Tag Archives: Lebanese food stylist

Oven-Baked Sea Bream

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Baked Fish

Hey folks, gather ’round for a slice of our neighborhood tales! It’s like just yesterday when my hubby and I reveled in the joys of tucking our little ones into bed, eagerly anticipating our own night out. Fast forward, and here we are, with a teenage daughter and a legally adult second one. Now, they’re the ones ushering us into dreamland before hitting the town.

Our eldest is spreading her wings a bit, navigating the world solo. Meanwhile, the youngest is still under the no-cab-alone rule. So, when she’s out, we’re either stationed at home, ready to pick her up, or hanging with our awesome neighbors who, I must say, are more like family now. Shoutout to Rania and Alain – they’ve been our partners in crime through countless celebrations, from Easter to Christmas to graduation and birthdays. We’ve even lost count of the wine bottles during our weekly dinner gatherings.

Tonight’s rendezvous is set for 8:30, featuring some baked fish and roasted cauliflower. Time to detox from all the cheese and raclette bingeing since Christmas – gotta keep it healthy, you know?

Speaking of fish, my go-to is SEA BREAM. Its mild, white meat is a winner for me. Found in various corners of the globe, it’s perfect for grilling. A decent-sized one, around 400gms, can be thrown on the grill whole – head and all.

My cooking mantra for this beauty? Keep it simple. A sprinkle of salt and pepper, some sliced onions and tomatoes for stuffing, lay it in a baking pan with lemon wedges and aromatic leaves, drizzle some oil, and voila! Pop it in the oven for 45-50 minutes, and you’ve got yourself a tasty treat. Who says healthy can’t be delicious? Cheers to good food and great company!

Ingredients

  • 2kg / 3-4 fresh Sea Bream fish (cleaned, gutted and scaled)
  • Sea Salt and coarse pepper
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 onion, cut in circles
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut in circles
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 3 sprigs of rosemary
  • 10-12 Basil leaves
  • Olive oil, to drizzle
  • 1/2 cup of White Wine
  • Kumquat (Optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 220°C
  2. Wash fish, pat dry and place in oven dish.
  3. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over all parts of the fish and inside the body cavity.
  4. Fill in and surround with zest, onions, tomatoes, lemon slices, rosemary and basil. Drizzle with olive oil.
  5. Pour the wine inside the pan and cook for about 50mn or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Tartiflette

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Tartiflette, is the kind of food that stole my heart right from the get-go. In 2021, Paris, Christmas vibes, freezing temps, and my cozy food radar going bonkers. So, there I am, at the Christmas market in Les Jardins de Tuileries! While my husband and daughter are out there braving the cold, playing without their gloves at the Carnival Balloon Shoot, I’m on a culinary adventure! From one food booth to another, I’m on a mission to try every Alpine dish out there: raclette, fondue, tartiflette, poêlée montagnarde, -you name it.

But let me tell you, the one that stole the show for me was tartiflette. While the fam’s freezing their fingers off, I’m warming up my insides with this magical creation. It’s the kind of recipe with just four ingredients that I adore, especially when I’m not in the mood for a marathon cooking session.

This gem hails from the Savoie department in the French Alps. The name? Well, “tartifle” in Savoyard dialect means “potato”. Picture this: potatoes, cheese, onions, and bacon all coming together in a dance of flavors. The VIP of the dish? Reblochon cheese, but since I couldn’t get my hands on it today, I went for Coulommiers, another soft-ripened French cheese.

This delicious recipe is a perfect winter dinner. So, if you’re on the lookout for a meal that’ll hug your soul, tartiflette’s the answer. Cheers to simple joys and cozy eats!

Ingredients

  • 750g potatoes, peeled and sliced
  • 2 sprigs of thyme (optional)
  • 200g smoked bacon lardons
  • 20g butter
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • ½ cup white wine (optional)
  • 150ml crème fraîche
  • 240g Reblochon, rind and all, sliced

Preparation

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, add the potatoes and thyme, and cook for 6 minutes until just tender. Discard the thyme leaves and drain.
  2. Turn a skillet to medium heat and cook the bacon pieces until they reach your desired doneness (5 to 8 minutes). Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan with the wine and cook until the onions are golden.
  4. Lightly butter an oven dish. Cover the base with the potatoes, then spoon over the onion mixture and the crème fraiche. Mix gently and top it with cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until bubbling and deeply golden. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then serve.

