Bringing a Taste of the Lebanese Mountains to Brooklyn

Lebanon was not on my vacation radar. Then I interviewed Sarah Trad about A House in the Lebanese Mountains: Recipes and Stories from Beit Trad, and suddenly I’m mentally checking into her exquisite eighteenth-century family home turned guesthouse above Beirut, contemplating a long lunch, an even longer breakfast, and the possibility of never checking out. We talked about Lebanese hospitality, family, fabulous interiors, and the considerable behind-the-scenes labor involved in making guests feel as though no one has lifted a finger. Naturally, I’m ready to be one of those guests.

Until my Lebanese getaway materializes, I’m lucky enough to live near Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, chock-a-block with Middle Eastern specialty grocers and everything I need to stage a little Levantine hospitality of my own. The book’s fragrant stews and salatin brimming with tomatoes and eggplant are already auditioning for my next dinner party. My guests may not get a mountain view, but they will be fed.

Listen to my New Books Network interview with Sarah Trad here.