Introducing Maureen Abood Market, Lebanese Ingredients to love
For my dad growing up, working at Aboods Food Market meant missing plenty of good fun. Saturdays and any day school was out, he and his brothers were expected to show up in one place and one place only: the market. Shelves needed stocking, butchery needed butchering, and customers needed a smile—with quality, quality, quality.
It was a lot of work, so it was all family hands on deck.
I can’t say if Dad (the handsome guy, in stripes), or his dad (Jiddo, my grandfather) would be thrilled about my news today or if they’d slap my hand and tsk me three times. I’m going to go with thrilled, at least for the legacy factor.
For my part, it is indeed a great thrill to share with you the news of the new shop here at MaureenAbood.com. Since launching this blog, you have asked me where to buy the best ingredients for our Lebanese recipes.
When I found the finest tahini (never bitter!), blended the most delicious za’atar (with imported Lebanese thyme), tasted the brightest Lebanese olive oil, and made incredibly smooth, light hummus with pre-peeled chickpeas—whenever I have come across something unique and beautiful, I have thought of you and wished you could enjoy it, too.
A good while back I started shooting the breeze with my sister Peg about sharing these special ingredients with you. Anyone who knows Peg (and many of you do, from my posts here or in person) knows that girl can get $#!@ done.
She thought she might like to dive in to project Maureen Abood Market with me, and a whole new sisterhood of the traveling Lebanese ingredients was born.
You’ll find the Market in the Shop! link at the top of this page, and right here. We’re starting with a few very special, select ingredients and you can be sure we’ll be growing by leaps and bounds as we get our sea legs. I hope you love everything you see in the Market as much as I do, and I’d love for you to share what you make in the kitchen wherever you get social, using #maureenaboodmkt so we can all follow along (pictures, please!).
I’ll be posting soon and often about the ingredients in the market (each one has a wonderful story, of course!) and can’t wait to hear your feedback and about ingredients you’d love to see us source.
It’s been a lot of work, this shop. Many family hands have been on deck one way or another (we’re a Lebanese family—just a wee bit of advice gets thrown around!), and Dan is about ready to have some actual hummus, and not just hummus kits, on our dining room table. But like the Aboods Food Market of yesteryear, this one is a worth-it labor of love, of the sort that brings us all together in a most delicious way.
48 Comments
Leave a Comment
I'm so glad you're here! You'll find among these pages the fresh and classic Lebanese recipes we can't get enough of! My mission is to share my tried + true recipes -- and to help our Lebanese food-loving community keep these culinary traditions alive and on the table. What recipes are you looking for? Let me know!
Looks great, good luck!
Thank you Elaine!
Your very welcome! ❤
Love this! Cannot wait for my first order!
Thanks so much Beth!
What memories you brought back to me and my two sisters…..Dad working in his dad’s grocery and we three working in our dads grocery. Looking forward to seeing your items for sale. Although I have been selling Kibbee Spice that I make. We will have to share that this summer.
Wonderful history Janet, such special forbears we have had!
Just placed my first order! So happy for you Maureen and wish you all the BEST!
Brian, you’re the best! Thank you!
THRILLED for your latest adventure, and for all who will enjoy what you will be providing! Cannot wait to hear more…
Thank you Marcia!
I am so excited for you! Loved the picture of you and Peggy…took me back a few years! Congratulations on your latest endeavor! I’ll be sharing and ordering!
Terrific Joi, thank you!
مع أطيب تمنياتي (Maa Atib Al Amaani) I am told the phrase to the left is Arabic for Best Wishes (I sure hope so!). Maureen, my heart is full of joy upon reading this very exciting news. You keep discovering more facets of your dream and realizing them one by one. I am inspired by your courage, perseverance, and boldness, “Ádh mór ort!”, which is Irish Gaelic for Good luck, and which seems apropos for two sisters named Maureen and Peggy.
Tom McGrath
Wow Tom, I’m so impressed and touched by your Arabic!! Thank you for sharing in the joy with such heart. Means the world.
Maureen and Peggy – this is so great and exciting! Wishing you all the best with this new business!
