tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632Sat, 18 May 2013 23:58:49 +0000PersonalDrinkSoupModern Syrian CuisineIngredientsFood ThoughtsMain101 MezzeMy RecipeBreakfastTraditionQuick SupperOther FoodRestaurant ReviewsSweetsSyrian ClassicsSyrian CuisineSidesHistoryVegetarianRecipesSaladBlogosphereStreet FoodStartersSyrian FoodSnacksSyrian Foodie diaries, thoughts, stories and delicious recipes.http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Kano)Blogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-6827171134914850303Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:05:00 +00002013-03-05T07:07:22.621Z The team behind Syrian Supper Club are running a huge fundraising event in support of UK registered charity Syria Relief. Specifically the money will go to support two projects, a field hospital in Northern Syria paying for three doctors, two nurses and two porters and "Bread" where flour is bought in Turkey, transported to Syria, baked and distributed free of charge to those in need. Tohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/HSTBUW-AKf4/cooking-for-syria.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)4http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2013/03/cooking-for-syria.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-793245695249549829Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:49:00 +00002012-02-02T22:04:06.745ZStarters101 MezzeSyrian Cuisine 30 years ago Syria's Assad regime committed one of the worst massacres in the twentieth century. 20000 people of the city of Hama lost their lives at the hands of the regime army. They didn't spare anyone, man, woman or child. Men and boys dragged out of their houses, lined against the walls and killed by fire squads.  30 years on, the Assad junior regime is committing the same massacres. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/iphJGXG2_GY/one-humndred-and-one-mezze-30-batersh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)40http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/one-humndred-and-one-mezze-30-batersh.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-2916847433566730538Sun, 03 Jul 2011 09:19:00 +00002011-07-03T22:32:04.645+01:00IngredientsI am not sure how "new" this bread from Warburtons is, but I only discovered it three weeks ago. During this time I had loads of it. I used it in all manners possible. Wraps, mezze scope, folded and toasted and topped with all kinds of ingredients and flashed under the grill.I have the tendency to do that whenever I discover a new ingredient. For a month or so I try all kind of things, some http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/iFr-h_5vaJI/square-wraps.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)17http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/square-wraps.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-934711214856405384Sun, 26 Jun 2011 07:35:00 +00002011-08-07T17:47:24.274+01:00Syrian ClassicsFood ThoughtsSyrian CuisineThis post is dedicated to the brave people of Latakia, Baniyas, Jableh and Al-Bayda village. God bless you and bless your martyrs. One of my earliest, and most vague, memories of food was in a small seaside restaurant on some Syrian coastal town, most likely in Tartous. My dad and great uncle where invited by our waiter to come and chose our table fish. I tagged along and we were taken to the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/vSdNgvkXWX0/sayadieh-food-of-brave.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)20http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/06/sayadieh-food-of-brave.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-5068124308327723759Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:08:00 +00002011-06-25T10:29:38.562+01:00My RecipeSyrian CuisinePersonalWhen I started this blog two years ago I had two aims in mind, firstly to share my love of food and secondly, and most importantly, to show my beloved country Syria in all its beauty. To share with all of you everything good about the great Syrian people, about their cuisine, their life and their history. A propaganda website, not for a regime or government but for a land and city I love so much.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/9KEQ6np__UQ/mlehy-food-of-brave.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)29http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/06/mlehy-food-of-brave.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-4201946087958433858Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:57:00 +00002011-03-09T22:19:55.653ZPersonalFinally a holiday. I haven't been back home for a whole year. I have not done that since I first moved to London. I can't wait to get there tomorrow night and have my traditional just-got-out-of-the-plane dinner, Shawerma Arabi. To all my regular readers, I am sorry I haven't been writing much and thank you for coming back to read the one or two posts I am managing to write every month. I have http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/RdDcbkrFo_c/i-am-of-to-syria.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)28http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-of-to-syria.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-3258029423001871546Sun, 27 Feb 2011 10:41:00 +00002011-02-27T13:30:44.935ZIngredientsSafflower or عصفر in Arabic (pronounced Osfor) is a little know spice used in Damascene cooking. It has an earthy subtle flavour and gives dishes a light yellow orange colour. The spice is the dried petals of Safflowers flowers. Apart from being used in Syria and the wider Middle East as a spice, the plant is grown for its seed oil. It is also used in herbal medicine or as an organic dye for http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/jZRbetOwdgg/safflower.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)20http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/02/safflower.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-7399790271370709060Sat, 19 Feb 2011 07:43:00 +00002011-02-27T21:02:00.468ZMy RecipeModern Syrian CuisineIngredientsFreekeh (فريكة roughly translated, Rubbed) is a type of wheat grain common in the Levant, Egypt, Turkey and parts of North Africa. Freekeh grains have a distinct nutty smokey flavour due to the preparation method. Traditionally freekeh is cooked as pilaf or soup but it is a versatile ingredients and can be utilised in numerous ways from salads to cereal bars.To make freekeh, wheat is harvested http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/CjvZI9bWXHg/freekeh-with-slow-roasted-lamb-shanks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)14http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/02/freekeh-with-slow-roasted-lamb-shanks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-767564163286061240Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:54:00 +00002011-01-22T22:23:18.977ZStarters101 MezzeThis post and my previous one on shanklish were supposed to be one post but when I started writing I discovered I have a lot to say about shanklish. It is a delicious ingredient and almost unknown outside the Levant. It definitely deserved its own post.Today's recipe is the best way to enjoy shanklish. It works great as a light supper dish or as a mezze. As I mentioned previously, shanklish is http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/MoVVLY4sHm8/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-29-shanklish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)11http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-29-shanklish.