My homemade harissa

I used to write off harissa as just another firey hot paste, until I made my own and realized how many fragrant spices and herbs are used in its confection. As you can imagine, there are as many harissa recipes as there are cooks, so don’t worry if you don’t have the right peppers or […]

My gravlax

I love a good gravlax but when it comes to actually making this Swedish specialty, it falls in the same category as sourdough, yogurt and pickles: it takes days to be ready. So it’s rarely on our dinner table. But with Dubai’s current hot and steamy weather, I’ve been wanting to cut down on time spent […]

Fragrant masa harina banana chocolate bread

I have to give the credit for this Fragrant masa harina banana chocolate bread to Keith Littlewood from Balancedbodymind. He’s posted it on his instagram feed a few times and it seemed so intriguing yet comforting and delicious that I had to give it a go. So when overly freckled bananas crossed my path this […]

Marvelous crispy “socca fries”

Socca is a large chickpea flour pancake that’s very popular in the beautiful Southern French city of Nice. It’s usually served as a snack on a paper plate, with a generous dusting of pepper and often accompanied by a glass of rosé. Our whole family loves socca and it’s literally the first thing we sink […]

Pretty halloumi tartine with apricot-tomato topping

I love savory tartines. They have the elegance of a canapé but are as satisfying as a sandwich. This particular one was created out of serendipity the day I met CheesyCarla, a delightful Dubai-based cheesemaker who uses milk from the Deena Farm and Dairy to craft the most delicious organic products. Her succulent creations range from yogurt […]

Blue corn tortilla bites

The only regret you’ll have with this genius appetizer recipe is that you didn’t make enough. These alluring blue tortilla bites are as delectable as they are pretty, making them a unanimous crowd pleaser.  The avocado feta cream is magic and I frequently serve it with quesadillas as well. As for the intriguing blue corn […]

Kids love ’em (and so do we) chicken nuggets

I first started preparing dinners in the kitchen at the age of 13, the summer my mom went back to work. Revelling in this new-found freedom to make meals I fancied, I discovered the joys of recipe testing as opposed to drooling over cookbook pictures, (which had until then been a favorite pastime of mine). […]

Ahhhmazing blueberry soup with oats and seeds

I always saw porridge as an old-fashioned healthy but stodgy brekkie eaten by people who lived in cold weather. I myself would have it from time to time growing up in Montreal, but can’t say it was my preferred breakfast option. Anyway, I can’t believe we’ve spent so many years eating oats as plain porridge […]

A pretty darn good salad

This killer good salad totally satisfies my current salad-for-dinner desire: it’s tasty, nourishing and easy to make ahead of time. The delightful roasted butternut squash and feta combo imparts an addictive quality to it which will definitely make you want to have seconds…and that’s totally ok, because a big plateful will provide you with half […]

Morning beauty smoothie

I have a bit of a double standard when it comes to ageing. I don’t like the idea of fighting against it because after all, it’s an inevitable part of life. But now and again – especially the month or so preceding my birthday – when I see too many wrinkles popping up, vanity gets […]