Some recipes also use dried mint, too, but its more aniseedy flavour spoils the fresh flavour of the other kind as far as most testers are concerned, with one likening it to their grandma’s mint sauce in a not entirely complimentary way. Like tabbouleh, this is a dish that requires a generous hand with the herbs, as Helou reminds us. The usual suspects, parsley and mint, are the most popular choices, although Honey & Co go for the rather intriguing oregano, which I love, but which tastes dangerously uncanonical. Roden’s coriander is similarly daring – I think it works, but others aren’t convinced. In any case, parsley and mint just taste right; and if it ain’t broke … Meanwhile, crush the garlic clove and put in a jar with the lemon juice, vinegar, oil and sumac. Season and shake well then leave to infuse until the salad is finished.

Felicity Cloake’s perfect fattoush. Photograph: Felicity Cloake for the Guardian The perfect fattoush Ground coriander and cumin are also pretty much a given, and I like the fiery sweetness of Helou's Lebanese seven-spice powder, with its ginger, cinnamon and allspice, which balances beautifully with the savoury garlic and peppery herbs. Some recipes use cayenne pepper, paprika or chilli flakes too - I find the warmth of the ginger sufficient for a dish that is rarely hot as opposed to spicy, but if you feel the need, add a shake to taste.

Pulses

Steam the spinach leaves by putting them in a pan with a good splash of water and heat just to the point where they wilt, but not so that they lose their texture. I’m also sharing a 20% discount on your next Comptoir Libanais restaurant bill if you visit the location in Utrecht! A Feast of Lebanese-Style Home Cooking makes this exotic cuisine easily accessible at home, with 80 recipes for dishes that blend traditional cooking with modern flavors. His next move was the acquisition at the end of 2005 of Pasha from Richard Caring of Caprice Holdings, transforming it into the most opulent and seductive restaurant of its kind in the capital. He then launched Kenza, a feast of Middle Eastern craftsmanship and rich design, in the City of London in 2007. Put the aubergine, peppers and courgette into a large roasting tin and drizzle over the oil. Season, then toss everything together with a large metal spoon so that the pieces are well coated in the oil. Roast in the oven for 30 mins until golden.

The success of Comptoir Libanais restaurants centres on an easy, relaxed cafe-style of food: light Arabic home cooking mixed with familiar bistro flavours and techniques. Tony Kitous’ recipes combine fresh vibrant vegetable dishes with simple grills, flat breads, grains, herb salads and dips. Pastries are richly flavoured and delicate, made with syrups and spices. Absolutely the menu for today and adaptable for the home cook. The first Comptoir Libanais opened at Westfield Shopping Centre in November 2008, with four more following in London. Further openings include Duke of York Square in Chelsea (pictured below), Bluewater in Kent, and in the London airports – with more to come. This wouldn't be a Middle Eastern recipe without heaps of fresh herbs. Forget the sad little supermarket bundles and try to find yourself a proper market stall bouquet, if possible. Parsley is popular, used by everyone but Helou, but so is coriander, which makes its way into all the recipes. I like a combination of the two - the sharp, pepperiness of parsley and the aromatic freshness of coriander, both in sufficient quantity to turn the mixture a bold green colour.Last September, Random House published Comptoir Libanais: A Feast of Lebanese-Style Home Cooking, showcasing just how easy, healthy and accessible Lebanese food is for everyone. I’m keener on ingredients that add more in the way of texture and flavour, with cucumber falling firmly into the first camp (unless you thinly slice it and salt it for an hour, as Roden’s recipe in Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book suggests, when it tastes pretty good, but feels distinctly limp). Try, as Ottolenghi and Tamimi write, “to get small cucumbers for this … they are worlds apart from the large ones we normally get in most UK supermarkets” – less watery, and with more bite. If you can’t find them, then scoop out the seeds, as Baxter suggests. Salt is also extremely important in a dish that, badly seasoned, can tend towards the dull, which is why it's a good idea to fry up a little to test the mixture before shaping. Chilling, shaping and cooking Most of the recipes I try contain lettuce in varying quantities, either little gem, or the larger version, cos – but the recipe in Jerusalem (passed down from Tamimi’s mum) omits it, as does Claudia Roden. Fattoush is, I believe, rather a moveable feast – Anissa Helou writes in her book Lebanese Cuisine that “you can make it with whatever salad ingredients you have available as long as you use sumac” (and, presumably, bread). The Cookbook is officially called Comptoir Libanais – feasts from the Middle East (translated in Dutch to ‘Comptoir Libanais Feest! – Feestelijke recepten uit de Libanees Mediterrane keuken’). The book is filled with recipes to make a party from every meal. It’s really inviting to ask your friends over and have a food party.