Feta and Fennel Barley with Caramelized Kumquats

My latest discovery of a barley recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's stunning Jerusalem cookbook was a life changing event in my kitchen. I finally like barley!

For years my mother has been trying to convince me of the little grain's qualities - unsuccessfully. I'm not a huge fan of orzotto or risotto, I can enjoy both of them for lunch but I wouldn't call them a great source of inspiration. But then, as I thumbed through the pages of Jerusalem, page number 81 caught my attention: Parsley & Barley Salad. The title doesn't mention the ingredient that changed everything for me, feta. The two London chefs marinate the cheese in spiced oil before they finish off their composition with barley, lots and lots of parsley, and spring onions. They also add cashews but I skipped them, I'm not too fond of nuts in my cooking.

So what happens is that, when I really like a recipe, my mind starts spinning looking for variations. First I added much more barley than mentioned in the recipe to turn it into a richer meal befitting these cold winter evenings. Then I stirred in raw, thinly sliced fennel, blood orange juice, mint, and honey-caramelized kumquats (an inspiration from last year's celeriac salad). Ottolenghi and Tamimi use za'tar for their spice oil, which I replaced with ground cardamom and fennel seeds. Crushed coriander seeds and allspice berries are taken from their recipe and add a warming touch to it.

You'll end up with quite a vibrant dish that can be eaten cold, as a salad, or slightly warm, as a main or side dish. Although the spiced oil, salty cheese, and sour kumquats are quite prominent, the nutty barley and crunchy fennel aren't shy here either. What's great about it, is that you can play with it, add and change spices, fruits, and vegetables according to your mood and the season. Just stick to barley and marinated feta, that's the secret.

Feta and Fennel Barley with Caramelized Kumquats

Serves 3-4

• pearl barley 100g / 1/2 cup

• olive oil 5 tablespoons, plus a splash

• coriander seeds, ground in a mortar, 3/4 teaspoon

• allspice berries, ground in a mortar, 1/2 teaspoon

• fennel seeds, ground in a mortar, 1/2 teaspoon

• ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon

• ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon

• feta, cut into cubes, 150g / 5 ounces

• medium fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced, 1

• freshly squeezed blood orange juice 4 tablespoons

• fine sea salt

• ground pepper

• fresh mint leaves, a small handful

For the caramelized kumquats

• honey 2 tablespoons

• kumquats, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, 12 (or 12 orange fillets, peeled)

• freshly squeezed orange juice 4 tablespoons

Cook the barley in salted water until al dente, drain in a colander, and rinse briefly with water.

In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, coriander, allspice, fennel seeds, cumin, and cardamom. Add the feta and mix gently until the cheese is coated with oil and spices, set aside.

For the caramelized kumquats, in a small, heavy pan, heat the honey over high heat until liquid and bubbling. Add the kumquats and orange juice and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom, turn and cook for another 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until soft and caramelized; mind that they don’t become too dark.

Transfer the barley, sliced fennel, orange juice, and feta with the spiced oil to a large bowl and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in a little more olive oil if it's too dry. Sprinkle with mint and arrange the kumquats on top. Enjoy warm or cold.

Kidney Bean, Cumin, and Beef Polpette with Torta al Testo

I decided to fly to London for one day to meet a girl for a kitchen feature whose work I've been following for quite a while: Claire Ptak of the acclaimed Violet bakery. But then I started thinking about all the other inspiring people I know who also live there, so I felt tempted to meet a few more people for even more meet in your kitchen features. In the end, I met 1 baker from California, 2 kitchen chefs at the Brown's Hotel, 1 Vogue journalist, 2 bloggers, a friend from the fashion industry plus my publisher's team in London - all in 3 days. Now I'm back home, a little tired, but with fantastic, new kitchen features in my pocket and I can't wait to share them with you over the next few weeks.

