Khobeizeh is an edible wild green plant known as mallow or malva that grows in different climates all over the globe. It’s been used in cooking and medical use since old times. It’s packed with nutrients and has many health benefits; it’s believed to calm and  sooth stomach and digestive system in general, also, it’s been used to reduce inflamed conditions, and to heal damaged skin, wounds and burns.

When I asked my mother for her khobeizeh recipe, she laughed and told me there is no recipe! just cook it with olive oil and onions; and this is the only way I know to cook and eat, not only khobeizeh, but many other wild green plants. However, I’ve found some recipes online that use it uncooked as an ingredient in salads. In such case, I think that leaves should be small and tender.

I don’t know where the name “khobeizeh” came from, but it is somehow similar to the Arabic word “khobiz” which means bread.

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The word Arous (singular of Arayes) was commonly used in the region to refer to all kind of sandwiches, nowadays it precisely refers to this kind of sandwiches. Oddly enough, it means “bride”, I don’t know whats the history or the logic behind it. “Because it is as beautiful.” my brother tried to explain! 

I’ve tried a few Arayes recipes before I’ve got the best one from our butcher (which I’m sharing of course). It suggests more tomato, more tomato juice and thick pita bread loaves.

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There are few ways to cook eggplant for making mutabbal. Some would deep fry it, while others would bake it in the oven. But nothing could beat the unique taste coming from roasting it. Roasting eggplants on stove-top or barbeque grill brings out richness in eggplant and adds smoky flavor and aroma to the dish.

About picking the good eggplants for making mutabbal, I quote Christiane Nasser: “Large and pulpy Jericho eggplants (betinjan rihawi) are ideal or frying and grilling. They are quite sharp when grilled, and intensify the flavor of many salads that accompany meat dishes”.

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Aleppo (Halab)  is famous for the diversity of food and love of eating. Tourists come from everywhere in the world to taste and experience the Aleppine Food. The cuisine has gained its fame long time ago, hundreds years earlier, when the city was part of the historical network (Silk Road) that connected cities of Afro-Eurasia together.

Originated in Aleppo; kibbeh (or kubbeh as called in Palestine) is popular in other areas of Levant. It is made of minced lean meat, minced onions and bulgur. There are more than fourteen types of kibbeh; the most famous type is fried balls stuffed with meat and nuts. Other types have different shapes and different stuffing, kibbeh can be baked, fried, cooked in tomato soup, in yogurt sauces, or in chicken broth.

I’m very pleased that I’ve learned secrets of  kibbeh from Mrs. Sally Zo’by who has learned  everything about kibbeh from her Aleppine grandmother. I’ve got the chance two weeks ago to be part of what she calls it “Kibbeh Day” that takes place once every two to three months. Obviously, in this day she prepares many types of kibbeh in large quantities and then she keeps them in the freezer.  So kibbeh would be always available whenever anyone in the family craves it…

Among different types of Kibbeh, I chose to start with kibbeh rolls stuffed with pistachio. Why? Simply, it is the tastiest.

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Labaneh (or Labneh) is a thick and creamy spread made from fresh yogurt milk which has been strained in order to remove the whey using cotton cloth. Labaneh balls in particular are made from a thicker form of labaneh that are rolled into small balls and kept in olive oil filled jar. Thicker form of labaneh necessarily means more straining time, more produced whey, and more food longevity.

The jar of labaneh balls is an important element of Levantine cuisine and no Palestinian kitchen is complete without it. It is a sort of preserved food usually made from cows’ milk couple of times a year and it can be used and consumed for many months.

Labaneh balls are commonly served for breakfast and dinner with taboun or pita bread, olive oil and pinch of crush dried mint. In this recipe, I’ll be mixing labaneh with walnuts, hot red pepper, and garlic for rich flavor and high nutritional value.

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