Sunday Kitchen

22/01/2025

01/07/2023

28/07/2022

Delightful group at last Sundays Lamb session. Also love seeing more and more men in our kitchen each week.
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26/07/2022

Addas bil Hamod (Lebanese Armaforce)

Ask any Lebanese person and they will testify that their mother or tayta would aim to cure any sickness they may feel coming on, with shor ba (soup). It is true, the Lebanese cuisine has a repertoire of healthy, nourishing soups served routinely as main meals and since the beginning of time have been considered curative foods. In this case, Addas bil hamod, Lentil and Swiss Chard soup with lemon juice, is in my opinion the most nourishing of them all. Although Mum didn’t make this for us growing up, she had her own specialties, which ranged from a cumin and lentil soup that could bring you back from the dead, and her chicken broth and vegetable soup, penicillin, as my Tayta would call it.
My mother in law however, regularly makes Addas Bil Hamod, it was one of the first dishes she taught me when I married Abdul, I guess to pass on the baton of regenerative power. As she transfers the pot of shorba from the stove to the table, ushering everyone to come and have atleast a single bowl, she reminds us of the sheer “power” of this soup, the “hadeed” (iron), “veetameen” (vitamins), “proteyeen” (protein) from the green lentils and vegetables. As we joke around the table about the true “power” of these soups with todays modern day medicine, with one mouthful we are restored and reminded that vitamins and nutrients aside, this bowl is our mothers way of saying I love you, keep well and Allah Maek (May God be with you). A warm hug from the inside out, that no modern day medicine could ever compete with.

24/07/2022

Sending you bursts of joy this morning from part of our breakfast spread. Bakleh (purslane) salad, Shanklish salad, Fatteh, Hummos bi lahme, foul salad, foul Medammas, zaatar manoushe, fresh veg.
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Ingredients via

21/07/2022

One of the sharpest memories I have from our Lebanon trips as children were trips to the butcher. Yes, although we were on holidays we would stop at a butcher for lunch every few days. Real butchers as my dad would call them. The butcher shops in Lebanon are unlike what you see here in Australia, cuts laid out on neat trays with the decorative parsley and fancy signs.
They are quite small shops and usually have a canopy out the front with a charcoal barbecue lit, ready to go. Instead of the neat fridge displays there are different sized lambs, freshly slaughtered, hanging from stainless steel hooks inside the air conditioned shop. As the customer you choose your desired cut from your desired animal, if you are having a barbecue you buy cuts of fat to weave between the skewers as when they caramelise on the coals they become nuggets of gold and if you are hungry, pull up a blue milk crate, sit and wait whilst they barbecue it for you and wrap it up in a laffeh (wrap).
Amo (Uncle) Sami fled a war torn Lebanon and set out to do what his family were doing for decades before, raising fine lambs, respectful slaughtering them and providing their village in the south with the best quality meat they could. In his words there is no other way to do it, as I listen to him I am intimidated by his unwavering integrity. Since opening his butchery in Rockdale over 30yrs ago he has kept true to his word, never settling to retail, he travels 2 hours to the farm and brings back the premium lamb for his customers who are now the grand children of those he would sell to many years ago. No fridge display or counter, you are greeted with the warmest most gentle smile as you walk into the cool room, select your cut, and off you go.
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For The Heirloom Project

21/07/2022

This glorious bunch from Sundays Vegetarian session. Mum, Laura and I were buzzing with energy from this group for several days after. Thankyou for your presence, your love, laughing at my jokes, laughing at my Mums jokes, um LOL, but mostly for spending your Sunday with us. Also can I say, almost all first timers rolling vine leaves and ALL professionals, and could easily join mums rolling circle for our big Leb family lunches. Just saying. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥
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20/07/2022

Muhammara
A Syrian dip that made its way all over the Middle East. Not just the ultimate crowd pleaser dip with its smokey body from the charred capsicums, and ultimate texture throughout from the roasted walnuts, but the very best left overs. Flavour that develops day by day from the pomegranate molasses, caramelised onions and toasted cumin. Smear it on everything from sandwiches to crackers to carrots.
Muhammara on every damn thing.
Part of our vegetarian menu, new date online.
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Ingredients via

19/07/2022

The perfect weather for a whole lamb shoulder on a bed of jewelled rice, with a side of lemony lamb bone broth. This moorish yet nourishing dish belongs in the centre of every table for Sunday lunch. The aromatics sing throughout the kitchen and it brings everybody around the table, to share and indulge. Complimented perfectly with a colourful Fattoush and Mums signature Tabbouch dip.
The menu that inspired me to begin Sunday Kitchen and share this Sunday lunch with you all.

14/07/2022

Our iconic Lamb Shoulder / Jewelled Rice

13/07/2022

Wara Enab bi Zeit (Vegetarian stuffed vine leaves) prepared by our guests for our guests during Saturdays private Vegetarian session.
Fresh vine leaves harvested in February and preserved, this dish is the ultimate mezza dish and tastes better the second and third day served at room temperature.
So many messages about another Vegetarian session I will be putting up a new date online this week.
Definitely don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy these dishes as they make the perfect accompaniment for most meat and fish.
Ingredients via
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