More Aleppo

"In Aleppo, we like our stomach, we like good food — rich [in] fat," says Akkad, who works in guest relations at the city's Sheraton Hotel.

Take kibbe, for instance. Anyone who has ever eaten in the Middle East is familiar with kibbe, a deep-fried oval of cracked wheat with ground meat inside, often greasy and tasteless. But in the hands of Aleppo's chefs, kibbe is an art form — lightly crispy on the outside with delicately spiced, fragrant lamb in the middle. In Aleppo, there are more than a dozen varieties that include additions of rice, pistachios and pine nuts." (Thanks Annie)

More on Aleppo here and here and here