The petit four cookie is a staple in any Lebanese pastry shop. It’s a buttery cookie that either stuffed with chocolate or jam, or left single. you will see trays of them all shapes and sizes stuffed, dipped and decorated. It truly is a feast for the eyes. The many shapes are traditionally made using a cookie press but you can also pipe the dough or roll it out and use cookie cutters. The possibilities are endless. I personally love rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutters to make fun shapes for the kids to decorate. These cookies can be sandwiched and stuffed or kept as singles. The ..read more

  There are a few childhood treats that bring you right back to your younger carefree years. In Lebanon Karabeej cookies is one of them. Not to be confused with the nut filled dessert this marshmallow stuffed cookie is the things childhoods are made of. When our parents were younger you could get you hands on karabeej from vending carts that lined the streets during afternoon and evening strolls. The vendor would scoop a generous dollop of marshmallow fluff from a giant tin and sandwich  between two Maria biscuits. At local convenience stores (dikken) you would find them prepackaged ..read more

Lebanese kafta is a very versatile meat mix that’s made with just a handful of ingredients that can be prepared in many different ways in Lebanon. The meat mix can be made with beef or lamb or a combination of the two as well as yellow onion, parsley and spice. To start it’s enjoyed raw (very lean) with a variety vegetables and pita bread.  If raw is not your preference this meat mix is often prepared  into kabobs to add to the Lebanese barbecue menu. In the kitchen it can be prepared with red sauce, tahini sauce, in a stew, in soup, or baked on pita to name a few. When we’re too st ..read more

It’s been a beautiful summer so far full of sunshine and warm breeze. When it gets too  hot we love to cook outside as often as possible. Shish Tawook is  popular grilled  chicken in Lebanon and surrounding countries. Each area marinates with a little twist unique to the region. In our home this recipe is our go to for juicy tawook. To get perfectly marinated juicy shish tawook the secret is in the timing. the longer the chicken sits in the marinate the better. We recommend you let sit in the fridge over night or at least 4 hours. To prepare simply cut up the chicken breast int ..read more

  A while back while snacking on a coconut macaroon purchased from the local bakery, and thoroughly enjoying every bite, I wondered why we hadn’t made this macaroon at home is years. Of course this meant I delved straight into mamas recipe book.  After an unsuccessful search I went to the source and was sadly informed by mama that she had never written the recipe down and with the passing of time, had forgotten some of the details.  Knowing what the main ingredients were and having a basic understanding of baking we went to work developing a coconut macaroon recipe. After a few ..read more

“Kaik Kaik!” goes the evening kaik carts song. If you’ve been in Lebanon you most definitely have a memory of the evening Kaik carts and stands that start to appear with their purse shaped bread as the day winds to an end. They come singing the kaik song while enthusiastically honking their little bike horn. Once you made your order you had three options, a fresh plain kaik, with a sprinkle of zaatar or a sprinkle of sumac. It was simple and a perfect way to end the day. Of course with kaik, the options of stuffing it are endless. Fill it with cheese and put it a panini press or spread it wit ..read more

  Fatteh is a popular breakfast, lunch and dinner dish served a little differently across the Levant. It can be prepared in one large platter to share immediately or can be served build-your-own style. We love the freshness of this dish and customizability to individual taste! This dish features a layer of crunchy toasted pita bread followed by a layer of creamy chickpeas, then tangy mint yogurt and finely a layer of tender flavorful strip loin beef. We like to finish off the fatteh with toasted pin nuts for depth of flavor, some pomegranate seeds for pops of freshness in your mouth and a ..read more

In the time of quarantine baking spiked and people started looking for different ways to keep busy and create in the kitchen. For me, I had to find ways to create something that didn’t hold me all day in the kitchen and satisfied my stir crazy bored family. I was starting to run out of ways to work with our basic dough recipe when I decided to make a giant zaatar roll. I had seen different variations of this rolled mana’eesh on the internet and it was a perfect time to give it a go. I have made mini finger rolls for the kids in the past and they are a perfect lunch or snack, but these were eye ..read more

  Kaik el Eid or Kaik el Abbas is a traditional cookie from Lebanon and surrounding countries. It’s flavored with mahlab (spice derived from the cherry pit), anise, nutmeg kaik spice, and black seed. It’s made a little different depending on the country or even the area. Kaik el Abbas is from the south of Lebanon and is a melt in your mouth and crumbly cookie. This recipe is quick to make and the kaik is a perfect pairing with a cup of coffee or tea. To shape kaik you need a specific mold. You can find it in most Lebanese supermarkets. For the larger standard size mold this recipe will yi ..read more

I was introduced to Kafta with Yogurt as a Lebanese main just a couple of years ago. Our mama has so many dishes up her sleeve that she’s constantly surprising me with how many dishes she can recall off the top of her head (Unlike me). Kafta with yogurt is essentially kafta balls, sauted with onions, dropped into a pot of cooked yogurt and served with side of vermicelli rice.  The Lebanese Kafta is basically a meatball using either beef, or lamb, mixed with herbs, spices and onions. We make it with ground beef, onions, parsley and a seven spice. Most often we purchase it already prepared ..read more