Not Just Falafs

Like many of us, I have SO many cook books!! LOVE them all, but these are the ones I got since the pandemic!!! Which other ones should I get? What are you fave books? 🧑‍🍳📕

My brother is makes roasts/steaks like a BOSS. Honestly, I haven’t met anyone better!!
This is how made this masterpiece:
Mesh’s Rib Roast

1. Generously salt rib all over. Add pepper. Add olive oil or avocado oil.
2. Mix English mustard with worcestershire sauce, and brush all over. (This is my only contribution.) **Make some extra and keep aside.
3. Ideally, let this sit overnight, or at least 2 hours.
4. Before cooking, take rib out of fridge and let sit for 2 hours to get to room temperature.
5. Pre-Heat Oven to 200C/400F
6. Place rib in the oven 15-17 mins per pound. (About 2 hours at 200C/400F for 6 pounds of meat.)
7. About halfway through, quickly baste the rib all around with the mustard mixture. (This is my only other contribution.)
8. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature needs to be 60C/140F for medium rare.
9. Rest for 30 mins.
10. Slice like another boss!

A special evening of yummy Lebanese food & drink, organized by the amazing .nunu!! Check out her FAB MEZZE: so many details and endless options, all made from scratch!! That was followed by a multi-course meal by brilliant chefs at , paired with wine from Lebanon’s . Lucky for us, founder Sami Ghosn was there to pair the dishes, himself!

: A very easy Curry Cooked FULLY in the Oven.

Step 1: In a roasting pan, mix the spices: about 2 tsp each of coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric and cumin + lots of paprika. About 2 tbsp of garlic paste, 1 tbsp ginger paste. A few cardamom pods, few cloves, a cinnamon stick, bit of chili powder and salt + fried onions (You can buy them online or from specialty shops. You can also fry up lots of sliced onions yourself, and keep them in the fridge).

Add a bit of neutral oil (I use avocado oil). Mix it all together. Taste and adjust seasoning.

You can adjust this marinade, based on how much chicken you’re cooking.

Step 2: Add the chicken. Add hot water until the chicken is just covered. Mix well.

Slide 3: Cover with foil. And cook in the oven at 190C/375F for about 40 mins. Remove the foil and cook another 10 mins or until the chicken is fully cooked.

The End.

I’m going to start posting my , so they’re easier to find. This is from one of my fave places: . Yummy Lebanese food, with a few twists on classic dishes. These are some of my faves: the beef dumplings or manti (1), the mouhamara has a kick (2), and the fatayer is different and crispy (3, behind the coffee)! I also love the vibe there! I like sitting in the patio (5, 6) or bar area (7).

123123. Here’s to all of you! Through all the challenges, may you all have moments of love, laughter and lots of yummy food. Hugs now and forever. ❤️❤️❤️

What does “decolonizing food” mean? For Chef Sean Sherman — aka The Sioux Chef — it’s about using ingredients found in America, before European colonizers arrived on its shores. So, at his Minneapolis restaurant , there’s no dairy, wheat flour or cane sugar on the menu. “It’s what paleo wants to be,” jokes Chef Sherman. We filmed a story at Owamni recently. The restaurant’s mission is to celebrate the foods and people, indigenous to North America. (I’ll share the full story when it’s out!) Here are a few photos!
Ps. All is not what it appears. Slide (5) is crickets + popcorn; (8) is bison!

The foods, sights and beautiful people of Suli. (Last four pix are from the epic .bistro!)

[Oct 2023, Sulaymaniyah]

Mande

How I Describe NYC in Two Drinks:
1. Olive So Much (especially at )
2. You Mean a Latte to Me (à la )

I know it’s not soup season, but I still make loads of veggie soups. It’s an easy way to get my veggies in.

This is a simple one. You can apply the same method to any veggies you like:

1. Sauté one chopped onion in a saucepan over medium heat, until translucent.
2. Add a few gloves of garlic, minced. Stir, but be careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add a veggie. I added mushroom. Stir well and allowed the veggie to soften.
4. Turn the heat off, and carefully, use an immersion blender to smooth the mixture in the saucepan.
5. Put the heat back on. Stir in your next veggie. I added a can of cannelini beans (rinsed).
6. Add a couple cups of stock. (I use organic veggie or chicken, low sodium.)
7. Add a couple handfuls of spinach and a dash of lemon juice. Cook over a low heat for about 10 mins.
8. Taste and season with salt & pepper to your liking.
9. Serve. I sprinkled mine with some Parmesan, which is optional.

