ONE OF MY favorite memories from visits to Beirut was listening to the sizzle of fried pine nuts in hot clarified butter hit the top of a fatteh at street corner stalls, where vendors were making this dish to order for hungry crowds.
It takes only one bite to understand the magic of fatteh, the ultimate breakfast and brunch mezze dish and a perfect cure for a hangover.

“I adore fideo seco—toasted bits of pasta simmered with a rich chicken broth until the pasta absorbs every last drop of liquid. Growing up, it was always served as a side dish. When I got to Monterrey I saw it in a taco! I couldn’t believe that I had eaten it for so many years of my life and never put it inside of a tortilla. So of course I had to try it. And yes, it was amazing carb on delicious carb. While it was delicious, in all honesty, my favorite way to eat fideo seco is straight out of the pan. In fact, when I was in college, I would make huge batches for me and my , I would make huge batches for me and my roommate. It was cheap and easy and the perfect meal to make after a night out drinking. Between the two of us, we’d devour a whole skillet! Now I skip the bar and go straight to the skillet. Feel free to stuff it into a tortilla if you are needing a little carb pick-me-up!” — Rick Martinez