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!