There was a lot to organize before my departure to make my tight schedule work, so I couldn't spend much time on cooking, which my boyfriend happily used to take over our kitchen for a few days. One of his delicious and experimental creations was cumin polpette in a fruity tomato sauce. He used mashed kidney beans for the beef mixture, instead of the usual breadcrumbs and eggs, and kept some of the purple beans whole for the sauce. The texture of the floury legumes is perfect to loosen up the minced meat, the result is simply delicious. It was so good that we had it twice in a week, the second time with torta al testo on the side, Umbrian flatbread cooked in a cast iron pan, to stuff with the juicy cumin bean polpette and the aromatic red sauce.

Kidney Bean, Cumin, and Beef Polpette with Torta al Testo

You can find my torta al testo recipe here or you can serve the polpette with any other flatbread or ciabatta. If you want to make your own torta al testo, mind that the yeast dough has to rise twice. Once it's well risen, the bread only needs to cook for about 3 minutes in a hot pan.

Serves 2

• minced beef 400g / 14 ounces

• kidney beans (tinned), rinsed and drained, 250g / 9 ounces

• medium red onion, finely chopped, 1

• garlic, crushed, 2 large cloves

• medium fresh red chili, cut into tiny cubes, 1

• fresh coriander leaves 2 large handfuls

• ground cumin

• fine sea salt

• ground pepper

• olive oil

• tomatoes (tinned), 400g / 14 ounces

• pinch of sugar

Using your hands or the dough hooks of an electric mixer, mix the minced meat with a handful of the beans (squeezed until mushy), 3/4 of the onion, garlic, 1/4 of the chili, a large handful of coriander leaves (not chopped), 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt and a generous amount of ground pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Wet your hands and form 4cm / 1 1/2" meatballs, transfer the polpette to a plate.

Chop a small handful of the remaining coriander leaves and set a few whole leaves for the topping aside.

Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large, heavy pan and cook the polpette with the remaining onions on medium-high heat for a few minutes until just light brown on all sides. Take out the meatballs and add the remaining beans (whole) to the hot pan, cook for 1 minute on high heat, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, sugar, salt, pepper and 1/4 of the chili. Chop the tomatoes finely and transfer the polpette back to the pan. Stir gently, close with a lid and simmer for about 3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Season the sauce to taste and sprinkle with the remaining coriander leaves and chili. Serve the meatballs with torta al testo (or flatbread) on the side or inside the bread.

Cumin Cinnamon Sweet Potato with Candied Lemon and Olives

The leaves on the vine in front of my kitchen window are changing their color and start falling as soon as the wind picks up. It's slowly getting colder in Berlin, my wool sweaters replaced my t-shirts and it hasn't taken long for cozy dishes to be back on my mind. Stews and pies, roasts and cookies - my cooking and baking is getting ready for the cold season. I bought the first quince for my spice and fruit flavoured brandy that I'll soon need for all those minced pies and fruit cakes. A pile of small lemons from my kitchen counter has been squeezed into a jar with lots of Mr. Cini's sea salt to preserve and soften them for aromatic lamb shanks. My mood leaves no doubt that I'm ready for winter to come.

I'll still wait a few more days before indulging in the bright orange pleasures of pumpkins, for now I'll enjoy the autumny warmth of sweet potatoes, chopped into chunks and sautéed in fragrant cumin and cinnamon oil. Red onions softened in their velvety juices, plump Kalamata olives stirred in at the end and a few parsley leaves sprinkled on top to wave goodbye to summer. I finished it off with a sweet and tart topping, candied lemon peel tends to stick to your teeth a little but it tastes so good in this composition that I'm willing to compromise.

Cumin Cinnamon Sweet Potato with Candied Lemon and Olives

Serves 2

• olive oil

• ground cumin 1 teaspoon

• ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon

• medium red onions, cut in half and quartered, 2

• sweet potato, peeled, quartered and cut into 1 1/2 cm / 1/2" slices, 430g (15 ounces)

• freshly squeezed orange juice 3 tablespoons

• white wine 3 tablespoons

• water 6 tablespoons

• coarse sea salt

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar

• lemon zest 1 heaping teaspoon

• Kalamata olives 6

• a few parsley leaves

For the candied lemon peel

• long, wide strips of lemon, peeled off the fruit with a vegetable peeler, 5 (without the white pith)

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tablespoons

• water 4 tablespoons

• granulated sugar 3 tablespoons

For the candied peel, bring the strips of lemon peel, juice, water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes until golden and soft but not dark. Set aside.

