Recipes from cookbooks we review, shared with full permission from publishers.
This Jelly Bean cocktail recipe is from Home Cocktail Bible by Olly Smith, and recommends a round of jelly beans as an accompaniment – sounds great already, doesn’t it? This unusual cocktail combines Pernod and Crème de Mûre, creating a cocktail that’s subtly aniseedy, and full of rich berry flavours. Be warned that Pernod becomea ... Read more »
The first time you grill a whole aubergine on the barbeque or over open fire is a revelation! Such a very simple cooking method somehow transforms this vegetable into the very best it can be. In this recipe from Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around The Levant by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, each aubergine ... Read more »
Although this delicious Chicken Shish in Sweet Confit Garlic Marinade recipes goes heavy on the garlic, the flavours are sweet and gentle, thanks to the way the garlic is gently cooked in oil until it becomes soft and mellowed, before going into the marinade. This dish is another barbeque winner from Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over ... Read more »
Grilled cabbage is one of those dishes that’s surged in popularity over the last couple of years, and this fantastic Grilled Cabbage with Chilli Garlic Butter (from Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around The Levant by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich) is no doubt part of that phenomenon, very much the kind of food Sarit ... Read more »
A wonderful synthesis of flavours and textures, this recipe for Chermoula Beets, Dates & Pistachios is from Selin Kiazim’s Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast combines earthy, sweet roasted beets, squidgy-sweet dates and crunchy toasted pistachio nuts with a bright and punchy herb sauce. Chermoula, a North African condiment, lifts the entire dish – and you can ring ... Read more »
Lao in origin, Laab is a meat salad dish also popular in neighbouring Thailand – a great example of the region’s mastery of balancing between sweet, sour, salty, bitter and fiery hot. This Pork Laab, Sugar Snaps & Apple recipe from Selin Kiazim’s Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast cookbook combines pork mince, crunchy toasted rice and ... Read more »
It’s likely this Avocado, Mushroom and Tomato Pilaf recipe from Arto der Haroutunian’s cookbook, Vegetarian Dishes of the Middle East carries influences from French colonialism in the region, given the use of white wine in the recipe. There’s a pleasingly retro vibe to the suggested presentation, and it’s a straightforward recipe for a midweek meal. ... Read more »
Arab baked omelettes (known as eggeh across much of the Middle East but as kookoo in Persia) are a great choice for any meal of the day and can be enjoyed hot or cold, making them a great option for picnics or packed lunches. In this recipe from Arto der Haroutunian’s cookbook, Vegetarian Dishes of ... Read more »
Known as Macaroni bil Tarator in Syria, this recipe from Arto der Haroutunian’s cookbook, Vegetarian Dishes of the Middle East is a simple but satisfying one, and can be ready in minutes if you make the tarator (garlic-tahini sauce) in advance. It can also be enjoyed hot or cold. We’ve adjusted quantities given for the ... Read more »
Cooked with jaggery, chilli, turmeric and peanuts, this sweet and spicy yellow pigeon pea dal is definitely more than the sum of its parts, the peanuts providing textural interest whilst the spices come together to create a layered mouthful of flavours. It’s soupy, tangy and full of flavour The recipe is from Maunika Gowardhan’s Thali cookbook, ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]