Braised String Beans with Allspice and Garlic

This dish is traditionally cooked on a stove top—as are most hot dishes in the Syrian repertoire—which reminds us that Aleppian Jewish home cooking as we know it evolved without the benefit of ovens. Even after generations in the modernized Western kitchen, many Syrian women refuse to cook in ovens, preferring instead the more familiar gas-burning stove tops, so they can maintain more control over the heat, especially for dishes such as riz halabieh (Classic Aleppian Rice), with its a’hata (crispy golden rice crust), and the many varieties of mehshi (stuffed vegetable dishes), which simmer for a long time.