Beldi lemons are small, walnut-sized lemons found primarily in North Africa and Israel. Their season is quite short, typically available between December and January. Their thin skin makes them perfect for salt preservation, adding wonderful flavor to fresh salads, fish, or tagines.

Here’s a Tunisian zucchini salad that will find its place among your kémia. It’s perfect when making couscous.

These zucchini flans are soft and fluffy, a fresh idea that’s different for using zucchini! They can accompany fish, meat, or be served alone with a salad.

Herring and potato salad is a classic French bistro dish that’s always a crowd-pleaser. It’s very simple to make, and like most classic recipes, success depends mainly on ingredient quality - beautiful potatoes and good herring.

Here’s an easy-to-make cooked artichoke salad that’s always a hit as a kémia, especially when serving couscous.

I really enjoy vegetable carpaccios - they’re beautiful, delicious, and simple to make.

With summer approaching, here’s a starter that always has a place among my fresh salads - raw artichoke, sliced carpaccio-style and seasoned.

If like me you love fried eggplant but the thought of them swimming in oil makes you think twice, this oven-baked fried eggplant recipe is for you! Much less oil than deep-frying for a surprisingly similar result!

Roasted and marinated vegetable antipasti are a cornerstone of Italian starters. Colorful and flavorful, they can also be served as a side dish alongside beef carpaccio or beautiful burrata mozzarella.

Here’s a recipe idea using phyllo sheets, this time without frying - crispy phyllo with merguez sausages! A quick and flavorful recipe.

Essential to Sephardic Jewish holiday buffets, these are called banatages in Tunisia and pastels in Morocco. They’re potato croquettes with tuna or meat and a hidden egg in the center.

Here’s a quick cucumber salad you can serve as is or as a condiment with salmon, deli meats, or a green salad.

Here’s a must-try from Tunisian cuisine - fricassés. These are sandwiches with fried bread, like savory doughnuts, filled with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and cooked and fresh salads. Sound heavy? Give them a try - they’re usually a hit, especially in mini versions for your buffets and appetizers!

A fresh and quick starter with a delicious lemony flavor.

A specialty from Tunisian Jewish cuisine that pairs wonderfully with chicken broth. Minina is a savory egg and chicken cake cooked in a bain-marie, giving it an unparalleled tenderness. I’m sharing our family recipe for a classic Minina.

A simple, fresh salad that’s perfect for your spring table—crisp, light, and full of flavor.

Here’s a must-have Israeli appetizer - smoky eggplant with tehina. It’s traditionally prepared over an open flame which gives it that very characteristic taste. We love it with a bit of tomato, plenty of tehina and cilantro. The result is melt-in-your-mouth and creamy. If you think you don’t like eggplant, give it a chance with this recipe!

These small Tunisian briks filled with potatoes, eggs and tuna are synonymous with festive tables. The crispiness of the brik gives way to the tender filling, a recipe to try and add to your appetizers or buffet.

Hummus - chickpea purée - is one of Israel’s national dishes. You’ll find dozens of varieties in restaurants (some - called Houmoussia - serve only that!) but it’s so quick to make that I encourage you to try it at home. Here’s a classic version of hummus with tahini as we eat it here.

I discovered this egg salad in London, where the English traditionally eat it in sandwiches. I absolutely love this salad - it’s more flavorful than our classic egg-mayo thanks to the addition of green onions and mustard. I also add a finely minced shallot, and it’s always devoured in moments, even by the kids. You can enjoy it on bread, challah, or use it to fill appetizer bites.

Lentils are a pantry staple that shouldn’t be overlooked—they’re nutritious and protein-rich. Beyond the classic lentils and sausage dish, I’m sharing today a lentil salad recipe packed with fresh vegetables and smoked salmon, which pairs beautifully with lentils.