Abundance ~ A Cookbook by AUB Alumni & Friends

Letter from Wafa Saab - President, WAAAUB

"For over a year now 45 alumni of the American University of Beirut residing in different countries across the world have been working together to assemble a cookbook on Mediterranean cuisine. What makes this cookbook special is that, in addition to the health and dietary benefits, it includes snippets of memories associated with the tastes and smells of the foods.
Who among us does not remember the aroma of a favorite dish their mother prepared? Or the warm fragrance of grandmother’s soup in winter?
The Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Alumni Chapter has deemed these tastes, smells and memories too precious. They have mobilized the culinary talents of 45 alumni world-wide and put together this sumptuous collection of recipes.
And what better occasion to launch such a creative endeavour than the 150th Anniversary of the university we are all celebrating. This is yet another activity that links our history to the future generations that will experience the abundance of being a part of AUB’s life-changing experience.
A case in point is that the cookbook contributors were not previously acquainted. Their main common denominator was their history at the American University of Beirut. It was that connection that they employed when reaching out to over 150 others who submitted more than 200 recipes.
AUB was the connection that bound them together as they cooked, tested, tasted, sampled, wrote, rewrote, edited, styled, arranged and photographed the various dishes. In the midst of all of this, they shared treasured memories of their years at AUB, discovered lost friendships and updated one another on life events.
The volunteers who produced this collection of recipes used their educational and professional backgrounds, their qualifications and their know-how to contribute to the sections on health, lifestyle, and benefits of the Mediterranean cuisine—including substitutions for dietary limitations, and a glossary of terms, techniques, herbs and spices.
I would like to take this opportunity to, not only thank the volunteers who made this work possible, but to point out the enduring connection to our Alma Mater, which continues to bring us together on projects and endeavours of such a diverse and intrepid nature.
Please take time to click on this link and see a preview of this beautiful publication:http://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/filelib/AVB/cpages/44/Library/WAAAUB%20cookbook%20FINAL%20PREVIEW-DEC15.pdf
You may also pre-order your copy of Abundance by going to this link:http://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/AVB/cpages/news.jsp?chapter=44
It is truly inspirational to see our worldwide alumni engaging with each other, with their chapters and with AUB. Our strength continues to lie in your sustained engagement and your contributions to our beloved Alma Mater. "
 

Cooking for Kids: Chef Ducasse Book & an Online Course

Cooking for kids has been a major trend in the Food and Beverage as well as the Health Industry.
No, I dont mean putting up a "Kids Meal" in restaurants and fast food chains...

But what I mean designing special dedicated meals, books, and cooking courses dedicated for our kids.
This is all due to the obesity rates and facts among children.

Childhood Obesity Facts

• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
• In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
• Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.
• Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

      Source: Center for Disease Control & Prevention

Cooking for Kids: New Book by Chef Alain Ducasse

Munch Bakery: A Local Bakery with International Standards

This photo of Munch Bakery is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I heard rumors about Munch Bakery before I went there that It was a great bakery with good tasty cupcakes and fancy designed cakes. I checked the website before I visited to see their products. I was impressed by the logo, the interactive website, and the list of products in a very neat way that makes you want to order cupcakes even if they were "digital".

When I visited the olay/tahila branch at 10 pm during the week, I was impressed by the number of people there. The bakery was full and everyone was ordering something.

Presentation

Homemade Muffins

Muffins  started out as a type of small cake, as an alternative to cornbread. Early muffin recipes tend to result in less sweet muffins with far fewer ingredients than their contemporaries. Muffins then became widely regarded as a breakfast food because they were easy to prepare and cooked in a short amount of time.

 

My own Home Made Chocolate orange flavored Muffins Fresh from the oven ! Check Recipe Below

Homemade Fajita

Fajita is referred to the type of cut meat." Skirt Steak". And Faja refers in spanish as " the belt".

It was recent, in the  late 1970, that this dish appeared in American cuisine. A dish which was labeled as humble and for cowboys, as a dish from throwaway steak cut, made its way to be a menu star dish!

The historical story described  "the cut of meat, the cooking style (directly on a campfire or on a grill), and the Spanish nickname going back as far as the 1930s in the ranch lands of South and West Texas. During cattle roundups, beef were butchered regularly to feed the hands. Throwaway items such as the hide, the head, the entrails, and meat trimmings such as skirt were given to the Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) as part of their pay.

