Techniques
How to Make a Heart Cake with Pans You Already Have.
No heart pan? No problem. Here’s how to make a heart cake using pans you already have. The finished cake can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. In any case, your cake will be spectacular! This simple cake trick creates a heart cake as a base for frosting or decorating to…
Read MoreHow to use Rose Water
Find out more about how to use rose water in cooking and baking! We love this special Lebanese culinary tradition. Find pure imported flower waters in my shop here. We just HAVE to kick off February and spring with an ode to the beautiful Lebanese tradition of baking with flower waters. Their flavor is iconic,…
Read MoreMost Popular Lebanese Recipes of 2021
Here are my most popular Lebanese recipes of 2021, the recipes you–and there are LOTS of you!–visited most. Let’s get inspired by these for the New Year ahead! 20: Mixed Nut Hushweh Rice Pilaf She made everything special, and her rice is indeed that. Studded with mushrooms and pine nuts, this rice belongs at the…
Read MoreBest Pie Crust Tips
My best pie crust tips will get you to fabulous for your pie crusts, every time. My favorite pie crust recipes, which happen to be vegan, result in flakey, golden crusts ready for every filling you can imagine. Oil-based Crust My two favorite crusts are both oil-based but both different. Every year I laud the…
Read MoreButter Toasted Nuts
Butter toasted nuts are a simple but essential technique for outrageously delicious nuts to finish a wide variety of Lebanese dishes. There are so many great ways to finish a dish in Lebanese cooking: a dusting of spice, a drizzle of olive oil, a handful of chopped fresh herbs, or a fabulous sprinkling of salty,…
Read MoreHow to Choose an Eggplant
Follow these few simple tips to selecting beautiful eggplant, for fabulous Lebanese and other favorite dishes. Why we love eggplant. The deep purple hue and voluptuous shape of eggplant put it in the upper echelons of truly gorgeous produce. Of course there’s plenty of competition everywhere you turn at the farmer’s market. But purple is…
Read MoreTop 20 Recipes of 2020!
Here are the top 20 recipes of 2020, the recipes you–and there are LOTS of you!–visited most. I know I’ll be revisiting some of my own recipes based on these favorites in the New Year. You’ll find everything from recipes that define a healthy Mediterranean Diet to festive recipes for celebrations. Let’s go! 20:…
Read MoreLebanese Vermicelli Rice
Lebanese Vermicelli Rice is a mainstay with any grilled meats or vegetables. The broken vermicelli pieces are browned in butter for an added layer of color and flavor. Buy the Vermicelli Pieces here. In culinary school, in the French tradition, there are a few bedrock recipes that a student begins with: Pâte à choux (think…
Read MoreHow to shape fatayer so they won’t open up.
Here are the tricks you need to learn how to shape Lebanese Fatayer so they won’t open up when they bake! These little savory hand pies, can be a challenge to hold their classic triangle shape without opening at the seams. Here’s how to shape fatayer so they won’t open up! The big challenge anyone…
Read MoreThe Secret to Perfect Fatayer Dough
Fatayar are traditional Lebanese savory pies–and the secret to perfect fatayar dough is here. When I first pursued baking fatayar in earnest, I knew there were problems to be solved to make the perfect little pies I enjoyed from the hands of Mom and Sitto. Even some of the Middle Eastern bakery versions were not…
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