Persian rice cake with spicy filling and surprising topping
Persian cuisine has its own signature. The flavors are full and subtle at the same time. Sourberries always a pleasant surprise, saffron a feast for the eyes. This cake has different layers and therefore also different flavor layers. And that makes it a party on your plate and in your mouth.
Iranian eggplant tomato stew
Chef Abbas has a great cozy Iranian restaurant in Gorinchem. Where he conjures up great dishes on the table. And this stew was one of them. He generously shared his recipe with me and here I share it with you. It’s slow cooking to the max, but well worth all those hours of waiting.
Fesenjan à la chef Abbas
We were on our way back from the coast and wanted to grab a bite to eat somewhere. I searched for Iranian and came across Chef Abbas in Gorinchem. In his cozy restaurant, this passionate chef conjured up one delicious dish after another. Like this Fesenjan. I asked for the recipe. I got the recipe. I made it myself. Delicious. And the guests agreed.
Fesenjan à la chef Abbas
We recently ate at Chef Abbas in Gorinchem in his cozy restaurant. My google search for a Persian cuisine turned out absolutely amazing. Fantastic dishes. A passionate chef. Great. And this fesenjan stood head and shoulders above the rest. I asked for the recipe. I got the recipe. And I made it. Delicious. And the guests in our restaurant agreed.
Spicy, slightly spicy bulgur snack as a starter
Fancy a surprisingly tasty snack. That you haven’t eaten before? That everyone likes. That has a lot of different tasty layers? Well, you’re fine with this recipe then.
Moroccan potatoes from the oven with ras el hanout and pickled lemons
Potatoes boring? Man, make this one once. Tasty firm potato, pickled lemon, garlic, black olives and ras el hanout. A fatal attractive tasty combination.
Addictively tasty spicy shallots
The photo doesn’t quite do it justice, but this is really an incredibly tasty snack. Slightly spicy but not too much. Delicious mouthfeel, the taste lingers but you still want more more. Delicious on softly baked pieces of pita bread in garlic oil. Then it’s perfect.
Arugula soup, yes really
Arugula has a very distinct taste and this soup really comes into its own. Together with the other ingredients it forms a nice spicy soup.
Breaded spicy whoppers of olives
A spicy and tasty crust of pink berries, oregano, salt and pepper (and panko), great big pitted green olives and a quick deep fry. Simply delicious.
Baked red cabbage ‘salad’ with blood orange, kohlrabi and kumquats
Mom, you call this a salad? The answer is: yes. I like salads where the vegetables are not raw. Lukewarm, even better. I just don’t like cold and raw food. So my salads are often already baked or prepared in the oven and then cooled. As far as I’m concerned, the dressing determines whether something can be called a salad or not. And of course there is always something raw. Like now the kumquats and the blood orange. Soooo.
Thick Moroccan tomato soup with fried arugula
I really like tomato soup. Especially if you manage to add a surprise to it. And in this case it certainly is. A delicious spicy tomato soup, thickened with semoulina and topped with fried arugula. Really another delicious tomato soup.
Jacket potato with yogurt fenugreek and star anise spring onions
Don’t you simply want to run into the kitchen when you look at this photo? There is a reason for this. As it is incredibly delicious. The yogurt is made with a very spicy spice mixture and the spring onions are fried together with star anise. Really spectacular.
Bean-tomato salad in tahini dressing
I really like a bean salad. It’s so soft and with some fresh tomato and a nutty tahini dressing it all comes together wonderfully. At the table in the restaurant, the salad also received high praise and pleasantly surprised our guests, who apparently had some mixed feelings about the word ‘bean salad’. 😉
Spicy pumpkin from the oven with dried figs, smoked almonds and pecans
What was your favorite dish tonight? I often ask guests that question. And if this is one of the dishes at the main course, then it often wins over the others. And quite rightfully so.
Avocado dip with sumac and sesame seeds
This is a fantastic snack. Ready in no time and delicious if you combine it with a spicy cracker, such as a chickpea cracker with pul biber – see other recipe. In the restaurant we serve it that way.
Spicy rice from the oven with coriander yogurt
Okay, the picture doesn’t do the rice justice. This is rice that you want to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Spicy, unctuous I would almost say and wonderfully cooked in a totally different way than you’re used to.
Radicchio salad with dates and pumpkin seeds
A crunchy, sweet and savory salad. When you talk about layers of flavor, you’re talking about this salad. One taste sensation after another in your mouth. And just when you think you’ve tasted everything, you discover a new taste. This is such a salad.
Buttery leek from the oven with crispy lemon pepper panko
Leek like you’ve never eaten it before. So soft, so flavorful, so perfect. Nice and long in the oven until it has become buttery soft. The crunchy panko with the special taste of lemon pepper. It’s the way to get the tastiest leeks on your plate.
Palestinian lentil soup
Lentils immediately solve their image problem in this soup. This soup is surprising with every bite. It goes on and on with the surprises. Crisp. Fresh. Creamy. Spicy. Lots of flavours. It really is all possible. Try it.
Dried fig, black olives, almond agave syrup dip
The heavyness of the black olives. The sweet and crunchiness of the dried fig, the nutty of the almond and the agave that gives it a little extra sweetness. Enjoy it with some drinks.
Spinach with za’atar chestnut mushrooms
Spinach, I can sometimes think that I have already thought of all possible ways to prepare it. And then…this…so delicious. So fast, so simple, so different, so delicious.
Cabbage with sumac currants and spinach
Layers of flavour, as far as I’m concerned, that’s what the kitchen of à la Damaris is all about. You see what you eat. And that’s what you are eating. You take a bite and it matches what you see. But then more happens. You taste different flavors than you expect. Maybe a different texture than you imagined. The same is true with this dish.
Buns with coriander seeds and cumin seeds
Delicious spicy sandwiches. Delicious with everything. With sweet. With savory. Just as it is.
Shallot marinated in pomegranate molasses and cinnamon
I remember the first time I marinated shallots a few years ago. And it was the surprise of the year. And I liked it so much that I didn’t want to think of a variant. But now it had come.
Black rice salad with spicy zucchini
Black rice has something magical about it. Not only to see, but also to taste. A harder bite, nutty taste, absorbs a dressing very well. The spicy zucchini and crunchy pomegranate seeds complete it.
The most delicious carrot-coconut soup with tamarind
A soup the way I like to make them. Just the right thickness, just the right flavor proportions, crunchy pumpkin seeds… Such a soup that is always ordered. And then you know you are doing something right. And that for a carrot soup. Well, that’s quite unexpected I think…
Spicy potato mash with fresh turmeric and cumin
Potato prepared in a way that really makes everyone happy. The soft potato, the spicy of the spices, and the surprising of the grated turmeric / turmeric in it. A small miracle on your plate and in your mouth.
Borani | butternut squash, yogurt, dill, walnut
Borani is a Persian dish that comes in many guises depending on who cooks it and the traditions passed down from generation to generation in the family. This variant is with butternut squash and coconut yogurt. Walnut for the bite. Aleppo chili pepper for the spice. And the dill to make it a party. It is an incredibly delicious dish.
Winter citrus salad with fresh labneh
This is a delicious warming and surprising salad. You go from one taste sensation to another. You also feel the vitamins and the sun flowing into your body. Delicious.
Citron curcuma fondant à la Claire
Those who can bake cannot cook. And those who can cook cannot bake. It’s a prejudice, but it’s true when it comes to me. I’m not a pastry chef, way too precise for me. But I can make these delicious fondants. Inspired by Michelin star chef Claire Vallée from France, we make these on a regular basis. And we are very happy with it ourselves. Even if we say so ourselves.