Hummus is popular appetizer, or meze, throughout the Middle East. Cooked chickpeas are pureed with sesame paste, garlic, lemon juice, oil oil and salt.
Tag: Lebanon
Hummus bi Tahina
Baklava
(Eastern Mediterranean nut and phyllo sweet pastry)
An ancient treat, baklava was first cooked up in its current form by Ottoman cooks in present-day Turkey. Sticky and sweet, it is the iconic Middle Eastern pastry.
Baharat
(Middle Eastern spice blend)
Baharat is a flavorful spice blend used to season dishes throughout a crescent-shaped region of the Middle East stretching from Lebanon through Iraq and on to the Yemeni coast.
Baba Ghanoush
(Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip)
Roasted eggplant dip is a very popular appetizer, or mezze, in the Middle East. The smoky, rich flavor of the eggplant goes well with wedges of pita bread or with raw vegetables.
Falafel
(Middle Eastern fried chickpea patties)
Falafel is the original veggie burger and is a common dish throughout the Middle East. It is found in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Egypt and is especially popular with Palestinians.
Zaatar
(Middle Eastern spice blend)
Homemade spice mixtures have flavored the food of the Middle East for millenia. Foremost among these is the blend called zaatar, a mix of local herbs, sumac berries and sesame seeds.
Pita
(Mediterranean pocket bread)
Pita bread is common throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Versions of this simple round loaf are found from Northern Africa to as far east as India.
Keeping Your Marbles: Another Reason to Eat Like a Greek
If you haven’t already, you might want to start cooking more like a Greek…or Italian, Spaniard, Arab or Turk.