Nicolai

The odd thing is that we do not use Savory - Zaatar Akhdar in cooking but only eat as a salad in it's fresh green raw state, I personally think it must be a variant herb to savory as it seems many variants exist. The only time we use the Zaatar in it's dry powder form besides the sesame mix one, is a la Greque. We have been taught by a Greek restaurateur lady, that the best way to enjoy Greek Barrel Aged Feta cheese besides raw on a salad, is to spread on flat bread and sprinkle Greek Thyme and lace with oil toasted in a pan. The other way to eat Barrel Aged Feta is to crumble the Feta on a sheet of alu foil, sprinkle with dry Thyme and EVOO and bake in the oven. The smell is unbelievable. When we run out of Greek Thyme we use powder Zaatar instead and the result in taste and smell is very similar. We will probably have a Barrel Aged Feta toasted in Egyptian Baladi flat bread next week. I will try to post for you a prep and final pics.

According to Wikipedia, Zaatar is a generic name and Savory is one of the family. In which case Zaatar Akhdar in Arabic is Savory which means you are right on the money! Wikipedia: Za'atar[1] (Arabic: زَعْتَر‎‎, IPA: [ˈzaʕtar]) is a generic name for a family of related Middle Eastern herbs from the genera Origanum (oregano), Calamintha (basil thyme), Thymus (typically Thymus vulgaris, i.e., thyme), and Satureja (savory).[2] The name za'atar alone most properly applies to Origanum syriacum, considered in biblical scholarship to be the hyssop (Hebrew: אזוב‎‎ Hebrew pronunciation: [eˈzov]) of the Hebrew Bible.[3] It is also the name for a condiment made from the dried herb(s), mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac, and often salt, as well as other spices.[4] Used in Levantine cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Middle East.[5][6]

Zaatar Akhdar ( Green Zaatar) (Green Wild Thyme) It does look quite similar to savory. Do you eat green raw savory like Zaatar?

You are welcome.

This Breakfast thread is really entertaining for me. There are certain items I would never dream eating for Breakfast and I am sure other people feel the same on my type of Breakfast. This is what I had today, with the Missus for Breakfast before hitting the beach for a swim Clockwise from 12 o'clock: 1- Labneh doused with EVOO 2- Spring Onions 3- Cucumbers 4- Green Wild Thyme 5- Haloumi Cheese 4- Tomatoes 5- Green Olives in the middle and of course Bread (off picture). We had two types of Bread: The flat Lebanese (for yours truly) and the Egyptian Baladi flat bread (for the Missus). The way to eat is to tear a piece of bread, scoop some Labneh and dip on top of the Wild Thyme which is picked up by the Labneh. Same goes for a piece of bread with Haloumi Cheese and placing Wild Thyme in the formed pocket (some call it cat ear). I refuse to have a meal if no sweet is included, in this case Beurre D'Isigny on flat bread with Dark Sour Cherries jam. Lunch was Linguine and wild mushrooms pan sauteed with onions and garlic in olive oil and S&P and finished with a splash of Gavi Di Gavi. The Linguine was dressed with fresh chopped Parsley and a mix of grated Gouda and Parmesan and washed down with the rest of the Gavi Di Gavi. Dessert was a juicy Pineapple...............and a small chocolate accompanied with few strong words from the Missus.

I went shopping with the Powers that be and got so much fruits that I would make any Fruitarian proud. I took a picture for you and you can see the following: - Banana Chiquita - Avocados - Custard Apple - Figs - Nectarines - Pears - Persimmons Kaka - Rambutans - Pineaple - Mangosteen - Granadillas Missing from the pics are: Watermelon - Apple Royal Gala - Apple Green - Kiwi - Mandarin Nadorcott - Valancia Oranges and a pun of Physalis that we had to return as no Bar Code was present. Only 17 type of fruits. And yes the Avocado is a fruit as eaten in Brazil and other countries. I will try to put all the 17 fruits together for a pic. In the mean time I ate couple of Figs - a Rambutan - a Banana before lunch.

