Nicolai

Shawarma is different from Doner Kebabs. Both in type of meat, meat prep and seasoning. Although the world at large seems to agree on allegedly Shawarma being of Turkish origin with the word "çevirme"which means turning. I disagree with the origin and appellation as it sounds as a phonetic creation of "çevirme" spelled as Shawarma. My take on it is that Shawarma is Levantine in origin and the name Shawarma is composed of two distinct words namely "Shawa" which means to grill on open fire and Kawarma which is a type of preserved meat in the Levant. Hence Shawa + Kawarma became Shawarma.....but please feel free to disagree and go with the alleged Turkish version. Now to the meat. The original recipe for Shawarma calls for Lamb meat + Lamb fat. You have to note that the Levant type of Lamb indigenous to countries like Syrian (as a side note, there was no Shawarma in Syria prior mid 70's), the Lamb have a Fat TAIL which is different from the other type of Lamb. And this is what moistens and adds taste and flavor to the meat. As far as I am concerned, Shawarma is of Lebanese origin and the best of the best would be Abu Khodr and lately Barbar in Beirut. Shawarma is cut meat + fat. Originally Lamb and now Beef. (There was no significant number of "beef" cattle in the Levant or Turkey where Lamb and Goat exist in higher number. As Shawarma is street food of relatively modest price, originally Lamb would be used and not Beef). Doner is ground meat. The seasoning is also different and Shawarma main spice is Cardamon and the marinate is Vinegar based. Not so with Doner. There was not any Doner or Shawarma stands in the streets of Turkey, this came much later and adopted in Turkey as "traditional" street food! Similar story for Falafel....etc Shawarma as with all other food, is taking new roads and the Chicken versions started multiplying. Here are two versions of Chicken. One is called Lebanese Chicken Shawarma and the red one is called Mexican Shawarma......go figure.... Separately, the Chicken so called original version is pounded chicken meat.......and the latest twist is Prawns Shawarma....the world moves in mysterious ways! This is quite an elaborate subject, so I think I stop here but will answer any of your direct queries.

Very nice dish. Could you tell how you incorporated the Tamarind? Fresh, dried, sauce, coulis, macerated......etc?

Mmmmm, say you used Graisse d'Oie.......please

Ah, an old rural classic. Very nice. Why Black Olives and not the usual Green Olives? This reminds me of another dish at my parents house which I did not have for some time now: Alouettes sans tête.

You definitely have to try it at least once in your life. Yes, the liquid is Sugar Syrup. The video is from the Hallab Sweets in Tripoli. I was with one of the Hallab brothers this evening (not in Tripoli) and I showed him the pic on egullet which got him thrilled. Hallab are one of the Levant Sweets masters with a long history behind the brand. Their sweets are to die for. Maybe I do a photoshoot with the prep of few recipes. The better Halawet el Jebn can be found in Hama - Syria and the best of the best in Aleppo - Syria. The Aleppo version is viciously delectable as they incorporate split Pistachios in the mix and hang the sheets out to dry and of course they use Lamb ghee instead of butter. But Hallab did up the ante and are now producing another version which is Halawet el Rez by replacing Semolina with Rice powder which makes the whole paste lighter and exremely tasty.

It is a Levant sweet originated in Hama - Syria. It is a dough of 2 basic ingredients namely Semolina and White fresh cheese and of course sugar syrup. The best part is the stretching.... You can see it here:

That was my late breakfast today. Halawet el Jebn with Ashta and sprinkling of crushed Pistachios.

Stuffed Vine Leaves - Courgette and Fawaregh

Thank you. The recipe is pretty straight forward. No need for measures! You fill your pot with 1/4 inch or 1/2 cms of fine Semolina and bring on open fire to toast very lightly. Once toasted which is mainly to remove the humidity, you add 3cms of water or 1 inch. Correct measures are useless. You want the semolina to absorb the water as much as it takes. If you have too much water, you can prolong the cooking and if the Semolina is not cooked then you add more water. 1- Semolina needs constant stirring 2- Semolina should bublbe when you stop stirring 3- VERY IMPORTANT When the Semolina is toasted, it is extremely hot and when you add hot water, try to keep the lid on top of the pot with one hand and pour the water from the hot kettle in the other hand as the water will do 2 things: - The water will raise the level of Semolina - The Semolina will splash all over the place and you will curse me! After you finish adding the water with as little splash as possible, you stir and cook and add as much sugar as you like. We have it very sweet so err on the side of sweet. Also add ground Cinnamon to the mix (to taste). You will know that the Mamuniyeh us done when you can draw you finger on the wood spoon and you will burn your finger as sugar + Semolina = Heat. So you draw your finger on the back of the spoon and if the line stays clear and the Semolina is not dripping all over your shirt, then you are done. In case you have left overs, put in the fridge when cooled. Mamuniyeh is reheated by adding a mini splash of water to get the viscosity back. Enjoy.

