Saturday, November 14, 2009

my lebanese cooking classes featured in the blogosphere!

over the past few years, i have been teaching lebanese cooking classes in people's homes, featuring recipes, of course, from my book, alice's kitchen: traditional lebanese cooking.


i just discovered that a recent cooking class/dinner party i taught at my friend and naturopath elaine's house was blogged on by her husband, david, whom i met that evening. we had an ambitious menu, so i requested the guests/class refrain for a while from drinking alcohol, since we had a lot to do if we wanted to eat before midnight! when you see the menu, you'll understand!


appetizers


        baba ghannouj
mhammara (red pepper & walnut dip)
ful mdammas (fava beans with garlic)
raw cut veggies (persian cucumbers, carrot sticks, romaine lettuce, and such)
olives
pita bread
feta cheese
pistachio nuts, cashews, jordan almonds
entreés
lebanese omelette (vegetarian—either as entreé or appetizer)
barbequed chicken with homemade garlic mayonnaise
sheikh al mihshi (japanese eggplant stuffed with lamb) served over lebanese style rice, garnished with  sauteéd nuts





salads
tabbouli
lebanese beet salad
dessert
fresh seasonal fruits and berries
knafe bi jibn (lebanese cheese pastry) with simple syrup (attar)
beverages
lebanese rose syrup 
jallab (sweet date beverage) with pine nuts
lebanese beer and wine


quite an effort and quite a feast! twelve guests/cooks were invited—not all were in the kitchen! some of the men played music while mostly women and one brave man were the students/cooks, with david documenting the event with his camera! it was a great collaborative effort and still we didn't eat until after 9 p.m. (early for middle easterners!) perhaps because of the elaborate menu and challenges with using the convection oven—elaine had barely used hers—it was new, and my total cooking experience is on my traditional vintage gas stove!



it was an enjoyable and memorable night! here's one of david's photos. be sure to read his blog to see more and to hear his perspective. thanks, david!

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