5 Not So Well Known Lebanese Foods Kelly Menhennett Likes To Cook With Her Grandmother

Ahead of her support of Bob Evans' Adelaide show tomorrow (26 October), Adelaide award-winning soul/ roots/ alt. country singer-songwriter Kelly Menhennett shares a little of her Lebanese heritage with a listicle about food she likes to make with her grandmother. Bless.

“Growing up as a half-Lebanese kid in country SA during the '80s and '90s, I’d occasionally look down at my kibbi, hummus and tabbouli, or perhaps labbneh, cucumber and za’atar pita rolls, and think I was pretty lucky,” Kelly says.

“Don’t get me wrong. I certainly ate my fair share of Vegemite and cheese sandwiches, but I sure did appreciate Lebanese food.

“My mother and grandparents taught me many things, but some of my fondest memories from my childhood are cooking days (and the feasts that followed) in my grandmother’s kitchen.

“Excluding commonly known faves like hummus, tabbouleh/ tabbouli, baba ghanoush, za’atar, labneh, falafel... here are my top 5 not so commonly known Lebanese foods to make with my grandmother.”

Kibbi (or kibbeh)

Ground meat (my grandmother used lamb) mixed with bulgur, spices, onions, pine nuts. Layered with the onion/ pine nuts in the middle and baked in a tray, or can be cooked in balls and fried, or in a yoghurt sauce.

Labneh

Salted and drained 'cheese' made from yoghurt, which is becoming more known these days. Kinda like goats curd without the goaty-ness.

Made by salting the yoghurt and putting it in some muslin to drain. My Sito would use the laundry sink spout to hang it and I remember being intrigued by that mysterious squishy muslin ball hanging over the trough.

Kousa (or kousa mahshi)

Rice and meat stuffed zucchini with onion, spices and tomato. The Lebanese zucchinis are picked young and small. My dad would often get in trouble with my grandmother for growing them too big. Cabbage rolls and stuffed vine leaves were also often made and have similar fillings.

Spinach pasties (fatayer sabanegh)

I haven’t had these for a long time, but fondly remember the lemony, spinach filling and pastry dough that was soft on the inside but crisp on the outside. Delish hot or cold, these we’re also a hit in the school lunch box.

Majuderra

Brown lentil, rice and onions – super simple, but delish hot or cold. Often a dish that would be a staple in our fridge along with the hummus and tabbouli.

Kelly Menhennett supports Bob Evans at The Gov (Adelaide) 26 October. She also plays Delamere Music Festival (TAS) 27 October.