Traditional "Kafta bil souniyeh" (layered meat and potato bake)

What was my mom's game-plan to feed 5 hungry and picky kids? And a husband with a large appetite?

She made this: kafta bil souniyeh. Quite literally meaning "Kafta in a pan". From the looks of it, this dish could take hours to prepare. Layers of ground meat Lebanese style with, potatoes, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and whatever else you have in your fridge that may go well with it.

When my mom put this on the table next to a bowl of steaming hot rice with vermicelli, we considered dinner to be a special occasion. My dad, a famously picky and moody eater, always loved it. When a dish repeatedly passes the "hungry dad" test, you know it's golden.

And it's so so so easy. It makes a great Sunday supper perfect for feeding a hungry bunch.

And Mama if you're reading this: I won't screw around with this recipe one bit- it's perfect as is!

Kafta bil souniyeh ("Kafta in a pan")

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound kafta (lean ground beef thoroughly mixed with a finely diced large onion & a bunch of parsley)

5 medium potatoes cut in rounds

1 sweet onion, sliced thin

1 large green pepper, cut in wedges

2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds

1 12 oz can tomato sauce or equivalent in fresh pureed tomatoes

18-20 oz water

Salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• In a 10" casserole or deep dish/pan, pat the kafta flat about 1/4 inch thick & cut in 6 wedges using a plastic knife tip
• Layer the vegetables over the kafta in this order: potatoes, onion, green pepper, tomatoes
• Mix tomato sauce with water, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in a saucepan and bring to boil; pour mix over the arranged ingredients and bake casserole for 60 minutes.
• Note: for stew-like texture which can be served with rice, cover casserole while baking.
• Otherwise, bake uncovered for a bit longer, about 75-90 minutes; the tomatoes will roast and liquid will evaporate. Serve with warm pita bread.

Enjoy!

Strawberries & Chocolate (with rose water, figs, and cardamom!)

Hi Mom! You're probably wondering what my plans are for Valentines day (if you're not, I don't blame you).

After a two hour yoga session, I'm going to watch the latest episodes of Suits, Girls, and Top Chef Seattle. Of course, I will observe February 14th by indulging in healthy (read: excessive) amounts of chocolate and strawberries.

For myself.

You see, I will be my own Valentine this year. I kept thinking-- with all these people around the world revolting against antiquated norms, why hasn't anyone started a popular uprising to reform Valentines Day? I think when people ask you the dreaded question, "Who's your Valentine?", it should be considered perfectly reasonable to respond with: "It seems like a  myself kind of year. She's been good to me lately".

My Valentine's self asked "What would Zahrah like to have on this day?" The obvious answer is strawberries and chocolate... but what else? You know I wouldn't end there.

Strawberries- with cardamom and rose water, and chocolate with rose water, honey, and figs...

Before:

Honey, figs, and rose water are undoubtedly some of the most intense aphrodisiacs, in ancient times considered to be the "food of the Gods". I've incorporated them in desserts with modern aphrodisiacs, strawberries and chocolate, to make for a fantastically Lebanese approach to Valentine's Day indulgence.

Side note: You're going to see lots of figs in my recipes. Figs specifically hold a special place in my heart. I remember counting down the days until the fig tree in Jiddo's garden in the Lebanese mountains produced ripened fruit, and eating them literally fresh off of the tree. Lucky for me, they're a really stylish ingredient now!

So to keep with the strawberries and chocolate theme, I have for you recipes that I have prepared for:

Cardamom Cupcake with Strawberry Rose Cardamom filling and Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting 

and

Rose-Scented Honeyed Fig Truffles

After :)

So, scratch those plans to make red velvet something or other... Take a risk! Try this and if nothing else, your inner Valentine will seriously enjoy it :)



Cardamom Cupcake with Strawberry Rose Cardamom filling and Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting
(Makes 10-12 cupcakes)

For cupcake

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-2/3 cups cake flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. cardamom (add more for more aggressive taste)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup cold milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffly. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together cake flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Add slowly to butter mixture in batches. Add milk and stir to incorporate. 
3. Bake for 18-24 minutes, and not 1 minute too long! COOL COMPLETELY before frosting.

Resist the urge to open the oven on these delicate things of beauty!

Hopefully your results will look like this, and you'll have more self control than I did: 

For Filling

• 1-1/2 cups of fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 and 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1/2 tsp and a splash  rose water (see note on rose water at end)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice in saucepan under medium heat, continually stirring. When it starts bubbling, switch to low heat and cover the mixture. Roast strawberries for 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and put in fridge to cool. 
3. To fill cupcakes: Wait until cupcakes and filling have completely cooled down. Using a small spoon, carve out a deep (little past halfway to bottom) circular hole in a cupcake, making sure to keep the carved-out part and preserve the shape of the cupcake. Fill with approximately 1 tablespoon of filling, or however much fills most of the hole. Cover the hole with the carved out piece. Repeat for all cupcakes. 