Chocoflan

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Hello, Salut, Marhaba!  So, I’m totally into learning languages and geeking out on the origin of words. Currently, I am fluent in three languages (English, French, Arabic), can engage in conversational Italian, and navigate my way around Thailand, speaking their language, while shopping.

During the Covid lockdown, I crushed all the levels on Duolingo for Spanish, but let’s be real—I still feel hesitant to claim fluency. To achieve that, I believe I need to spend at least three months in a Spanish-speaking country.

Now, check this out: one of the MVPs in my personal dictionary is “NO.” I heard somewhere that in Irish Gaelic, they don’t even have a direct translation for it. What’s up with that? As a no-nonsense kind of person, I’m all about straightforward answers. “YES” means yes, and “NO” means no. No beating around the bush, you know?

But let’s get real about people. Why do they sometimes dance around the truth, leaving you to play detective? Sure, sparing feelings is cool, but there are those everyday situations where you’re just too nice to say NO to pizza when you’re totally gluten-intolerant or nod along to plans at a place your friend picked, and you secretly hate it.

Anyway, I was supposed to be chatting about chocoflan, but man, this whole avoiding a straight-up YES or NO just gets on my nerves.

Okay, back to the good stuff—the chocoflan! This dessert is next-level awesome. It’s fancy, it’s tasty, and guess what? It’s a breeze to make. Pour that flan mix over the cake batter, stick it in the oven, and bam! Like magic, it comes out with chocolate at the bottom and flan chilling on the top. Seriously, the first time I tried it, I felt like I had David Copperfield on speed dial. I never expected it to work so flawlessly on the first try. The sense of pride and accomplishment was overwhelming; I felt like a baking genius. I encourage you to try this recipe, hoping you’ll share in the joy and satisfaction I experienced. 🍰✨

Ingredients

  • 12 cup Bundt cake

For base:

  • Butter, softened or Butter Coating Spray
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce

For the flan:

  • 354ml can evaporated milk
  • 397ml can condensed milk
  • 120g cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla

For the cake:

  • 150g butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

For garnish:

  • Chocolate sprinkles

Preparation:

  1. Coat a 12-cup Bundt cake with butter or use the butter spray. Then drizzle caramel sauce and place the whole Bundt in a large oven dish or roasting pan that will be used for a water bath (bain-marie) during baking.
  2. For the cake: Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Pour yogurt gradually while mixing and scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.
  5. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
  6. For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla. Blend on high for 40 seconds.
  7. Pour the flan mixture evenly over the cake batter.
  8. Add about 1 inch of hot water to the roasting pan and place it gently into the oven.
  9. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  10. When the cake is done, remove it from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.
  11. Chill in the refrigerator and invert the cake onto a large serving dish just before serving. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles and serve!

Carrot Cake

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Photography Serge Oryan – IG @sergeoryan_photography

Are friendships like recipes?

Imagine friendship as a thoughtfully crafted recipe. There are moments when I want to sprinkle in extra spices to infuse excitement, and other times, a dash of sugar to sweeten the bond. For depth, a pinch of salt is added, and for nourishment, a touch of aroma is introduced. I’d prepare it on high heat for a profound connection or simmer it slowly for a more leisurely pace. Casual friendship resembles a comforting cup of tea on chilly days, providing warmth and solace, while long-lasting friendships are akin to a glass of wine on challenging days, offering both tranquility and a touch of sparkle.

I am not only blessed with the most amazing family, but I am also surrounded by numerous friends whom I love and trust, whether it’s a day of joy or a day of difficulty. I know you are many, and you know who you are. Let’s continue to enrich our friendship, making it enduring and meaningful.

Back to the kitchen where baking lifts my spirits when I’m in a good mood, and even when I’m not, it has a way of brightening my day. Yesterday’s choice landed on carrot cake, a household favorite, possibly inspired by the fall season or the Halloween decorations adorning my house.

There are different variations, but I’ve been loyal to this recipe for years now. I wonder why I never thought of posting it before. It contains shreds of carrots, walnuts and raisins for added texture and flavor. The use of carrots in cake recipes can be traced back to a time when sweeteners like sugar were scarce or expensive. Carrots provided natural sweetness and moisture to cakes. However, the carrot cake we know today, can be quite high in sugar and calories, particularly with the cream cheese frosting.