Considering the limited number of skirts per carcass and the fact the meat wasn't available commercially, the fajita tradition remained regional and relatively obscure for many years, probably only familiar to the cowboys, butchers, and their families."

Later it became popular in Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants and eventually introduced in almost all American cuisine restaurants.

In many restaurants, the fajita meat is brought to the table sizzling loudly on a metal platter or skillet, with the tortillas and condiments served on the side.( More on the story Austin Chronicles)...

My love for Fajita , pushed me to try to cook it at home !  It is a very quick and easy dish!

Here is the recipe :

Prepare the Spices as below, you can also add chili if you dont mind the hot taste!

Cutting the boneless chicken (half into small stripes and then sauting it with the spices in a plastic bag. Leave for 2 hours in the fridge:

Cut Assorted Green, Red and Yellow Peppers... the same way as the chicken or meat:

In a pan cook the chicken first , when it becomes cooked enough add the cut peppers and onion. That way they remain firm !

Add the condiments on the side: Avocado sauce and  Sourcream ( as seen below) !

Gaucamole: One avocado, quarter chopped onion, salt, and lemon juice ( to the green color getting dark) . You may also add cilantro.

Fajita in Tortilla Bread! 

Serving: 6 fajita rolls

Bon Apetite!

"Barriga llena, corazón contento "

 The Spanish title says : When the belly is full, the heart is happy

None said it better than the spanish! And trying their food was a prove for this!

But, wait, I really didn't go to Spain. But when you can't go to Spain, eat spanish food! Food does convey the culture of a country, the habits of the people and the inside culture!

I had the chance to apply this motto when I was invited to Phoenicia's Hotel Mosaic restaurant for Spanish week last May !

The food I had in Mosaic proved how much Spain is a melting pot, a pot that diffused a dynamic and gastronomic heritage.

Thy summer food is not eternal

“Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date” William Shakespeare.

Summer blisters with all the amusing activities on the sea, the mountain views, the delicious barbeques, the night camping, and the porch’s reckless meetings….These cheerful moments fleet away quickly. And just like summer’s beauty described by Shakespeare as having a short “lease” date , so does the food during summer. Summer heat affects majorly the food we eat.( esp. in Lebanon where electricity goes out )
 It causes bacteria to grow at a faster rate making food rotten and spoiled. Apart from the high temperatures, another reason behind this is simply not handling the food properly and hygienically. Consequently, the risk of developing diseases from food poisonings increases and our health becomes jeopardized. ( Read more about Food Poisoning ) 

Vigilance is the key when purchasing and preserving food, as well when we are eating out in restaurants.  

Why I Dont Like Ready Mixes

Homemade cakes are my favorite. I hate those from some bakeries: full of cream, sugar, the sugar coat and the intoxicating fake flavor and color. Even worst: I dont eat wedding cakes. I'd just take a bite perhaps ( for social reasons). They lack the freshness and flavor of a true cake.

The best cakes I like are homemade, fresh from the oven, hot , fluffy, and chocolate flavored.

Don't we all love our mother's or grandmother's cakes? They do their own secret mixes, inspired from the TV show host, some advise from their neighbors, and from they book they read 10 years ago, and Voila the perfect mix to make us happy!

But this exquisite mixes were replaced with  industrial, ready mixes. Mixes made on a large scale to ensure there is no time wasted, no error done, no defect made, no haphazard effect that can occur  when we are in the kitchen baking. 
This is not what I want in my cake. I dont want Betty Crocker. I dont want to use it.
Why do I want to use something that will let me forget the joy of baking ? Let me forget how to err in the recipe? How to ruin my cake? How to make it taste bad or good? Isn't the whole purpose of baking to enjoy it and make something from your own hands (taken from the lebanese , men 2eedaykeh?)

I can only say about Betty or any other mixes: they are like the  botux for baking.; filled artificially with ingredients that make desserts taste more delicious and look more tastier!


To get more proves than why is better to prepare your own mix for baking , I went to the supermarket to compare a ready mix for pancakes and buying the ingredients from scratch.

