This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.
www.kaftoun.com
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A unique use for garlic - an emulsion is made by pounding garlic and progressively incorporating olive oil into it. Used as a condiment with chicken, meat and fish dishes or as a base for souses. This is very hard to do and many times it fails when oil is not drizzled in slowly, almost drop by drop. If you can't be patient, use the quick mayonnaise recipe alternative provided below.
| 1 1/2 cups |
| 6 - 8 |
| 1/2 hour |
Ingredients:
| 5 Large |
| 1 cup |
| 1/2 sm. lemon |
| 1/2 tsp. |
Equipment:
It is preferable to use the traditional mortar made from the wood of olive trees. These can be purchased in Lebanon and they will last for generations if not abused. Always wash by hand and never put in the dish washer. Occasionally oil the mortar with olive oil to keep it from drying and cracking and it will last you for a very long time. Use exclusively for pounding garlic.
Directions:
- Mash the garlic and salt together in the mortar until it is a paste. Make sure it is thoroughly mashed or it will be hard to incorporate the oil into it. The salt acts as an abrasive and helps to pulverize the garlic.
- Add the olive oil slowly drizzling it in, almost drop by drop. With a circular motion incorporate the oil into an emulsion with the garlic. If the emulsion becomes too thick, add a squeeze of lemon juice and incorporate immediately. Then again proceed with the oil. This process could take up to 15 minutes, but if successful the result will be very tasty.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Keeps refrigerated for up to a week. Keeps in the freezer for up to two months.
Variation (Quick Method):
- Pound the garlic with the salt into a smooth paste as in step 1 above. Add mayonnaise from a jar and serve immediately. Best served as a condiment with chicken dishes such as Shish Tawook.
Serving suggestions:
- Serve as a condiment with chicken dishes such as Shish Tawook.
