Like all the spice blends I use regularly, this is one I grind myself. Unlike many of the others, this one requires a decent number of spices – eleven, to be exact. Sure, you can buy homemade shawarma spice at your local Arab supermarket – and probably at Whole Foods these days, too – but…
As a kid growing up in the north of England, I remember coming home after school many days and making myself a sandwich consisting of buttered bread, sharp farmhouse cheddar cheese, and sliced roasted beetroot. Beetroot (or beets, as they’re called in America), is one of my favourite root vegetables, and while beet season runs…
If you’ve read my recipe for mutabbal then you’re aware of the debate as to what baba ghanouj / ganoush is supposed to be. I was always told that aubergine (eggplant) with tahini is mutabbal, and aubergine without tahini (and with tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, and walnuts mixed in) is baba ghanouj. I don’t mind what…
It’s officially PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) season in America as of today. Although I’m a big believer in sharing the things you love even if someone else deems them ‘basic’, I will leave the Pumpkin Spice love to others. No hate here; I definitely understand the appeal of it, but as someone who didn’t grow…
With C at Grandma’s house for the last weekend before school started, my husband and I took a quick trip up into the mountains together. On our way up I spotted a fruit stand and I immediately took note for our journey back. There is nothing I love more than a local roadside produce stand,…
I have a Bengal cat who is obsessed with playing fetch. Any round object he assumes is one of his bouncy balls, and will bring it to you expecting you to throw it. One morning, after crawling out of bed at the crack of dawn to start my day, I began preparing a cup of…
My daughter is vehemently anti-squash in any form. I’ve roasted it, fried it, stuffed it – and her response every time is still a resounding ‘nope’. She’ll delicately scoop out the innards of kousa mahshi (stuffed courgette) leaving the sad, hollowed out shell behind. I’m not exactly pro hiding vegetables in food, but I also…
After spending a few days in Marrakech last year, I became infatuated with the flavour of preserved lemon. Typically added to a tagine (Moroccan stew) of chicken and olives, these lemons were unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. They take on the flavour of the spices they age in – with the bay leaves, cinnamon,…
I know, I know. I just posted a cabbage salad recipe. But it’s been in the high 90s (high 30s for my Celsius friends) here and I can’t stomach turning on my oven yet. Plus cabbage has been on sale, and I’m trying to keep our food budget thrifty in anticipation of a two-week jaunt…
Ejjeh (pronounced eh-zhey) are small omelettes / savoury egg pancakes (much in the style of an Asian scallion or kimchi pancake) typically filled with fresh herbs and in this case, kousa or zucchini. They can be served as a mezze, an appetiser, a side dish, or even a main course. They can be eaten for…
