Sharmoula - Libyan Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Sharmoula – Libyan Tomato and Cucumber Salad

First of all, this is not Moroccan chermoula, which is a family of marinades that I’ll explore in the future. What it is: a highly versatile salad that goes with most anything, including served with flatbread as a dip. It’s…

Shakshuka plated

Shakshuka, Libyan-Style

Shakshuka ~ eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce ~ is kind of a universal dish across the Middle East and Northern Africa these days, with roots in Libya or Tunisia (depending on who you ask) and Morocco tries to…

Casserole dish with noodles, sauce, and bechamel layers

Macarona Bechamel (Pasta with Bechamel)

I’ll start with the warning that this recipe serves about eight, and I’ve cut it in half versus a lot of the variations out there.  With that out of the way, here’s a nice casserole that’s like a stripped-down lasagna….

Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Magic Butter)

Niter kibbeh is a staple in Ethiopian cuisine, where if the recipe says “butter”, they probably mean this.  It’s basically clarified butter with onions and a bunch of aromatic stuff in it. This recipe makes a fair amount, but I…

Libyan green peppers stuffed with lamb, rice, and tomatoes

Lybian Mahshi (Stuffed Vegetables)

So “mahshi” means “stuffed” in Arabic. You can stuff a lot of vegetables like zucchini or eggplant if you really want to. I don’t want to, so I’m sticking with green peppers. At 48, I’m allowed to make these choices….

Macroona Imbakbaka

Macroona Imbakaka (Libyan Chicken and Pasta)

Seems like most people say “this is Libya’s quintessential dish” which usually means “I can’t tell you mom’s recipe under penalty of death”, but here we are, and it’s not my mom.  So… Call it North African/Italian fusion in a…