El Rgaga (الرقاقه أو المكامير) El Rgaga (aka Al Makameer) is a traditional dish from the countryside around Daraa, a city in the southwest of Syria near the border with Jordan. When there is a big occasion with many guests, groups of neighbourhood women get together and make a big batch. Many layers of thinly […]
Dawood Basha (داوود باشا) Meatballs in tomato sauce; from Italian Polpette to Indian Kofta, nearly every cuisine has some variation of this delicious comfort food staple. In Syria, this dish inherited the name of an Ottoman governor (“pasha”, or “basha” in Arabic, which does not have the letter “p”), Daoud, who administered Mt. Lebanon in […]
Kousa Mahshi كوسا محشي Stuffed zucchinis are a dish cherished by the former Ottoman Empire, and popular from the Balkans to the Levant. The small, young pale green zucchini known as white marrows are the most popular. They are hollowed out with a special tool and stuffed with a mix of spiced ground halal beef, […]
Kousa Mahshi كوسا محشي Stuffed zucchinis are a dish cherished by the former Ottoman Empire, and popular from the Balkans to the Levant. The small, young pale green zucchini known as white marrows are the most popular. They are hollowed out with a special tool and stuffed with a mix of spiced ground halal beef, […]
Shorbat Silq Bis Adas شوربة سلق بعدس Lentils have been an essential part of the Levantine winter pantry (mouneh) since biblical times; indeed, Esau allegedly forfeited his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup - one possibly not all that different than the one we are making tonight. This hearty winter soup is […]
Shorbat Silq Bis Adas شوربة سلق بعدس Lentils have been an essential part of the Levantine winter pantry (mouneh) since biblical times; indeed, Esau allegedly forfeited his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup - one possibly not all that different than the one we are making tonight. This hearty winter soup is […]
Fatayer Lahmeh فطاير لحمة -or- Fatayer Jibneh فطاير جبنة Fatayer are a whole category delicious small baked treats that range from open-face, pizza-like flatbreads to cute little baked turnovers, with countless different shapes and fillings. Tonight you can cheese fatayer lahmeh stuffed with spiced halal ground beef, or fatayer jibneh, stuffed with a mix of […]
Fatayer Lahmeh فطاير لحمة -or- Fatayer Jibneh فطاير جبنة Fatayer are a whole category delicious small baked treats that range from open-face, pizza-like flatbreads to cute little baked turnovers, with countless different shapes and fillings. Tonight you can cheese fatayer lahmeh stuffed with spiced halal ground beef, or fatayer jibneh, stuffed with a mix of […]
Freekeh فريكة Freekeh is made from green durum wheat that processed in a special way to create a unique flavor. The wheat is harvested while the grains are yellow and the seeds still are soft; it then is piled and sun-dried. The piles are carefully set on fire so only the straw and chaff burn, […]
Freekeh فريكة Freekeh is made from green durum wheat that processed in a special way to create a unique flavor. The wheat is harvested while the grains are yellow and the seeds still are soft; it then is piled and sun-dried. The piles are carefully set on fire so only the straw and chaff burn, […]