Actually you are right as these are clearly M&M's and not Smarties. They look quite similar minus the M&M letters. When at the movies, I usually get salted Popcorn and empty a bag of M&M's/Smarties on top of the warm Popcorn so it melts and is yummy to eat and crunchy. I wear a dark T-shirt to cover up for the mess on my top. You should try it. You know the joke about the Blonde who got a job at M&M as spellchecker!!!!

It is Sunday. Burgers Sunday After a nice long swim in the sea, and everybody stinking of after sun moisturizer, we headed to a new burger joint whose USP is Angus and Wagyu beef burgers. Different burgers were ordered and upon recommendation of our food attendant, I ordered the Gourmet Wagyu Burger (medium} with the original topping. The hero of any burger is always the meat patty and it was an excellent 200g of Wagyu goodness. The most important factor is that the topping "accompanied" and not "overcame" the taste of the meat and this is how it should be. It also seems the new trend is not melted cheese but grilled cheese as you can see in the pic the round cheese disc. Add the ubiquitous Cajun Fries and the Fat Onion Rings for good measure. And then at the end of the meal, we were hit where it really hurts, in the tummy, with a complimentary serving of a unique gargantuan Choc Brownie with a white Choc dip, a dark Choc dip, a Smarties sprinklings (Smarties???? What the F@#^%) and just when you thought it cannot get any worse......comes the soft ice cream. Left the place with a stupid smile on the face and a happy tummy...........and a frowning wifie!

Late, very late lunch yesterday. - A green salad, I wanted a green salad and I got all things green including the kitchen sink: Green beans - asparagus tips - arugula - lettuce - avocado - green wild thyme - chopped parsley and few pomegranate seeds. The dressing is simple EVOO - lemon - S&P. - An Artsy Fartsy serving of minced meat (loaf) rolled around chopped spinach with a tomato concasse, pomegranate molasses and pomegranate seeds. The second row is Italian style baby aubergines baked with mozzarella on a cushion of tomato sauce. A splash of yogurt/cream holds them together and don't ask why as some grated peanuts stand in waiting. To be honest, the dish works and is very tasty.

No, not sprayed. He had a brush which he wets with the melted butter sitting atop a warm grill and brushes (douses) the bread roll as in the pic

I had a Keema Pav for lunch. Keema Pav is an Indian street food dish and the translation is a Burger....Indian style. For the record, this was not in the street but in a top Indian restaurant serving street food dishes. We start with the fluffy bun which is screaming for some Nutella but instead is baked in house. The bun is doused with butter and goes on the hot plate with the Lamb minced meat The meat is spiced And smashed It goes on the bun With more butter dousing of the finished bun And then it takes a plate ride to my tummy You pick whichever condiments to go with your Keema Pav And some chillies for good balance Finally, dessert with a Strawberry Cheesecake and mounds of cream pre and post vodka shots. Enjoy.

We have Breakfast - Lunch - Salads...etc but we do not have un goûter d'apres midi, which is very Frenchy and the English equivalent would be vaguely Afternoon Tea.. As for Gourmandises, the English for the word would be Treats (awful translation). We still very much are in favor of 4 meals a day, the French/Italian way. This is what I had on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I am a bit disheartened by the commercial Ice Cream parlors all over the world and few places still do the genuine stuff with real cream and chocolate. I was dragged kicking and screaming to the Godiva shop although they know that I dislike Godiva and prefer Neuhaus and Leonidas chocolates. We went for the Ice Cream and I made my choice for a Godiva Ice Cream Sundae.........well it was Sunday And how mistaken was I when I was presented with a beautiful arrangement of Chocolate Ice Cream sitting on top of a glass with crushed ice and covered with Chantilly Cream and doted with soft and chewy Brownie cubes and drizzled with Chocolate Fudge sauce.......Taste of real chocolate in three variations and Creme Chantilly made in-house and not from a can. My oh my. Evil on a plate. Divorce case pending! Enjoy the pics

Lunch Turkish style. No booze 1- Sarma: Marinated minced lamb, seasoned with garlic and grilled over chargrill, wrapped in a Lavash bread with cheese and topped with tomato sauce, then drizzled with butter 2- Lamb Meat Pyramid. From the top: Mince Lamb skewers - Mince Lamb cubes - Lamb Ribs (you can see a bone sticking out left of the pic) - Chicken cube skewers and all layed on a bed of Sliced Lamb Shawarma. All on open charcoal fire and Cholesterol free (Not). . . . . . . We went back home to find our Austrian friend made an Austrian Cheesecake with Apricot. To make up for lunch, we had chasers shots of Smirnoff Peach Vodka. Words cannot describe the lightness of the Cheesecake with the tanginess of the Apricot. I will never eat a Cheese cake again at the Cheesecake Factory.....EVER. Austrian home made desserts or bust.