For Strawberry Cardamom Mascarpone Frosting

• 2/3 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup butter, firm and still cold
• 4oz mascarpone cheese
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 tbsp heavy cream

1. Puree strawberries in food processor.

2. Cut butter into chunks and combine with mascarpone

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. 

4. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; add strawberry puree, cardamom, and whipping cream. Mix on medium-high speed for 30 seconds- do not overmix, or risk having an overly fluffy frosting. 

5. Frost your cooled and filled cupcakes generously. 

Rose-Scented Honeyed Fig Truffles

(Makes 24 truffles)

You will need:

• 2 cups good quality dried black mission figs, stems removed and chopped in halves
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1-1/2 teaspoons rose water
• 3.5 oz great quality dark chocolate (I used Valrhona 70% dark cocoa), chopped finely
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

For decorating: 

• 4 oz dark chocolate 
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• Cocoa powder 

1. Place figs, honey in food processor and puree for a few minutes until smooth.
2. Add rose water to figs and puree again for a few more seconds. 
3. Bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes before whisking to incorporate. Chocolate should look consistent and have nice sheen to it. 
4. Remove sticky fig mixture from food processor and blend it gently but thoroughly into the chocolate cream mixture, making sure to get as much chocolate as you can off the sides of the bowl
5. Cool mixture in fridge for 30 minutes
6. Remove mixture from fridge and form small balls using 2-3 teaspoons of mixture and rolling it smooth with the palms of your hands. Place onto wax paper on plate and put back in fridge for 15 minutes
7. To decorate: Meanwhile, melt 4 oz dark chocolate and butter in microwave for 1-2 minutes in safe glass bowl, mixing every 20 seconds until chocolate is consistently smooth and melted. Remove fig balls from fridge. Begin rolling around one by one in melted chocolate with a rounded spoon. Pick them up with the spoon and drop them carefully on a wax paper sheet. Once almost cooled hard, sprinkle dusting of cocoa powder on them. Other option: Spread cocoa powder onto flat plate. Roll balls in cocoa powder with gentle pressure until completely covered. 

"Maghmour" (eggplant stew) and Za'atar Foccacia

I was a weird kid. I had an early adoration for vegetables in all of their healthy (or fried) glory. I didn't want Nutella sandwiches for lunch-- I wanted lentil rice pita sandwiches with sweet hot chili sauce and tomatoes. Extra tomatoes. Gotta have the tomatoes.

In tribute to my mom's great recipe  and the love she instilled in me for vegetables, I want to share with you a recipe I prepared for maghmour. It is a deceptively luxurious, layered eggplant and chickpea stew that excited me every time my mom prepared it on crisp Spring days. It traditionally features the flavor of loads of garlic and is served at room temperature with crusty saj bread.

This time I took a different approach and added the Spanish spice, Pimenton de la Vera, or smoked hot paprika, for an additional element of depth in flavor. I'll definitely be adding smoked paprika to more dishes now. Delicious!

I also opted to make my own bread-- my FIRST TIME making my own bread, guys! I was surprised to see it even rise while resting. I chose foccacia because its wonderfully crunchy texture is a great vehicle for dipping and topping with creamy Maghmour. It is also a great "blank slate" bread: you can top it with many different combinations of spices, veggies, and cheeses. I topped it with my family's za'atar, which is our Lebanese version of the Middle-Eastern herb mixture: imported oregano and thyme, toasted sesame seeds, and sumac.

You can make za'atar quickly using your own preferred proportions, or purchase it at Middle Eastern specialty stores. And I guess these days it has been elevated to the status of "hipster" ingredient, as I've seen in featured at Whole Foods (could it possibly be the new harissa?) Finally, thin slices of lemon elevate the lemony sumac and complement the woodsy thyme.

To cut the richness of the whole dish (disclaimer: this is not a diet recipe), I made a garnish of parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pinenuts. This gave the dish a fresh bite. And I loved it so much that I refuse to eat maghmour without it now...

If you're looking for a hearty, filling vegetarian meal that is simple but unusual, give this one a try. You can serve the maghmour with the foccacia, with yogurt, or in a sandwich with cucumbers and mint. You'll wow even addicted meatlovers. I know the recipe is made for a crowd, but this keeps incredibly well in the fridge for 5 days. If making the foccacia the day before, cover it in an airtight bag after it cools, and it should be good to go the next day.

Enjoy!

