Category: Lebanese Recipes
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Eggplant Mtabbal: Authentic Lebanese Flavor Made Easy
Eggplant mtabbal is one of those dishes that makes me reach for a piece of warm bread before the rest of the table is ready. The smoky eggplant, nutty tahini, and gentle garlic come together in a dip that feels rich without needing a long list of ingredients. For me, it belongs to the generous,…
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Eggplant Raheb: The Simple Lebanese Salad I Come Home To
Eggplant Raheb is one of my wife’s favorite dishes. Whenever I prepare it, she likes an extra sprinkle of sumac on top. That little touch adds the sharp, tangy flavor she loves. For me, however, this Lebanese salad brings back another table: my grandmother’s. Her table was modest. There might be a vegetable dish, a…
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Chicken Tawook Marinade That Never Fails
Some recipes become favorites because they’re trendy. Others earn their place because people simply never stop ordering them. Chicken tawook has always belonged to the second category. When I opened my restaurant in my hometown, I spent a lot of time designing a menu with plenty of choices. We served burgers, pizzas, pasta, appetizers, and…
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Lebanese Nammoura: The Traditional Semolina Cake
There are desserts that impress with their complexity, and then there are desserts that win hearts through simplicity. Lebanese nammoura, also spelled namoora, belongs to the second category. Families across the Levant and the Arab world transform a handful of humble pantry ingredients into one of the region’s most beloved desserts. For many of us,…
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How a Simple Rice Pudding Became a Cherished Family Tradition
There are certain foods that stay with us forever. Years can pass, we can travel to different countries, taste countless dishes, and experience the finest restaurants, yet a single bite of a familiar childhood recipe can bring us right back home. For me, that recipe is simple rice pudding. In Lebanon, we call it Riz…
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What Is Sumac and How Do Chefs Use It?
If you have ever eaten authentic Lebanese food, chances are you have already tasted sumac, even if you did not realize it at the time. This deep reddish-purple spice is one of the hidden treasures of Middle Eastern cuisine. While many people around the world are familiar with spices like paprika, cumin, or turmeric, sumac…
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My Special Story with Fattoush & The Secret Recipe I Make
The Fattoush Debates That Filled My Childhood Kitchen Growing up in Lebanon, fattoush was never just a salad in our home. Instead, it was a full discussion around the table, and honestly, every person defended their own version as if it were the only correct one. My father, for example, always loved his fattoush chopped…
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The Secrets of Traditional Lebanese Cuisine: A Journey Through Flavor, Family, and Heritage
Lebanese cuisine is more than food on a plate. It is history, hospitality, tradition, and emotion served together at one table. Across generations, Lebanese families have preserved recipes that tell stories of villages, family gatherings, celebrations, and everyday life. The secrets of traditional Lebanese cooking are not hidden in complicated techniques. They are found in…
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Lebanese Mdardara: A Simple and Comforting Dish
Lebanese mdardara brings together lentils, rice, and crispy onions in a very simple way. This dish creates deep flavor with basic ingredients. It fills the kitchen with a warm and rich aroma. Many families in Lebanon cook it often because it is easy, affordable, and satisfying. The Origins of Lebanese Mdardara People in rural Lebanon…
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Lebanese Cheese Rolls: The Recipe That Won Over My Wife
When I met my wife, I discovered that Lebanese cheese rolls were one of her favorite dishes. However, this was no passing preference. Her love for them went all the way back to childhood, when visiting a Lebanese restaurant meant looking forward to two things above everything else: garlic labneh and cheese rolls. Whatever else…