A tannour is a three foot by two foot oven made from a special kind of clay that retains heat.  Usually, four to five families will share a tanoor, so it is placed in a location convenient for all the families involved.  It is usually placed on the ground next to a wall.  The space [...]

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One of my best childhood memories, is when we visit my grand parents in the village.  We get up in the  early morning hours so we can watch my grandmother mixing the dough and bake the  bread in thetannour.  She would snatch the bread out the wall of the tannour, paste it with Zaatar oil mixture, fold [...]

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Several members of my restaurant staff are from Mexico. I learned from them a novel way of celebrating the New Year. As the New Year approached and we were busy preparing for our lunch rush, I noticed my staff exchanging bags and handfuls of lentils. I had to ask what it was all about. I [...]

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Except for the Orient, which features rice as a staple with any meal, there are few societies that do not boast some kind of bread as their staple. Even in Latin America, a tortilla is basic.  Even if it doesn’t look much like bread, at least as we know it. I’ve found that most cultures [...]

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 I can tell you that the widest smile I see in my restaurant is the smile of a new client who is gluten sensitive and who just heard me saying that we serve gluten free bread and gluten free fatayer (closed sandwich).   Bread or bread products, such as sandwiches, biscuits and dessert, are the hardest item to make, especially to [...]

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