1662. Semolina Walnut Maamoul

In all honesty, I prefer flour maamoul over semolina ones. Semolina, although traditional, gives me a hard-life vibe because it is so coarse and textured. Flour maamoul on the other hand simply melt in your mouth like a cube of sugar dissolves in a hot cup of tea.

1661. Koshari Rice

Let me start by saying that this is not the traditional Egyptian koshari rice, rather than a version of it. The traditional version includes pasta on top of everything else, which I just don't get because the rice is enough. You do not make koshari by accident. It is a muti-put, multi-ingredient, and time-consuming dish to make. One you taste it though, you will understand why it is worth the trouble a couple times a year. 

1660. Aubergine Kofta Casserole

I made a potato-kofta casserole version a while ago and it was very successful. One of those rare gems them immediately invite themselves into your go-to meal rotations. I got a great suggestion to adapt the recipe to an aubergine kofta casserole, with tomato sauce. I still kept the medley of vegetables to maintain the high nutritional value, just added tomato paste. 

1659. Palestinian Date Stuffed Kaak

The Arab and Muslim nation has so much to offer in terms of traditional Eid and holy days treats. I have shared plenty of Iraqi and other cultural pastries, and this Palestinian kaak is a keeper. 

1658. Lebna Walnut Vineleaves

Syrian food is one of my favorites out there. Lebanese food usually gets all the attention, and sure, there is some overlap between the two, but Syria has so many undiscovered gems, and this is one of them. Vineleaves are stuffed with a tangy concoction of sour lebna, walnut, olives, pomegranate, and other goodfuls, rolled up, and soaked in fruity olive oil.

1657. Mushroom Cottage Pie

Cottage pie, essentially cooked beef mince topped with mashed potatoes and bakes, is an ultimate comfort food. How you flavor the mince is very important. I have a recipe or two of cottage pie and its variations here on MCW. This version uses Worcestershire sauce quite liberally, and is further elevated with the addition of mushroom. 

1656. Date Walnut Cookies

Ripe soft dates and walnuts work their magic once more in this soft cookie recipe, yielding great results in record time. We usually get a surplus of dates for Ramadan, especially with the holy month coinciding with date season.

1655. Kubba Balls

Kubba niya, or raw kubba, can only be made with the freshest meat, and them consumed within an hour or two after making. Eating leftover kubba niya the next day is a bad idea, since it is made of raw meat after all. So this kubba balls idea was born: make balls out of the leftover kubba niya and fry them up. 

1654. Lebanese Spinach Stew

This is a family Lebanese classic lunch made express by using minced meat. Perfectly sour, this stew is very flavorsome and pairs lovingly with some vermicelli rice.

1653. Saffron Baked Custard

This is essentially a creme caramel, but without the burnt sugar and not inverted. It is a saffron-infused custard flan baked in a water bath to yield the most satiny-silky result.