but thank God they had a small plot of land and could produce these and help their sister, etc etc. 

Exhausting.

Plain and rustic, this dish is from rural areas in Lebanon; it is thought to have been the precursor to tabbouleh, since it is a bulgur pilaf scooped up in a cabbage leaf. It contains chopped nuts, onions, bulgur and cabbage. It lends itself to some  sprucing up with spices or a dash of  pomegranate molasses. 

This version is adapted from a recipe transcribed by Chef Ramzi  in his Culinary Heritage of Lebanon. It is prepared in the Hermel region.

INGREDIENTS: 6 to 8 servings

• 1 small cabbage (the equivalent of 3 cups shredded)
• 2 cups of chopped walnuts (can substitute almonds or pecans or pine nuts)
• 2 cups of chopped onions
• 2 cups of  bulgur (can use coarse as well, #2 is best)
• 1 tbsp of chili paste
• 1/2 cup of olive oil (or more as needed)
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses (optional)

1. Cook the cabbage in several cups of boiling water or steam till tender; drain and shred finely.
2. Brown the onions in olive oil till almost caramelized. Wash the bulgur under running tap water and cover with hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Add to the skillet with the onions and cabbage. Add the nuts and chili paste and other spices if desired (salt, pepper, cumin, pomegranate molasses). Stir-fry in olive oil for a few minutes and serve at room temperature or warm as desired. You can serve with additional cabbage leaves to scoop the bulgur pilaf. 

NOTE: If you are using coarse bulgur, soak it in boiling water.

These vegan kibbeh balls are made with pumpkin and bulgur and stuffed with chard, onions and walnuts.

They were traditionally prepared for fasting days.

These vegetarian kibbeh are also called tricky or lying kibbeh (kibbeh heeleh or kazzabeh ) because they are supposed to look like the meat kibbeh but do not contain any meat.

I saw them made by Asma, a wonderful  Kurdish lady and great cook and wanted to share her technique and tips. A short clip showing her making them is posted on youtube as well on the TasteofBeirut channel.

INGREDIENTS: 8 servings

• 2 cups of fine bulgur (#1 )
• 4 cups of cooked pumpkin
• 1 medium white onion
• 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs or bits of pita bread soaked in pumpkin  water and squeezed dry
• Spices: Salt, to taste; 1 1/2 tbsp of dried mint; 1/2 tsp of white pepper; 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon. (Feel free to adjust the spices according to your taste).
• Filling: 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 4 cups of shredded swiss chard (or other green)
• 2 large onions
• 2 tbsp of sumac
• 3 tbsp of   lemon juice
• Salt, to taste
• olive oil as needed
• vegetable oil for frying

METHOD:

1. Soak the bulgur for 5 minutes  in water; drain and squeeze dry. Cook the pumpkin pieces and drain as well, squeezing them to release any remaining moisture while setting aside any pumpkin liquid to use later on to shape the kibbeh balls. Place the pumpkin meat and bulgur in a bowl, mixing them with a spoon and set aside to allow the bulgur to soak up any bit of pumpkin juice left; grate the onion using a box grater over the pumpkin-bulgur mixture, add the fresh breadcrumbs and  spices and set the kibbeh mixture aside while you prepare the filling.
2. Wash and dry the chard; cut into narrow strips then cut the strips into small bits; chop the onions and fry in olive oil till softened. Add the chard and cook over low heat until softened. Add the walnuts and cook for a couple of minutes. Transfer the filling to a bowl adding sumac, lemon juice and salt to taste.
3. Mix the kibbeh dough either by hand or in a food processor until the mixture holds together and is moist. If needed, add a tablespoon or more of pumpkin juice or more breadcrumbs if the dough is too crumbly. Form egg-sized balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet next to you; starting with one ball, core it with the index finger while cupping it with the palm of the opposite hand (refer to the video to get a clearer picture). Stuff with 2 or 3 teaspoons of filling and enclose the kibbeh ball.

Fry the balls in several cups of hot vegetable oil for about 3 minutes until orange-brown and crispy. Serve with some additional lemon quarters if desired; a side dish of hummus is a good addition.

NOTE: These kibbeh can be boiled in salted boiling water for a few minutes; drain and coat in a dressing of mashed garlic lemon juice and olive oil.

NOTE: Asma says that the texture of this kibbeh must be similar to the meat kibbeh dough.

A tip I found in one of Nada Saleh’s book is to use an egg cup to shape these; place the ball in the cup and use your fingers to flatten it, stuff and enclose.

I had set out to make chickpea gnocchis; I am not sure if it was the recipe (it did come from one of the best-looking French/Italian blogs out there) or my poor skills, but the fact was that this big lump of dough did not inspire me and I threw it away.

