These are the Lebanese dishes I grew up with in Taybe, in south Lebanon, and still cook in my Oxford kitchen, sorted by course. I test every new recipe at least three times before it goes up. For a printed collection, see my cookbook, Lebanese Cuisine: The Authentic Cookbook.
Mezze & dips
Small plates to share with warm bread: dips, falafel, kibbeh and stuffed grape leaves.
Salads
Fresh, sharp and full of herbs. A Lebanese table almost always has one.
Stews & mains
Everyday home cooking: slow-cooked stews served with vermicelli rice, lentil dishes, soup, and family favourites like molokhia and mansaf.
Grills
Shish tawook, kofta and kebabs, plus chicken shawarma and arayes.
Pies & breads
Manakish, fatayer, sfiha and saj bread, plus the dough to make them.
Sweets & drinks
Knafeh, maamoul, baklava and ashta, plus a jug of mint lemonade.
Pantry (mouneh)
In Lebanon, mouneh is the store cupboard you fill while things are in season: spice blends, molasses, pickles and labneh. Here’s how to make them at home.
