The colourful world of fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses and funghi provides a wealth of possibilities for delicious dishes. While some dishes listed here are vegetarian containing animal products, they’re easily adapted to a vegan diet by omitting or replacing eggs or dairy with a vegan-friendly alternative. Likewise dishes containing anchovies or non-vegan seasoning can be adapted.
Za’atar Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Za’atar simply means thyme in Arabic and the smell of wild thyme crushed underfoot as you walk through the hills in Lebanon is one of the most evocative aromas. Za’atar as a spice blend is a mixture of dried thyme, sumac (a ground tangy, […]
Lebanese 7 Spice (Baharat) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! The classic seasoning in most Lebanese dishes is 7 Spice, also called baharat, and each cook and spice merchant has their preferred combination and ratio of spices. Many blends contain more than seven spices, as the “seven” may more literally mean […]
Za’atar Manouche Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Flatbreads called manouche (or manakish, manaqish, man’ousheh and other variations) are a very typical Lebanese breakfast, though I love them as a snack at any time of day. Za’atar (see video below), the ubiquitous Middle Eastern seasoning of dried thyme, is the most […]
Baba Ghanoush Like baba ghanoush? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! There are two names for a Middle Eastern dip made from eggplant that’s been heavily roasted – ideally over an open fire or charcoal to give it an addictively smoky aroma – mutabbal and the better known baba ghanoush. Whether they’re different names […]
How To Make Croutons (Crostini) Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes Croutons (croûtons in French; crostini in Italian) are a good way to use up stale bread and are great with dips and soups or tossed through salads. The name crouton is a diminutive of the French […]
How To Make Bouquet Garni Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes Bouquet garni (literally ‘garnished bunch’) is a French term that often appears in English recipes. It refers to a small bunch of fresh herbs tied together and used to add flavour and aroma to stocks, sauces […]
How To Make Crispy Fried Shallots Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes It’s worth making your own crispy fried shallots at home as they are quite different to (and infinitely better than) the commercially-available ones. Plus you end up with a pot of beautifully scented oil to […]
How To Make Fried Garlic & Garlic Oil Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes It’s worth making your own crispy fried garlic at home as it’s quite different to – and infinitely better than – the commercially-available kind. Plus you end up with a pot of beautifully […]
How To Make Roasted Chilli Powder Master More Thai Kitchen Basics With This Online Thai Cooking Class Inspired By David Thompson One of the great joys of Thai food is the way it layers flavours. Using a pinch (or two) of ground roasted dried chilli introduces a delightfully smoky resonant depth to all sorts of […]
How to Make Dried Turmeric Powder Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes Chef David Thompson showed me how easy it is to make ground dried turmeric (powdered turmeric) at home. Of course you can buy it but, as David says, “the perfume and taste of homemade dried […]