Using  sage from  the patio,  walnuts from the freezer,  leftover chickpeas  and butter, I made this instead.

It is crunchy, its delicious, it has the subtle fragrance of roasted butter (what the French call beurre noisette).

Did you ever try fried sage leaves? You will eat these crispy and dainty gems  like popcorn.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of chickpeas, cooked
• 1/3 cup of unsalted butter
• salt, to taste
• 24 sage leaves (or more)
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped coarsely (or pecans or hazelnuts)

METHOD:

1. Place the butter in a skillet; let it froth then drop the sage leaves and walnuts; let the leaves fry gently in butter and then add the chickpeas and some salt. Combine  and serve.

NOTE: Be careful not to let the butter burn, it should just take on a caramel color and hazelnut fragrance.

These Moroccan pancakes can be stuffed or eaten plain with butter and syrup or honey; they can also be stuffed, exactly like the ataîef from the previous two posts.

These pancakes, called baghreer, are made with semolina flour and all-purpose flour, some yogurt, leavening and water (no egg). They are cooked on one side only, like their kataîef cousins, and are light and fluffy. The batter is ready when bubbles appear on the surface.

These are perfect for breakfast, with some maple syrup and a few crunchy walnuts previously toasted.

INGREDIENTS: Makes 50 pancakes (small)

• 1 cup of  all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of  fine semolina
• 1/2 cup  of plain yogurt (can be replaced with fresh orange juice)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of yeast
• 2  cups of warm water (add more if batter is too thick)
• A dash of salt
• Orange blossom water, a teaspoon, if desired (optional)
• A few teaspoons of oil to grease the skillet

METHOD:

1. Proof the yeast in a small bowl with 1/4 cup of the (warm) water and a teaspoon of sugar.
2. Place the semolina, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix till combined. Add the yogurt and warm water and the proofed yeast. Mix thoroughly for several minutes until smooth. Cover and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes. When the mixture looks bubbly on the surface, it is ready. This may take longer than 30 minutes depending on the temperature of the kitchen, it is fine to wait one hour or longer.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet and grease a bit. Drop a large spoonsful of batter (mix it again before doing so) and let it form a small circle naturally. Cook for a few minutes until the surface is no longer shiny. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Do not let the skillet get too hot, it needs to be regulated ever so often.

To fill with walnuts:

Toast the walnuts in a 300f oven for 15 minutes until fragrant. Let them cool a bit, then rub them till the skin falls off. (or as much skin as possible). Chop the walnuts coarsely.
Make a syrup with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water, add a teaspoon of lemon juice and simmer for 7 minutes, then add a teaspoon of orange blossom water. Cool. Add part of the syrup to the chopped walnuts, or all depending on how many walnuts you are using.

NOTE: If you find that the batter is too thick, it is fine to add some water, starting with a few tablespoons and increasing it gradually.

A portion of the water can be replaced by fresh orange juice; the yogurt can be omitted (add more water instead).

The baghreer can be made with semolina alone.

An egg can be added to the batter if desired.

Muhammara is one of the main condiments in the  Lebanese culinary repertoire;  served as a mezze item (to dip into) and as a side sauce with kebabs, it can be used in dozens of  dishes.

Simple to make, with the assertive and warm flavor of red peppers made a tad fruity by the addition of pomegranate molasses,  you will use it in your kitchen like you would ketchup!

INGREDIENTS: Quantity will yield 14.1 oz or 400 g.

• 3 large red bell peppers (about 8 ounces of paste or 230 g.)
• 4 cloves of garlic (.2 oz or 5 g.)
• Walnuts (1.8 oz or 50 g.)
• Ground cumin (3/4 teaspoon or 3 ml)
• Pomegranate molasses (1 Tablespoon +1/2 teaspoon or 15 ml)
• 1 small onion (1.2 oz or 40 g.)
• 1 teaspoon of red chili paste or Aleppo pepper or smoked paprika
• Salt (1 teaspoon or 5 ml)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil (extra-virgin) (2 oz or 60 g.)

METHOD:

1. Place the walnuts in a bowl, add water to cover and soak for one hour.
2. Peel the garlic cloves, chop and place in a mortar with the salt; pound and mash the garlic.
3. Wash the peppers and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet under the broiler, turning them every few minutes until the skin is blackened and charred. At this point, place the peppers in a plastic bag with a couple of tablespoons of water, close the bag tightly for 10 minutes. Open the bag and peel off the skins of the peppers; cut the peppers open and discard all the seeds and white parts inside, as well as the stem.
4. Peel the onion and cut in quarters.
5. Place the peppers, onion, mashed garlic, drained walnuts, cumin, pomegranate molasses, red chili paste or paprika  and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process for one minute or until the mixture is smooth yet still thick and with some texture. Taste to adjust seasoning and transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

NOTE: I have made muhammara with a jar of roasted piquillo peppers and it came out delicious!

