In JULIE TABOULIE’S LEBANESE KITCHEN, chef and Lebanese-American Julie Taboulie celebrates the colorful and flavorful cuisine of Lebanon.
Filmed on location throughout the greater Syracuse area and Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Julie shares her authentic array of original Lebanese recipes (tabbouleh, lamb kebab, and Lebanese-style French fries) that have been handed down in her family for over three generations.
Throughout the series, the New York native searches for the freshest and finest foods at her favorite farmer’s markets and farm stands, winds her way through several Finger Lake wineries, and explores the rich rural farmlands, lakes and landscapes of the region.
Julie then stops by her mother’s garden before heading back home to her kitchen, where she demonstrates her tried and true tips, tricks, and techniques so that viewers can successfully re-create her recipes themselves.
Julie Taboulie is on Facebook. Julie's cookbook is available now at ShopPBS.org.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: "Garden Of Dreams" airs Saturday, June 24 at 3 p.m. - In this sensational season opener of the series, Julie finds herself in a garden of dreams in Mama’s Glorious Garden.
This special place and special person, both serve as Julie’s number one source of inspiration and ideas that influences her to create, cook and celebrate her impressive line-up of fresh, flavorful and fabulous Lebanese foods.
From exquisite eggplant, vine-ripe ruby-red tomatoes and spectacular Swiss chard to bouquets of healthy herbs, perky peppers and purple potatoes, Julie showcases and shares some special Lebanese recipes in which all of the ingredients are sourced straight from Mama’s home-grown garden.
Julie takes viewers along with her right into the garden to get an up close and personal look at all of the beautiful and breathtaking bounty as she meets with Mama who shares some of her green-thumb gardening tips for viewers to try for themselves at home.
It’s more garden, more glory and most of all more Mama in Julie’s garden of dreams show, let’s dig into deliciousness.
Episode 2: "It's Taboulie Time" airs Saturday, July 1 at 3 p.m. - Join the “Queen of Lebanese Cuisine,” Julie Taboulie, as she pays a special tribute to her namesake dish and her culinary traditions. Julie takes viewers back to memory lane of her Lebanese heritage and the dishes that she grew up eating ever since she was a young girl at her family’s Lebanese table.
It’s tart, it’s tangy and it’s tasty. It’s non-other than Julie Taboulie’s namesake, signature salad, taste-bud-tantalizing taboulie Originating in the mountains of Mount Lebanon, this famous dish is known as the “Queen Salata” throughout the land and Julie shares all of her tips, tricks and techniques to make the tastiest taboulie.
Julie makes a couple trips to Mama’s garden and to her very own herb-garden that Mama especially planted for her to gather all of her fresh ingredients for her recipes. While Julie’s there she happily introduces viewers to her Uncle Dominick to answer their number one question to finally find how she got her stage name.
Julie also shares her luscious lamb kabobs lahem mishwee that lead the way along with her Lebanese-style French fries batata maqlieh inspired by her Sitto (Julie’s grandmother) that are finished off with an authentic garlic, olive oil and lemon sauce famously called toum making this show so succulent that viewers will wish there was taste-a-vision.
Episode 3: "Meet Me At The Market" airs Saturday, July 8 at 3 p.m. - Julie is cordially inviting all of you to come and meet her at the fresh farmer’s market. Besides Mama’s Glorious Garden, farmer’s markets are Julie’s favorite places to frequent for fresh foods. She loves meeting all of the farmers, strolling around an open-outdoor market while supporting and sourcing locally sustainable foods.
On today’s show, this fresh farmer’s market is inspiring Julie to make her marvelous makbouseh, a Lebanese-style summertime squash stew. Meaning to “mix things up,” Julie’s Makbouseh is a magnificent medley of fresh vegetables along with an array of amazing aromatics that slowly simmer away into a stunning and scrumptious squash stew that is sure to be a staple at your table all summer long.
She also prepares and perfectly pairs her homemade and handmade Lebanese pasta tossed in a glorious garlic sauce that just sort of melts in your mouth which is famously known as macaroune b toum.
Plus, Julie’s first food memory, a childhood favorite of fried squash blossoms called zahrah kousa b maqlieh that Julie is whipping up just for you.
Fresh from the farmer’s market to a mouthwatering meal, this is one Lebanese masterpiece that you won’t want to miss.
Episode 4: "Eggplant Extravaganza" airs Saturday, July 15 at 3 p.m. - On today’s show, it’s an extraordinary eggplant extravaganza. American, Italian, Indian, Sicilian, French, Lebanese, Japanese and Chinese too, it’s all about eggplant that Julie is making just for you. From simple and sophisticated to earthy and exotic, eggplants are excellent selections for sauces, spreads, soups and stews, stuffed and even pickled eggplant too.
Julie’s eggplant extravaganza all starts with her signature starter called batenjen mishwee, a fire-roasted eggplant spread that sets the stage for her magnificent main meal, internationally known as sheikh el’ mahshi. Her star dish delight of the day showcases baby Indian eggplants, that are sautéed and stuffed with a mouthwatering meat and pine nut mixture then blissfully baked away in a tomato casserole that is golden brown and bubbly as can be.
Last but certainly not least is a specialty breakfast dish called bayd b batenjen, baked eggs and eggplants that is an enjoyable flavor combination.
Sliced, diced, sautéed, smashed and stuffed too, it’s Julie’s eggplant extravaganza that she is cooking up just for you.
Episode 5: "Street Food Star, Shawarma" airs Saturday, July 22 at 3 p.m. - Julie is serving up her street food star supreme sandwich, shawarma. Succulent, spicy, saucy and shaved off a rotisserie spit, shawarma is one of Lebanon’s and the Middle East’s most famous street-food sandwiches seen throughout the international and the American street food scene.
Translating to “turn” or to “rotate,” shawarma lahem is thinly sliced marinated lamb meat that is roasted and lusciously layered with traditional toppings of caramelized onions and stewed tomatoes called khoudra mishwiyeh then topped with tasty and tangy tahini, a sesame seed sauce sprinkled with an array of fresh herbs.
Then, this succulent sandwich is all wrapped up in warm pita bread, making this scrumptious sandwich something that you’ll want to create, make and taste, time and time again.
Julie is sharing some of her special tips, tricks and techniques on how to make her signature street food star sandwich right at home so that you can simply re-create her recipes in your very own kitchen and NO rotisserie spit needed. It’s succulent. It’s spicy. It’s saucy. It’s shawarma. Julie Taboulie’s supreme street food star sandwich.
Episode 6: "Stop & Smell The Roses" airs Saturday, July 29 at 3 p.m. - Julie brings you along with her as she strolls through beautiful and breathtaking rose garden that inspires her to come back into her Lebanese kitchen to make and bake some of the most sumptuous rose water infused sweets that her culture is so famously known for.
First up is Julie’s bellawriyeh meaning to “glow” this shredded phyllo dough dessert is delightfully layered with a flavorful pistachio-walnut filling. Followed by her eish al bolbol, shredded phyllo dough birds nest shaped sweets topped with pistachios then blissfully baked away until lightly golden brown.
Both sweets are finished off with Julie’s signature rose water syrup ater b maward, that is subtly sweet, slightly sticky and surprisingly splendid to the senses.
Julie’s rose water signature sweets will surely have you stopping to smell the roses and stimulate you to create her sweets for yourself right at home as she simply shows you step-by-step in true Julie Taboulie style.
MORE EPISODE BROADCAST DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
