Persian Okra Stew (Khoresh Bamieh) is a classic Iranian dish of meat stewed with tomatoes, okra, and spices. It’s delicious enough to convert even the most adamant okra haters!

The flavor of this classic Borscht recipe is bright and complex, beautifully sweet and sour. The natural sweetness from beets and carrots balance a splash of red wine vinegar added at the end. Beef makes it hearty and filling, and potato and hint of tomato paste add depth and thicken the broth slightly.

Middle Eastern Spiced Green Beans with Olive Oil and Tomato (Loubieh bil Zayt) is a dish that’s simple to make, but complex in flavor. This dish is heady with aromatic spices, onion, and garlic, and the green beans take on a nutty flavor after being toasted in olive oil.

Fresh tomatoes, parsley, mint, and onions tossed together to make a beautiful Middle Eastern-inspired salad plus a zippy lemony mint dressing to bring it together.

Tender and flavorful chicken shawarma kebabs are marinated in a yogurt base with an authentic spice blend. Instead of using a vertical rotisserie, we skewer the chicken and cook the kebabs in the oven, air fryer, or grill so you can enjoy this Middle Eastern classic at home.

Have I mentioned how much I love cookbooks? With my book shelves currently bowing under the weight of my ever growing collection, I've been known to pull a volume down and drift through page after ingredient filled page as I while away a chilly evening by the fire. The dream of actually having my own name on a cookbook filled with my photos and recipes is probably one that many of my food blogger friends and I have shared, but today, one of my talented friends is actually living this dream. Just 3 days ago, Faith Grosky had the pleasure of releasing her first cookbook - An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair, and Liv Life had the pleasure of reviewing one of her recipes, which we share below. In the book, Faith focuses mainly on dishes from Levant (according to Wikipedia: "Levant is the crossroads of western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and northeast Africa"), however other areas of the Middle East are covered as well. The book is available through the Amazon link above or additionally at Barnes and Noble. Faith gained a love of Middle Eastern cooking after getting married and living in the Middle East. With lessons from her Mother in Law, Sahar, Faith brings over 100 authentic Middle Eastern recipes which have been streamlined for those of us with not so authentic Middle Eastern roots. In addition, she helps demystify some of the traditional ingredients and cooking techniques. While I haven't had a chance to actually get my hands on the book yet, the Saffron Rice recipe Faith shared with us has made an appearance twice this week in our kitchen. Flavorful and easy to get on the table, the rice appealed to the whole family, hence requiring a second batch in just a few days. And today, Faith is hosting a Virtual Launch Party where you can follow other food bloggers and their reviews of Faith's recipe as well as participate in what I hear is a pretty darn fantastic giveaway featuring all kinds of goodies. Our biggest congratulations to you Faith! May you continue living the dream... Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts ROZ MLOW’WAN Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission. Serves 4 to 6 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking 1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1 onion, finely diced 4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins) 1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric) Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside. Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve. OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice. Liv Life's version of Faith's Saffron Rice As time on our busy school night became limited, I made a few adjustments to get us out the door, and with the kids not loving pine nuts, pistachios were used in place of them. Filled with all kinds of goodies, this rice is an all around winner! 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup onion, finely diced 1/4 cup sultanas (golden raisins) 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon salt (salt to taste... we sometimes go too light for others) ½ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed Toasted Pine Nuts (we get our toasted pine nuts from Trader Joe's) Chopped Pistachios Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rinsed rice, stirring for about a minute. Add the water, golden raisins, salt and crushed saffron. Stir. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is done and fluff with a fork. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and pistachios.

This easy-to-make Christmas Morning Scones recipe (aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones) captures the flavor and aroma of Christmas morning! They have a unique, festive flavor, are easy to make, and will become your family's new favorite holiday morning tradition.

If you're wondering what to eat when you have a stomach bug or are looking for a natural stomach flu remedy, this Palestinian potato home remedy that has been passed down for generations has a 100% success rate.