It is OK to double the amount of walnuts: The sauce will taste richer with a thicker texture; it all depends on what you will use it for.

Ever had samkeh harra? Samkeh harra is a glorious dish that is served at buffets at big parties like weddings for example; it is a large fish (loukoz, a type of sea bass), baked whole (head and tail included) and served encased in a tahini and herb sauce with a touch of red chili pepper and a sprinkle of walnuts.

Well, I took the spices and flavors of this dish and converted it into a street food shawarma-style sandwich; easier to manage than a 5-pounder, you simply grill or pan-fry fish fillets, make a quick tarator and serve in a pita bread with fresh tomatoes and avocados.

INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

• 4 fish fillets of your choice
• 1/2  cup of tahini (4 ounces, 125 ml)
• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (4 ounces, 125 ml)
• 3 (or more, to taste) cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, crushed
• 1 bunch of cilantro or dill or flat-parsley
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 1 large avocado
• olive oil, as needed
• Spices: 2 teaspoons of sumac, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, pinch of cinnamon and salt, as needed

METHOD:

1. Mix all the spices and sprinkle on the fish fillets, both front and back. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and set the fillets aside. Crush the garlic with a dash of salt in a mortar until pasty. Transfer to a bowl, add the tahini and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and stir, add up to 3/4 cup of water and stir constantly until the tarator is smooth. Keep in mind you want it fairly thick and not too watery, so always add the water gradually, checking the texture and taste and adjust if needed.
2. Grill the fish or pan-fry in some olive oil until the fish is done. While the fish is cooking, slice the tomatoes, avocados and onions if using. Open each pita, slather with tarator, sprinkle some crushed walnuts, extra herbs, place the fish in the bread, add the tomato slices and avocado slices and serve.

NOTE: The tarator is a sauce that you can adjust according to your taste; more garlic or lemon juice? sure! Anything goes! (tarator=tahini sauce)

Suppose your  friends are  coming over and you want to prepare something that you can store in the freezer and pop in the oven on the day of your dinner party?

These muhammara/cheese cigars are light, crispy, cheesy (yet not too much) and have the addictive taste of muhammara or red pepper and walnut  dip.

These  are not spicy, just flavorful.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of mozzarella, shredded
• 200 g of feta cheese desalted (a large chunk, soaked in several changes of water for a day or so)
• 1/3 cup of muhammara
• 1/2 white onion
• 3 egg whites (large eggs)
• white pepper, a few tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
• 30 yufka leaves (pre-cut triangles of paper-thin bread)
• clarified butter to brush on the leaves (or oil or a combination)

METHOD:

1. To whip up a batch of muhammara: Place in the bowl of a food processor the following ingredients: 2 cups of walnuts, 1/2 medium white onion, a teaspoon of cumin, a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses, 1/2 cup of hot red pepper paste, 1/3 cup of olive oil. Process till smooth but still chunky, taste and adjust seasonings.
2. Take about 1/3 cup of this batch to use for this recipe and save the rest for another day as a dip with kebabs or toasted pita triangles or raw veggies.
3. Place in the food processor bowl the cheeses, egg whites, muhammara, white pepper and half an onion. Pulse till combined.
4. Lay a long piece of aluminum foil on the work surface. Drizzle a teaspoon of clarified butter on the foil; lay a triangle of dough on it and rub it in a circular motion for a couple of seconds over the butter to coat the outside layer (and save time!); another method is to brush the triangle with butter and flip it over.
5. Place a generous tablespoon of filling on the edge of the wide side of the triangle. Roll it up like a little cigar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or baking paper (not wax paper, as it will burn at high temperatures).
6. Place all the cigars side by side, sprinkle some lightly toasted sesame seeds on them and bake in a preheated 375F (200 C) oven for about 20 to 25 minutes; serve immediately if possible.

NOTE: It is possible to make these in advance and freeze them unbaked for 2 weeks.

If you cannot find these pre-cut pastry leaves, you can use phyllo dough and cut into triangles. I would double-wrap them (use two or three layers of phyllo).

Muhammara is my favorite dip; it is very rich, but so what? Eating  a rib-eye steak is a rich meal and at least here, the components are walnuts and red pepper and spices.

I have mixed muhammara with pasta.

Today, I am mixing it with a baked potato.

Come to think of it, you could have it with your favorite steak after all! Just grill it and serve it with.

