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Cooking t h e LEBANESE w a y Copyright © 2003 by Lerner Publications Company All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publications Company, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Lerner Publications Company A division of Lerner Publishing Group 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Amari, Suad. Cooking the Lebanese way / by Suad Amari—Rev. and expanded. p. cm. — (Easy menu ethnic cookbooks) Includes index. Summary: An introduction to the cooking of Lebanon featuring such traditional recipes as kabobs, hummus, chard and yogurt soup, and bulgur pilaf. Also includes information on the history, geography, customs and people of this Middle Eastern country. eISBN: 0–8225–8009–8 1. Cookery, Lebanese—Juvenile literature. 2. Lebanon—Social life and customs—Juvenile literature. [1. Cookery, Lebanese. 2. Lebanon—Social life and customs.] I. Title. II. Series. TX725.L4 A43 2003 641.595692—dc21 2001007211 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – JR – 08 07 06 05 04 03 easy menu ethnic cookbooks Cooking r e v i s e d a n d e x p a n d e d t h e t o i n c l u d e n e w l o w - f a t lebanese a n d v e g e t a r i a n r e c i p e s w a y Suad Amari a Lerner Publications Company • Minneapolis Contents INTRODUCTION, 7 A LEBANESE TABLE, 27 The Land, 8 The History, 9 Holidays and Festivals, 12 At the Souk, 16 A Lebanese Menu, 28 BEFORE YOU BEGIN, 19 The Careful Cook, 20 Cooking Utensils, 21 Cooking Terms, 21 Special Ingredients, 22 Healthy and Low-Fat Cooking Tips, 24 Metric Conversions Chart, 25 LUNCH, 31 Stuffed Tomatoes, 32 Chard and Yogurt Soup, 34 Peasant Salad, 36 Ground Lamb Mixture, 37 Baked Kibbeh, 39 Fish and Rice Stew, 40 APPETIZERS, 43 Chickpea and Tahini Dip, 44 Eggplant Dip, 45 Lebanese Pizza, 46 Lemonade, 48 DINNER, 51 Garlic Chicken, 52 Baked Fish with Tahini, 53 Bulgur Salad, 54 Bulgur Pilaf, 56 Kabobs, 57 Cold Meat Loaf, 58 HOLIDAY AND FESTIVAL FOOD, 61 Stuffed Pancakes, 62 Nut-Filled Pastries, 64 Lentil Soup, 66 Field Bean Stew, 67 Festive Rice Pudding, 68 INDEX, 70 Introduction Foods with international origins—such as pasta, stir-fries, and tacos—frequently appear on menus in the United States alongside hamburgers and French fries. For many years, however, tabbouleh, hummus, and other foods of the Middle East were not very common outside of their native region. Fortunately for diners in the rest of the world, the popularity and availability of this delicious cuisine have grown greatly. Cooks in the United States have discovered that the Middle Eastern diet, with its emphasis on using fruits, vegetables, and grains, is as delicious as it is healthy and versatile. Lebanon, a country in the very heart of the Middle East, is especially famous for its cuisine, which represents all that is best in the cooking of this historic region. Savory garlic chicken with fresh fruit on the side makes a satisfying evening meal. (Recipe on page 52.) 7 · Beirut OU M ON AN · TI -L EB Baalbek AN LE BA NO N Mediterranean Sea MO UN TA IN S BE KÁ NT AI A NS VA L <