Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian street food made at home in an American kitchen… what could go wrong?

Here you will find not just cheese, not just pan-fried cheese, but cheese pan-fried in butter, topped with the zippiest dressing that balances it so well you don’t even feel the least bit guilty for eating cheese fried in butter.

Sometimes referred to as Turkish Bagels, but popular throughout the Middle East, these beauties turned out to be chewy, crunchy, flavorful, and perfect with a little extra herby kick from the dukkah and za’atar alongside.

Abu Dhabi 2022: Nigella seed homemade cheese and crackers, Pink pickles, Lentil and bulgur salad, and Lemon-cilantro okra

Tart and earthy, this is a beautifully complex grain salad.

With a spicy, punchy sauce this makes a standout side dish.

Simple homemade cheese and aromatic crackers pair perfectly well together.

An easy to whiz up walnut- bell pepper dip with smoky spices.

Manakeesh (alternate spellings: Manakish or Manaqish) are sometimes referred to as Middle Eastern Pizza, they are basic flatbreads with a range of tasty toppings and are infinitely adaptable.

This is one of those salads that you know will be tasty, I mean… fennel, kalamata olives, pomegranate seeds, of course it will be delicious. But the surprise is how well it all goes together and how none of the elements overwhelm the others.

Kibbie (also spelled Kibbeh, Kibba, Kubba) is a family of dishes that might take the form of patties, fritters, or casseroles. In this delicious recipe, the filling is made hearty with garbanzo beans and walnuts, and flavorsome with onions, spices, and spinach.

The thing that makes this a standout is the line of halvah running through the center of the cake, lending it an earthy, chewy, and almost savory quality, in perfect compliment to the warm walnut, cinnamon, and brown sugar flavors throughout.

For this race, I decided to make a vegetable tagine served with a garden salad and quinoa.

I love Middle Eastern food when the weather turns cold. The rich spices and hearty dishes are perfect fodor for a little chill in the air. I hope you enjoy this take on fried cheese, and a template for a bright fresh salad to lighten any meal.

For the final race of the season we cooked a small Middle Eastern Feast. We started with Halloumi Bites with Hot Tomato Jam (post forthcoming), and for the main course rich Beef-Stuffed Potatoes in Tamarind Sauce and a Pomegranate topped salad.

Basbousa is a traditional Middle Eastern sweet cake made with semolina and a rosewater sugar syrup. It is a lovely sweet treat at the end of a large meal.

The dressing and fresh herbs are the real stars of this dish. Simple ingredients are taken to new places with the addition of sumac, pomegranate molasses, and crunchy bits of pita.

Our last meal of the season for Abu Dhabi was a nice little feast. We grilled up some koobideh kebabs, made shirin polo, and fattoush, and my friend made a delicious dessert of basbousa.

I have renamed this cake from how it appears in the book. I think it is primarily a nut flour cake with flavors of tangerine and apricot, it tastes mostly of apricots and almonds, hence my re-naming. However you call it, it is delicious.

I can't believe it is the end of the season already. The final race in Abu Dhabi is quite a spectacle and a great send off to what turned out to be a pretty exciting year. 

This salad is fabulous. My non-eggplant loving husband even loved it