Middle East
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Continue readingHummus is probably the most versatile dip, is a perfect snack for any time of day. You can eat it as it is or serve it topped with meat, veggies or like this recipe that I’m sharing with you today. A wonderful way to eat hummus. It’s not the authentic recipe of hummus for sure but it will probably be, if you try this. The grilled mushrooms with the delicious marinade, works beautifully with the creamy hummus perfectly flavoured with confit garlic. Add a salad on the side and it’s an amazing meal. You can skip the topping and have…
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Continue readingI know that at the moment in some countries it’s very cold, but here in Dubai we spend a mild winter, blue sky and temperatures of 29C which allow us to enjoy the sea. Which is impossible during the summer when temperatures sometimes reach 48C. The recipe of the day is a Semifreddo with Middle Eastern touch, flavored with orange blossom, honey and baklava. It’s the perfect dessert to end a meal on a note of freshness and indulgence. What is the Semifreddo? Semifreddo, this Italian frozen dessert, was created around the 19th century, but only gained popularity in the early…
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Continue readingWhat a wonderful dessert !! A silky, rich crème brûlée with an amazing golden yellow color, flavoured with saffron and blood orange juice. It might not seem like an obvious partnership, but it works very well. It’s mellowed by the creamy custard and rounded out by the sweetness of the layer of the caramelised sugar. Very simple, very well balanced and very complex at the same time. And that for me was spectacular. This recipe is from “Suqar” cookbook, it means sugar. One of my favorites sweet books. What is crème brûlée ? Crème brûlée also known as « caramelised cream » or…
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Continue readingOnce again a success with this ottolenghi recipe. I don’t remember in which article I said, that I discovered a new way of cooking, thanks to this excellent chef. Now I use his books all the time, “Jerusalem – with Sami Tamimi”, “Simple” and “Falastin” are my favorites ones. Since I discovered him, I have never been disappointed with any of his recipes. The recipe may look complicated to make, don’t be fooled by appearances. It’s as easy and straightforward as preparing a dish of pasta with bolognese. Trust me, this stuffed aubergine is an easy recipe. So how to…
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Continue readingthe simplest things are often the best, and the “sfiha” also called Arab pizza is one of my favourites recipes from “Falastin” cookbook. What is sfiha ? Sfiha or sfeeha in arabic صفيحة , is a dish consisting of flatbread cooked with a minced meat topping, often lamb flavored with onion, tomato, pine nuts, and spices. It’s traditionally found in the countries of the levant, and is closely related to manakish and lahm bi’ajin لحم بالعجين . The recipe of the day : In his book, Sami Tamimi call the “Sfiha” “open pie”. He proposes two toppings to choose, depending on if you’re a veggie or a meat person. I tried the…
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Continue readingAnother recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi from their book “Jerusalem”, famous enough no need for intro. And like all of their recipes, this rice is just wonderful with fried onions, herbs and currant. Plus it’s gluten-free and vegan. It’s a dish that can be a side dish it’ll go very well with meat and fish, as it can be a hearty main course for vegetarians and vegans. My rice is a bit yellow compared to the original recipe, it’s just because I added curry, you can make whatever you like, after all cooking is all about taste.
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Continue readingEveryone knows the benefits of fish and I try to consume it as often as possible, except that I must say that sometimes it is very difficult for me to find original recipes to change a little of what I’m used to do, and especially to convince my children to eat it. So I suggest you to try this recipe from Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s book “Jerusalem”. These are very tender cod cakes in tomato sauce. I didn’t add any chili because of the kids, I served it on the side (sriracha my favorite) and it was soooo good. The recipe…