Aubergine (or eggplant, if you’re American) is probably one of my favourite vegetables. Ever since I was a small kid I can remember being excited to see it on my plate, unlike my daughter who I still can’t convince to touch the stuff… Unless it’s ‘hidden’ in mutabbal. Mutabbal is probably what many people would…
Growing up, I remember there always being a salad on our table, and most nights – rice (it’s my father’s favourite food). In this age of low-carb and cauliflower ‘rice’ it seems to have lost its cachet, but I’ve come to feel that rice sustained so many cultures for generations that it still belongs on…
I took a little break from the blog over the American 4th of July weekend, though that doesn’t mean I wasn’t cooking. My husband always laments that when we’re invited to a barbecue or gathering, and we ask what we can bring – and they tell us we don’t need to bring anything – that…
Fattoush is a Levantine salad (it has been said to have originated in Syria) that is, for lack of a better description, a bread salad – in the same vein as the Italian panzanella. It happens to be one of my all-time favourite salads, and it tends to pair well with just about anything –…
These pita chips are perfect for adding to your fattoush salad, but you may have to hide them from the rest of your family as they’ll likely be gone before your salad is made. These are great for dips as well, or just to snack on. You’ll probably want to double (or even triple) the…
Cauliflower is having a moment. Maybe it’s thanks to the low carb diets that are so popular right now, but even if you aren’t watching carbs cauliflower is an inexpensive versatile vegetable that should find its way on to your table. While I adore a whole roasted cauliflower, I also love cauliflower pickled – especially…
Ashta is a pastry cream common throughout the Middle East and the Levant, similar to English clotted cream; it’s usually used to fill qatayef, or added into other pastries, but in summer it’s lovely just with a simple fruit tray, or topped with a little orange blossom syrup and some chopped nuts (like a pudding)….
Traditional tabbouleh is made with bulgur, a wheat product. While I’m definitely not gluten free (as evidenced by the bread recipes I post here) I tend to always have quinoa on hand, whereas I only buy bulgur occasionally from my local Middle Eastern supermarket. Quinoa also has relatively high protein content for a grain, and…
The fruit bowl in our house is nearly always piled sky high with lemons, particularly at this time of year when every salad needs a good squeeze of bright, fresh lemon juice. If you find yourself with extras, however – I highly recommend making this quick and super simple lemonade. I’d been intrigued by the…
This is one of those condiments that have become ubiquitous in our home, so much so that friends will notice when it’s not out on the dinner table and open the fridge in search of it. My husband and I are definitely fans of all things spicy, and after becoming acquainted with zhug during travel…