This cake is appreciated for its sweet, moist, and subtly spiced flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded carrots

  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 can / 227g crushed pineapple in juice

  • ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

  • ½ cup raisins

Preparation:

  1. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan (or a 7-inch/18cm round pan).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Add shreds of carrots and coconut and beat until combined.
  4. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  5. Stir into the egg mixture. Stir in pineapple chunks with the juice, chopped walnuts, and raisins.
  6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  7. Let it cool in the pan on a rack.

If desired, you can spread cream cheese frosting on the top, and this is how you make it:

Ingredients: • 227g / 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature • 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 cups icing sugar, sifted • A pinch of salt

Preparation: Whisk together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

Peach Frangipane Tart

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Photography Serge Oryan

Impress family and friends with this popular French dessert. Combine almonds and peaches to make one of the most iconic summer treats. This tart is perfect when fruits are seasonal and tasty.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry:

  • 100g / 1 stick butter, cut into cubes
  • 225g plain flour
  • 25g icing sugar, sieved
  • 1 egg, beaten

For the filling:

  • 150g soft butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 30g plain flour
  • 1tsp almond extract
  • Canned or Fresh peaches, peeled and sliced.
  • For decoration:
  • Runny honey or peach jam, melted and sieved, for glaze
  • 25g untoasted almonds, peeled, flaked or halved

PREPARATION

In a processor, combine butter cubes, flour and icing sugar and process shortly like few pulses only. Pour in the beaten egg and pulse again until the dough starts to form a ball.

Wrap with cling film and chill. Sometimes the dough is immediately manageable, pending on the temperature of the butter or the room and you can skip the chilling part.

To make the filling in the same processor, cream the butter and sugar together, then gradually add the beaten eggs.

Add the ground almonds, flour and almond extract. Process for a few seconds until well combined. Place the mixture in the fridge, while you prepare the base.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry dough to fill in a 25cm tart mold. Use the rolling pin to level the edges. Spoon the filling over the base and decorate with halved peaches.

Lemon Curd

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Lemon Curd-HR

Lemon curd tops my lemon tart to make it epic, and layers my blueberry cake to make it a star dish and spreads over my coconut scone to make it morish. This is how I make it!

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 85g /6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and diced

Preparation

This is best done in a double boiler or in “Bain Marie”. Fill a small saucepan with water (about 4 inches) and bring it to boil, reduce the heat to keep the water at a simmer and place a clear Pyrex bowl inside. Make sure the size of the heatproof bowl (i.e. the Pyrex) is not too smaller than the saucepan so the steam is concentrated underneath it.

Place egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the Pyrex bowl and whisk until completely blended. As the curd cooks, whisk constantly until the mixture becomes thick, around 10 minutes.

Off the heat, add the butter dices and whisk until completely melted. Pour curd into a jar. Leave it open until completely cooled. Store in refrigerator up to 10-14 days.

 

 

Sweet Chestnut Dip

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Sweet Chestnut Dip .jpg

Ingredients

  • 250g chestnuts, roasted and peeled and cut in 2
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 250 ml / 1 cup cream
  • 2 tablespoons Cognac or Irish Cream liqueur

Preparation

  1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and stir with a spoon until sugar dissolves.
  2. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until chestnuts have softened.
  3. Off heat, blend the mixture until soft and smooth.
  4. Refrigerate overnight or until firm and serve with apple slices or your favorite crackers.

 

 

Loubieh Bi Zeit or Green Beans in Oil

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Maya Oryan - Loubieh Bi Zeit.JPG

Loubieh Bi Zeit literally means “green beans in oil” and is a Lebanese traditional vegetarian dish. Many local dishes use olive oil I think because Lebanon produces fine olive oil and combined to many ingredients result into absolute indulgence.

I prepare this dish using fresh beans, tomatoes, garlic and onions. I love this old-fashioned simple version, I change nothing add nothing!

This meal is refreshing, tasty and healthy, the combination of ripe tomatoes and green beans gives it a sweet flavor with a bit of acidity.

Classic!

