Sometimes, a particular dish can be so memorable that it sticks with you for a long long time. I had this dessert one time when I was around seven or eight years old. We were spending the summer in Lebanon. During the cool summer nights in the mountains, cousins and relatives get together and spend hours talking, laughing and joking …
Lebanese Fruit Cocktail with Fragrant Avocado and Mango Purées and Ashta
It doesn’t get any more “Summery” than this dessert. A very classic Lebanese concoction found at every street corner café in Beirut, blending local and regional fruits into a fresh and healthy dessert that you can really sink your teeth into. It’s an absolute favorite in our house, even for the kids. It was around 10:30 in the evening the …
Purslane and Thyme Pies – Flavors of Summer
With temperatures soaring in the 90s and 100s here in NC for the last few weeks, cooking is somewhat out the window. Instead we’re opting for lots of salads, sandwiches and light vegetarian meals. The kids are splish splashing in their inflatable fun world and I’m trying to keep my herbs and tomato plants hydrated and alive. Lebanese Summers in …
Yogurt and Grape Molasse Gelato
I have been thinking about this gelato for such a long time, and finally last week, I had the chance to experiment with the yogurt base before adding the molasses. After a couple of tries, I think I got to a really tasty, creamy gelato that highlights the special flavor of the grape molasses. This is a jar of molasses …
Quinoa Pudding
The ultimate comfort food has to be Rice Pudding – warm, sweet, and fragrant with orange blossom water. However, in the last few weeks, I have been obsessing about this variation made with Quinoa. I’ve had it many different ways, for breakfast, for lunch and dinner, even as a snack in between. My husband is perplexed about this obsession, “Are …
Toddler friendly Tomato Corn Soup
If you’re a mom, then I know you’re pressed for time. I seem to have a chronic issue with not catching up with all that has to be done, in 24 hours. When it comes to meal time, I have to keep it simple, fresh and interesting for my toddlers. Although my son is so finicky when it comes to …
Spiced Rice Pudding
A popular dessert reserved only for the occasion of a birth of a child, and Christmas. Well, I don’t to play by the rules, so I make it whenever because it’s very tasty, and because I love any excuse to have more nuts, and because my daughter loves it too (she’s now 18 months). Inevitably anyone that walks in and …
Spiced Pompano with Green Salsa
It’s been a bit hectic since we came back from Easter break with my family. We were able to really enjoy the Spring in full swing in Virginia, colors of all shades of pink, white, yellow, purple and this green. Amazing. The kids enjoyed their playtime with cousins whom they don’t really see as often as we would all like. …
Date and Macadamia Nut Cookies
These are the perfect holiday cookies. Bite size, soft, crunchy, subtly sweet, makes a great tea or coffee side kick and is totally all around awesome. I was making some pistachio filled cookies the other day and had too much dough left. So I decided to make these date filled cookies using a tiny mold. Now you have to have …
Pistachio-filled Semolina Cookies and Naatef Marshmallow Mousse
Hmm.. Gooood. My absolute favorite cookie!! I love these little things, and I had to stop myself from finishing the batch I was making for my son’s school. They had a great idea this holiday season. A cookie buffet for the teachers where they could each fill a box from cookies of their choice. There were 75 volunteers and each …