Week 8 - Lebanon

KNEFE

And the mystery breakfast is......Knefe from Lebanon!

Knefe (alternatively spelled kanafeh, knafeh, knefeh, kanafa) is one of those foods that instantly entranced me.  I couldn't wait for the weekend to tackle this recipe.

Researching and shopping for our Lebanese breakfast was an eye-opening experience.  I've had my fair share of Shawarma and have even experimented at home with Za'atar and Sumac, but that didn't prepare me for the wonders at Arz Fine Foods (1909 Lawrence Ave. East).  I love visiting new grocery stores and Arz Fine Foods was a wonderland of interesting pastries (the Baklava selection - wow!), fruits, breads, and sundry items.  In fact, while shopping for ingredients to make Knefe at home, we actually came upon a cafe in the store that sold Knefe ready to eat!

Are you wondering yet what Knefe is?  Here's the scoop:  you take a soft, white cheese called Akawi and bake it sandwiched in-between layers of Kataifi mixed with butter.  (Kataifi is a very fine, shredded phyllo dough)  Then you take a fresh sesame bun called a Ka'ak Knefe and place a piece of the Knefe in the bun.  Finally you drizzle with a syrup infused with Rose or Orange Water.

Knefe in it's various forms (there's also a dessert version) is found all over the Middle East, and in Lebanon it's a classic pick-me-up after a hard night out on the town.  People don't often make this one at home but go out and get it from their local bakery instead.

The Knefe we tried from Arz was sweet! (literally)  The syrup reminded me of honey and although cheese with bread on more bread initially sounds like too much white, once you taste it you realize it's more like a breaded protein on a bun  (which isn't very strange at all).  This one got a big thumbs up from Jonny.  It was soft, sweet, warm and comforting, if a tad heavy.

The Verdict:

For Ease of Preparation:






For Degrees of Separation:





For Guestability:





For Sustainability:

Overall Appeal:






I see many more stops at Arz Fine Foods for me in the future, preferably around breakfast....

Later this week we head to South-East Asia for a double-header that features Singaporean and Filipino cuisine, stay tuned!