Carrot & Olive Salad

With all the hot weather we’ve been having here in Sydney, I have become a bit of a fan of cold salads recently. Something fresh and light. This one I served with some beef steak done on the BBQ naturally. The sweetness of the carrot worked perfectly with the saltiness of the olives and meatiness [...]

Apple & Fennel Salad

I made this to accompany some spiced pork cutlets that had been rubbed in an Ethiopian spice mix called Berbere. The sweetness of the apple and slightly aniseed taste of fennel worked perfectly with pork. This zingy, refreshing salad could also accompany fish or chicken. It’s perfect for a summer’s evening. RECIPE:

Cauliflower, Dill & Cumin Fritters

I love cauliflower, and I love finding new, interesting ways to cook it. Here’s a simple recipe for cauliflower fritters. It takes its influence from Indian vegetable pakora’s but gives the little fritters more of a middle eastern slant with the use of my favourite spice, cumin and one of my favourite herbs, dill. They’re [...]

My favourite Cookbooks.

I love reading cookbooks. I read them on the bus, in bed and even on the loo so I thought it fitting that I create something to celebrate some of my favourite books from my ever expanding bookshelf. Click HERE to see which books made my list. As soon as finished the post there were [...]

Figs with Cinnamon Crumble, Pomegranate Molasses and Honey Yoghurt

This is utterly delicious. I devised this after being given some figs and some pomegranates by Brendan as he asked to make something special. I was amazed just how successful it was. I’m pretty sure you’ll agree. The sharpness of the pomegranate and sweetness of the yoghurt together with the mellow cinnamon are a trio [...]

Chicken Fattee

I love a fattee! It’s a perculiar sounding dish and maybe not the most PC sounding one at that, but this Lebanese style of food is amazing. A fattee is a layered dish normally starting with crispy flat breads. The fattee can feature many other elements – from fish, tomatoes, spinach etc. This chicken version [...]

Lebanese Shankleesh Salad

I ate this last week at a Lebanese restaurant and was blown away by how tasty it was. This salad is traditionally a breakfast dish which includes cheese called Shankleesh, a delicious soft, crumbly ball rolled in dried thyme or zaatar. The taste is quite unique but somewhat similar to Feta, so if you can’t [...]

Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Halloumi & Mint with Sumac Crust

This is a Turkish take on stuffed zuccini flowers. I really loved the flavoursome crust these had, much nicer than a tempura batter. It may seem a bit of a trauma to cook, but it’s actually pretty simple once you get going. I don’t have the most delicate of touches, but even with my thick [...]

Sultans Delight

This is one of the nicest and simplest stews I’ve cooked in a while. I took a look at the recipe and I must admit I didn’t hold out much hope for it as it sounded a little TOO simple. But I was completely wrong. I served it with the worst eggplant puree I’ve ever [...]

Turkish Pilav

How delicious is Turkish pilav? Well, give this a try. It’s simple and different. The nuttiness of the butter transforms the rice into something quite amazing. It took me back to Turkey where I gorged myself on it at every available opportunity. RECIPE: