The Holy Trinity

I’m back after weeks of erratic skeds from work and the fully booked Artist Chef Intimate Dinner this Valentine's month. Well I’m writing this blog because I feel that it is important for people to know who are my inspirations in my cooking. A lot of people say that I cook so well and they wonder if I am a product of the Culinary Schools that are popping like mushrooms nowadays. I proudly tell them that maybe that’s my gift from the Almighty. It’s like a calling that I have to pursue, a mission that has to be done. I believe that if I will further enhance this gift by going to a culinary school--I know the Almighty will take my life farther. All my life my passion is cooking and the arts. It’s my innate passion. I don't have to work so hard at it--it’s something that comes from within me. Since I was 10 years old I've dreamed of the day when everything will fall into place--I’d be an Art Director, a Painter and a Chef. True enough, one by one, I can see the road that will lead me towards that dream. In the meantime I take care of the gift I have especially my cooking. My cooking method is not restricted. I adapt techniques and styles from Chefs around the world. I research every step of the way and I can easily give life to my research by applying them in my cooking. This blog is dedicated to these 3 Chefs whom I consider the Holy Trinity of Cooking: Jamie Oliver, Ferran Adria and Anthony Bourdain. To explain why I admire them, I think I need to write a separate blog for each.

Potato Soufflet (Sayniyyet Batata) - البطاطا بالصينية

This recipe is served with
a mixed green salad in the photo,
but any salad goes with it.

Ingredients: (4-5 servings)
6 medium to big potatoes
1 onion
1 cup of bulgur wheat
1 pound (or half a kilo) of minced meat
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1 egg
Butter or vegetable oil
Grated cheese of your choice (parmesan, mixed cheese etc...)

- Peel the potatoes, then boil them with some salt
Meanwhile prepare the filling:
Chop the onion, put in pan and sautee with some butter or oil, after 1 minute add the pine nuts, after another minute add the minced meat until it lightly browns, remove to cool.
- After the potatoes are cooked all the way, drain and then put them in a bowl and mash them. Add the egg (after they cool down a bit, you don't want the egg to cook) mix well, then add the cup of washed burgul, add salt and pepper and mix well. Divide the potato mix into equal halves. Coat a baking pan with butter or oil and spread the first half of the potato, top it with the meat mixture, then add the last layer of the rest of the potatoes.

Top with grated cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until done. (Oven-350)

Fattoush (Lebanese traditional salad) - الفتوش

Ingredients: (serves 4)
8 leaves of romaine lettuce medium sliced
2 tomatoes (medium diced)
1 cucumber sliced,(small size, if other: about a handful or 2)
1 onion sliced half circle
1 clove of garlic mashed or very thinly sliced
2 handful of parsley leaves
1 small bellpepper, medium to small sliced
4 leaves of white cabbage cut in half and sliced
Few mint leaves
4 radishes sliced
2 green onions sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 cup of watercress or purslane
1 medium pita bread opened, cut in small cubes and toasted
1 tablespoon of summack spice (found in middle eastern foodstores)
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil

Mix sliced onions with salt and summack, add the garlic then add all the vegetables, add lemon juice and olive oil and mix well. Top with toasted bread right before serving.

Tip: Some people prefer the bread fried in vegetable oil (for 1 minute then dried on a paper towel), it's really good!!! Also some people like to substitute lemon juice with vinegar.

Hommus (Lebanese chickpeas paste) - الحمص بالطحينة

1 can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)

1 clove of garlic

2-3 tablespoons tahini paste (sesame paste)

Juice of one lemon

A pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, until you get the paste. You may want to add a little bit of water if the tahini is too thick. Add olive oil on top right before serving.

Baba Ghannouj: (Eggplant dip)

Replace the chickpeas with 1 medium grilled and peeled eggplant.

Tabbouli (Lebanese Parsley salad) - تبولة

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)

1 bunch of parsley (washed, finely chopped, try not to include the long stems)

1 medium onion (optional: some green onions are good too)

1 tomato

Juice of one lemon

Few fresh mint leaves (washed and chopped)

1/2 teaspoon of 7 spices (or allspice)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2-3 tablespoons of fine burgul (or wheat germs)

6 tablespoons of olive oil (or eye ball it depending on taste)

Dice the onion and mix it with salt and allspice and put it the serving bowl. Dice the tomato and add it to the onion, then add the chopped parsley and mint, bulgur (soak the bulgur in a little bit of water if it's not fine, no need to soak wheat germs, just add it to the ingredients). Add lemon juice, olive oil. Mix all together and serve.You can garnish it with some diced tomatoes.

Tips on how to eat it:In Lebanon we serve it with romaine lettuce hearts or white cabbage. Take a soft leaf of lettuce, fill it with Tabbouli and enjoy a tabbouli boat!