My Fondest Food Memories: A Guest Post by Edy Massih

By Edy Massih / May 21, 2024 at 1:55 am

Prepare for a watering mouth and tingling taste buds when you open up Edy Massih’s poppy new cookbook. From a small fishing village in Lebanon to the bustling streets of Brooklyn, preparing food for family, friends and complete strangers has always been a passion of Massih’s life. In the exclusive essay below, Massih shares one of his family recipes and the inspiration behind his cookbook.

Hardcover $39.99

Keep It Zesty: A Celebration of Lebanese Flavors & Culture from Edy's Grocer

By Edy Massih

In Stock Online

Hardcover $39.99

Edy Massih, a darling on the cooking scene, delivers a delicious compendium of Lebanese culinary magic. Refreshingly accessible and full of character for your home kitchen, this is perfect for cooks of any level.

Growing up in Lebanon, I was often shooed out of the kitchen, but I always snuck my way back in to watch my Teitas (grandmother in arabic) Odette and Jacqueline cook. My Tieta Odette, in particular, influenced a lot of my cooking–I don’t think I would have had my catering career or the confidence to open up Edy’s Grocer without her. One of my fondest food memories of all time is eating her Riz a Djej (page 187) a traditional dish that literally translates to rice and chicken, and is what I like to call a Lebanese version of dirty rice.

Even writing this now, the dish is so close in my mind, I can almost taste it: basmati rice spiced with baharat (page 21)–a special seven-spice blend of allspice, black pepper, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom–then cooked in homemade chicken stock and finished with a smattering of fried nut mix (page 81). Riz a djej is a labor of love, and was a celebratory dish for us growing up. Odette would always make the dish for Easter Sunday, beginning her prep work on the Thursday prior. She’d roast the chicken, then shred the meat and make a stock with the bones. I’d smell the chicken stock wafting in from the other room and know immediately that riz a djej was on the horizon.

I’d sit in the kitchen and watch as she fried the medley of nuts in separate batches, starting with pine nuts, then pistachios, walnuts, cashews, and almonds, in that order. She would lay out the nuts on a big metal tray lined with paper towels, and I’d snatch a handful, even though I knew she’d yell at me, “At this rate they’ll never make it to Sunday!”

On Easter Sunday, she’d sauté the onions, beef, and spices, then finally add the rice, bay leaves, and chicken stock. I’d sneak away from playing games with my cousins to check on Teita and her rice. I’d sit on the countertop, mesmerized by the aromas and the pristine condition of her perfectly coiffed hair. After fluffing the rice with a fork, it was time for plating. She would load the platter with a giant pile of aromatic rice, then a layer of juicy shredded chicken, then heavy handfuls of the fried nuts. It was perfectly proportioned with the ideal amount of chicken, rice, and nuts in every spoonful.

You can smell the baharat spices wafting down Eckford Street whenever riz a djej is simmering on the stovetop at Edy’s Grocer. Teita’s rice has become my signature dish and the most popular item on our menu year after year. With Odette’s picture hanging on top of the kitchen entrance at the Grocer, I know she is checking in on me and watching me fluff the rice before dishing out her specialty to the hungry Brooklyn crowds.

Riz A Djej

Serves 4 to 6

2 cups basmati rice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 pound ground beef (preferably 90% lean) or ground lamb

2 tablespoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons Baharat (recipe follows)

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

5 to 6 bay leaves

2 cups Fried Nut Mix (recipe follows), for serving

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for serving

Plain Greek yogurt, for serving

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer with cold water until the starch is washed off and the water runs clear. Set aside to drain.

2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent but not taking on any color.

3. Add the ground meat and use a wooden spoon to break it up and stir, about 10 minutes, until the meat starts to brown. Stir the rice, salt, and baharat into the pot and toast the rice for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until coated in the spices. Add the chicken stock, 1/4 cup water, the shredded chicken, and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and use a fork to fluff the rice.

4. Pile the rice on a serving platter. Cover with the fried nut mix and pomegranate seeds and serve with plenty of yogurt on the side.

Gluten-free

Baharat

Add 2 tablespoons ground allspice, 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom to a small jar. Seal and shake the jar to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. Makes 3/4 cup baharat.

Fried Nut Mix

Makes 2 ¼ cups

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

1/2 cup pepitas

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the almonds and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring often to make sure they don’t burn, until lightly toasted. Add the cashews and continue frying and stirring for about 3 minutes, until lightly toasted. Add the pistachios and continue frying and stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the pepitas and keep going for about 3 minutes. Finally, add the pine nuts and salt and continue frying and stirring for about 3 minutes, until everything is golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds. Transfer to a plate to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.