Winter Features

Creamy lentil soup (shorbat ads)

Creamy lentil soup (shorbat ads)

Shorba means soup in Arabic. Ads means lentils, so shorbat ads translates literally into soup of lentils. This popular soup is a Ramadan staple and will be found at Iftar (the daily meal of breaking the fast during Ramadan) tables quite frequently in the Arab world. It […]

Egyptian Mulokhia, a super food (Jews mallow; Jute leaves)

Egyptian Mulokhia, a super food (Jews mallow; Jute leaves)

Do you know about this super food? This dish is a classic favorite for Egyptians and is prepared in its uniquely flavored broth and usually served over rice, or with pita bread. Its savory, garlicky flavor is an instant hit and its slipper texture makes it […]

Stuffed Zucchini, Eggplant, and Peppers (Kusa Mahshy)

Stuffed Zucchini, Eggplant, and Peppers (Kusa Mahshy)

Here is another one of my absolute favorite Middle Eastern dishes. “Mahshy” literally means stuffed, and I love all things mashy. Stuffed vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, and stuffed cabbage are all fantastic dishes in the Middle Eastern kitchen. Parsley and mint are prevalent in most […]

Strawberries and Cream Cupcake

Strawberries and Cream Cupcake

Some pink strawberry cupcakes were in order for Valentines Day, and my perfectly “pinkalicious” cupcake obsessed three year old was really excited about pink+ strawberries+sprinkles+hearts+cupcakes. So this baking extravaganza and a princesses in tutus playdate was the result! Strawberries and cream cupcakes are the perfect […]

Vanilla Bean Frosting

Vanilla Bean Frosting

This is fluffy, delicious, melts in your mouth, and perfectly vanilla! This makes enough frosting for about 3 dozen cupcakes (with generous and lofty peaks of frosting!) or a double layer 9 inch cake. This easy recipe involves slicing open a real vanilla bean pod, […]

Harissa aka Basboosa (Semolina Cake)

Harissa aka Basboosa (Semolina Cake)

Harissa is a typical Middle Eastern dessert very popular in Egypt. It is a dense, moist cake, gooey with a fragrant simple syrup. Harissa, also known as basboosa is a semolina sweet cake with a delicate balance of citrus notes, coconut, optional rose notes, and […]

Spinach (Sipanigh)- An Egyptian Dish

Spinach (Sipanigh)- An Egyptian Dish

I love spinach, and this Middle Eastern recipe hailing form Egyptian kitchens is one delicious dish. Served with rice, this recipe can be made vegetarian or with meat. We opt to use meat and I use the ground beef variation. I have however made this […]