Lebanese Anise seed Cookies

Anise is one of my favorite flavors in baked goods.

With a hot cup of tea, I could enjoy piles and piles of these. 

A simple Lebanese cookie, slightly sweet and a hint of Anise 

to make it special.

Lebanese Christmas Eve, 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Keffe Dessert

After baking turn upside down to a serving platter.

Drizzle the crunchy outside with orange blossom water.

The simple syrup should cover all parts of the crust.

Sprinkle with ground pistachio and serve.

This was a labor intensive dessert, but I think my daughter did 

a great job! It was so delicious and unlike any baked dessert we have here. 

The flavors and texture were all unique to the middle east. 

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Pistachio Yogurt Cake

Desserts from other countries can be tricky.  

I think my son did a great job on this cake! 

Really moist with a nice crust and aromatic rich 

taste of pistachio!

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Lebanese Spinach and Walnut Tarts

Phyllo dough stuffed and baked!

Yummy filling of spinach and walnuts with a crisp

buttery crust of phyllo! 

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Walnut and Cayenne Dip

Not Italian Pesto, but similar!

Really yummy fun spread to go with pita bread 

and your favorite cocktail!

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Eggs and Cumin

What a fun appetizer!

Americans have deviled eggs and here the 

Lebanese sprinkle the boiled, peeled and quartered eggs

with cumin and salt. Delicious!

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Carrot Ginger Salad

Unexpected flavors that blend perfectly together. 

Mixing golden raisins in with the carrot salad gives just the right 

balance of sweetness to this versatile root vegetable.

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Lebanese Lamb Meat Pies

Fun and delicious Lebanese Treat.  We served these 

as part of the appetizers for the Lebanese dinner.

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Lebanese Zatar Bread

Warm the pita bread and then brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of 

Zatar seasoning( a mixture of herbs, spices and sesame seeds)

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Hummus

No meal is complete without Hummus. 

Top with good olive oil and a sprinkling of pine nuts.

Accompany with fresh flatbread or pita bread.

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

Lebanese Wild Thyme Chicken

Seasoned with Zatar and wild thyme

Fresh cut lemon wedges and chopped parsley

give a fresh finishing touch to this baked chicken.

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

Lebanese Tripoi Fish

Herbs, Pine Nuts and seasoning give this fish dish 

a unique flavor. 

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

Lebanese Fattoush Salad

Top with Feta cheese just before serving.

Break up the dried Pita Bread into large chunks.

Toss well to moisten all ingredients evenly.

Fattoush Salad is so fresh with good olive oil and lemon juice, all the vegetables 

pop with freshness, and the moistened bread adds extra texture to the recipe.

This salad is gives freshness and balance to a meal full of richness and spices. 

Lebanese Christmas Eve 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Rice Vermicelli

Aromatic Rice seasoned to perfection. 

This dish compliments all the other Lebanese food.

Lebanese Christmas Eve. 2019

As Always,

ENJOY!

Lebanese Baked Lamb Kibbi

Rich Lebanese Ground Meat dish

After baking, drizzle with melted butter

and sprinkle parsley and pine nuts on top.

Before going in the oven, score the top

with a diamond cross hatch pattern. 

For many years I have posted the dishes our family has prepared for 

our special Christmas Eve Tradition.  

December 2019 the food was Lebanese for Christmas Eve.

Circumstances delayed the posting until now.

So for all of my family who worked so hard in making such 

delicious contributions to our meal, 

a huge Thank You!

As Always, 
ENJOY!

Lemon Baked Fish

Delicious and Moist

 Striped fresh fish from the fish monger.

 Season with olive oil, salt and pepper

Place thinly sliced lemon on top

before baking

Topping any baked fish with thin cut lemon slices helps to keep 

the fish moist, as well as making it look beautiful for serving. 

No lemon wedges on the side of the plate necessary here. 

The baked lemon slices have softened in the oven and the juices easily run over 

the baked fish.  Perfect for serving!

As Always, 
ENJOY!

Cinnamon Swirl Sweet Rolls

 Hot out of the oven

Raised and ready to bake

This recipe comes from my Mom!!

This was always a treat for a holiday breakfast.

Stuffed with plumped raisins, cinnamon, dotted with butter, rolled, sliced and 

placed in a brown sugar and  butter paste. Once in the oven it carmalized 

into a delicious sticky topping. 

As Always,
ENJOY!

French Apple Pie

Perfectly browned

Room for a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Cuts without making a mess

No puddling juices in the pan

If all apple pies would turn out contest worthy!!

Achieving all the pefect elements to a pie is not always as easy as it seems.

But keeping the pie intact and not loosing the filling to the pie pan is the ultimate goal.

We all want that perfect slice with a scoop of ice cream!

As Always,
ENJOY!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Cooled and ready to serve

Add a dollop of whip cream!

This cake recipe comes from Claire Saffitz in her cookbook called 

Dessert Person.  However she calls it wavy chocolate cake.  Most likely because,

at least in all the times I have baked it, the cake has a uneven top and cracks.

But, so very delicious, I will continue to make this recipe for special occasions 

and birthdays!

As Always,
ENJOY!

Pizza with overnight Levain

Hawaiian style

simply Kalamata olives

Canadian bacon and pineapple

Great pizza requires great crust.  To achieve a great crust you must start with 

great dough.  Whether it is sourdough or Levain or Biga, these elements of a starter 

for the dough will help it develop and achieve delicous flavor. 

Ken Forkish has an amazing recipe for this overnight pizza dough using Levain.

As Always,
ENJOY!

Italian Bruschetta

Top with prosciutto and shaved pecorino

Top with garden fresh tomatoes and herbs

Great bread only needs to be simply dressed.  Toast up your

homemade sourdough bread, or some fresh artisanal bread you may have 

selected at a farmers market or small local bakery. 

Keep the toppings simple so you can taste the great flavor of the bread! 

As Always,

ENJOY!

Wet Pork Burritto

Top with Fresh Avocado

Serve with Salad

Every bite is delicious!

Braised Pork Butt or Shoulder

Simmered with Onions and Garlic

Top Burrito with jack cheese and pour hot pork juices

over the top to melt the cheese.

Serve with rice and black beans.

Put your pork in the crockpot in the morning, or start it on the stove

in the afternoon, either way, give this pork a few hours to simmer and

you will have an amazing aroma fill the house and a satisfying

meal for dinner.  Perfect cozy comfort food for these upcoming cold nights.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Nine hour mushrooms

This is the time of year for hearty warm comfort foods. 

Even though this dish does not have as much visual appeal 

as some other dishes, the finished result of these mushrooms is well

worth the effort.

Serve alongside roasted, grilled or braised meats. Add to a hearty 

pasta dish or top some mashed potatoes. Any way you choose to serve

these succulents little gems will be enjoyed by all company 

around the table!

As Always, 
ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

Button Mushrooms

Butter

Worcestershire Sauce

Burgundy Wine

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Water

Beef Bouillon Cube

Chicken Bouillon Cube

Dill Seed

Garlic

Salt