A Week of Recipes (2/16-2/22)
Za'atar Biscuits, Gambas al Ajillo, Blueberry Mint Pavlova
Happy Sunday and welcome back to another week of recipes. This week I would say was a bit scatter brained meaning there was no cohesive theme to tie these recipes together but individually they are all fantastic. But before I dive into each one, I have a couple announcement to make.
First, for the month of March I will be focusing 100% on Levantine cuisine. For those who don’t know, this year the Muslim month of Ramadan (which follows the Lunar Calendar) begins on March 1st. This is a month dedicated to fasting from sun up to sun down where those participating do not eat or drink anything (no not even water) between those hours. All my life, this was a month where very special and unique recipes made their way to our dinner table, so I think it would be the perfect time to share a handful of them with you.
Second, beginning March 1st, I will be shifting towards a 2-tier subscription (free & paid). 1/3 of all new recipes will continue to be free and 2/3 will be accessible to paid subscribers. I also intend to setup live Q&A’s and maybe even cooking tutorials as well but still need to figure out how that would work. I understand this may not be ideal for everyone but in an effort to continue this newsletter it’s a step I feel is necessary.
Now back to the food! This week I shared three totally unrelated recipes that each stand very well on their own.
The Za’atar Biscuits, like I mentioned in the video, is a recipe straight from my moms notebook. I was flipping through it and she had them written in Arabic as Za’atar cookies, and I said immediately, these are not cookies. They’re savory, not sweet! They’re biscuits that use olive oil and yogurt rather than butter and go perfect with a morning cup of coffee or tea. The recipe I shared makes A LOT ( >30 biscuits ) so feel free to cut the amounts in half.
The Gambas al Ajillo are what I consider the most popular tapas. I had been to Spain a couple times and every place we sat at had gambas al ajillo on their menu. I think it’s most likely because of how simple and easy they are to make and how they go well with a nice piece of bread to soak up the residual garlic and oil. This is traditionally made in the clay or terra cotta pot but many people (including me) don’t own them so this is a way to make them in a regular old frying pan.
The Blueberry Mint Pavlova is a recipe my wife had been begging me to do for a while now. It was a dessert we shared on our honeymoon in Lisbon almost 3 years ago. We were at one of José Avillez’s many restaurants in the city and their pavlova was calling to us. It was actually my very first pavlova and I don’t think I’ve had another since. They’re very simple to make but take a bit of time and patience. So if you’re having a chill day at home these are a great dessert to make to switch things up!
Za'atar Biscuits
This is a recipe straight out of my Mom’s composition book. It’s a family treat we like to keep in the house from time to time that goes along perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. They’re soft, crumbly, aromatic…not your typical kind of biscuit at all. This recipe makes A LOT of biscuits so feel free to cut the amount in half if needed. I myself did h…
Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)
This, in my opinion, is the best and easiest tapas out there. Any time I see this on the menu I’m ordering it. It’s typically cooked and served in the traditional Spanish clay plates but I understand not everyone owns them (including me) so this is how you can easily prep the same thing on a skillet. These are the best to eat with a nice warm piece of b…
Blueberry Mint Pavlova
The first pavlova I ever had was on my honeymoon. We were at one of José Avillez many restaurants in Lisbon and there was this pavlova on the menu with fresh cream and berries, and a berry compote. We thought that sounded delicious and I admitted to my wife that I’ve never had a pavlova before so she made the executive decision right then and there. I u…