Big hug! Anne and Jose
Thank you Anne and Jose!
you are awesome.God bless you and rest in peace your loved ones
How kind Leila, thank you and same to you and yours.
Maureen,
This is very exciting. I’ve been looking for peeled chickpeas for months and have never found them.
Good luck on your new adventure!
Pat
I’m so glad Pat. These chickpeas are the bomb!
Where I live when I run out of tahini I can probably purchase something at Whole foods in the next week or so, but it will be bittersweet, because what I really want is the Beruit Tahini sold at the Arax Market in Watertown, 45 to 60 minutes away, or two to three hours round trip depending on time of day and traffic. So if I could order it through the Abood market it might be easier, Abood is the Lebanese Amazon!
Ma salaame!
ed
Ah yes Ed, the tahini. We will put that on deck as we source larger quantities. The Lebanese Amazon! Yes!
Hi Maureen!!
I went shopping! Instead of ordering from Brooklyn, thanks a lot. I wish you so much success.
Thank you and keep in touch.
xoxo Denise Thomas
Thank you Denise–I’m thrilled!
This is an amazing idea, best of luck to you! Mabrook!
Thank you Chef!
This is so exciting! both for you, and for us! I cannot WAIT!
Thank you Angie for sharing in the excitement!
What a cool site. Good luck with this. I cannot wait to make the hummus!
Enjoy your heavenly hummus Mike, and thank you!
My best wishes Maureen on your grand endeavor. This is the type of work that needs a great team and what better team to start with than one’s sister?
The world needs the best Lebanese ingredients possible to sample not just in Lebanese dishes but other cuisines as well. Go girl!
Joumana, I appreciate that, thank you!
What a thrill it was to discover your new facet of business. Reminds me so much of home and my own Lebanese heritage. Oh the love and memories of observing and learning from my Sitty, my aunts, my mother and sisters cooking and then all of us gathered at the table to enjoy! I have placed my first order and applaud your commitment and love! Congratulations!
Thank you so much Jeanne!
Many thanks to you Jeanne! Let me know how you like everything!
Sounds great. Make sure you keep the “shipping and handling” at a reasonable rate. That’s the first thing I look at before looking at any catalog.
I’m so excited to have found your blog and now to discover you’re opening a shop! I just heard you on the Splendid Table podcast this morning and then spent the rest of the morning perusing your site. I grew up in Michigan, but didn’t discover Lebanese food until I was in college and soon moved to Chicago where it is challenging to get truly Lebanese food. I always get two things when I’m back in Michigan…Lebanese food and Grand Traverse Pie Company pies! 🙂 Congratulations and best wishes for success with your new book and store!
SO happy for you and your family…first the blog, cookbook and now the “Market”! My dad (and his twin brother) also had a “Market”! We were all raised there…and I still have it in my blood, wanting to open “something”! May God bless you and your efforts…much success!
Go for that “something” Leslee! And thank you so much!
Alf Mabrook maureen!! Wish you the best in this new adventure !! So proud to call you lebanese!! Love from Ldn
Bless you Mili, so very kind!
I cannot WAIT to use my new hummus kit! (My boyfriend got me the kit for my birthday after we attended your talk in SF last weekend.) You are a lovely person and I wish you nothing but the best with the new store and the book! 🙂
How kind Kavita, thank you so much! I look forward to hearing about the best hummus you’ve ever made or eaten!
BRAVA, Maureen, for having the long-term vision and determination to take your stories all the way to market, literally!
I’m so proud of you. Come join us at the Symposium for Professional Food Writers next September 2016. You are such a major success story!!! XOXO Antonia (Toni) Allegra
Thank you thank you Toni! I can’t wait for the revival of the Symposium!
After reading about you in TRAVERSE I found that your blog is homey, comforting, not too formal and a pleasure to read! I’m interested in the ingredients offered in your market but wondered if the market has a physical location that we can come visit? I love the ambience and odor of culinary shops.
Congratulations on your dual beginnings! I look forward to future reading.
Merritt
Thank you Merritt! Maureen Abood Market is online only–I hope you’ll visit us there! I agree, culinary shops are wonderful….