Okroshka is a healthy cold Russian soup that’s full of crunchy radishes and cucumbers, flavorful with dill, and refreshing with a creamy, tangy yogurt-like base.

This paleo Lemon Almond Cake Recipe has a dense, but moist and tender crumb, and is sweetly aromatic with vanilla and lemon.

This is just one of over 100 delicious Middle Eastern recipes from Faith Gorsky's new book, An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair.

This healthy and easy to make salmon bisque recipe has layers of flavor, tons of vegetables, and tender flaky salmon in a thick, hearty broth. It’s rich and creamy with just a little splash of cream!

Hobnobs, a type of classic British biscuits, are essentially crunchy oat cookies with a buttery caramel flavor. The chocolate bottoms are optional, and these crisp cookies are delicious either way. They're quick and easy to whip up with simple ingredients!

Karpatka, one of the most popular Polish cakes, has two layers of choux pastry sandwiched with a decadent vanilla cream filling. A dusting of powdered sugar on top helps the rustic pâte à choux resemble the snow-capped Carpathian Mountains in Poland.

Richly spiced and creamy with tender meat, this Lamb Tikka Masala will have you making Indian food at home on the regular!

This Borani Banjan recipe (Afghan eggplant with garlic yogurt sauce) is a richly spiced stewed eggplant dish that’s served with tangy garlicky yogurt sauce on top.

This budget-friendly honey garlic chicken recipe features crispy outside and tender inside chicken in a sticky sweet and savory sauce.

An Edible Mosaic is a recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes.

Sicilian Caponata is an eggplant relish recipe with a balanced sweet and tangy flavor profile. It's full of bright flavors and summer produce, and is the perfect dish for any gathering!

This easy, authentic Thai green curry recipe (Kaeng Kiew Waan Kai) beautifully marries spicy-hot, salty, subtly sweet, and bright flavors in a coconut milk-based sauce.

For all the apple pie-lovers who don’t have time to make pie, this is the best easy Apple Crisp recipe with a sweet spiced apple filling and a crispy brown sugar oat streusel topping!

This authentic Shish Tawook recipe (aka Shish Taouk) features tender, juicy chicken that’s marinated in a mixture of spiced yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic, and then grilled to perfection. The result is moist, flavorful meat with garlicky, smoky spiced flavor.

With all the amazing looking grilled cheese recipes that have been floating around the internet recently you probably know that April is National Grilled Cheese month. I had no idea that such a thing existed

Foul Mudammas or Ful Medames (Egyptian Fava Beans) is a creamy, rich, and hearty recipe that's brightened with a generous drizzle of peppery olive oil, fresh vegetables, and herbs. It's a traditional breakfast dish in Egypt and the Levant area of the Middle East, and it's typically served as part of a spread along with fresh vegetables and flatbread.

This no-fail copycat Smashburger recipe brings restaurant-quality Smash Burgers to your kitchen, complete with Smashburger Sauce!

Salad Olivier, a classic Russian potato salad recipe, features simple ingredients that come together seamlessly: creamy mayo-based dressing, hearty potato, peas and carrots, tangy pickles, sweet onion, bright herbs, chicken or other meat, and hard-boiled egg. It's a great side dish for just about anything!

Learn how to make no knead artisan bread the easy way in a Dutch oven. This no-fail recipe yields a gorgeous loaf that's crispy and golden outside and chewy inside! There's no kneading required and minimal hands-on work.

The first time I had a fresh fig was in Damascus on mine and Mike’s honeymoon. Mike and I were served a platter of fruit (it’s the standard fare served after a big meal there…not

Salad Shirazi is a Persian chopped vegetable salad mainly comprised of tomato, cucumber, and onion with a tangy lime juice and olive oil dressing. It takes just 20 minutes to throw together and pairs well with just about anything!

