Coconut Pie Recipe

What do you do when you have a food expert for dinner? When your special guest just happens to be an expert in flavors? How do you pick the dishes you will prepare?

A few months ago we were hosting a very special guest. Our guest was the owner of Gerards ice cream, one of the top ice-cream shops in Jordan. The person behind every flavor of ice cream they sell! For me, the big challenge was preparing a special dish that will suit his taste and demonstrate my culinary skills.

I started searching online for a good and easy dish and by chance I found this coconut pie recipe that had an excellent rating by visitors and many positive reviews. I also discovered that another version of coconut pie can be prepared by adding bananas to it. I decided to give it a try… the end result? Great!!!! To top that this coconut pie smells like heaven.

Upon serving this to our special guest, his response was “Now this is something!” My dinner was a success and this coconut pie recipe is definitely a keeper.

Tips: How to Store Fruits and Vegetables

Last month I came across an interesting table by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts that I shared on my Facebook page. The table divided fruits and vegetables into two columns: refrigerate and room temperature.

I noticed that I was storing some of my fruits and vegetables incorrectly, which got me thinking about the proper way for storing them. After all, good storage can keep us from getting sick, plus it cuts back on our monthly expenses as our fruits and vegetables will have an extended life meaning = reduced wastage.

So I did some research on the subject, and built this table of the main fruits and vegetables and how to store them. It is by no means a comprehensive table, but I think it covers the main ones we regularly use! The source for the information is material by the Extension of the University of Nebraska and the University of Texas; and Berkeley Farmers’ Market.

Developing this table was a learning process and I now have the difficult task of changing some well grounded habits on how I handle and store some of these fruits and vegetables! It is not going to be easy, but I look forward to the chance of having fresher and tastier produce after following these guidelines. Will keep you posted on how it goes. Hope you find the table below as useful as I do.

Stuffed Steak Roll & Vegetables

Stuffed steak roll is an ancient Armenian recipe that has been passed down from one generation to the next one. My great grandmother learned this recipe from her mother, and later taught my mother how to prepare stuffed steak rolls in the same method that our ancestors prepared it. I can still remember when my mother taught me how to prepare it in our kitchen in Beirut. I remember the aromatic smell of the spices in the kitchen tangled with the stories of our family that my mother shared with me as we were busy rolling the steaks.

One day I hope to teach my daughter how to prepare stuffed steak rolls as well, while I tell her old family stories and tales! Meanwhile, I am so excited of sharing this ancient Armenian recipe for preparing stuffed steak rolls with the world.

I highly recommend preparing stuffed steak rolls when having guests over. The presentation is neat, the colors are catchy, and the taste, oh the taste is luscious and divine. Three important combinations for a successful dinner or lunch invitation!

Serve stuffed steak rolls with rice and enjoy with your loved ones. Below portion serves 4 people.

Banana and Vanilla Pudding Recipe

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like sweets?

I adore sweets! My love affair with sweets started early on, when I was still a kid. By the time I was 13, I used to prepare sweets and bake cakes. For years that was all I did in the kitchen!

I like to try new recipes and to experiment with preparing my own versions. I would see a picture in a magazine and try to replicate it at home. Today’s dish is one of those experiments. I saw a picture of various cup sweets in a magazine, they looked amazing so I decided I had to come up with my own versions. I now have a few yummy combinations in my recipe book.

The banana and vanilla pudding cups are very creamy. They are the kind of dessert that is very presentable and appeals to all. They are especially pleasing in the summer when you crave for something cold and sweet.

With four simple ingredients you prepare these sumptuous cups. By their looks and taste, nobody will guess how easy they are to put together!

Fattet Magdous Recipe فتة المقدوس

During my engagement, one of our favorite restaurants was Al-Zuwadeh restaurant in the nearby small town of Fuhais.  My fiancé and I will go there all the time and enjoy the delicious home made food, especially the different kinds of fatteh. But our favorite was their Fattet Magdous.

When we got married, I decided to try preparing Fattet Magdous at home. So I started asking friends and relatives for recipes. I cooked it several times following different recipes and it used to turn out well, but not exactly like the Fattet Magdous we loved at Al-Zuwadeh! Then one night we were invited to dinner at our Lebanese friend’s house, and she had prepared Fattet Maqdous. Her Fatteh was delicious!! It tasted exactly like the one we loved! I didn’t leave that night before I had her recipe for Fattet Magdous in my hand! That night, I discovered that the trick to a great Fattet Maqdous, is adding sumac and basil which give it a heavenly taste.

Now, I am literally the Fattet Magdous expert in both my, and my in-laws family. Whenever anyone has a party, they ask me to prepare it, and even after all these years every time I prepare Fattet Magdous, it brings back fond memories of our engagement days, of lovely times listening to great music and enjoying a lovely evening with my handsome husband.