Labneh is a beautiful soft cheese simply made from strained yoghurt that can be eaten with pretty much everything but which is an especially good friend to rich and spicy mezzes. 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…
Tag: Garlic
Piedmont Gnocchi with Charred Purple Sprouting Broccoli and a Creamy Garlicky Sauce
I made ricotta, cavolo nero and lemon malfatti last weekend. By accident. It was gnocchi that I was attempting to make but the mixture was just too soft to shape and cut. No problemo, we love malfatti – an Italian term meaning ‘badly made’, even though it’s made with love and care – and I…
Shuk Ha’Carmel Pea and Mint Falafel with Tahini and Lemon Sauce
“Wait. You’re telling me that you have never – NEVER! – eaten falafel?” he exclaimed, narrowly missing the turning onto Boulevard Rothchild as we made our way to dinner one impossibly hot and humid evening in downtown Tel Aviv. “No!” I replied, “I have never – NEVER! – eaten falafel!“. He looked at me with that…
Levantine Labneh with Green Harissa, Roast Cherry Tomatoes and Dukkah
The nearer to Christmas it gets, the further East I travel for recipe inspiration. I suspect that this is greatly influenced by the boxes of dates we used to be given as a child. You may know the ones I mean, the box had a lacy paper lining and a bright label depicting the three…
Lebanese Slaw with Mint, Oranges and Pomegranate Molasses
This gorgeous Lebanese shredded red cabbage, carrot and mint salad with oranges, red chilli, fresh herbs, toasted almonds, juicy pomegranate arils and pomegranate molasses is one of those versatile recipes that has it all. Sweet and sour flavours, texture and a fresh herby zing. It’s perfect on its own, as part of a mezze table,…
Spanish Roast Potatoes with a Golden Lemon Aioli
This is an absolutely lovely side dish for an autumnal Sunday lunch and is my decidedly Mediterranean take on the standard roast potato. Here, the potatoes are new and coated in a sumptuous mix of olive oil, tomato paste and fiery smoked paprika. It is inspired by a dish I first came across in La…
Spanish Paprika-baked White Beans with a Sourdough and Manchego Cheese Crust
A few years ago I stumbled upon an crumbling bar nestling amongst the sprawling tobacco fields that surround that architectural wonder of Granada in the south of Spain. The heat that day was suffocating and the aroma of tobacco leaves and the spicy earth was heady, almost too much to bear. Lured by the prospect…
Shuk Ha’Carmel Green Herb Falafel
“Wait. You’re telling me that you have never – NEVER! – eaten falafel?” he exclaimed, narrowly missing the turning onto Boulevard Rothchild as we made our way to dinner one impossibly hot and humid evening in downtown Tel Aviv. “No!” I replied, “I have never – NEVER! – eaten falafel!“. He looked at me with that…
Orecchiette with Pistachios, Hazelnuts, Parmesan and Mint
Sometimes I yearn for a pesto sauce that packs a bit more of a punch that the regular basil and pine nut version especially when the quality of shop bought basil can be patchy – who else has splashed out on a packet recently only to find that the leaves are all pretty much too…
Pera Garlicky Spinach with Yoghurt and Biber Salçası
After a bone-chilling day we literally fell through the doorway of Asmalı Cavit, a treasured wooden-fronted traditional meyhane in the centre of Pera in Istanbul. Here, the walls are lined with photographic portraits of people from a more glamorous age alongside vintage posters promoting wine, long forgotten theatre productions and the seaside resorts that were…
