Which countries are part of the Middle East varies depending on who you ask. From a food perspective, the flavours of Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine (the Levant), Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, The UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar (the countries of the Arabian Gulf), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt (North Africa) all have a lot in common. The influences crosses borders to neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Xinjjiang in China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Sudan, Somalia, Zanzibar and Greece too; as well as the Middle Eastern/Arabic influence on Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines.
Za’atar Manouche Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Flatbreads called manouche (or manakish, manaqish, man’ousheh and other variations) are a very typical Lebanese breakfast, though I love them as a snack at any time of day. Za’atar (see video below), the ubiquitous Middle Eastern seasoning of dried thyme, is the most […]
Ejjeh(Lebanese Omelette) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! In Lebanon, ejjeh (omelettes), typically filled with just green onion and herbs, are popular as a snack, part of a meze, or as a sandwich filling wrapped inside fresh pita – sometimes with a little extra green onion and parsley or onion and […]
Lebanese Coffee Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Lebanese coffee – or Arabic coffee, also called qahwa kahwa, ahweh – is very similar to Turkish coffee, except that it’s often scented with cardamom seeds, which the Turks don’t use. Both are made with pulverised coffee beans, which are often sold in […]
Lebanese Lemonade Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Homemade lemonade is a delicious treat and very popular in Lebanon and, especially in summer, a typical way to welcome guests. Lebanese lemonade is also called Batrouni lemonade after the resort town of Batroun in northern Lebanon, famous for its beaches, nightlife and […]
Date Ma’amoul Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I love these Ramadan date cookies, also called qrass bil-tamr. They’re similar to shortbread with a date filling and are an essential part of Ramadan feasts in Lebanon. And I love how easy they are to make. The dough can be filled with […]
Baba Ghanoush Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! There are two names for a Middle Eastern dip made from eggplant that’s been heavily roasted – ideally over an open fire or charcoal to give it an addictively smoky aroma – mutabbal, and the better known baba ghanoush. Whether they’re different names […]
Lamb & Bean Soup Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I made this lamb and bean soup to use up some lovely rich lamb stock leftover from braising lamb shanks. It really is important to use homemade stock for this soup as that’s what gives it such great flavour. Beyond that […]
How to Prepare Saffron Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes There are two methods of preparing saffron to use in cooking: brewing (with hot water) and blooming (with ice). Brewing is the traditional way and blooming is a modern technique created to preserve as much of the […]
Turkish Tuna ‘Meatballs’ (Balik Köftesi) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! I learnt to make Turkish köfte (meatballs) from my friend Somer Sivrioglu. Traditionally he makes them with a combination of lamb and beef, but his technique – and the secret ingredient of semolina – work just […]
Turkish Stuffed Dried Eggplant Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! Strings of hollowed small eggplants drying in the sun are a common sight in eastern Turkey. Hollowing and drying summer vegetables to store for stuffing throughout the winter is a specialty of the south-eastern town of Gaziantep. […]
