I love Lebanese food. Always have. Growing up, my mom and dad, two brothers and I always had Lebanese food on Sunday nights. We went to our local (and only) Lebanese restaurant nearly every Sunday for dinner. Many families went to Sunday Chinese dinner. We loved Lebanese! The restaurant was called The Beirut. We called it Jimmy’s after the name of the owner. It was at Jimmy’s that I fell in love with Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Shish Taouk, and my absolute favorite, Kibbeh Nayeh! (Kibbe Nayeh is raw ground lamb mixed with bulgur wheat and mint and other spices). Many years later, my brother and I would return to The Beirut (aka Jimmy’s) with our extended family and once again enjoy our favorite Lebanese dishes to continue our family tradition and share memories.
More recently as an adult, I learned the universality of Lebanese food. Hummus, a staple in Lebanese households, is one of the most common foods across the globe and really unites the world’s palate (I remember the first time I made Hummus from scratch). Virtually anywhere you go, Hummus is offered on the menu.
To celebrate Lebanese food, we are sharing some of our favorite recipes we hope you will create and share in your homes:
- Baba Ganoush
- Kafta (Lebanese Lamb Skewers)
- Lebanese 7-Spice Kibbeh
- Fattoush Salad
- Mint & Rose Water Lemonade
- Homemade Pita
- Roasted Garlic Hummus
- Samkeh Harra (Fish with Spicy Sauce)
- Tahini Sauce
- Tabbouleh
Also, I travel extensively, often looking forward to my favorite Lebanese Restaurants. Here are some of my recommendations:
NYC: Ilili
London: Ishbilia (best Kibbeh Nayeh in London!)
Dubai: Al Safadi
Abu Dhabi: Diwan L’Auberge at Emirates Palace
Tel Aviv / Jaffa: Abu Hassan on dolphin street (best Hummus in Israel!)
Kuwait City: Assaha
