This is a beautiful dish for your summery get togethers which, once you’ve released the spicy fragrances, comes together in minutes. I’ve used Honey and Co’s amba spice mix here because it’s very good but you can make your own or simply swirl a couple of spoonfuls of my amba sauce into cool Greek yoghurt….
Category: Mezzes
Haricots Beurre Marocain, Butter Beans with Rose Harissa, Saffron and Sumac
This beautifully fragrant dish is inspired by one we ordered for supper in a tiny North African restaurant set on a cobbled side street just off the Canal St-Martin in Paris. It makes for a perfect year-round lunch served with grilled pain de levain rubbed with garlic and a glass of red wine. Or, serve…
Amirim Lemon-scented Labneh with Zhoug and Hazelnut and Thyme Dukkah
Labneh is a beautiful soft cheese simply made from strained yoghurt that can be eaten with pretty much everything and is a particularly good friend to rich and spicy mezze dishes. The first time I tasted it I was sat at a little linen-covered table on the edge of a vegetable garden in Amirim, an entirely vegetarian organic…
Aya Yorgi Fasulye Piyaz, Turkish White Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs
An early morning walk through the dusty streets of Istanbul down to the banks of the Bosphorus, a long and choppy crossing over the Sea of Marmara, a death-defying ride on a horse-pulled phaeton (there are no cars on Büyükada, the largest of the Princes Islands, just mad horsemen) followed by a hot and steamy…
Akko Amba Sauce with Mango, Lime and Iraqi Spices
Amba sauce. When I think about it, I feel utter love because it’s such a beautiful thing. I think so highly of it that, if Amba were a man, I would run away with him. My first experience of this Iraqi sweet and sour mango condiment was sitting on a harbour wall in the Crusader…
Greek Skordalia with Slow-roasted Plum Tomatoes, Capers and Organic Thyme
Skordalia is a beautifully simple smooth purée of waxy potatoes, lots of juicy garlic, lashings of vibrant extra-virgin olive oil, a generous splash of white wine vinegar and flat leaf parsley whipped together to create a classic Greek dip which is served at room temperature with a scattering of salty capers. Trust me, this bears…
Neapolitan Buffalo Mozzarella with Zucchini alla Scapece and Borlotti Beans
‘Italian food is all about the ingredients, and it’s not fussy and it’s not fancy‘, so says Wolfgang Puck and this classic dish of Naples is a testimony to that. Zucchini alla Scapece is a zesty summer salad which, whenever I taste it, immediately transports me back to long lazy lunches sitting around a table heaving with…
Cihangir Potato and Asparagus Salad with Kalamata Olives, Dill and Mint
High above the heart of the richly historical neighbourhood of Cihangir in Istanbul there is a restaurant of unparalleled beauty complete with a wonderful terrace from which one can enjoy panoramic views of the mouth of the Bosphorus and the first bridge. Here the elegant wooden furniture is bleached by the sun and the tables are covered with…
Shuk Hummus with Smoked Chilli Harissa and Toasted Sesame Seeds
Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem was the first full blown Middle Eastern market I ever visited and, for me, it was an absolutely mind-blowing experience with over 250 vendors and stall holders inviting me to sample their beautiful chaos of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, pastries and halva, cheeses, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices all piled…
Dakos, a Cretan Summer Bruschetta with Ricotta and Organic Oregano
The beautiful island of Crete with its wild mountainous terrain and a strong traditional culture is justifiably proud of a cuisine that is internationally famed for its unique ingredients and flavours. Based on simple techniques, it’s the variety of local produce that distinguishes their dishes: mountain herbs and greens, wild bulbs, unique cheeses, olives and,…
Cardamom and Dill 