If there’s a recipe in this cookbook that will surprise you, it will definitely be this one! It’s hotly debated whether this actually constitutes breakfast or dessert. If you’re a fan of a warm bowl of oatmeal, warm rice pudding is steady competition. There’s an undeniable appeal in a bowl of sweetened, warm rice with hints of cinnamon and lime zest. (I can only describe it as a warm hug!) I’ve incorporated all the elements of the arroz con leche of my childhood, with options for those with special dietary requirements. Enjoy every spoonful!

Brown trout are a coveted freshwater sport-fishing species that are equally sought-after for the dinner table. There are several subspecies, and their appearance can vary depending on their habitat, though they generally range from yellowish-brown to olive-coloured sides to sometimes golden in colour. Brown trout is highly regarded for its fatty, firm, yet flaky texture and its delicate, mild taste. The best time to catch these beauties is in the spring and early summer.

I find bright green produce is best to pair with this fish. I wanted to play with the sweetness of the peas from my garden mixed with a creamy, rich risotto and a beautiful piece of crispy-skin trout on top. It’s simple but so big on flavour.

This slow-cooked beef stew gets its name from the daubière, the Provençal clay pot it was traditionally cooked in. The richly fragranced sauce is important—red wine, a little orange peel and plenty of herbs will fill the house with gorgeous aromas as the beef cooks.

I have often made roast plums and other stone fruit over the years. It's a simple dessert, yet nothing beats the scent of warm, spice­ spiked fruit filling the space around the table after dinner. Double the number of plums and have some of the leftovers for breakfast with yogurt, or on warm toast spread with labneh or cream cheese.

This version of Fattoush is close to the classic salad we all know and love, but it differs slightly from the one my mother used to make. Na'ama's Fattoush, published in Jerusalem and Falastin, is still made by my family today, and it brings me much comfort knowing her legacy lives on. In this version, the salad uses toasted bread and is dressed with lemon and pomegranate molasses, whereas my mother's version includes a homemade buttermilk dressing and uses untoasted bread. Both are equally vibrant, crunchy, tangy and packed with fresh herbs. 

Who could resist such a salad, especially when summer-ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers and chunks of bread are brought together on one big plate. 

Play around with the ingredients based on what's available in season or in your fridge. Thinly sliced red or white cabbage, kale, raw zucchini and asparagus all make great additions to this versatile dish.

The irresistible dill pickle is a canning classic and a fun project for first-time canners. Preserve them sliced for sandwiches and burgers, cut into spears for the side of your plate, or left whole for scrumptious hand-held snacks straight from the pickle jar. My kids love these so much, I make about 40 jars a year to get us through until next pickling-cucumber season.

“Waste not, want not” is a saying that applies in many American households, and finding innovative ways to use parts of items that might otherwise be discarded is a watchword in many families. It is surely from this frugality that the practice of pickling the white part of the watermelon rind developed. Far from the juicy sweetness of the red flesh, the rind provides more crunch and a natural tanginess accentuated by the brine. This pickle always managed to find its way into the relish dishes on my family’s Thanksgiving table, and then rapidly disappeared.

Watermelon rind pickles have been in the African American culinary lexicon for more than a century; a version appears in What Mrs. Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking, published in 1881, the second known African American cookbook.

The first time I had fried pickles was in New Orleans, when a seafood platter came out of the kitchen covered in them. My mind was blown. At that point I had typically thought of frying as a technique best used for ingredients that need a bit of help on flavor, like catfish or green tomatoes. But here they took something that, in my mind, needed no help and made it texturally better. I could have sat there for hours dunking fried pickles in Remoulade (page 21) and washing them down with cold beer. I suggest you do the same!

I am a sucker for anything pickled. In fact, the entire top shelf of my fridge is dedicated to briny jars of goodness. Like a squeeze of lemon, pickles and their juices can wake up the flavor of almost any dish, and they are an easy condiment to put out at every meal. Combine the mouth-puckering flavor of pickles with rich cream cheese and sour cream, and you have the ultimate dip or spread. Yes, you can use it to dip chips, crackers, and veggies, but you can also slather it on a tomato sandwich or use it to top a baked potato or to dress a simple green salad.