Hi! My boyfriends family is Syrian and they eat a food called kibbeh. It has meat with Hamburger or lamb with cracked wheat. Do you think cracked wheat would be something we could eat?

Oh it also has pine nuts. We are allowed nuts at some point right?

I make grape leaves without the rice, then again being middle eastern and a certified chef I kinda know how to work around it ????????

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch I have never tried it with feta but I think the premise works even though shanklish is an aged cheese usually covered in zaatar or chilli.

Other than shanklish cheese which is now grated, you add diced onions, diced tomato, parlsey and mint (if you like those things) and then you drizzle it in olive oil as the dressing. That's it. The zaatar herb adds a very nice flavour to it.

@@TheNewSusie How do you make it without the rice?! I am very curious. I stumbled upon your baked kibbeh recipe on the page before and it seemed great.

@ray92- I just use a combination of 93/7 lean ground sirloin and ground lamb and I season it with salt and pepper, allspice and fresh ground nutmeg and I bind it with some ghee and wrap it in the grape leave and stew it for a few hours (depending on portion) with tomato sauce and fresh tomorrow's and fresh lemon juice. And for the baked kibbeh I layer it thinly into three layers kibbeh and then meat and pine nut mixture then kibbeh on top with fresh butter to hold in the moisture and get that crunch. I baked a half sheet pan for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and firm. I also mix some of the meat, (93/7 sirloin and lamb) into the cracked wheat as well as grated raw white onion to bind it together and make it less "carby"

Baklava I love I don't think I will ever eat that again

Never is a strong word. Maybe after a while you can have a small piece. Something in a very small amount and in a moderated setting will not harm you. We just have to learn self control and management. It is very heavy though I would probably wait, like a long time till you feel 100% well

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@ray92- I just use a combination of 93/7 lean ground sirloin and ground lamb and I season it with salt and pepper, allspice and fresh ground nutmeg and I bind it with some ghee and wrap it in the grape leave and stew it for a few hours (depending on portion) with tomato sauce and fresh tomorrow's and fresh lemon juice. And for the baked kibbeh I layer it thinly into three layers kibbeh and then meat and pine nut mixture then kibbeh on top with fresh butter to hold in the moisture and get that crunch. I baked a half sheet pan for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and firm. I also mix some of the meat, (93/7 sirloin and lamb) into the cracked wheat as well as grated raw white onion to bind it together and make it less "carby"

Ahh you are talking about wara2 dawali, I thought you were talking about wara2 bil zeit/yalanji.

I love wara2 with kousa. It sounds like you have the authentic recipe. My grandma adds some diced onion and tomato as well but not always. 3/4 of my family is on a diet so someone is always asking for a special recipe. Instead of using rice for the stuffing she does exactly like yours only adds onions also without too much oil.

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@ray92- yes I'm talking about delicious wara el dawali ! Yeah I'm pretty authentic. Love koussa too, I just make it the same without rice.

@@Ray92 -- That's a nice, versatile salad that would be good with anything that's compatible with mint.

Zaatar and many other herbs and spice mixes used in Middle Eastern cooking have been at the back of my mind for experimenting in the kitchen. I dream of grilling halloumi at home. Before I start buying everything in the Middle Eastern markets, though, what am I to do with all the Asian sauces, condiments, rice paper, etc., that I bought a few years ago when I served on jury duty (the courthouses and Chinatown overlap).

I've been working on embracing my newly-acknowledged status as a mediocre cook. With a recipe I'm fine, sure, but my improvisations are frequently disappointing.

Now that I've read your other posts on food, do you want to know that I'm available for adoption? When shall I move in? I'm probably eons older than you, which means all you have to do is feed me, but not by hand.. Otherways I'm trained and financially independent. When you want privacy, you can send me for sleepovers at @@TheNewSusie's.

Edited November 2, 201510 yr by WLSResources/ClothingExch

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch I am not very good with Asian cuisine to be quite honest. I live in Atlantic Canada and the most interesting "Asian" dish I made was to make short grain rice, add up some chopped sashimi to it, seasame seeds, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, ponzu sauce. It was like a sashimi, salad bowl.

On another note, did you know that you can get low fat halloumi? I recommend grilled halloumi, olive oil and zaatar. I would adopt you if I was a great middle eastern cook but I am very mediocre. If I crave something, I usually ask my mum or grandma to do it for me. I try to learn but they live in the Middle East so the times I do get to learn from them are limited to when I am visiting. However, you are welcome at my dinner table any time.

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch I am not very good with Asian cuisine to be quite honest. I live in Atlantic Canada and the most interesting "Asian" dish I made was to make short grain rice, add up some chopped sashimi to it, seasame seeds, lettuce, cucumber, avocado, ponzu sauce. It was like a sashimi, salad bowl.

On another note, did you know that you can get low fat halloumi? I recommend grilled halloumi, olive oil and zaatar. I would adopt you if I was a great middle eastern cook but I am very mediocre. If I crave something, I usually ask my mum or grandma to do it for me. I try to learn but they live in the Middle East so the times I do get to learn from them are limited to when I am visiting. However, you are welcome at my dinner table any time.

You're wonderful. So are your mother and grandmother and the rest of your family.

My apology for misleading you. My asking what I'm to do with the Asian ingredients was rhetorical, addressed to the stars. Thanks for mentioning low-fat halloumi and the simple recipe. Even I can do that.