On a sparkling May day we welcomed New York restaurateur Melissa O’Donnell to our Faqra kitchen. She came as the first member of an international corps of visiting chefs who are helping Massaya celebrate 20 years of winemaking in Lebanon.
Everyone who came to her special lunch on Saturday, May 19 was treated to a delicious menu that included Melissa’s clever variations on some well known dishes. We were delighted to learn from her and the techniques she used for smoking and curing meat and fish will now be incorporated into several of the Fireplace signature dishes.
Melissa’s visit began in the Beqaa with a visit to our Tanail winery and to various food suppliers. The following day she was in the kitchen by 9am and there followed a three-day preparation for Saturday’s celebration lunch. Not only did Melissa and the team place great emphasis on the meat smoking and curing process, she introduced several delightful surprises. These included artichoke served with a lemon and sumac remoulade and a wonderful hommos fermented with miso – who would have thought that the humble hommos could be made so flamboyant! The chef added marshmallow to some of the desserts and presented her own offbeat treat to finish: chocolate tahini truffles and Earl Grey crème brulée.
Melissa’s meal and the wine tasting event that day combined to make a memorable celebration event.