Miss me?
Sorry, I have been gastronomically busy indulging in authentic Palestinian cuisine (complete with the appropriate wares) that’s definitely a treat to all my senses… from the 1st, to the 6th! Needless to say, I have been haunted by the fragrant spectrum and aromatic smell of Eman’s Cardamom kitchen. A scent that re-wires my brain to pick up a new found olfactory perception of wholesome, exotically traditional food prepared by loving hands.
This cuisine is as complex and exquisite as the wispy and ornamental Arabic script. The undeniable creativity and range of flavors are a testament to the intellectual capacity of the people from the fertile crescent. A fact that no powerful barbarian can deny nor extinguish.
Here is a glimpse of Levant heaven from a minute, crowded kitchen in a high rise sanctuary.
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Zaatar (thyme, oregano, marjoram, sesame, salt)
spiced chicken with potatoes,
Chicken and vegetable casserole in phyllo pastry,
Khiar Be Laban (cucumber with minted yogurt)
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Baked chicken and vegetable casserole
in phyllo pastry topped with bechamel sauce
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Maqluba
(upside down rice, eggplant and meat casserole usually with allspice )
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Oozie Rice
(rice boiled in chicken stock, topped with vegetables,
spiced beef cubes, roasted almonds and raisins)
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Kousa Mashi
(Bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplant
stuffed with rice and beef, simmered in tomato sauce)
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Baked Mashi Batata
(carved potato stuffed with spiced ground beef and baked in chicken stock)
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Sfeha (round minced lamb pie)
Fatayer Bil Sabanekh (triangle spicy spinach pie)
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Homemade Baklawa
(rolled layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts -
pistachio & almond – soaked in rose water syrup or honey)
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Roz Bil Halib
(rice and milk pudding with dark chocolate shavings and caramel sauce)
Pumpkin pie and
Cardamom Arabic coffee
(usually unsweetened to complement sweet desserts)
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Konafa
(fine vermicelli pastry with cream and drenched in sweet rose water syrup)
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Fattoush (Garden veggies with fried pieces of pita bread)
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Tabbouleh (diced parsley salad with burgul, tomatoes, mint
mainly seasoned with olive oil, salt, and lemon)
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Silky Levantine Cotton Candy
(spun sugar with flour, butter and pistachio nuts)
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Thank God for civilized people!
