Dinner in Beirut

I have been on a Lebanese food kick lately. Well more specifically a Beiruty food kick. As I have learned there is a difference in the food you'll find in Beirut vs up north, down south or in the mountains.

I have been scouring internet looking for some of the best (read: easy yet classic) recipes and I came up with three (well four but I don't want to talk about the fatayer - cheese or spinach filled pastry. I'm denying it ever happened)

So I started with Mdardara (I'm pretty sure it's pronounced mmmmdrdrdrdra) which is lentils and rice. This has to be one the easiest dishes ever but it looks complicated which is my favorite attribute in a dish. Mdardara is sauteed onions cooked with one part rice and one part soaked lentils and should be served with fresh plain yogurt.

Then came the Salat Al Patata or Lebanese Potato Salad. Now I'm not such a potato salad fan because I can't stand mayo but this potato salad (much like the german version) doesn't use any mayo. Instead it uses olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and salt. And can I just say YUM. This salad has potato, tomato, green bell pepper and pearl onions and it's both refreshing and filling at the same time. I can see this dish becoming a spring and summer staple around this house

Finally by request I made Fasulia Metable or White Bean Salad. It is another simple but tasty dish. One can of rinsed white beans, some onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and petter. Easy peasy and it seemed to disappear before my eyes!

Three wonderful, fresh dishes straight from the streets of Beirut

But I'll have to get back to you on the fatayer... I will attempt it again and I shall WIN!

vacation

sorry for my absence last weekend but i was on vacation. yup i enjoyed one entire week off of work and one entire week away from the ridiculous heat in Abu Dhabi. we went to the amazing city of Beirut. it was my first, of what i hope to be many many trips over my lifetime. let me show you a few of the pics i took while i was there

here is the famous square in down town Beirut during the day


at night


look at that crowd! we could hardly walk anywhere. the whole street is lined on both sides with restaurants that spill out on to the streets and off ov them were completely full!


theCorniche


me at Roche Rock... amazingly beautiful and you can even take a boat around the rock. i think that's in the plans for our next trip


REAL indigenous flowers growing outside. it's been way too long since i have seen that


Beirut from the Telefreak, which is a bucket ride to the top of a mountain that gives you a great view of Lebanon


over all it was amazing and beautiful. i realized just how much i miss living in a city where you can walk (oh how i miss walking out side) to most places, where people in the neighborhoods know each other, the city doesn't revolve around money and you feel the history of the country every where you go. the other great thing is that i got to meet a lot of my husband's family while we were there. it was great to see everyone and finally have faces to go with all those stories i'm told all the time. i have realized just how lucky i am to be married to a man with such a warm and accepting family. it was a fantastic vacation!