Posts Tagged ‘mezzeh’
Lebanese Food: From A to Z. This table of varied food dishes is called Mezzeh
Posted by: adonis49 on: November 16, 2015
Lebanese Food: From A to Z.
This table of varied food dishes is called Mezzeh.
Not Mazzeh as the famous prison in Syria.
And people still feel obliged to order a few main dishes, in addition to this flood of dishes where there are no more empty spaces to insert your finger.
I suggest they include a few Chinese, Japanese or South Asia sea weed stuff.
Food, food, glorious food.
Warning: this post will cause extreme hunger.
A is for Arak
B is for batata 7arra (spicy potatoes)
C is for cracked wheat (burghol)
D is for djeij (chicken)
E is for eggs with awarma
F is for falafel
G is for ghanouj, baba ghanouj
H is for hummus
I is for ice cream 3a Ashta
K is for knefe
L is for labne
M is for masheweh (skewered meats)
N is for nammoura
O is for olive oil
P is for pistachios
Q is for qatayef
R is for Riz (Rice)
S is for shawarma
T is for tabboule
U is for uncooked meats
V is for vegetables
W is for Wara2 3inab (stuffed grape-leaves)
X is for X-tra toum
Y is for yakhne (stew)
Z is for Zaatar
The gardener of Time: Death will not catch me alive…
I woke up and a new day was sliding and easing its way in my extended life. My wife is sleeping, such a light sleep, and who gives me hell when I wake her up.
I am watching my wife and blessing the day I met her, and kissed her softly.
I am looking at my two kids 5 and 4 year olds, growing so fast, and I am rolling in my mind this film since they were born…
I am whispering a prayer in their ears, wondering how life will find them when they have their own kids…
Why all these hope, happiness, joy, worries… if we are not intent on transmitting the joy of living to them, this sharing in the mystery of life?
A few years ago, the two kids were not part of the living… and destiny will soon separate us.
I am growing in my love for them, as all fathers did for so long. The purpose of all my education is to harden their protective armature to confront the difficulties of the living.
I am smiling at their soft respiration and bless every intake, wishing to add sprinkles of the scents of eucalyptus and jasmine of Mount Lebanon. They are the chain of love, a poem of emotions.
In our home in south Lebanon, the picture of my late father is attached in the entry hall. Each time I pick up a piece of fruit from the garden I tell my kids:
“See this prune, this apple…? I am sinking my teeth in with you: It was my dad who planted them. We’ll be planting some more trees together so that tomorrow your kids will eat from the same fruit. You’ll keep this tradition of the chain of the living love for eternity”
The anchors of the spiritual and affection take roots in nature rejuvenation and on the love and vision of our ancestors who saw the land and labored for our felicity and sealing the genealogical tree of love…
In fixing the photo of my dad, the gardener of time asked me: “Where is Gido (granddad)?” I simplify my answer: “Gido is in heaven…” and the steam of questions never ends. My kid responds: “When I am adult you’ll also be in heaven…”
And I find myself explaining: “Every living thing is to die and go to heaven, even ants, fish…Somebody is dying right now! And it’s like a cedar tree falling.
“I have seem my Lord under the most beautiful of images”
“We created life and death: we want to see who among you accomplished the best of works”
Note 1: I located this piece written in French on FB. I asked the name of the author and didn’t get a reply, not yet.
Note 2: The French detailed description of dinner for breaking Ramadan fast
“Autour de la grande table des fêtes, la soupe traditionnelle a base de lentilles et le fattouch composé de concombre, radis, oignons verts, tomate, poivron ou la salade de roquette, roka, ou de pourpier, avec des oignons, du citron et du sumac, de petits fruits rouges pulvérisés, acides comme du citron ; les diverses formes d’hoummous, crèmes à base pois chiches et de purée de sésame ou tahini ; les préparations à base d’aubergine, tel le moutabbal, crémeux, à saveur de fumée, ou le makdous, constitué d’aubergines farcies de noix, d’ail et de grenade ; les feuilles de vigne farcies de riz, souvent parfumées à la cannelle …