Heat a generous splash of olive oil with the cumin and cinnamon in a heavy pan. When the pan is hot, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat until soft, stir once in a while and mind that they don't turn dark. Add the sweet potato, stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the orange juice, pour in the wine and water and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the zest and turn the temperature down to a medium-low. Close the pan with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are just soft but still in shape. Stir in the olives and season to taste, take the pan off the heat, cover and let everything sit for a few minutes.

If the candied peel became hard, put the saucepan back on the heat to soften them. Divide the sweet potatoes between the plates, sprinkle with crushed pepper, candied peel and fresh parsley.

Spice Roast Chicken Legs with Butter Beans and Mint

Five tasty C's: coriander seeds, cumin, curcuma longa (turmeric), cardamom and cayenne pepper! The list of spices for my roast chicken legs is long but each single one adds its strong character to the aromatic result. I mixed a generous amount of their fragrant qualities into a golden marinade made of olive oil and lemon juice to let them infuse the chicken's sizzling skin while cooking in the oven. The air in the kitchen smelled just wonderful and so did the meat when I put the tray onto the table. I also cooked some slices of lemon and butter beans in the spiced oil, the legumes skin burst and their velvety, soft inside mixed with the juices. It literally asked to be soaked with fresh ciabatta bread!

My mother often makes chicken legs in larger quantities when she has many people staying at her house, when my cousins visit to help her in the garden, or when her grandchildren visit and she isn't up for an extensive dinner. I completely understand why, this dish is the ultimate comfort food, it's easy to prepare (all you have to do is put the chicken legs on a tray and cook them in the oven) and you can easily customize the recipe. In late summer I cooked chicken legs with Moscato wine, grapes and thyme and in spring I glazed the skin with honey and roasted the meat with carrots and sage. You could also adjust my chicken with spiced peaches and work with the legs instead of the whole bird and enjoy the fruit's sweetness together with the tender poultry. There are so many options! Sometimes my mother just cooks it with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, plain and simple. Just the idea of sitting in her garden eating the chicken leg with my fingers makes my mouth water!

Spice Roast Chicken Legs with Butter Beans and Mint

For 2-4 people you need

• chicken legs 4

• canned butter beans, rinsed and drained, 250g / 9 ounces (double the amount for 4 people)

• coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon

• ground cumin 1 teaspoon

• ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon

• ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon

• cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon

• black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar, 1/4 teaspoon

• lemon, cut into thin slices, 1, plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

• olive oil

• coarse sea salt

• fresh mint leaves, a small handful, to serve

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (I use the Rotitherm setting which works perfectly for poultry).

Whisk 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the lemon juice and spices. Arrange the chicken legs in a baking dish, rub them on all sides with the spiced oil and sprinkle the skin generously with sea salt. Mix the beans with a splash of olive oil and arrange them around the meat. Put the slices of lemon on top and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Pour some of the juices over the meat a couple times while it’s cooking. Check the meat with a skewer, only clear juices should come out when it's done. If you like, turn the grill on for a few minutes until the skin starts sizzling. Serve with fresh mint and ciabatta bread.

Spicy Cumin Fennel Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Lemon

A few days after we got home from our summer holidays, the two of us met in the kitchen late in the evening, not sure what to make for dinner. Usually, a night like this calls for pasta and a simple tomato sauce, but we were in the mood for more, we wanted some spices on our plates! A quick look in the fridge offered a bunch of cherry tomatoes, fresh ricotta and a jar full of my Moroccan preserved lemons. The parsley on the kitchen counter looked like it wouldn't last much longer but the leaves were still crisp and green. We pulled out the mortar and the pan, heated up some olive oil and crushed a spoonful of black peppercorns and our Maltese fennel seeds. We cooked the spices with a pinch of cumin in the oil for just a minute to unfold their aromas. When their peppery smell filled the whole kitchen, we added the chopped lemons and cherry tomatoes. After 3 minutes it was all done, ready to be mixed with the spaghetti, some lumps of ricotta and the fresh parsley leaves.

