If you want to make a big impression in your kitchen I recommend baking a pan of these cheesy popovers. They come out of the oven puffed up like pillows, and the centers are filled with air pockets that capture the aromas of chiles and smoked cheese inside. I recommend roasting your own green chiles for this recipe, but if you can find canned Hatch chiles at your grocer they will work fine.

If you like crab cakes, this is a great alternative with a Mediterranean flare. You can form the patties and freeze before cooking on parchment paper in plastic bags, and pull out as many as you need from the freezer. 

I learned to make delicious hummus from Chef Nir Feller in Tel Aviv. It really makes a difference if you cook dried chickpeas, instead of using the ones in a tin. It takes some time to cook them, but you can cook a huge batch and freeze them for use later. Be sure to freeze the cooking liquid separately to use also. Another important ingredient is the tahini, which should be organic 100% tahini with no additives. 

My first experience with how the fennel, orange, and onion play together in this salad was in Morocco, but the second was with a similar version in Israel. This is just one notable example of the similarity in these regional cuisines. The most challenging task when making this salad is segmenting the oranges away from any pith.

Malabi is a traditional Israeli dessert made from milk. It’s similar to a custard or panna cotta, but a lighter version. I like to use coconut milk, for its flavor, but the real showcase in this dish is the toppings. This recipe uses a strawberry sauce, but you can add honey, nuts, coconut, pomegranate, orange segments, or whatever suits you.

While traveling in Istanbul I ate in several restaurants where there was a huge wood-fired grill, and the chefs had skewer rods 3-feet long packed with kofte. They are similar to similar to meatballs, but shaped around a metal skewer and grilled over fire.

Chiles and coconut are often used in southern Indian cuisine, especially in vegetarian dishes. I had these green beans at a restaurant in the fishing village of Kochin, served with grilled fish. There was a woman sitting on the floor cracking fresh coconuts and shaving the coconut flesh to be used in nearly every dish on the menu.

My favorite way to prepare carrots is by roasting them in a hot oven until they’re nearly browned. In this recipe the honey and molasses drizzle kicks up the flavors, and sweetens the carrots just perfectly. Not only is this a delicious side dish for the holidays or any time of year, it’s also really beautiful!

Meatballs are so versatile! This is my favorite meatball recipe because there is a blast of melty cheese when you bite into them. And the fresh oregano makes them taste so earthy and delicious! These are great appetizers for a party when you serve them on picks with the Mustard Sauce on the side.

Walking through the streets of Nassau in the Bahamas, I followed my nose to the aroma of spicy jerk chicken outside a small shack on the side of the road. Standing over a grill made from a metal barrel, were two robust women wearing brightly colored scarves wrapped around their heads. One of the women had said something in Bahamian Creole that made the other shake with laughter. They motioned me over as I watched them flip the sizzling chicken with a long fork in one hand and a glass of iced tea in the other.

I took two cooking lesson in Marakesh, Morocco learning how to cook in a tagine, the traditional cooking vessel with a tall conical lid. The lid allows the condensation of juices from the food to self-baste and intensify the flavors. You don’t have to own a tagine to make Moroccan recipes, though.

One of my favorite Caribbean islands is Grand Cayman, known for its pristine beaches and gorgeous sunsets. On one visit I spent an afternoon cooking with Chef Beny in his beachside restaurant learning some of his specialties. I had tried his cocoa and coffee-crusted salmon, and I was eager to learn his secrets in making it.

These cookies take a bit of time to make since you must make a custard a few hours before forming the cookies. You can do this the day before you plan to bake them or just plan well ahead. I promise it’s worth the trouble because these cookies are unbelievably tasty. They’re best to be eaten the day you bake them, but if you store them in an air-tight container, they’ll keep a couple of days.

To make perfect cookies, I’ve got three tips: First, cream the butter and sugar really really well. Second, after adding the dry ingredients just stir to combine; don’t overmix. Lastly, use a cookie scoop to make the cookies uniform in size. These cookies freeze really well….if you actually have any leftovers.

This is my most popular cookie recipe, and I’ve used it to make a lot of people happy. Sometimes I make them big, and often I make small bite-sized cookies for larger events. Either way, this is how you win friends and put smiles on their faces!

I actually learned to make this dish in Sri Lanka, the small island just south of India. The cuisine is very similar to southern Indian food, with lots of fish and tropical ingredients. I was one of only four guests in a small hotel situated in a forest of coconut trees, palm trees, and curry trees. The curry tree produces small leaves that resemble bay leaves, and they have a citrus and nutty taste that adds a unique flavor to food.

Traditionally, Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato stew, but I like to make this green version using herbs and Swiss chard. If green tomatoes were in season, they would be delicious is this version too. Make this for breakfast or brunch, and serve it with crusty bread to scoop up all the yolky goodness.

Tikka is an Indian dish of meat marinated in spices. This is the recipe I’ve been using for years as a base to my Tikka Masala. The yogurt and spices in the marinade make the chicken so tender, and it’s a perfect appetizer served with the yogurt dip or topped on a green salad. If you like spicy food, you should add some red pepper flakes to the marinade.

Here is a crowd-pleasing fruit “punch” that is popular in Spanish tapas bars. There are so many variations, including the wine, fruits, and spirits used. I love this recipe because it is light and goes really well so many foods. You can change it up to create your own recipe if you prefer.

These delicious fried vegetarian balls are a classic middle eastern snack made from dried chickpeas or fava beans (or a mixture of both). They’re traditionally served with hummus or toum, a garlic sauce. Often they are put into a bread roll and served as a sandwich. They are certainly best when they are fresh out of the fryer.