Aubergines with Tahineh. Mutabbal (or M'tabbal) refers to the spicy, pungent flavour of this dish due to the combination of grilled aubergines and garlic. Combined with ... [more]
Latest Recipes
A popular dish in Egypt and Lebanon, the aubergines are cored and stuffed with meat, rice, tomatoes and spices. 1lb minced beef or lamb 4 medium aubergines, ... [more]
Omelette with Parsley and Onion. Omelette dishes are fairly universal and are just as popular in the Middle East as elsewhere. They are quick to prepare ... [more]
Foul Medames (or ful medames, foul mudammas) is originally an Egyptian dish. Such is its popularity, variations of the recipe now exist around all countries ... [more]
Welcome to my online cookery blog.
I've gathered together all my favourite recipes from around the middle-east.
As you can guess, my all-time favourite is makloubeh, which translates as upside down.
Most Middle Eastern cuisines are very similar. With the language of the countries surrounding the eastern and southern Mediterranean being predominantly Arabic, many of the dishes carry the same or similar names from region to region, though they may be prepared or seasoned somewhat differently.
The cuisine of Lebanon is one of the most famous in the Mediterranean region. It includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats are consumed in moderation. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten it is usually lamb. It also includes generous amounts of garlic and olive oil - most dishes inlude both of these ingredients. Most often foods are either grilled, baked or sauted in olive oil; butter and cream are mostly confined to desserts. Vegetables are often eaten raw or pickled as well as cooked. The main focus of Lebanses cuisine is on herbs, spices and the freshness of ingredients; the assortment of dishes and combinations of ingredients are almost limitless. The meals are full of earthy, robust flavors and, like most Mediterranean countries, much of what the Lebanese eat is dictated by the seasons.
Due to it's diverse cultural population, Israeli cuisine is a mixture of several other world regions. The Jewish cuisine can be divided into two: Ashkenazic and Sephardic. The Sephardic food is full of aromatic spices and herbs, spicier and livelier in general than Ashkenazic cooking which is sweeter. Ashkenazic refers to Jewish people (immigrants) from east Europe. Sephardic relates to Jewish people from middle east countries, the original jews, who emigrated to Spain, Portugal and western Europe before the middle ages, and many have now returned to the middle east. There is also the cuisine of the non-jewish citizens - the original Phillistines, muslim and christian Arabs, Bedouins and Druze amongst others, which bring a further diversity.