Where can I find 100% authentic Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian recipes?!

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Syrian Cabbage Rolls (Mihshee Malfoof bi Burghul) Syrian meatless cabbage rolls. Tangy, spicy, and very filling.


Ingredients
1 medium cabbage
2 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup coarse burghul - (Bulgar wheat)
2 medium onions - finely chopped
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons cilantro - finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons mint leaves - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne as required
1/2 teaspoon Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper - to taste
8 cloves garlic - thin sliced
2 cups tomato juice
Preparation - Syrian Cabbage Rolls (Mihshee Malfoof bi Burghul)

Place burghul in a bowl and cover with boiling or hot water and allow to sit for about 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the burghul is partially cooked.

Place cabbage in a pot of boiling water and cook for a few minutes to soften leaves. Remove from water and, with a knife, loosen leaves from the base. If the leaves are still not soft, boil again for a few minutes. When all leaves are cut free, trim the bottom portion of the thick rib from each leave (e.g. about 2 inches in), leaving a large circle that will be used to wrap the filling. Note - if leaves are very large, they may be cut in half before use.

To make filling, place all remaining ingredients, except garlic and tomato juice, in a bowl and thoroughly mix. Place some filling on the wide end of a cabbage leaf and roll, tucking in the ends in the process. Continue until all leaves are finished.

Cover bottom of saucepan with saved cabbage ribs and any extra leaves. Arrange rolls side by side. Sprinkle a little extra salt and add the garlic cloves to the pan. Pour the tomato juice over cabbage rolls. Add a little extra water if needed so that the liquid comes up at least half way up the pan. (Opt. - you may place an inverted plate on top of the cabbage rolls to weight them in the pan. Alternatively, use a tight fitting lid.)

Bring to a boil; then cover and cook tomato juice and enough water to cover plate. Bring to a boil; then cover and cook over medium heat for 50 minutes or until burghul is well done. Serve hot or cold with a little of the tomato sauce from the pan.

Makes about 10 - 12 cabbage rolls; number will vary based on size of leaves and amount of filling used.
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Lebanese Salad
1 head Romaine lettuce
Two medium sized tomatoes
5 small salad cucumbers. If not available, use 1 or 2 English cucumbers (hothouse)
1-2 cloves garlic
? teaspoon salt
? cup extra virgin olive oil
1? tablespoon lemon juice

Smash the garlic with salt in a mortar and pestle or in the bottom of the pan. Add olive oil and lemon juice and mix well with a wisk or a fork to allow the garlic flavor to permeate the liquid.
Cut the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers into bite-size pieces and mix thoroughly with the liquid dressing. Eat immediately.

Suggestion: Add dried parsley flakes and / or dried mint flakes to the salad and toss.
Hint: Do not prepare the salad ahead of time. Must be eaten immediately after preparation, otherwise the dressing will cause the vegetables to wilt and become soggy.
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Rice and Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)

1 lb. Stew meat cut in small pieces
1 medium yellow onion
2 Tbsp. Crisco vegetable shortening
4 cups water
2 cans garbanzo beans (15 oz. size)
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Allspice
1 1/4 c. long grain rice

Cut pieces of meat into smaller pieces. Cut onion into small cubes. Melt Crisco in dutch oven. Fry meat until half brown, add onions and cook until they begin to become transparent. Add water and garbanzo beans to meat and onions. bring to boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Add rice, salt and allspice. (Water should be ? inch higher than the rice. Add more if there isn’t enough.) Cook until rice is soft and water is evaporated. This dish should be cooked on medium heat.

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Lebanese Coffee (qahwa or 'ahweh)
2 1/2 cups water
Sugar to taste (I usually use 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup (dry measure) Lebanese coffee. An additional one or more teaspoons make stronger coffee. My favorite brand of coffee is the famous Najjar brand, available plain or with Cardamom

Bring water to a boil in a rakweh (a tall narrow pot tapered at the top, used only for making coffee).
Take pot off burner. Add coffee and sugar and stir.
Place back on burner and bring to a boil again. Watch very carefully, otherwise it would foam and rapidly boil over. Move the rakweh to one side of the stove burner and hold it half-on the burner and half off the burner. Make a hole in the froth (or move the froth to one side) to release steam, otherwise it will boil over. Allow to boil for no more than 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

To drink: Use a Lebanese coffee cup or an equivalent,such as a demitasse.
Skim some of the froth and place in each cup. Let coffee stand for 5 minutes to allow the grounds to settle to the bottom of the pot. Gently pour coffee into the cups.

Warning: Lebanese coffee, like its Turkish sibling, is triple-strong. You can easily feel the caffeine kick into effect.

Variations:
1. Add sugar at the beginning then bring to boil.
2. If you are not sure whether you would like the cardamom taste, buy plain coffee grind and add two or three peeled cardamom seeds in the pot and boil with the water.
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Fattoush A popular Palestinian salad prepared a lot during the fasting month, Ramadan. It is a very fresh spring salad that combines many nutritious ingredients.

Ingredients (for 4 persons):

* 2 tomatoes
* 2 cucumbers
* 2 spring onions
* Lettuce
* 1 Radish
* Parsley
* Green mint
* 1 loaf of pita bread
* Dressing: Lemon, salt, and olive oil

Preparation:

* Cut the vegetables into small - medium size pieces.
* The lettuce, parsley and green mint should be cut in small pieces.
* Cut the pita bread into squares of 1 square cm each and either fry them until golden brown or roast them under the grill.
* Add the bread to the vegetable mixture.
* Add lemon, salt, and olive oil to taste.
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Ingredients:

* 1 small chicken
* 1 onion
* 1 cup rice
* 1 pita bread
* 500 gms sour yogurt
* 3 garlic cloves
* Spices and seasoning to taste

Preparation:

* Clean and season the chicken to taste (salt, pepper, cardamom seeds, and nutmeg).
* Peel the onion and place the whole onion with the chicken and a cup of water in a chicken oven bag.
* Roast in the oven over medium heat. Leave to cook for one hour (or more according to the weight of the chicken.)
* Cut the pita bread into small square pieces and fry them.
* Cook the rice.
* Place the bread in the bottom of the serving pan (which needs to be a semi-deep dish.)
* After the chicken is cooked, pour the chicken stock onto the bread and mix with one crushed garlic clove and one spoon of cooked rice.
* Place the remaining rice on top of the bread and chicken stock combination and make sure it's fully covered.
* Mix the two remaining crushed garlic cloves into the yogurt and pour the combination over the rice and bread. Remove the bones from the chicken, and place the chicken pieces on top of the yogurt. Serve immediately.

how about going to your local senior center and asking an old syrian, lebanese or palestinian lady? i ask my grandmother for traditional recipes. hope this helps!

Syria, Lebanon & Palestine... or in the USA in NYC!