Coconut Oil Melt in your Mouth Brownies

Brownies, who does not like them? I love mine gooey and fudgy inside. The first time I had them I was in Lebanon, my aunt used to get them for me from a gourmet store by her office. Then the store moved and no more brownies, which requited trying recipes. As our readers know, I …

Siyyadiyyeh – Lebanese Fish with Onion Sauce and Rice

We received a Striper as a gift last week and to me that was a great opportunity to make Siyyadiyyeh. Siyyadiyyeh is a Lebanese dish that the onion caramelization can make or break. Having fresh fish on hand is a great help, because you don't want the "fishy" taste that some frozen fish can have. …

Lebanese Fish Tagine

This recipe is one of my brother-in-law's specialties, and it has been such a long time since I've had it, or actually since I've remembered it. Out of the blue, the other day, it just pops into my head and I decided to make it. It is a quick recipe, very easy to make and …

Ficelle Copycat Chile Relleno in Mock Mole Sauce

Clint and I like this tapas place in Winters called Ficelle. It is a small restaurant that only opens at the end of the week, but it is always packed. It has a convivial atmosphere, whether inside or on the patio, and if you are looking for something fancy then Ficelle is not the place …

Water Seared Chicken

This post is actually long overdue. I uploaded the pictures a million years ago, but did not get to actually write the post till now. It is not a recipe per se, it is more of a method that I came up with to cook chicken, or any meat for that matter, without using fat. …

Blog Anniversary and Kibbeh B Laban (Kibbeh Meatballs in Yogurt)

Four years ago, the same day the Taste-Buds started. I cannot believe it has been so long already! Although the blog has changed from its original format and my Taste-Buds moved on from blogging, I still consider it as this common venture that gave us a lot of fun and taught us new things. It …

Purslane Fatayer

Greetings readers! After being away for a while, I missed the  blog, I hope you missed it too. I don't know if I can call my long time away a vacation, but I was not cooking anything spectacular or worth sharing. I was just going quick and convenient. I guess no matter how much you …

Loubieh B Zeit: Lebanese Green Beans with Tomatoes and Olive Oil

Green beans are made two ways in Lebanon. One is a stew with meat and served with rice, the other version is the vegetarian one that is usually consumed in summer or during Lent. It is mainly eaten cold with vegetables like cucumber or onions (any kind you can think of) on the side. I …

Taro and Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon and Sumac

Taro is one of my favorite root vegetables. In Lebanon, there are many regional variations to cook it, for instance there is a recipe for taro and chickpeas stew that was a staple in my dad’s side of the family, but my mom’s side of the family knew nothing about. They lived about an hour …

Dawood Basha: Lebanese Meatballs in Tomato and Onion Sauce

Lebanon has been ruled by the Ottomans for 400 years, same as many surrounding countries. While countries were considered Turkish provinces, Lebanon (known as Mount-Lebanon then) enjoyed a semi-autonomous condition, till fights erupted and the nation was placed under a new system called Mutassarifiyah.  Then Turkish rulers were assigned to Lebanon to stabilize it, in …