Fennel is so good. Raw very refreshing, but in this salad where you caramelize it, the fennel has become butter-soft and sweet. Ab fab. In combination with onion, garlic and the fresh coconut yoghurt really tasteful. The pomegranate is a very common guest in Persian cuisine. And sames goes in this salad.

It’s a beetroot salad, but as the picture reveals, it’s more than that. Beetroot with carrot from the oven, cherry tomatoes, mint (mmmmm), pine nuts and red onion. A delightful combination from the Palestinian cuisine.

The combination of potato and thyme and garlic in the oven is … tasty and not surprising. But the tangerine peel, on the other hand, is the secret ingredient here. And it’s a perfect combination. A very tasty potato dish. From Palestine. And Abu Julia – Mr Julia – is a Palestinian… and why his name is Julia … or that he calls himself Julia… no idea…. he just cooks really well, that’s the main thing…

I am always a huge fan of mushrooms, provided they are well prepared. I simply love them. They are always taste-enhancing, happy making, making things better… They may even dominate a dish, if I’m concerned. But this Palestinian dish swepped me off my chair. And Joris and his mother also at the same time. We were almost fighting for the last bite. We kept our dignity at the table though, don’t worry.
It is mushrooms revisited, reinvented, adding an extra flavor layer … I go one for many more sentences about it and carry on, but just make it yourself once. And you’ll understand. It’s going to have the same effect on you anyway.

Baba ganoush should not be missing in a mezze. It’s a dip with comfort food traits. Deliciously soft, melts on the tongue. Still fresh and the tahini gives it a good foundation. Baba ganoush is delicious at lunch, just delicious with a spoon… or ehhhhhhh with your finger….

Butternut squash from the oven. It’s so good. But it needs a little extra to charm me. Because let’s face it, butternut squash is actually very boring in taste. But fortunately it is very welcoming when it comes to spices. Also in this case. By the way, delicious to serve with the oranges rice. In terms of taste super complementary. And in terms of colour of course a mega match anyway.

A delicious rice dish, in addition to your vegetable dish(s) is such a feast. That’s even more important in a vegan menu. This rice is really deliciously light, subtle, tasteful. And also a nice picture to look at.

You want something festive. You want something good. You want san eye catcher at your table and a sensational tasting experience at the same time. Maklooba is a truly classic Palestinian dish. A dish that requires some delightful patience and that is special to make. It is layered and comes out of the pan upside down. Spectacular, yes. And of course also very tasty.

It’s actually incomprehensible how spinach, tomato and rice can be so delicious. If I still had small children, I knew I would give them so much of these fresh vegetables. It is a very soft dish. And very tasteful though. Really complete, super complete. In every way.

You take a bite, every small muscle in your face immediately gets into a happy position. Totally surprised that this way of preparing spinach is very tasty. Lemon-fresh, but still very creamy. Deliciously creamy. Incredibly creamy. And yet fresh. Just make it some day.

This salad will keep you going after lunch. Deliciously spicy because of the fresh thyme and rosemary. Crunchy because of the chicory and roasted pistachios. And the kalamata olives give off the delicious olive taste. The bulgur is nutritious and light at the same time. It sucks up the delicious flavours in this salad beautifully. After that, it’s up to you.

Nazeera was at our home in Beyrouth almost every day. She took care of us, in many ways. She was Palestinian. And brought in the Palestinian kitchen. Roumania is one of those dishes. A delicious way of preparing lentils. A way you’ve never tried before, right? But once you’ve made it, you keep making it.

If I continue like this I could make a recipe book just with all my Arabic spinach dishes. In the category ‘Arabic’ and ‘spinach’ this is a hit, again. And completely different from the other spinach recipes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t deserve a place here either. It’s spicy, it soft, it can stand on its own two feet. But most of all, it’s really, really good.

Yes, these are the breads I am always raving about. The loaves of my childhood, but now home baked. In many different places on the site I elaborate on my true obsession for these loaves. And after several weeks of trial and error I am now very satisfied with the result. I did make my à la Damaris version with za’atar on the outside and some extra sesame. It’s Delicious with a capital D. It’s Smelling with a capital S. It’s just a feast. And that for someone who actually does not like bread at all …