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-5353612712159867494Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:03:00 +00002011-01-03T23:43:27.598ZSyrian ClassicsSidesFood ThoughtsSyrian FoodSyrian CuisineYogurt in Syria is used in a total different way to that of England. We use yogurt in its unprocessed form. We don't eat it as a desert or a snack and never sweet or mixed with fruits. Yogurt for Syrians is a savory ingredient that is served next to food or used as a base ingredient of many dishes. We use yogurt by the bucket load quite literally! Traditionally Damascenes bought their yogurt fromhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/5APP9vikhpk/yoghurt-tahini-or-both.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)18http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/yoghurt-tahini-or-both.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-8359467092206092408Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:46:00 +00002010-12-21T22:04:03.366ZFood ThoughtsIf you are of the foodie types you will know pomegranate molasses has been in vouge for quite a while. You see it every where nowadays; in cooking shows, newspaper reviews and food blogs. Despite that I thought this interest is confined to foodies and TV chefs until I saw it on a high street supermarket shelf in deepest whitest Essex. The last place on Earth to sell pomegranate molasses!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/JpV5jufGd_Y/pomegranate-molasses-gone-mainstream.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)19http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/12/pomegranate-molasses-gone-mainstream.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-9215332739125264747Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:11:00 +00002010-12-12T19:18:03.785ZPersonalFor those who read my Kammun post, it is snowing in Damascus today.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/bEz_0HEYgBQ/how-much-i-miss-damascus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)7http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-much-i-miss-damascus.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-3777622283527536864Sat, 11 Dec 2010 09:08:00 +00002010-12-11T17:48:45.172ZVegetarianFood ThoughtsIngredientsShanklish is the only "blue" cheese of Syria and Lebanon. I say blue because the cheese is left to age and develop mould layer on the surface. I used quotation marks because the mould is then rinsed away then the cheese balls are dried and rolled in a herb crust.Proper Shanklish making is a complicated lengthy process. It starts by turning milk into yoghurt. The yoghurt is placed in a large http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/M_Qa_X81sKU/shanklish-blue-cheese-of-levant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)14http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/12/shanklish-blue-cheese-of-levant.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-648399455944209513Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:23:00 +00002010-12-05T22:16:35.248ZDrinkThis post is a few days late but the winter hasn't even started properly and I am sure we will have many more cold days to come to enjoy this drink. For those outside the UK and don't know what I am talking about, we spent last week in knee-deep snow.To many people, Syria is this Middle Eastern extremely hot place. While true at the height of summer winter is a complete different story. It comes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/c25ZzdMbRko/kammun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)10http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/12/kammun.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-8484568435750567679Sat, 06 Nov 2010 09:43:00 +00002010-11-07T18:51:51.461ZSyrian ClassicsVegetarian101 MezzeToday's recipe is a must in any Damascene restaurant meal. It is an essential part of any meal you almost get served these by default, sometimes without even ordering them. To start your meal you will get served one of these and one Kibbeh Me'lyieh (Fried Kibbeh) along with the usual suspects of hummus, mutabal and fatoush.For this recipe I used my mum super fast borak dough recipe. This dough http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/FhixpMNiWF0/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-28-cheese.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)24http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/11/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-28-cheese.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-4089958379527226862Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:40:00 +00002010-10-22T21:57:36.973+01:00My RecipeI can't believe a whole month has passed without me writing a word on my blog. To my defence (I keep telling myself) I moved house, I moved job, I moved city (Syrian Foodie in Essex nowadays), I have a three months old baby, I am organising an international medical conference and I have a couple of research projects that I am so far behind on. I think I have a very valid excuse!To start me http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/Iaxn3A6h_xk/signature-dish-sea-bass-with-syrian.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)24http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/10/signature-dish-sea-bass-with-syrian.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-196745902791280396Sun, 19 Sep 2010 21:20:00 +00002010-09-19T23:24:47.614+01:00SnacksStreet FoodWe Damascenes have a special love relation with green, sour and unripe nuts and fruits. Come April, hundreds of street vendors walk around the city pushing carts piled with Ouja (عوجة). Ouja are sour green almonds picked way before the flesh turns into the familiar wooden shell of almonds. The fruit is sour, crunchy with a furry skin. They are usually eaten dipped in salt. Sour and salty, perfecthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/GlMtot54cQ4/green-nuts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)20http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/09/green-nuts.