{"id":3741,"date":"2011-10-12T16:04:42","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T06:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=3741"},"modified":"2018-05-15T12:04:09","modified_gmt":"2018-05-15T02:04:09","slug":"lebanese-cooking-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/lebanese-cooking-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Lebanese Cooking 101"},"content":{"rendered":"
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lastminute lovely Kirsty found out how to make her barbeques sizzle this summer with an amazing Lebanese cooking class in Sydney.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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If there is anything I like more than a compliment on my shoes, it\u2019s a compliment on my cooking. Since the former happens more often than the latter, I jumped at the opportunity to go to a Lebanese Cooking Class. Yum please!!<\/p>\n

\"Norma<\/a>

Lebanese cooking extraordinare Norma<\/p><\/div>\n

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Attending Norma\u2019s Family Favourites Cooking Class is an experience I highly recommend. Instead of a class it feels like a lesson at home with your Lebanese BFF. Norma is your host, and you instantly feel like you are in the hands of a professional, with years of experience putting on feasts to impress hoards of loved ones. Take heed and many notes, every little tip is a corker!<\/p>\n

We came prepared with our own bottle of champagne, and were instantly relaxed and mesmerized by Norma as she talked us through the simple-yet-delicious dishes we were about to help her prepare.<\/p>\n

Following our briefing we all pitched in around the kitchen to help – sometimes sitting back and watching Norma do her thing \u2013 all the while finding out everything we needed to know about Lebanese cooking.<\/p>\n

The final feast <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Fattoush\"<\/a>

The very delicious fattoush salad<\/p><\/div>\n

Fattoush<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Read: the salad to end all BBQ salads! I must confess I made this at home the next day, and readily accepted complements on my culinary genius. Norma’s tip<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Cut all the pieces to the same size so the salad is easy to turn, you get a bit of everything in one mouthful and looks fab!<\/p>\n

Kaftas<\/strong><\/span> – A nifty way to jazz up meatballs. These were a little messy but so worth the effort. Anything served on sticks is AOK with me. Norma’s tip<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Serve them with a tomato sauce on spaghetti as left-overs or spread a thin layer on some pita bread and grill for a few seconds.<\/p>\n

Smokey Baba Ghannouj<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 This was surprisingly easy AND tastes so much better than the supermarket version. Norma’s tip<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Prepare the eggplant a day earlier so when it comes time to enjoy your BBQ, you\u2019re already in business. Garnish with Pomegranate seeds to make it really pop!<\/p>\n

\"Hot<\/a>

Norma does the Hot Potato<\/p><\/div>\n

Hot Potatoes<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 These HAVE to be the ones the Wiggles sing about because they are worth a chorus! Now fried potatoes always rock my world, but add a bit of Lebanese gourmet to them and they are a stand out dish that everyone finds respectable! Norma’s tip<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Don\u2019t overdo it on the dressing, no matter how good it smells.<\/p>\n

Nammoura<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Who would have thought semolina could taste so sweet? Even though I was testing the limits of my stomach by the end of the feast, I found room for this delicious dessert. Norma’s tip<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Place an almond in the centre of each square to jazz them up.<\/p>\n

After the class, Norma laughed off my suggestion of adult-age adoption \u2026 I was serious\u2026 but never-the-less I was satisfied and enlightened. I\u2019ve expanded my cooking repertoire to include another cuisine beyond pizza, pasta and stir-fry and have already seen my friendships improve due to the quality of my BBQs.<\/p>\n

A great way to spend a day with the girlfriends or even the BF.<\/p>\n

Fancy your own cooking experience closer to home? You can with a lastminute.com.au culinary experience! <\/span><\/strong>Click here for details<\/a><\/h2>\n
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