Here are the points that I compared:

China: Through the mouth of the beholder

Perhaps noodles and chopsticks are the hallmarks of the China's cuisine, nevertheless this cuisine is abundant with plenty of  food items. Outstandingly, the cuisine had evolved throughout history due to ethnic, geographical changes and the different dynasties ruling the empire. It had been also shaped by eight distinct gastronomical schools. Therefore what the capitol of China , Beijing,  is bidding nowadays in its food markets, is different than what "china town" or the Lebanese (wanna be) Chinese restaurants are offering.
Let us visit Beijing through the taste buds of  Reina Yammine, who traveled there for her summer internship in a technology company.

Reina, Indulging in her Starfish 

Students: Down with Noodles, Cooking is the Way

As much as living alone or away from home during college days is arduous and hectic, as much as a college student can learn so many things , like managing his/her own life, taking full responsibility of what he/ she is doing, learning special techniques, or even developing “super power” skills in accommodating with roommates ..etc. Cooking is one of those special techniques you have to develop. Take it from a person who has been living 6 years away from home.

And there might be a “valid “reason why you need to start cooking. Eating is perhaps one of the most things that make your parents worry about mostly during your first year in University. Simply, they are not used to the fact that you are not dining with them at home, and from their own food.How many times did your mother call you to check up on what did you eat for lunch, or perhaps to remind you to buy food from the grocery? But, with all your courses, clubs’ activities, social life, and sometimes part time work, you actually have no time to plan your eating. And so, you dismiss this question as annoying, maybe intruding, because you can easily manage eating just anything around!

"Chefs are celebrated as designers (move over, Armani, here's Batali!)" Martha Stewart

Food Is the New Fashion:

Martha Stewart - Huffington Post.

Martha stewart in her latest entry on Feb 9, 2011, in the Huffington Post, excitingly states how food is shifting our lives and our culture."Food isn't just only a great pleasure but also a " signifier of style" , Martha claims.

She further elaborates how food trends are changing, how eating habits are evolving into a sophisticated type, and how choosing food became an art, a form of self-expression, fashion like you are choosing your cloth!

A very interesting article that makes me , as a food scientist, proud that I chose this path. 

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To Continue reading, either press the link of the title. Or Pasted below ( Copy right  to Huffington Post):

"When New York Fashion Week gets underway on Thursday, those of us with a keen interest in design and style will be watching to see what comes down the runway. From the cuts to the color palettes, the clothing is almost always interesting -- and even, at times, surprising. And while I don't expect to see anyone outfitted in a raw meat bikini a la Lady Gaga on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan, it would be almost fitting -- especially if the meat is organic, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, and humanely raised.

As a professional cook, cookbook author and teacher, I have a noticed a shift in the role that food plays in our lives and in our culture. Food has become more than one of life's great pleasures. It has become a signifier of style, too. The notion that "you are what you eat" extends beyond the virtues of a nutritious, well-balanced diet. These days, it often seems that you are what you purchase in the supermarket or at the farmer's market; your grocery list is a reflection of your values and your identity. Chefs are as celebrated as designers (move over, Armani, here's Batali!) and eating and entertaining have become haute couture: Food is the new fashion.

Just consider what Americans have developed a taste for. According to recent research from The Nielsen Company, restaurant and celebrity-chef inspired food brands experienced double-digit growth last year. Food and cooking websites are attracting 70 million visitors each month. That's not to overlook the popularity of cooking reality TV shows like Bravo's Top Chef, which took theProject Runway concept into the professional kitchen, and gourmet food trucks with avid Twitter followings. Even my company's new "Martha Stewart Makes Cookies" app features a "cookie runway," showcasing shortbread and gingerbread people gliding like supermodels!

Food trends are hardly new, and there have always been groups of enthusiasts who are passionate about cooking. As a young newlywed, I, along with many other Americans, spent countless hours cooking my way through Julia Child's seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Since then I've observed numerous food trends and, on occasion, contributed to them. (When I published my 2009 cookbook, Martha Stewart Cupcakes, who would have thought that two years later American women would still have an insatiable appetite for the dessert?)

The current economic environment has only fed the collective interest in cooking; more and more people are eating at home, as evidenced by the increase in cookbook sales, which are up 5 percent at a time when overall book sales have declined. While I'm as eager as anyone else for the economy to improve, I see the growing interest in learning about food and the enthusiasm for home cooking -- especially since studies show that eating together improves family health and stability -- as the recessionary cloud's silver lining. I am further heartened by the increased concern about the origins of our meals -- the quality of life of the animals that provide us with sustenance, and the health and environmental ramifications of our approach to food production.