The End.

I love making pickles. This is a really simple one.

I eyeball all the measurements, but here’s a guide.
* Pour vinegar into a jar (that has a lid), about a third way up (not beyond that). **You can use any vinegar BUT Balsamic.
* Add a good heaped tsp of salt.
* Add some kind of sweetener (I use Monkfruit), but you can add a bit of sugar.
* Add some sprigs of dill.
* Add red chili flakes (optional). You can use peppercorns too.
* Some people like to add garlic cloves (I generally don’t).
* Cut cucumbers into spears, and place them in the jar until the jar is full (or until the liquid rises to the top). **If the jar is full and the liquid doesn’t come to the top, add water until it does.
* Put the lid on, shake it up a little bit, and leave the jar in the fridge.
**It usually takes 3-4 hours to pickle. But the longer you leave it, the more pickled it will be, of course.
**You can do this with other veggies too: asparagus, onions, carrots, radishes. Anything you like.

is an institution, known for its array of quality sushi, but now there’s another reason to pay a visit: Chef *ta!!! 🎉🎉🎉 If you’re not familiar with her, head to Perry’s ASAP. She’s the first Japanese woman to take over their kitchen. I’ve long loved her beautiful dishes (and even followed her from ). So, I was excited to see her and have two of my Masako faves: the miso butter clams (I like mine with the rice ball) and her delicate edamame dumplings. (We got dessert as an added treat!) Can’t wait to see what she adds to the menu!

As part of a food challenge in another group I’m in, thanks to chef & ! These are a few of the recipes. (2) creamy veggie soup (3) and the white bean soup (3). I make veggie soups a lot, but it was a good excuse for me to look through the recipes. But my fave is the quinoa breakfast bowl w lemon and blueberries (1). I don’t normally eat quinoa as brekkie. With warm coconut milk, it’s been really comforting. The lemon zest makes a massive difference!! (My only change is I use monkfruit instead of maple syrup.)

Two Simple Veggie Sides, done in minutes. 1) Minced garlic, mushrooms sautéed in olive oil. Added spinach, salt and pepper; 2) Cauliflower rice sautéed in avocado oil + bit of ghee (or butter). Added peas, salt and pepper!

Ma’s Curry In the Oven

Ingredients:
(All these are estimates. You can taste and adjust to your own liking. But make sure there’s always more garlic than ginger.)

* 2 tsp coriander powder
* 8-10 whole cardomoms (cracked open)
* 8-10 whole cloves
* 1 tsp garam masala
* cinnamon stick
* 1 tsp turmeric
* 2 tsp paprika
* chili powder to taste (optional)
* 1 cup fried onions
* 1 tsp ginger paste
* 2 tbsps garlic paste (always more garlic than ginger)
* 1/2 cup avocado oil (or any other veggie oil)
* vinegar (optional) - any type
* salt to taste
* water (enough to cover the chicken)
* chicken pieces (I use thighs and cut them into smaller pieces)
* veggies (anything you like). Spinach, cauliflower, potatoes all work well.

Method:
This is a really easy way of making a chicken curry in the oven.

1. Put all the ingredients — except the chicken and water — a roasting pan. Mix well. Adjust to taste. **Note: the vinegar is optional, but if you add a few big splashes, it gives the a curry a yummy “achaar” taste.

2. In a roasting pan, add chicken and veggies. Add water until the chicken is covered. Mix well.

3. Cover with foil. And cook in the oven at about 190C/375 F until the chicken is cooked through. It usually takes 1-1.5 hours.

4. Remove from oven. Mix and taste for seasoning. If you need, add salt, mix and pop it back in the oven for about 10 mins.

Another day, another clean veggie soup. This one was chopped onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil. Added a bit of turmeric, then cauliflower rice and chopped courgettes. Added veggie stock and simmered for about 20 mins!

Hello homemade labneh with blueberries! 💙

I’m not a huge fish person, but I had some fresh salmon, so I made this soup, thanks to a recipe from !! (Recipe on her site! 🥘) I used the veggies I had in my fridge and changed the spices slightly. I used fresh coriander/cilantro and dill, courgettes and tomatoes. Also didn’t use oregano. Just cumin, coriander powder, lemon juice and bit of salt! It’s a brilliant idea!! And da bomb! 💥

One of my fave things in the world to eat! And it’s a super treat when it comes from a friend who’s a professional baker!