Summer Salad Series Part 2- Egyptian Balela Salad

In Part 1 of my Summer Salad Series, I shared the recipe for Salata Baladia, ubiquitous in pretty much every Arab country. This time we focus on the country of Egypt, with their protein packed and colorful Salata Balela, or Balela salad:   I particularly love this salad because I adore sweet cherry tomatoes, especially……

THE MOST POPULAR ARABIC SALAD “SALATA BALADIA”

In Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, salad is eaten for breakfast as well as lunch or dinner, and the ubiquitous cucumber tomato salad is the foundation of most meals. This salad is also known as “Salata Baladia” or country style salad, as it is rustic and goes with just about everything. In any Arabic household……

6 FOODS YOU WILL NEVER FIND IN MY KITCHEN!

Nothing peeves me more than food companies preying upon people dedicated to wellness. Whether it is fitness “professionals” on Instagram selling weight loss tea, commercials pushing canola oil as healthier than butter, or celebrities peddling fake meats and cheeses as part of the vegan movement–they all try to take advantage of peoples’ sincere wish to……

A Review: Of Trader Joe’s Kunefe

Ask any Palestinian, Lebanese, Jordanian or any Arab for that matter what their favorite dessert is, and they will most likely say without hesitation “Kanafeh!” Most people in the western world might scratch their heads and say..”huh, what in the heck is kanafeh?” Kanafeh is a legendary dessert with a cult like following–any middle eastern……

Fattet Batinjan-Arabic Style 5 Layer Dip with Lamb and Eggplant!

Hello Friends! Here is a fun recipe for your Memorial Day weekend! In the Arab world we waste nothing, and I can tell you we have devised a ton of recipes that do miraculous things with stale bread. Fattet Batinjan is one of those dishes. Crispy pita chips add a bold and crunchy texture to……

Vermicelli Rice: The rice that Goes with EVERYTHING!

Hello FITME family, I just finished the last revision of my cookbook hoo wee! As I get ready for the printing phase, I thought I would share with you a little recipe in the meantime that is foundational to Middle Eastern cuisine. Sometimes you just want a rice that goes with everything, and vermicelli rice……

Top 5 Middle Eastern Blog Award–and Spanish Travel Series Part 3

Hello Friends–hope you are enjoying the signs of springtime! I am excited to announce that this blog was voted as the 4th most popular Middle Eastern food blog in the world! As you can imagine I was ecstatic to hear this news, having been at this for almost a decade now. Thank you so much……