But there is something different in the current culinary vogue that extends beyond old-fashioned thrift. Personally, I can't recall a time when so many people have had a genuine interest in heirloom tomatoes, for example, or in "forgotten" cuts of meat from nose to tail. Indeed, many everyday cooks are sounding increasingly like professionals, with more sophisticated ingredients and tools at their disposal.

What's in your pantry and on your plate have become a form of self-expression much like a fabulous pair of Christian Louboutins, or absolutely anything vintage. Just as the label "fashionista" evokes an entire lifestyle, so, too, does the term "foodie." The terms are not mutually exclusive, of course.

The re-fashioning of food is an interesting and exciting phenomenon as a new generation of curious cooks and adventurous eaters embrace the culinary arts -- and the pleasures of a seasonal, sustainable diet. Great food doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. It is meant to be enjoyed, ideally with family and friends in celebration of good times -- or as we collectively hope for better times. Like the classic little black dress, good food and entertaining keep evolving, but never go out of style."

Martha Stewart is the host of The Martha Stewart Show on Hallmark Channel and the author of numerous popular books, including Entertaining, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, Martha Stewart's Cookies, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, and Martha Stewart's Cooking School.

Peasant Cuisine 1 : Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Let me start by : “ what is Peasant Cuisine? “

 World cuisine is divided into three major types:

1-      Bourgeois: meaning middle class/urban food.

2-      Haute : highly skillful cuisine , elaborate. First introduced by the French.

3-      Peasant: Right just what you thought of ,  the  food of the farmer, hunter, fisherman, any person that is close to his food source. Unlike us the "city" people, who go to a restaurant and eat a meal , or go the supermarket and grab a ready to eat microwaveable meal...And definitely not like  ordering a 50 dollar meal for a piece of salmon , or  5 grams of caviar.

And thus a peasant food perhaps gives a connotation that it is cheap, unsavory and not exquisite. Yet, it is absolutely the most nutritious, organic and healthy food ever.

Hellman Wonders states that Peasant Foods don’t belong to a village or a country. And so Anthropologists couldnt determine the origins of some peasant foods. This is because ethnic groups migrate and frontiers change (1).
Moreover, written records are rare on this subject since peasant cooks seldom, if ever, jotted down recipes, and the ancient scribes in the city almost never chronicled for posterity the dishes that peasants ate.

Farmer's Market-Ithaca

So if we wanted to talk about  stuffed cabbage leaves. I cant say which country it originated from. First, I thought that stuffed cabbage was Lebanese, since my mom used to cook it all the time. And perhaps all Lebanese families do. Then I saw my middternean friends also acknowledging this meal.

But after I did my research, it turned out that this peasant food is actually cosmopolitan .

 The dish has emerged in different regions.Surely, there are different versions of this dish that differ in taste according to the region.(2). So, some of these varieties include include 'golubtsy' in Russia, 'chou farci' in France, 'sarmale' in Romania, 'holubky' in Czech Republic, 'kåldolmar' in Sweden, 'gołąbki' in Poland, 'lahana dolması' in Turkey,”malfouf Mehshi” in Lebanon and other arab countries, and a peurto Rican version  “Repollo Relleno Con Carne”!!!

 Surely, one would say.Cabbage???? This smelly vegetable.??? This dull taste?Why should I eat it  when I can enjoy other appetizing foods???

Let me tell you why :

1.      STORAGE  :They store well and grow in many different areas of the world, which makes them readily available throughout the year.

2.      CANCER FIGHTER : Cabbage is full of phytonutrients, which signal the body to produce enzymes involved in the detoxification of the body. These enzymes help to fight free radicals that can cause a number of different types of cancer, including lung and prostate cancer.

3.      VITAMIN C which is an antioxidant that protects against the cell-damaging effects of oxidation from free radicals.

4.      ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Not all cabbage is green. In fact, a special kind called red cabbage has special antioxidants called polyphenols. These help protect brain cells from being damaged in a way that relates specifically to Alzheimer's disease.

5.      CHOLESTEROL Cabbage has a certain phytonutrient known as indole-3-carbinol. This helps to lower cholesterol in the body by preventing the liver from secreting an enzyme that helps to carry cholesterol throughout the body.

6.      ULCERS : Cabbage juice has a good concentration of glutamine, a type of amino acid. This protects and strengthens cells in the stomach, which helps prevent ulcers from forming.

