The second that I finished interviewing author Zoë Ferraris, I had to try Umm Ali. After multiple attempts to perfect the recipe, and about a million calories later, I think I have a winner. The best part is, the dessert looks deceptively fancy. By using frozen puff pastry, it cut down the prep time by half. Umm Ali would be a fun sweet to make for a Finding Nouf book club party. You can find out more about Zoë Ferraris’ page-turning mystery here. Continue reading “Coconut Bread Pudding”
It’s one of those rainy spring mornings again. To wake up, I made an antioxidant-packed smoothie bursting with fresh citrus and ginger. If you’re fighting a cold, I read that you could also add a small amount of cayenne pepper to the smoothie. I’m not sure if I’m that daring in the am. 🙂 If you give the cayenne a try, let me know. Continue reading “Good Morning Smoothie”
I found blood oranges at the market today. It’s the first time I tried them, and I realized they’d taste wonderful in a colorful citrus salad. The combination of citrus and fresh greens made such a simple and pretty springtime salad. It’s so easy to make; you could double the recipe and serve it at a party. Continue reading “Citrus Salad”
As I continue to pursue my passion for writing, I’ve been wondering: who are some of my favorite authors’ role models? What influenced their work? Do they have a go-to recipe that connects them back to the country they wrote about?
Hopefully, by featuring Inspirational Authors, you’ll have more books to add to your reading list. Perhaps they will also inspire you.
The first author that came to my mind was award-winning novelist Zoë Ferraris. I’m incredibly grateful that she would take the time to share a little bit of her story with us. Her bestselling mystery, Finding Nouf, dives into the complexity of searching for a missing sixteen-year-old girl in the veiled society of Saudi Arabia. Continue reading “Q&A with Bestselling Author Zoë Ferraris”
Lumaconi pasta comes from a beautiful town overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Legend has it that a young pasta maker fell in love with a fisherman’s daughter. To impress her family, and win her hand in marriage, he invented a new pasta inspired by seashells called “Lumaca di mere.” Traditionally, the pasta is stuffed with ricotta and baked like lasagna. It’s one of my favorite recipes, and I hope it becomes yours too. Continue reading “Lumaconi with Almond Ricotta and Spinach”
I love parfaits in the springtime when it’s still a little too cold for smoothies. The breakfast parfaits I had in Greece were made with goat’s milk yogurt and honey. To make this parfait healthier and reduce the cholesterol, I blended plain non-dairy yogurt with a frozen banana and added a little vanilla powder to sweeten it up a bit. Top the yogurt mixture with antioxidant-rich berries, pomegranate seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, and pistachios. It’s a fun recipe to make with children and a great alternative for dessert. Continue reading “Greek Parfait”
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