Which countries are part of the Middle East varies depending on who you ask. From a food perspective, the flavours of Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine (the Levant), Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, The UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar (the countries of the Arabian Gulf), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt (North Africa) all have a lot in common. The influences crosses borders to neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Xinjjiang in China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Sudan, Somalia, Zanzibar and Greece too; as well as the Middle Eastern/Arabic influence on Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines.
Hummus Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I was taught to make hummus by a Cypriot friend’s grandmother and her recipe produces a wonderfully creamy result; she insisted we remove the skins from the chickpeas to make a really smooth hummus. I find it quite therapeutic popping them out of their […]
Bresaola, Watercress & Egg Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Middle Eastern cooking class inspired by Michael Rantissi! I fell in love with bresaola when I was researching A Lombardian Cookbook in Italy with Alessandro Pavoni. A specialty of Lombardy, bresaola is salt-cured beef eye round that’s dried in the crisp Alpine air. […]
Baked Vegetarian Kibbeh Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I love the classic torpedo-shaped kibbeh that often appear as part of Lebanese meze, but baked kibbeh (bil sanieh means ‘in the pan’) is much quicker to make and more popular as a family meal. Lakteen means ‘trick’ in Arabic and the […]
Chopped Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Middle Eastern cooking class inspired by Michael Rantissi! Of course we all love to cook – but occasionally, there just isn’t time. That’s when I whip up a big bowl of this delicious chopped salad which keeps well for days in the fridge. Found all over […]
Turkish Lentil Soup Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Turkish cooking class inspired by Somer Sivrioglu! I lived on this delicious lentil soup when I was in Turkey for three months in 1988. My recipe is adapted from one that I had on the Black Sea coast made by a young lady called Zerrin. […]
Spiced Orange Ice Cream Sandwich Like this recipe? You’ll love my online cooking class Inspired by Janni Kyritsis! I created these spiced orange ice cream sandwiches as ‘hot & cold cross buns’ for Good Friday, using a cross template cut from cardboard to decorate the top. They’re great anytime though decorated with other shapes, such […]
Middle Eastern Zucchini Soup Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Middle Eastern cooking class inspired by Michael Rantissi! I love soup at any time of year – and fresh green veggie soups are so quick and easy. This is not a traditional Middle Eastern dish, just my take on zucchini soup. Cumin is one […]
Chicken Schnitzel Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Indian cooking class inspired by Ajoy Joshi! At first glance chicken schnitzel looks German or Austrian, but it actually first caught on in Israel. Schnitzel arrived from Europe with Ashkenazi Jews, but initially veal wasn’t reliably available so chicken or turkey was often used. Today chicken’s […]
Orange, Almond & Yoghurt Cake Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Spanish cooking class! This orange almond yoghurt cake is great on its own with a cup of coffee or tea. Or serve it with crème frâiche and an easy orange & date salad for a simple, delicious dessert that can be prepared ahead […]
