Meine Tante aus der Levante

Cooking course in German
My aunt from the Levant
An evening on the eastern Mediterranean
with Leis Bagdach

SYRIA actually means nothing other than EAST. It's all a question of perspective, as the same region is called Bilad Al-Sham in Arabic - lands of the NORTH. Whichever way you look at it, the cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean is booming! We set off on a journey. Dip wild thyme, sumac and sesame seeds in olive oil. Discover two variations of the world's most famous dip. Learn how to hollow out eggplants and then fill them with lamb, chickpeas and bulgur. Marinate fish in garlic and coriander seeds. Serve beet with pomegranate syrup, walnuts and feta cheese. And celebrate a Turkish-Greek-Levantine friendship for dessert. (By the way, my Syrian aunt is the best cook in the world ... :).

Menu:

• Syria: Manakish b'Za'tar (pizza bread with homemade spice mix and olive oil)
• Palestine & Israel: Pink & Green Hummus
• Jordan: Batingan Mah'shi (stuffed eggplants in a lemon, tomato and mint sauce)
• Lebanon: Samak M'shwi (baked fish with coriander, garlic and cumin)
• Cyprus: Beetroot carpaccio with walnuts and feta cheese
• Syria: Eggplant, tomato and garlic dip
• Greece & Turkey: Baklawa with pistachios

Leis Bagdach

Born in Cologne to a German mother and a Syrian father, Leis Bagdach has a huge repertoire of traditional family recipes, cooks passionately every day (and accidentally always for at least six people) and, as a full-time screenwriter, also has the best ideas in the kitchen.