Kibbe!

January 11, 2013April 25, 2014 by Jessica | 16 Comments

…Finally!

Shabbat shalom! In honor of this wonderful shabbat, we’re sharing a our kibbe recipe with you, as well as what I think are pretty good directions on how to shape them. I tried taking a video, but let’s just say my phone got covered in oily meat and had to be wiped clean very carefully. Stephanie and I have been writing about kibbe for a long time now. We use it in recipes all the time. It’s a Friday night staple in the Blanco house, and it’s actually surprising if we don’t eat kibbe for Shabbat dinner.

Well what is a kibbe, you ask? They’re really small meatballs. Meat-stuffed-meatballs. Continue reading …

Stuffed Acorn Squash

November 19, 2012 by Jessica | 4 Comments

When I found out that this month’s link up was stuffing, I was super excited. Not that I’ve ever made traditional Thanksgiving stuffing/dressing before, but because we’re Syrian, and we stuff everything. I racked my brain to think of something traditionally Syrian we can make for you so that you can have a Syrian Thanksgiving. Then I changed my mind and thought I’d tackle the unknown territory of Thanksgiving stuffing. I cut recipes from all my magazines and bookmarked recipes on blogs from years past. But nothing excited me enough, and I just couldn’t figure out what to share with you this month. Continue reading …

Easy Rice Pudding

July 25, 2012 by Jessica | 6 Comments

This rice pudding recipe is a simple one. It doesn’t have many “extra” flavors, but it’s creamy, sweet while not being too sweet, and everyone loves it, from your oldest guests, to your one-year-old.

We’re no strangers to rice pudding. We’ve made this particular recipes a few times, only to think to ourselves that it’s way too easy to blog about…But who are we kidding? Everyone loves this recipe, why not share it with all of you? It’s our go-to dairy rice pudding. It’s always a hit (last time we made it there were no leftovers)! Want to make some pareve rice pudding? Click here. Continue reading …

Loubia, or Black-Eyed Peas with Meatballs

September 27, 2011 by Stephanie | 2 Comments

Shana Tova!

When Resident Magazine asked us to share some holiday recipes with them, we knew we wanted to share some traditional Sephardic Jewish food, as opposed to the better known matzah ball soups. Here’s a dish that we’ve been eating for Rosh Hashana forever.

Kibbe Cherry

August 19, 2011April 25, 2014 by Jessica | 20 Comments

Now with an updated picture! Don’t hesitate to make this delicious meal for Shabbat.

Kibbe cherry is a traditional Friday night dish. Usually we serve it in a pretty bowl, but we couldn’t take the picture on Shabbat, so this is the picture you’re stuck with! Don’t worry, it tastes a lot better than it looks in this picture, we promise! Continue reading …

Sweet Kaak

July 18, 2011 by Jessica | 6 Comments

Sweet kaak is nothing like regular kaak, except that it’s also kinda like a bread stick. Actually, it’s really more like a cookie made with orange zest. I usually don’t love orange zest, but for some reason I absolutely love sweet kaak. It’s a traditional Syrian treat, one that if I have in my cookie jar (okay, fine, I don’t have a cookie jar, but I do have airtight containers that I can leave on the counter and store cookies in) I will finish in about a day. Basically, they are sugar cookies that are twisted. Yum! Continue reading …

Mechshe Basal, or Stuffed Onions

July 8, 2011 by Stephanie | Leave a comment

There are a lot of things you can stuff with hashu to turn into a meal. This time, I used ground turkey and (half-cooked) brown rice to make a healthier mechshe.

Since our mom doesn’t like onions, this mechshe wasn’t something we ate much growing up, but it’s definitely still one of my favorites! I love the flavor of slow-cooked onions, which get sweet and caramelized in the oven, and the contrast with tart tamarind sauce is perfect.

Since stuffing these is quite a process, I like to make a double batch and freeze half, so that next time the cravings hits, I can cook up a batch right away; no need to defrost, just cook the frozen onions for a bit longer.

Kanafeh

June 15, 2011 by Jessica | 8 Comments

Please welcome our sister-in-law Adele, who learned to make this Syrian specialty from a Syrian cooking expert and is now sharing it with everyone!

This recipe was taught to me as part of my you’re-getting-married-time-to-learn-how-to-cook training by an amazing cook…. who does not use measurements. I stood with her and watched closely, taking notes diligently. After making this a few times on my own, a measurable recipe was born. Continue reading …

Candied Apricots with Pistachio, aka Helou Michmosh

June 13, 2011 by Stephanie | 2 Comments

I made this a while ago, but was hesitant to share it because of its mixed reviews. Some people thought it was too sweet, others not sweet enough. I even got one “this is the most delicious thing ever!” So I guess it’s up to you to judge…I happened to like the slightly bitter chewiness of the candy, and snacked on it for weeks.

Ejjeh Parsley

May 4, 2011 by Jessica | Leave a comment

Remember back when we made ejjeh potato? Though we posted it as a Chanukah treat, it’s also really a great lunch box staple along with this, ejjeh parsley. We also love making leek ejjeh for Rosh HaShanah, by the way. Continue reading …