Homemade Noodles with Lentils (Reshta)
Reshta is the West Beqaa answer for what to serve for Good Friday’s lunch: large homemade noodles in a thick lentil stew. Lentils are a Good Friday staple, and are said to represent Christ’s tears.
Holiday Cookies
Lavender is considered beneficial for inidividuals suffering from restlessness and insomnia.
Sesame seeds are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids.
Gundelia Hreesé
Region: Chouf
Green Fava Bean Stew (Foul Akhdar b’ Zeit)
Fava beans are a staple of Lebanese cuisine. Dry green fava beans are picked in the early spring, boiled, and served as a stew-type salad for breakfast, announcing the arrival of good days and fresh eating.
Grape Molasses Cookie
Region Chouf
Grainy-Style Rice with Lentils (Mudardara)
This is the “other” mujadara, the one that must be “grainy,” with the rice in distinct separate grains and not puréed like the Rice and Lentils.
Garlic Paste (Toum)
Toum is a garlic sauce, or, more accurately, a garlic cream. Not very attractive to vampires and the garlic haters out there, but it is an exquisite, smooth, silky garlic cream that fast becomes an addiction.
Fried Zucchini and Eggplant (Koussa w Batenjenn Mee’leh)
Everything is better from a fryer! Especially zucchini, which gets crispy, and eggplant, which turns soft and melting.
Fried Taro with Chickpeas and Onions (Kelkass b Tehineh)
Kelkass (Colocasia esculenta) is one of those weird old vegetables that you may not know how to use. Still, its plant is the most gracious ever, with large, light green leaves called elephant ears (if ever someone happens to see the plant!).
Fried Eggplant with Yogurt and Pine Nuts (Fatteh Batenjenn)
Another take on the fatteh is this one, with deep-fried eggplant.