Ingredients

  • 1kg flat green beans (a.k.a helda beans), washed
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 7 garlic cloves
  • 400 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • ¼ tsp Lebanese seven spices
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Fresh herbs for garnish

 Directions

  1. Top and tail the beans and cut into even-sized pieces.
  2. Fry the onions over medium-high heat until golden. Add the whole garlic, the flat beans, the pepper and the salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the beans are a vibrant green.
  3. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir.
  4. Cover with water and simmer on low-medium heat for about 25 minutes.
  5. Remove the lid and add the tomato sauce. Continue cooking until the liquid evaporates and the tomatoes form a thick coating around the beans.
  6. Garnish with parsley, coriander or mint and serve at room temperature with fresh onions and flat bread.

 

 

The Roof at Four Seasons Beirut

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The RoofA.jpg

What I love the most about Beirut in summer, is to watch the sun slipping below the horizon, with a frosted drink in one hand and cool music playing in the background.

With sweeping views of Downtown Beirut and the Mediterranean sea, “The Roof” perches on the Four Seasons Hotel’s 26th floor, offering a unique menu of tapas and an impressive cocktail list.

This chic rooftop lounge is a great spot to chill out enjoying some local glamour and lounging around with an A-list celebrity clientele and a live DJ spinning tracks.

Yesterday, I woke up craving for their Asian-inspired tasty bites so in the evening I slipped into one sexy dress and headed there with Serge and some friends. As soon as we arrived, we ordered a refreshing bottle of rosé to start with, while our eyes focused on that world-class sunset. We were lucky to have the manager Rita Bou Antoun on duty to visit our table and recommend a concoction from The Roof tailored menu, to inspire appetite and generate fun conversations.

Everybody around seemed to have fun, even though the venue is more of a lounge area than a party place, nevertheless some guests were swinging and dancing on the live tunes of DJ David Maouad. He was so good that turned the setting into one high-end playground for rich and famous hanging there and transforming an ordinary summer day into a terrific evening.

Finally not only the views were sensational but also the ambiance, the refined delights and the fascinating dessert. Thank you The Roof for making every night out here a most treasured experience. Can’t wait to go back!

Orzo Mozzarella Salad

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OrzoMozarrellaSalad

This recipe is inspired from the salad of my awesome friend Sandrella.

I have a lot of awesome friends but none of them has her get-up-and-go astonishing characteristic. None of them is the gym freak to drive 1 hour in the morning, because this is where her favorite PT trains. None of them travels 4 times a year with 3 kids on different adventurous vacations. None of them runs her overseas business while baking her children sophisticated cake recipe or spending the day driving them from and to activities or play-dates.

I congratulate you my friend, not only because your food has been labeled as inspirational, but also because your vitality is contagious.

I surround myself with friends who have great sense of humor, extraordinary dreams and great ambitious. This helps to focus my energy in a positive direction. Being positive attract positive people, they somehow gravitate toward me.

In Oprah’s book What I Know For Sure, I like her chapter on gossip. She first talked about a truth Maya Angelou passed on to her: “I’m convinced that the negative has power—and if you allow it to perch in your house, in your mind, in your life, it can take you over,” she said. “Those negative words climb into the woodwork, into the furniture, and the next thing you know, they’re on your skin. A negative statement is poison.”

Oprah writes: “We live in a culture obsessed with gossip—who’s wearing what, who’s dating whom, who’s entangled in the latest sex scandal. What would happen if we declared our homes, our relationships or our lives gossip-free zones? We’d probably be surprised at how much time we’d free up to do the work that’s most significant—building our dreams rather than tearing down others’. We’d fill our homes with a spirit of truth that would make visitors want to kick off their shoes and stay awhile. And we’d remember that while words have the power to destroy, they also have the power to heal.

I did this salad on Saturday for some of my beautiful friends. We had dinner, chatted and laughed out loud. No one was making any effort to incorporate humor into the atmosphere, the energy was there, circulating light and carefree.

Always find the best in others, it’s necessary to living the good life.

 And now back to some serious talk of ORZO MOZZARELLA SALAD and this is how I make it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 1 cup red cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, full or halved
  • 12 mini mozzarella balls
  • ¼ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • Olive oil, to taste
  • Coarse salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp oregano

Preparation:

  1. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water.
  2. In a bowl, combine orzo, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil and black olives. Toss with pesto until ingredients are completely coated. Add olive oil, salt and oregano and toss again.
  3. Decorate with pine nuts and serve.

NOTE: I made my own pesto: Slice very thin a quarter cup of fresh basil. Crush basil inside the mortar with 1 tablespoon of pine nuts and 1 garlic clove. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan and stir.