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Here is one great recipe  that i would like to share you from : Group Recipes Website

Photo taken from Hub Pages

Ingredients:

---

• ·         1 or more large cabbages
• ·         1 cup short grain rice
• ·         1/2 lb. minced or ground beef or lamb
• ·         1/4 cup lemon juice (as desired)
• ·         4 TBSP butter
• ·         1 1/2 tsp salt
• ·         1 cup water
• ·         1 head garlic, cloves separated with loose paper or skin removed (more to taste)
• ·         a dash of ground paprika
• ·         a dash of ground cinnamon
• ·         a dash of ground cumin
• ·         OR
• ·         1/4 - 1/2 tsp allspice or bhar hellou
• ·         1 tbs dry mint

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How to make it

• ·        Large pot to blanch cabbage leaves, covered casserole, saucepan or stewpot to cook stuffed leaves.
• ·         CHOOSING the cabbage is important, as you have to be able to get enough leaf area to actually hold the stuffing, rolled. Large, loose-leaf cabbages are best; you might need more than one cabbage if the leaves are tightly wrapped, as you will only be able to use the outermost leaves.
• ·         GENTLY peel the leaves from the cabbage. Lay them flat, and cut the largest area you can without large veins.
• ·         WHEN your pot is boiling blanch some leaves for few minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in cold water then put in a colander. Repeat same procedure with remaining leaves.
• ·         LINE bottom of cooking pot with bones (if you have bought lamb shoulder and cut the meat from the bone) or with a thick layer of cabbage leaves.
• ·         MIX rice with minced meat, spices and salt. Place cabbage leaf, shiny side down, on a work surface.
• ·         PLACE crosswise about 1 TBS of stuffing (depending on the size of leaf), and fold ends, roll tightly. Place seam down in cooking pot, packing tightly together. Place several cloves of garlic between each layer.
• ·         REPEAT procedure with remaining leaves. You will want about five  'mahshi' per person.(5 pieces per person)
• ·         PLACE 4 TBSP butter in saucepan. Invert a heavy plate on top to keep rolls in shape during cooking.
• ·         COVER leaves with water, bring to a boil then reduce to low simmer and cover. Simmer very gently for two hours or until tender.

·         Add one table spoon dry mint boil it for five minutes .

·         Serve hot.

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To check how much calories and nutrients are  in each cabbage roll :

http://www.fitday.com/webfit/nutrition/all_foods/vegetables/cabbage_stuffed_with_meat_and_rice_syrian_dish_puerto_rican_style_repollo_relleno_con_carne_y_con_arroz_arabe_mihsy_melful_.html

References:

1.http://www.hillmanwonders.com/peasant_dishes/about_p03.htm

2.http://www.buzzle.com/articles/stuffed-cabbage-rolls.html

3.http://www.fitday.com/webfit/nutrition/all_foods/vegetables/cabbage_stuffed_with_meat_and_rice_syrian_dish_puerto_rican_style_repollo_relleno_con_carne_y_con_arroz_arabe_mihsy_melful_.html

Food tips for Dorm people

hehhe i was frustrated today that the oven was nt wokring and i wanted badly to cook some egggs. The microwave is working ! ahhhaa so i went and googled:" How to cook eggs in a microwave".
WEll disregarding the heath effects. I wanted something to make me happy. Usually happiness is accompanied by guilt. But who cares :
Here are the steps from e-how. com
#Step 1
Fried eggs:
Break 1 egg into a microwave save bowl. Gently poke the yolk of the egg with a knife. Cover the bowl with a saran wrap or a plate, so the egg does not explode. Put in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.
#Step 2

Scrambled Egg:
Crack 2 eggs in bowl and scrambled with fork. Cover bowl and place in microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir 1 or 2 times to make sure the eggs cooked thoroughly.
#Step 3

Hard-Boiled Egg:
Break 1 egg into bowl. Gently poke the yolk of egg with a knife. Cover the bowl and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until hard. Gently stir occasionally to make sure the egg is cooked throughout. The egg may not appear pretty, but once you cut it up finely over a salad, all that matters is the taste.
#Step 4

Poached Egg:
Pour 1/3 cup of water into bowl. Break 2 eggs into bowl. Poke the yolks with a knife. Cover bowl and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Let stand until whites are set and yolks are thick but not hard. Pour out the water and serve in bowl or lift egg out onto plate.