This entry is dedicated to my cousins Dina and Yasmin (aka Rita), my Aunt Kiki and the rest of the family who showed me such an amazing time while I was visiting the Middle East, shukran jazeelan!!

In the Middle East, goat milk is king. That fact alone earned the ME major points in my book. Although I don’t necessarily use it to dunk my cookies in; for cooking purposes goat milk is phenomenal. I find it to have a much deeper and sharper taste than the everyday cow’s milk, and when used properly it can take something ever so simple and turn it into something spectacular.

While traveling in the Middle East, I enjoyed strolling down the different markets (souks) and admiring how store owners were true artisans of their culinary crafts. It was just as I remembered it in Aladdin, only it was real and even more chaotic. Markets were divided into categories such as meats, spices, nuts, dairy and so forth, creating perfect competition ideal for bargaining.

Every morning my aunt and I enjoyed a variety of mezze while watching her favorite news anchor read the daily horoscope. Then a few of her neighbors would stop by for a mini gossip session over a cup of Turkish coffee and take turns reading each others futures printed in their coffee cups; a pastime that is extremely popular among women in the Middle East.

Aside from all the amazing memories I made while traveling, I also made sure to inquire about every single recipe I was curious about. Labne certainly made the cut and was one of those recipes I knew I had to bring back with me. Luckily, all it is, is strained yogurt topped with a few garnishes. Making the yogurt from scratch with the freshest goat milk will yield a more authentic product, but this recipe is versatile and adapts well to regular cow’s milk.

If you are in need of a (relatively quick) labne fix, go for a store-bought plain yogurt and strain that. And if you could get your hands on goat yogurt, you’re in business and you may also pass go and collect 200 dollars. However, for the slow food aficionados and for those those looking for some culinary therapy, take the scenic route and make your yogurt at home.

Once you’ve made your yogurt as directed on the package of your preferred yogurt starter, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

I gave up on cheese cloths a long time ago and started using a clean undershirt to strain my yogurt. It’s a lot cheaper, it’s reusable and you could fit a lot more yogurt per batch. However you decide to strain your yogurt is up to you, but make sure to stir salt into the yogurt before setting aside to strain (approximately ½ tsp. of salt per cup of yogurt).

I finally got around to posting all the food related pictures from my trip on my flickr account. For those who just joined, I just got back from a month-long research project in Syria, Lebanon and Italy where I got to experience firsthand different cultural dining experiences and explore flavors that were out of this world!!

I recently got back from my culinary journey around Syria, Lebanon and Italy and cannot wait to share with you guys all the great food ideas I picked up while I was gone. I got to visit 11 Mediterranean cities in the course of a month, and not to mention, eat the best food of my life!!

Here are a few neat pictures from my trip. Later this week I’ll be posting a lot more food pictures that I took while I was abroad – stay tuned!!

For the past few months I’ve been coordinating a research project through Cornell University to study food and culture in the Middle East and Italy. Luckily my proposal went through and I will be traveling around Syria and Italy this winter to conduct my gourmet research!

My flight leaves in a couple of weeks and I will try to post as often as possible! Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!!

Regular salads can get blah after a couple of bites, and it’s unfortunate because green is in these days. Whether you drive a hybrid car, compost daily or live off mounds of dry greens and humdrum vegetables; you’re part of, what I would call, the exclusive green niche. There’s nothing wrong with being green; I might not sport a hybrid, or compile my organic trash, but I recycle… that must land me somewhere within the niche, right? Back to my original point; boring and dry salads shouldn’t be the sole culinary gateway into this green paradise.

Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern salad that has recently received popular acclaim in the League of Greens. Tiny beads of fine bulgur wheat give body to the festive green flakes of parsley that make up the salad. It’s then tossed with an assortment of fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs and exotic spices that help give it its unique taste. And unlike the usual salad dressings that are saturated with hydrogenated oils and masked with indistinguishable flavors, tabbouleh is simply dressed with fruity extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Enjoy!