171322 Mon Jul 26 11:12:19 -0700 2004 13 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 919359 Hi, Is anyone familiar with method and/or proportions for making their garlic sauce? I have made a facsimile with garlic, salt, olive oil and lemon ... but in my opinion it is a bit overpowering. I know I am close but no cigar ... any suggestions? Thanks! Cathy2 Mon Jul 26 11:12:19 -0700 2004 0 Cathy2 1 919387 Try using Mayonnaise instead of olive oil. You may be getting too acidic due to lemon, substitute vinegar for it. Or if all fails experiment adding a pinch of sugar. Mon Jul 26 14:08:46 -0700 2004 919359 0 naruda 1 919398 The mystery ingredient is fresh white bread added to the blender/food processor. These give the sauce it's body and temper the garlic a bit. The frugal Gourmet actually had a recipe for the sauce in his 3 Ancient Cuisines cookbook. Mon Jul 26 14:35:28 -0700 2004 919359 0 DanielleF 2 919403 The ingredients list for Lebanese Taverna garlic sauce doesn't list bread. Would it not be a violation of federal law to include bread but not list it? Mon Jul 26 15:01:20 -0700 2004 919398 0 Ilaine 3 919618 And I would swear that the ingredients say "olive oil" No? Really? Just looked at the website, and it says "GARLIC PUREE, 5.99, fresh garlic cloves ground to a paste with fresh lemon juice and olive oil, perfect for poultry & meat dishes." If, in the classes, they are not using olive oil, it leads me to wonder if the above ingredient list is true. Wed Jul 28 10:33:18 -0700 2004 919403 0 Matt 4 919623 Both chefs were pretty clear about this. This first specified Soy oil, while the other said that any light, less flavorful oil would work. I don't think it is a matter of the sauce not working or breaking with olive oil, just that it would affect the taste of the sauce. Wed Jul 28 11:01:46 -0700 2004 919618 0 bilrus 4 919692 Just took another look at the tub in my fridge, it says "Fresh garlic cloves ground to a paste with lemon and oil. Perfect for poultry and meat dishes." Thu Jul 29 08:34:42 -0700 2004 919618 0 Ilaine 5 919695 Went to Leb Tab market yesterday for lunch and saw the same thing on the label. Why adervtise it differently on website? I'm sure everybody knows the effect of this sauce. Last night, around 11, which was a full 11 hours after I ate some of the sauce, a friend asked me, "Have you been eating garlic?" Thu Jul 29 09:08:10 -0700 2004 919692 0 Matt 1 919405 I keep a tub of Lebanese Taverna garlic sauce from the Arlington market in the fridge and use it instead of mayonnaise. The ingredients lists says "fresh garlic cloves ground to a paste with lemon and oil." No bread, no sugar, not even salt. I don't believe that Lebanese Taverna uses olive oil. To me, it seems like a light vegetable oil, with almost no flavor, maybe canola oil. My guess is that they make it like making mayonnaise, grind the garlic to a paste, then add the oil slowly so it fluffs up, and finally stir in lemon juice to taste at the end. But I just buy it. Mon Jul 26 15:06:26 -0700 2004 919359 0 Ilaine 1 919452 I have had Greek versions that were made with potatoes instead of bread. You can use less oil that way, but it does have a very different taste and texture. I like it, particularly with fried calamari. Mon Jul 26 20:41:50 -0700 2004 919359 0 Bacchante 1 919493 I have been to two cooking classes at Lebanese Taverna and the recipe is fairly simple. Garlic crushed with salt, although not as much as you would think. Soy oil or another similar light vegetable oil, not olive oil drizzled into the food processor until emusified. Occasionally drizzling in some lemon juice and a little bit of water. It will "plump up" like mayonnaise. The one word of warning is that some home food processors go too fast, breaking the sauce. One trick I do at home is to add a tablespoon of mayonnaise at the beginning. This helps with the emulsification, probably due to the protein from the eggs in the Mayo. Tue Jul 27 09:51:41 -0700 2004 919359 0 bilrus 1 919759 By the way - for those Lebanese Taverna fans - one is opening up at Tysons II - the Galleria! Thu Jul 29 22:19:21 -0700 2004 919359 0 suburban chowhound 2 920003 I haven't ventured into the Galleria in a while...any idea on when it will be opening?? Thanks! Mon Aug 02 15:05:22 -0700 2004 919759 0 Wendy B 3 920218 On their website (link below) it says they are opening "this summer" - at Tysons II, there is no estimated date shown on the wall. Hopefully soon! Link: http://www.lebanesetaverna.com/restaurants/tysons/ Wed Aug 04 21:19:30 -0700 2004 920003 0 suburban chowhound