Traditional French Provencal Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a Southern French recipe that can be loosely described as a late summer vegetable stew. And in some cases it is: many people tend to just saute onions,  add eggplant, courgettes, bell peppers, tomatoes and then let the whole thing simmer until it is cooked and becomes “stewy”. But ratatouille is a little […]

A really good Spanish tortilla

I love tapas in general – and I especially affection a really good Spanish tortilla. But I must admit, my relationship with this potato-filled omelet is a love-hate one. The first time I made it was with a friend who had just spent a year studying in Spain who had become a pro at making […]

Winter buckwheat salad

Did you know that buckwheat (also known as kasha) is a seed of a fruit related to rhubarb? As such, it is a great option if you are trying to cut down on grains, looking for carb that have a lower glycemic rate, or on the gluten-free train. It is also packed with nutrients and […]

Creamy tarragon chicken

Creamy tarragon chicken showed up on our dinner table regularly when I was a kid. You could be sure I’d finish my plate on those days and often ask for seconds. Much later, when I went to France, my husband and I revisited the recipe – it is traditional French fare – and made it […]

Luscious pear chocolate clafoutis

You won’t be disappointed with this luscious pear chocolate clafoutis. Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert that is somewhere between a cake and a flan. It’s typically made with fresh cherries, but most fruits work, so pick seasonal ones that look the best at your local market. I personally love apricot and plums in the […]

Traditional anchoïade

In Southern France, summer appetizer parties always include a variety of spreads (olive tapenade, tuna rillettes, taramasalata, etc) and one of the quintessentially ” Provençal ” ones is traditional anchoïade, a garlicky anchovy-based dip. It is incredibly tasty and works extremely well with fresh radish, celery, fennel, carrots or simply on little canapes or sliced […]

Med-style artichoke dip

Med-style artichoke dip was a discovery for me. The only artichoke dip I knew before the age 40 was the warm kind that looked like this. Now as good and comforting as it may be, it’s pretty hefty and more of a Super Bowl recipe than a hot weather appetizer. So being in Dubai, I […]

Moist apple cinnamon raisin cake

You can use this moist apple cinnamon raisin cake recipe as the base for almost any gluten-free fruit loaf cake. Whether you replace the apple with berries, stone fruit or pears*, and the raisins with any dried fruit or nut, you will end up with a wonderfully moist and delicate cake to serve for tea, […]

Chilled cream of courgette with fresh zaatar

This chilled cream of courgette with fresh zaatar is the perfect summer starter. It has a nice clean and simple taste and is absolutely brilliant if you are having guests over and want to prepare something easy ahead of time. It’s a different way of enjoying courgettes, which not only have a lot of nutritional […]

Genius ratatouille rice cakes

Although these little savory cakes were born from leftover rice and ratatouille, they are absolutely genius.