This dish consists of potatoes, baked and mashed a bit and  mixed with a classic muhammara.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup of chopped kaak or bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup of olive oil, or as needed
• 1 small white onion
• 1 Tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 cup of hot  red pepper paste and (or) a few roasted red peppers from a jar
• a pinch of sugar
• 4 baking potatoes or a few cucumbers
• salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Place all these ingredients in a food processor. Run the machine for a minute or longer, depending on whether you like your dip smooth or chunky. Add some more olive oil if it is too stiff or more pomegranate molasses if you like it more fruity or more roasted red pepper if you like it not so spicy.
2. Serve with a baked potato, either mixed with the potato flesh or as a dip next to it. Can also serve it with cucumbers, preferably the so-called Persian or Lebanese cucumbers.

NOTE: You can make the muhammara with a few tablespoons of hot red pepper paste; the roasted red peppers will mellow out the spiciness, if that is what you are after.

Rummaging through the kitchen cupboards at my parents’ house can yield interesting discoveries: I found a jar that contained  a viscous, caramel-colored paste. Can you guess what it was?

I called  the jar’s donor, Um Elias,  mountain-dweller, mother of six and seasoned farmer.

Her answer was: ” Debess el-enab, from your grapes!” i.e.

GRAPE MOLASSES.

So I set out trying to think up of ways to use this molasses, which was traditionally used to  sweeten food in Lebanon prior to the appearance of (disease-causing) refined white sugar.

You can find grape molasses online or at Greek or Middle-Eastern stores.

If you are wondering why you should bother, think about how molasses will not only sweeten your food without any detrimental side effects, but also how it contains minerals and other nutrients from the food that it comes from.

This recipe is from the West Bekaa, a region that has been growing grapes for thousands of years. Adapted from  Chef Ramzi’s  Culinary Heritage of Lebanon.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of coarse bulgur (or fine bulgur), preferably unbleached.
• 1 cup of water
• 2 generous tablespoons of grape molasses (or to taste)
• walnuts or other nuts (optional)
• half teaspoon of rose water and orange blossom water (optional)

METHOD:

1. Place the bulgur in a bowl and soak in tap water for 15 minutes or so. After that lapse of time, drain it and set it nearby.
2. Pour the water in the pan. Add the grape molasses and stir a bit to dissolve it.
3. When the water simmers, drop the drained bulgur and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the grains have absorbed the liquid and are soft.
4. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature with some chopped walnuts if desired.

NOTE: The original recipe calls for an equal volume of water and grape molasses, which I thought was excessive. It also calls for drizzling some olive oil on the surface.

One of the most memorable desserts that I have tasted during my  years in Texas has to be apple dumpling.

It seems like this year we got blessed with an even bigger bounty of apples. I wanted  some apple dumplings, stuffed with a dollop of Lebanese fig jam studded with walnuts, sesame and redolent of anise and mastic.

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of softened butter
• 1 egg yolk (from a large egg)
• 1 or 2 Tablespoons of cream
• 3/4 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla or rose water or orange blossom water

For the apples:

• 9 small apples of similar size
• 9 tablespoons of fig jam
• 9 pats of unsalted butter

To decorate: two egg yolks, beaten lightly

1. First step: Peel and core the apples (try to leave the bottom 1/4 inch closed)
2. Stuff the opening with a tablespoon of fig jam and additional chopped walnuts if desired
3. Place a tablespoon of butter on top of each apple; set the apples on a piece of foil in a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the apples are soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the crust:

• Place the flour and powdered sugar and dash of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Run the machine 30 seconds till mixed well.
• Add the butter, cut in large chunks and process for a few seconds until the flour and butter look well mixed. Add the egg yolk and, if still dry, one tablespoon of cream (or two); when the dough starts to clump, stop the machine, gather into a ball, wrap in paper or plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. (The dough can be frozen for two weeks).

ASSEMBLY:

1. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper. Get it as thin as possible (about 1/8 inch or 2 mm);
2. Remove the top layer of paper, lay an apple on the dough, cut a circle around the apple, wide enough to come up to the sides. Seal the dough, rolling it between the palms of your hand until smoothed out.
3. Do the same for all the apples, and when they are all covered, roll out scraps of dough to make the leaves. Place the leaves on the apples and score them with a knife  to simulate real veins.
4. Beat the egg yolks lightly in a small bowl and brush onto the apples all over if possible, in order to give them a nice sheen.
5. Bake at 375F for about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool a bit. Insert a real apple stem in the dumplings and serve.

Recipe for the crust was adapted from Anahid’s Cookbook of Gourmet Cooking

Lebanese fig jam is sold at middle-eastern groceries; however, making your own with dried figs is easy and rewarding.