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-8426647520078349567Sun, 12 Sep 2010 09:07:00 +00002010-09-19T09:49:31.727+01:00StartersModern Syrian CuisineOther Food101 MezzePalestinian food shares most of its dishes with the surrounding Levantine countries. Few "national" dishes of Palestine like Maqluba (upside down rice dish) and Mahashi (stuffed vegetables) are common all through the Levant with, sometimes very distinct, local variations. Today's dish, Musakhan is on the contrary a true uniquely Palestinian dish. Musakhan in it is original format is a very rustichttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/QAIuWnjdqQ4/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-27-musakhan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)24http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/09/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-27-musakhan.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-439484823240767653Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:46:00 +00002010-08-23T06:57:09.266+01:00My RecipeStartersVegetarianFew weeks ago I discovered a new ingredient, Lavash bread. I have always seen it on Middle Eastern grocery shops in West Ealing but I never thought about trying it until recently, and what a discovery! Lavash is a type of very thin bread native to Turkey, Iran, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The bread is a beautifully versatile ingredient that can be used to make pastries, borak and even oven http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/6ku5wzABhJI/ramadan-special-oven-cheese-fatayer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)24http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/08/ramadan-special-oven-cheese-fatayer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-6090760564820326977Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:42:00 +00002010-08-23T06:56:34.461+01:00StartersSoupAnother year passed very quickly and Ramadan is here again. Although I am not particularly the religious type, I can't ignore the presence of the holy month. The culinary tradition of Ramadan is incomparable to any time of the year. The whole month is a celebration of food, drinks and sweets. Today's dish is chicken vermicelli soup, a firm childhood favourite. Nice and strongly flavoured tangy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/NMZlCKGkxA4/ramadan-special-vermicelli-chicken-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)10http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/08/ramadan-special-vermicelli-chicken-soup.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-7776609333975049844Sat, 07 Aug 2010 07:44:00 +00002010-08-07T14:50:27.664+01:00My RecipeSyrian FoodSyrian CuisineMainI haven't cooked spinach since I met my wife few years ago. Although it was one of my favourite vegetables to eat as a child, Nada didn't like it so I didn't bothered cooking it. I never questioned what about spinach she didn't like. Then it all came clear. I had the misfortune of trying Sabzi!Sabzi for those who don't know it is a Persian way of cooking spinach along with few other green herbs. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/nPccz85N6wY/spinach-stew.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)30http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/08/spinach-stew.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-3958606918950235550Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:53:00 +00002010-07-22T23:12:06.073+01:00Restaurant ReviewsPersonalMost of my memories, happy and sad, are related to my teen years and early university. It was the best time of my life. I spent my childhood in Saudi Arabia with my family. I didn't like that place and the whole fifteen years I spent there are like a giant memory black hole. I hardly remember the place. I never speak about it and it doesn't feature in any way in my life. Moving back to Syria was http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/cRj0BCrmw9o/sirop.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)9http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/07/sirop.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-4893391518014347520Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:46:00 +00002010-07-16T18:39:57.733+01:00My RecipeModern Syrian CuisineI was never a fan of fusion cuisine. I am still to try a fusion dish that tastes better or even comparable to its ancestors. Usually it is the flavour combinations that ruins the experience for me.Personally I always found that fusion between two geographically close cuisines works better than two wide apart. May be because neighboring countries use similar ingredients so when you fuse the two http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/DfxY0UBPNhI/syrian-fajitasish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)11http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/07/syrian-fajitasish.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-2384385172386371570Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:39:00 +00002010-06-26T15:56:32.663+01:00Syrian ClassicsSyrian FoodSyrian CuisineQuick SupperWhen I posted a recipe of my take on the Syrian classic Mufaraket Batata, my friends Rania and Tammam ended up "hotly debating" what makes dish Mufarakeh. Rania objected to me using the name for my version. At the time I thought the dishes with the generic name "Mufarakeh" have very little in common.This discussion remained in my mind ever since. After some soul searching and some extensive http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/j1NSBsm4r4w/mufarakat-ful-quick-mid-week-supper.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)12http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/06/mufarakat-ful-quick-mid-week-supper.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250163226623229632.post-4017136213892396486Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:59:00 +00002010-06-20T09:35:11.624+01:00101 MezzeBorak, or as commonly known by the Turkish variation of the name Borek, is an umbrella term describing a huge variety of filled pastries eaten in all ex-Ottoman Empire countries. Serbia, Greece, Armenia, Turkey and The Levant have some version or another of the dish. The common feature of these pastries is a crispy flaky crust and a generous filling. Meat or cheese are by far the most common but http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SyrianFoodieInLondon/~3/AMZedwKUO7g/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-26-meat-borak.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kano)18http://syrianfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/06/one-hundred-and-one-mezze-26-meat-borak.html