Tuesday, April 30, 2013

365. Egg Pudding/Soufflé


I was adamant to make this egg pudding, or cheese soufflé for a brunch I hosted a while back after I had watched Nigel Slater make it on TV.
I cannot recommend it enough.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Sunday, April 28, 2013

363. Cheddar Popovers with Scrambled Eggs


Well this is a merging of cultures, if I ever saw one: American cheddar popovers married to Lebanese mint scrambled eggs.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

361. Pistachio Kebabs


Kebabs, or koftas, make for a tasty and filling meal, and is so popular that it has even become a street food in many Arab nations.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

360. Jajeek: Cucumber Yogurt


Cucumbers were first introduced to the world through Mesopotamia, back in around 2000 BC.
So it cannot be arrogant to claim this cooling side dish as Iraqi, since simple research would agree.
This dish is so wide-spread, and has so may uses.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Sunday, April 21, 2013

358. Iraqi Vermicelli Rice


This rich and tasty vermicelli rice (تمن شعرية) is quite commonly found on almost any Arab dining table.
Vermicelli is a very thin pasta, also known as angle hair. It is very much used in Egyptian cuisine.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

357. Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce


Some recipes are keepers from their first try, and you just know you will be making them for years to come.
This chicken satay and peanut sauce is definitely one of them for me.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

356. Easy Tomato Tarts


This is one of the easiest and simplest savory tarts around.
The convenience of golden and flaky puff pastry, topped with fresh and simple ingredients, finished off with molten cheese makes this child's play to make.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

355. Scheherazade's Rose Petal Cake


Have you ever had a genius idea, only to research it on the Net to find several other people have beaten you to the punch? For example, it came to my mind several times that someone should write a cookbook based on the Arabian Nights.
It's already been done.

Monday, April 15, 2013

354. Flour Frosting


When I first came across this recipe, I had to double check if I read the title correctly.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

353. Greek Feta Dip


Anyone who knows anything about Arab cuisine will be able to see its striking influence on Greek cuisine.
It is no coincidence that gyros and shawerma, stuffed vineleaves, eggplant caviar and baba ghanouche are all overlapping.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

352. Crusty Artisan Bread


Flour, salt, yeast, and water is all it takes to make this beauty artisan-quality bread.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

351. Smore Brownies


Smore is an abbreviation of "give me some more!"
Or at least I would think so.
Like almost anything American, this is highly addictive and plop-on-your-side heavy.
Seriously, I ate one forkful and was delighted by its deliciousness. I then ate another forkful, and was overwhelmed by how rich and heavy it is. I literally could not eat anymore... but I still wanted more!

Monday, April 8, 2013

350. Iraqi Meat Omelette


This simple-to-do omelette is a power house of protein and flavor, and could very well be one of the things men are made of. Omelettes (probably thanks to Dexter's omelette au fromage) have a reputation of being French, and the French most certainly have delightful omelettes. But if you dig a little beyond stereotyping, you just might find that almost all existing and past cultures have their own versions of omelettes (many dating before the famous French omelette).

Sunday, April 7, 2013

349. Garlic Parsley Spaghettini


Quick-fix lunches are a reality of life, when we need to eat now, and we don't have anything prepared for some reason or another.
Pasta is a common go-to dish, but when it is this good, you will be having it even when you are not pressed for time.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

348. Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta


Putting to use the (sun) dried tomato pesto in a pasta dish, first we must cook our pasta close to an al dente stage. In a pan, over medium-high heat, add a little oil and a few tablespoons of the tomato pesto, followed by the drained cooked pasta.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

347. Sun Dried Tomato Pesto


Pesto is not confined to basil pesto at all.
This sun dried tomato pesto differs in taste, but not in principle, from its green basil brethren.
Where the main ingredient is basil in the green pesto, the main ingredients here is (sun) dried tomato.
Basil pesto uses pinenuts; tomato pesto uses walnuts.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

346. Mujaddara: Rice Lentil Pilaf


Mujaddara (مجدرة) is, quite simply, cooked lentils, combined with cooked grain (usually rice), combined with a fairly large quantity of caramelized onions. It is the latter which lends the high-impact flavor of the mujaddara. Today, it is commonly attributed to Lebanese cuisine, but in fact the first recorded recipe of mujaddara comes from a Baghdadi cookbook, and is hence of Iraqi origins.

Monday, April 1, 2013

345. Earl Grey Cake


Earl Grey is undeniably British, and yet it is such a favorite flavor among Arabs.
It is not uncommon to find and Earl Grey Cake presented to you should you pass by for tea in an Iraqi or Lebanese household.
But in all honesty, you could make this cake using any regular tea.