A simple breakfast of Bread and White Cheese.

Lahm bel Ajeen

This is one of my favorite breakfast which is called Mamuniyeh. It is a Semolina type pudding originated in Aleppo as mainly a breakfast treat. The original version is served with Kaymak (a type of clotted cream), Pistachios and Cinnamon spicing. The day to day version is served with Aleppo white string cheese which melts on the Mamuniyeh. You eat it with Arabic flat bread, no forks or spoons. Delicious.

Potatoes. Oven roasted potatoes with garlic - spices and herbs....

Dinner tonight Salad with an "invented recipe" - Artichokes - Cherry Tomatoes - Black Olives - Pomegranate Seeds Dressing: - Apple Vinegar - Mayonaise - Basil - Celery Salt - EVO - Black ground Pepper - Pomegranate Molasses Side: - Pain de Campagne grille et gousses d'Ail confit Wine: - Pouilly Fume

Dinner tonight, Burrata and Chablis, a marriage made in culinary heaven.

1- Lahm Bel Ajin - Arabic version - 500g mince lamb meat - 750 g fresh tomatoes (tomatoe paste can be added or substituted) - 2 medium size onions - red chilli peppers (optional) - S&P + a dash of cayenne pepper (optional) Lemon juice after baking and before eating (not before serving) Chop all to fine texture and spread over dough and bake. 2- Lahm bel Ajin with added pomegranate molasses is the Armenian version and not the Arabic version!

Nice jar. They are mainly touristic and the only way to eat them is to scoop out on a plate and.......eat the!

As the wife is away and I have to feed myself, I thought a Moussaka would last me few days. To gain the wife respect, I dropped the idea of going North Béchamel and instead South substituting Béchamel with Yogurt. The Aubergines were baked in the oven with a dab of olive Oil. The Potatoes par boiled and baked with a dab of Olive Oil. The cheese was replaced with Feta cheese and the topping Parmesan. I has to whisk in couple of eggs to get the Yogurt and Feta proper constitency. I also added Potatoes and Carrot and all other Moussaka ingredients stay the same for mince meat, tomatoes...etc. The funny part is that the dish tasted better the second day....but I am enjoying it! Out of the oven Later

This is not a salad but a work of Art with a beautiful color tonality and smooth texture. Can I have a Poster size for my dining room please

This looks so appetizing for me. Pecan and Dates are a very good marriage.

It is not a desert. This is simply one of our typical Lebanese breakfast fares. It taste like it reads: Crusty semolina on a bed of sweet melting stringy cheese. You eat it warm sandwiched in a special sesame bread after dousing it with sugar syrup. A close up for you:

Well done. You are almost there. - The dough is Semolina+butter+sugar+milling. No water or milk and add rose and blossom water. - The cheese is softened in a pot and not cut to slices and placed on top of the dough. You soften by stirring it continuously on low heat till the yellow fat liquid oozes out and you top it with some of the left over dough to absorb the liquid and you mix till it holds itself into a paste, only then, you pour it on the finished dough. Sahtein

Purslane is Bakleh. Used in salads.

Is the hummus/foul (mudammas) originally an Egyptian dish? - The Foul is originally an Egyptian dish, however has many variants in Egypt itself or whether in Lebanon - Syria - Palestine...etc The main difference between the basic Egyptian Foul and the basic Lebanese Foul is that there is no Garlic in the Egyptian basic Foul recipe. - As for Hummus, and again speaking of the Hummus BiThineh which is the original variant, it is Lebanese. However although it is a debatable subject in terms of country ownership, it is definitely not Egyptian. N.B. The Egyptian basic Foul recipe I am referring to, is the one sold on the street of Cairo. Also note that the Egyptian original Taamia has a Lebanese variant and the difference is the use in Lebanon of chickpeas in their Falafel.

Wishing you a nice trip. 1- I hope you will have the full Maza (Habra Nayeh - Kasbeh...etc) in Beirut or the mountains. 2- I hope you will have the Arabic Ice Cream in Souk Hamidiyeh in Damascus. 3- I hope you will have the Hamburger from the man with a van in the streets of Larnaca or at least a Stifado at any restaurant.