My poor man's lunch but spicyyyyyy and scrumpy Indian Street Food...... Pani Puri Papdi Chaat

Fish & Chips with Mushy Peas and Tartar sauce washed down with a G&T......

It is beautiful but even more beautiful when it melts in the mouth and crunches under the teeth oozing the syrup. It does differ from one country and one city to the other.

All over the place. Gulf - Levant and Egypt.

Indeed, this is not for one seating but enjoyed over a period of few days. I do not have a recipe as I did not bake them. These were ordered by the powers that be for her friends coffee morning. As a matter of fact she ordered a whole variety of full trays just in case they go out of fashion In reality, most of the quantities goes to charities as it is Ramadan month in the Middle East. We keep a small plate for us to nibble on. Mabroumeh Pistachios Mabroumeh Cashews

A well dressed 1.46kg Hamour on a bed of Cilantro - Onions - Garlic - Ginger - Hot Red Peppers - Lime and Lemon Shavings - Lime Juice - S&P - EVOO - Aleppo Pepper. Wrapped in foil and baked. Served with boiled potatoes + Cumin and Coriander powder Accompanied with an Avocado and Pomegranate seeds salad with a dressing of Mustard + Lemon + EVOO + S&P. Washed down with a Gavi di Gavi And dessert Arabic Coffee with Arabic Sweets. In this instance, Maamoul Madd Fustok. Which is Pistachio sandwiched Semolina dough.

The "Won ton-ish things filled with tart chopped veg" are in fact called Fatayer Sabanegh which translation is Spinach Pies. The tartness comes from Sumac mixed with the Spinach. It is essentially a Lebanese dish. The "Lightly spiced (coriander/cumin) ground lamb in fried chickpea coat." are in fact Kebbeh and more precisely Kebbeh Krass or Kebbeh Traboulsieh. The outer shell casing is not Chickpeas but Crushed Wheat (Bulghur). Were you staying at the St Regis?

Wherever you want me to be

This is what I pigged out for lunch today. Salads - pickles - Warak Enab (stuffed vine leave) - Loubia B'zait (green Beans EVO) - Mutabal (Aubergine) - Fresh baked bread - Ice watered Arak............etc are off picture From top left clockwise: - Hummos covered with lettuce leaf + Mint leaves + fresh Zaatar (wild Thyme) - Char Grilled tomatoes - Chicken Shish Taouk skewer (garlic pure off picture) - Lamb cubes skewer - Minced lamb skewers x 3 (ate one already) - Char Grilled onions.

Butnig is indeed iraqi dried wild mint. The English name is Stachys. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachys_byzantina I would not use such herb dried or fresh. It does not cut it for me.

Wishing all the beautiful ladies out there a Happy Valentine's Day. This is what my sleeping beauty is getting for starters tomorrow morning au lever du lit: A Rose and Raspberry croissant. A croissant dressed with white chocolate and sprinkled with candied rose petals and an edible rose petal providing the shade. The filling is a creme pat and Raspberries. Served with a Champagne flute and me with a bow tie.......... The rest of the story is NSFW

We do not usually cook with Zaatar. The common recipe is chicken coated Zaatar chucked in the oven which I do not like much. The only dish which I favour besides the usual Zaatar and EVOO on a Manoucheh or with Labneh is the Potatoe recipe. It is as simple as good morning: Cut Potatoes in cubes with skin and boil until done. Chuck in the oven, sprinkle with sea salt and half your Zaatar + EVOO mix and roast to taste. Remove and mix the second half of Zaatar + EVOO. Hide somewhere under the table or in the garden and enjoy......with a green salad and some nice cold Chablis. As for the Zaatar mix: - 1 cup Zaatar - 1 cup roasted Sesame - 1/2 cup Sumac No salt or other herbs or anything.