Summer
Nougat Glace: ice cream without an ice cream maker. And more.
Among the sweets I adore there is in fact a hierarchy of that which captures my imagination, attention, and I’ll say it: love. I reserve the right to revise this statement at any time, especially when confronted with something like chocolate that sends me over the top—but the truth is that white fluff in the…
Read MoreIngredient: Cherries
When you come from Michigan, there is so much to say about cherries that you practically come to a halt thinking of where to begin. When you’re Lebanese, cherries are known for their pits as mahleb, ground and used as a flavoring in baking. But right now it’s summer, and we’re focused on fresh fruit…
Read MoreLamb shish kebab; meet me at the grill
I can think of no better summer meal than Lebanese lamb shish kebab–the grilled combination of lamb and onion is utterly mouth-watering. No marinade is needed. The key to proper grilling of the meat is to bring it to room temperature for a couple of hours before cooking. This ensures even cooking and prevents the…
Read MoreLebanese Potato Salad
Lebanese potato salad is light and fresh with lemon and mint–the perfect, healthy summer salad which is dairy- and gluten-free. See how to cook the potatoes perfectly here and in my video. I was surprised when I returned from Lebanon recently to find the herbs in the back corner garden had come into their own.…
Read MoreA June Menu: Lebanese Lunch Alfresco
There are few things we Aboods enjoy more than sitting around talking about what to cook and what to eat next. I suspect the same is true for at least some of you…. We get after it whether there’s a party to plan, a weekend dinner, or just lunch outside. Ideas fly and it’s a…
Read MoreLebanese Stuffed Grape Leaf Rolls
Lebanese Grape Leaf Rolls, a taste of Dier Mimas Lebanese grape leaf rolls, also known as dolma or simply stuffed grape leaves. You’ll love this recipe and story about Lebanese family and food. […watch my video on how to roll grapeleaves HERE!…] There is one thing I’ve always thought was a given about grape leaves:…
Read MoreCream Puffs with Strawberries, for Mom
As you can imagine, exam time in culinary school can be stressful. We had three of them, and the first was in some ways the most challenging. That’s because we just didn’t know what to expect, having never taken a culinary practical exam and having watched far too many episodes of Iron Chef. The initial…
Read MoreFattoush salad, and poetry, in motion
It wasn’t long after I started working, after graduate school studying poetry and literature, that I started to feel the gnaw. Working was great, a paycheck was even greater. But I wasn’t writing much—just a couple of correspondences that took on terrific significance for me, or my journal, which was so stream of consciousness that…
Read MoreGrilled Lamb Lollipops with Fresh Mint Sauce; Chine on…
For me to present to you a perfectly procured, grilled, and sauced rack of lamb strikes me as a decent feat, given the lamb drama I have experienced over the years. Lamb failed me most humbly when my sister and I were hosting a dinner for a dear—and prominent—friend. We planned that menu right down…
Read MoreSoft-scrambled eggs with asparagus; let the Lenten fast begin
One of the more memorable Ash Wednesdays of my career was when I was just out of college. I was hyper-involved in social justice causes at St. John’s, the Catholic student parish at Michigan State. Hours I didn’t have to give when I was supposed to be studying for my master’s classes were spent in…
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