"Maghmour"-- Smoky eggplant chickpea stew

Serves 8

• 10 ripe roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 10 baby eggplants, cut in 1/2 inch thick half-moons, salted and patted dry
• 1 large Spanish onion, sliced thin
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1.5-2 cups reconstituted chickpeas, or 1 15 oz can chickepeas
• 2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp red pepper chili flakes (more or less depending on taste)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil for frying

1. Make sure the eggplants have been given enough time to salt sweat, and pat them completely dry. To avoid soaking up too much oil, press them with a paper towel to push out air bubbles that trap oil 
2. Heat a large heavy pot with 2 tbsp of olive oil under medium-low heat. Caramelize the onions, stirring frequently.
3. Meanwhile, heat a deep frying pan with 1/2 inch of canola oil under medium-high heat for a few minutes. Begin to fry the eggplants pieces in batches, trying to turn them only once. They should be golden brown on both sides. Place fried eggplant on dish with paper towel underneath. 
4. In between eggplant batches, drop in the tomatoes and garlic into the onion pot. and continue stirring frequently. Add paprika, chili, salt and pepper. Cover and allow the vegetables to melt into each other.
5. After 15 minutes, add the chickpeas into the tomato-onion-garlic pot and mix in. Season to taste. Simmer for 15 more minutes. 
6. Remove pot from heat and stir in the eggplant slices. Allow flavors to blend for 45 minutes before serving. Top with Parsley Garnish (see below)

Parsley Garnish

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons pinenuts
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped properly marinated, no can, black olives (optional)

1. Heat saucepan under medium heat. Toast pine-nuts for 2 minutes, shaking constantly to brown all sides.
2. Combine all ingredients and serve alongside or as topping for the maghmour.

Za'atar Foccacia (adapted from Canal House Cooking) 
Makes four 8-inch rounds

For the Dough

• 1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 6 tablespoons of your best extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
• 2 teaspoons salt

To Assemble

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of homemade or store-bought za'atar
• 1 lemons, washed and very thinly sliced into rounds
• Coarse sea salt

1. For the dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a medium bowl. Stir in 1-1/4 cups water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
2. Pulse the flour and salt together in the bowl of a large food processor. Add the yeast mixture and process until a rough ball of dough forms, 1 minute. 
3. Briefly knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Shape dough into a ball. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large bowl. Roll dough around in bowl until coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
4. Pour a thin film of oil into each of four 8-inch round cake pans (or 2 round pans and 9 by 13 pan). Quarter the dough and put one piece into each round pan. If using rectangular like I did, put half of dough in rectangular pan and equal parts of the remaining dough in the round pans. Using your fingertips, spread dough out in each pan. The elastic dough will resist spreading-- allow it to rest and slowly spread in the pan for 5 minutes to make your life easier
5. Preheat the oven to 450°. Cover the pans with damp dishcloths and let the dough rest until it has swollen in the pans a bit, 30-60 minutes.
6. Uncover the pans. Mix the oil with the za'atar. Liberally drizzle the dough with the za'atar oil, and add more oil if necessary to cover the entire surface. Using your fingertips, poke dimples into the dough in each pans. Arrange just the thinnest rounds of lemon on top, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Serve cut into large wedges.

Welcome to our journey

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.  When I made the move from Michigan to Chicago for work last year, my heart grew fonder for my family, sure. But what seriously surprised me was how much I missed the Lebanese food I grew up taking for granted. Gone were the days of coming home on the weekends to a busy kitchen and a steaming bowl of my mom's lemony, soul-warming lentil chard soup. I missed leaving to Ann Arbor every Sunday evening with a plastic container (or 4, "for all of your friends!"-- thanks Mom) filled with spicy, crunchy, satisfying kibbe or slow-cooked zesty grapeleaves. Those were memories I couldn't stand missing.

So let's cut to the chase-- I took it into my own hands to try to recreate the tastes I still recall from eating my mom's food. No restaurant, Lebanese or not, offers the types of dishes I'm referring to (NO, falafel and shawarma places DO NOT count, thank you).  And I love that cuisine so much that even after all of the excursions to the greatest restaurants all over the country, I still come home and love to cook with the Lebanese Mediterranean flavors I grew up with. I do it with a modern flair, though, that I have acquired from my time exploring great restaurants that sample the Mediterranean in bits and pieces.

I have also been agonizing to get my mother to give me her recipes without saying "it's easy" or "dash of this, splash of that... whatever you've got in the fridge". I'm convinced that the recipes she's got in her head are invaluable, to me and to the poor souls who've never had a chance to taste them.

 Lebanon is about the crossroads between East and West...

So here we have it: this site is meant to be a love letter to the Mediterranean Lebanese food culture, both more modern (my take) and traditional (my mom's take). We'll share our creations in our respective kitchens both to benefit each other and to give you all a chance to get a real taste for Lebanese food.

 ...and food is the common thread that weaves all Lebanese people together

In typical Lebanese fashion, we welcome  with open arms any questions and suggestions that you may have. We both hope that you find value in reading our stories and recipes, whether it be through inspiration to embrace your own background or through the education on the real homestyle Lebanese cuisine and culture.