This lovely mountain resort town is perched above the eastern end of
the beautiful Kadisha Gorge and at the foothills of the Cedars of Lebanon.
It is the brith place of Lebanon's most famous author
Khalil Gibran. It has a small museum which pays tribute to him.
Beiteddine palace was built over a period of thirty years by Emir Bechir Chehab II.
It's architecture reflects the typical oriental architecture of the 19th century Ottoman Era.
It is remarkable for its glamorous
arcades, multicolored mosaic floors, reception rooms, harems, hammams
and even by its guest house "Diyafa" where passing guests were lodged
(French poet Lamartine stayed once there).
Detail of the Sarcophagus of Ahiram, king of Byblos, seated
on a cherub throne, before an offering table, 13th century B.C (National Museum of Beirut).
Around 1200 B.C. the scribes of Byblos developed an alphabetic phonetic script, the precursor of our modern
alphabet. By 800 B.C., it had traveled to Greece, changing forever the way man communicated.
Located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, Baalbek is an ancient city
that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally
Canaanite (3rd century BC), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines,
and Arabs successively occupied Ba'albek and left their imprints on the
place, often modifying what existed previously.
www.kaftoun.com
Share this
Digg
Del.icio.us
StumbleUpon
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Googlize this
Blinklist
Facebook
Wikio
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
Boston Cream Pie
It’s called a pie, but it’s really a cake filled with an amazing custard and covered with chocolate. You and your family will call it delicious. It’s truly a classic dessert.
Although it’s not a pie, it did originate in Boston and credited to the chef at the Omni Parker House Hotel (also the home of the Parker House Roll). The original Boston Cream Pie had toasted almonds around the sides, but it’s good without them as well – your choice.
Ingredients:
Cake:
| butter, softened |
| sugar |
| yolks |
| vanilla |
| milk |
| flour |
| baking powder |
| of salt |
Custard Filling:
| sugar |
| egg yolks |
| flour |
| milk |
| vanilla |
Chocolate Frosting:
| sugar |
| egg yolks |
| flour |
| milk |
| vanilla |
Directions:
Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the cake:
Mix together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl; add the yolks and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated. It will be a thick batter. Divide between the two pans and bake for 20 minutes – careful not to over bake or the cake will be dry. (If set and a toothpick stuck near the center comes nearly clean, it’s done.) Cool the cakes for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.To make the custard (filling):
In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar and yolks, add the flour and whisk. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Keep whisking constantly (important) over medium heat until it thickens (5 – 7 minutes). Remove from heat and cool completely. Refrigerate for a little while before using.For the frosting:
Heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Remove and stir until smooth. (If needed, put in for 20 seconds more. Add the cream and vanilla and stir until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and stir until smooth.Assembling a Bostom Cream Pie:
Spread the filling between the layers, and use the frosting only for the top. The sides can be left bare. If desired, stick toasted, slivered almonds to the sides using a bit of custard as glue. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.(Adapted from The Hungry Mouse)