Have I mentioned how much I love cookbooks? With my book shelves currently bowing under the weight of my ever growing collection, I've been known to pull a volume down and drift through page after ingredient filled page as I while away a chilly evening by the fire. The dream of actually having my own name on a cookbook filled with my photos and recipes is probably one that many of my food blogger friends and I have shared, but today, one of my talented friends is actually living this dream. Just 3 days ago, Faith Grosky had the pleasure of releasing her first cookbook - An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair, and Liv Life had the pleasure of reviewing one of her recipes, which we share below. In the book, Faith focuses mainly on dishes from Levant (according to Wikipedia: "Levant is the crossroads of western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and northeast Africa"), however other areas of the Middle East are covered as well. The book is available through the Amazon link above or additionally at Barnes and Noble. Faith gained a love of Middle Eastern cooking after getting married and living in the Middle East. With lessons from her Mother in Law, Sahar, Faith brings over 100 authentic Middle Eastern recipes which have been streamlined for those of us with not so authentic Middle Eastern roots. In addition, she helps demystify some of the traditional ingredients and cooking techniques. While I haven't had a chance to actually get my hands on the book yet, the Saffron Rice recipe Faith shared with us has made an appearance twice this week in our kitchen. Flavorful and easy to get on the table, the rice appealed to the whole family, hence requiring a second batch in just a few days. And today, Faith is hosting a Virtual Launch Party where you can follow other food bloggers and their reviews of Faith's recipe as well as participate in what I hear is a pretty darn fantastic giveaway featuring all kinds of goodies. Our biggest congratulations to you Faith! May you continue living the dream... Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts ROZ MLOW’WAN Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission. Serves 4 to 6 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking 1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1 onion, finely diced 4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins) 1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric) Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil. Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside. Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve. OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice. Liv Life's version of Faith's Saffron Rice As time on our busy school night became limited, I made a few adjustments to get us out the door, and with the kids not loving pine nuts, pistachios were used in place of them. Filled with all kinds of goodies, this rice is an all around winner! 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup onion, finely diced 1/4 cup sultanas (golden raisins) 2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon salt (salt to taste... we sometimes go too light for others) ½ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed Toasted Pine Nuts (we get our toasted pine nuts from Trader Joe's) Chopped Pistachios Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rinsed rice, stirring for about a minute. Add the water, golden raisins, salt and crushed saffron. Stir. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is done and fluff with a fork. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and pistachios.

This simple egg custard recipe is decadent and delicious! We use minimal ingredients and a classic covered water bath technique in the oven to ensure perfect steamed custard every time.

This Classic Meatball Recipe features tender, juicy, and flavorful meatballs with onion, garlic, Italian herb seasoning, and a secret ingredient that keeps them moist! They're easy to make in the oven, and a great way to feed a crowd.

Ma’amoul cookies feature a sweet spiced date filling stuffed into a rich, buttery, crisp cookie that’s somewhat similar to shortbread.

This easy marinated mozzarella balls recipe combines fresh mozzarella, herbs, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes with extra-virgin olive oil for a flavorful pairing that’s everyone's favorite!

Green Beans Polonaise (Fasolka Szparagowa) lets the flavor of green beans shine! It's an easy side dish of green beans topped with toasted buttery breadcrumbs.

Rocket lettuce is the star of this tangy arugula (jarjeer) salad recipe with sumac, which is known as Salatet Jarjeer in Arabic.

This pizza soup recipe is a pizza-lovers' dream, and a sure way to get kiddos and picky eaters excited to eat their vegetables. With pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a few savory herbs and aromatics, you'll be surprised at how much this really tastes like pizza!

Sour milk is the secret ingredient in this Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Sour Milk Muffins Recipe that yields a light and tender-crumbed muffin! These are sweetly aromatic of cinnamon, studded with fresh apple, and absolutely delicious.

Zserbó Szelet is a traditional Hungarian cake with layers of yeasted dough, apricot jam, and walnuts that's topped with a dark chocolate glaze. It blurs the lines between pastry and cake, and is completely irresistible.