Dinner menu for meat-eaters and vegetarians

It has been quite a long week, and some very long weeks are coming up, so I was looking forward to the opportunity to lose myself in cooking. We have guests, so this is a good excuse to make copious amounts of food.

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Arabic-inspired spread

This is a winner: made on a weeknight for guests, it was delicious and not terribly complicated to make. Alongside the spread, I served warm fluffy pita breads, as I prefer them over the thin flatbreads. We had some white Burgundy to drink, it fit quite nicely.

Dhaabay Di Dal

What attracted me in this dish was the whimsical name, but the flavour is what will make me come back to it over and over again. I cooked this dish for the first time for a goodbye dinner party, a bit of a risk, but the risk paid off with interest: I am sure I will be cooking this protein-rich vegetarian dish over and over again.

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Turkish eggs

shukshuka

There are some dishes that many countries consider their own, and this is reflected in the name. For example, my favourite cake—one I have yet to attempt to make—is known as Međimurska gibanica in Croatia; the name loosely translates to “cake from Međimurje,” and Međimurje is a region in Croatia. Across the border, in Slovenia, it is known as Prekmurska gibanica; the name translates to “cake from Prekmurje,” and Prekmurje is a region in Slovenia. Same cake, different name.

The dish I made tonight is similarly confused about its identity: I found it in an Australian cookbook under the name Turkish eggs; virtually the same dish is called Shakshouka in an Israeli cookbook I own; my Greek friend also knows it, presumably under a different name.

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