It was great, spicy and fragrant, a delicious mixture of the Italian and Arabic cuisine. Unfortunately, we had forgotten about this dinner. It was quite late, we were tired and we went to bed straight after we savored this meal. Weeks later, I remembered our spontaneous cooking session but it took me a while to recapture the recipe. So here it is, we cooked it again and loved it just as much!

Spicy Cumin Fennel Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Lemon

For 2 people you need

• spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces

• cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered, 400g / 14 ounces

• ricotta 125g / 4.5 ounces

• Moroccan preserved lemon, chopped, 1/4 or the zest of 1/2 lemon

• black peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons (depending on the spiciness you want to achieve)

• fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon

• cumin, a generous pinch

• salt

• olive oil

• parsley, the leaves of 1/2 small bunch

Cook the pasta al dente in lots of salted water.

In a large, heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the spices on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon (preserved or zest) and cook for a few seconds before you stir in the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften and take the pan off the heat. Season with salt, mix in the spaghetti and top with ricotta and parsley.

Cumin Cinnamon Aubergine with Capers and Orange Polenta

Today, all the warm colours of autumn are combined on my plate, brown cumin, golden cinnamon, green capers, purple aubergine and bright oranges! The transition from summer to the next season brings the spices back into my cooking, my big spice box is out almost every day! In June, July and August, I follow my love for fresh, woody herbs, rosemary, thyme, oregano or fleshy sage, mint or basil leaves, but now it's time for some exotic mixtures again. Salty and citrus flavours mixed with earthy cumin and sweet cinnamon. It works great, and the juicy aubergine, with its unobtrusive taste stands up surprisingly well and holds it all together.

I got all excited surrounded by these deep aromas in my kitchen, so I decided to try out something new when I mixed the cornmeal into the milk for my polenta. I cooked it with a few strips of orange zest, I didn't want it to be pure and naked next to the rich composition I prepared for the aubergines. It was a wonderfully warming dish, in colour and taste, a little bit surprising in flavours, but really, really good! So good, that I already bought a couple more aubergines for the next batch!

Cumin Cinnamon Aubergine with Capers and Orange Polenta

For the aubergine

• aubergine, cut into small cubes (1/2cm / 1/4"), about 200g / 7 ounces

• garlic, crushed, 2 cloves

• cumin 1/4 teaspoon

• cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon

• capers, rinsed and drained, 1 tablespoon

• freshly squeezed orange juice 50ml / 2 ounces

• orange zest 1/2 - 1 teaspoon

• balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon

• olive oil

• salt

In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil, the garlic, cumin, cinnamon and capers for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add a little more oil and the aubergine and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat or until the aubergine is golden and soft. Deglaze with the juice and season with vinegar and salt to taste. Sprinkle with orange zest and serve with the warm polenta. 

For the polenta

• polenta 120g / 4 ounces

• water 250ml / 8.5 ounces (plus around 100ml / 3.5 ounces for cooking)

• milk 250ml / 8.5 ounces

• salt 1 teaspoon

• olive oil 2 tablespoons

• orange peel 3 long strips

In a sauce pan, heat the water and milk, add the salt and bring to the boil. Take the pan off the heat, add the olive oil and polenta and whisk. Add the orange peel, turn down the heat to the lowest temperature and put the pan back on. Cook the polenta for 10 minutes mixing and adding more water once in a while.

Lemon-spiced Chicken Wings with Cumin, Harissa and Mint Yoghurt

Chicken wings are often underestimated, unfortunately. Their tasty meat is packed in between the bones which keeps it juicy and due to the short roasting time it doesn't dry out. There isn't much meat on the wings which is an advantage to me as I prefer a small portion of meat especially when it's getting closer to summer and the temperatures rise. It's definitely enough for a spicy treat together with some aromatic cumin, harissa, lemon juice and a few slices of my Moroccan preserved lemons (which you could replace with lemon zest).

The spices and lemon made a delicious skin, golden and crisp after 20 minutes in the oven and packed with wonderful aromas. I like to eat the wings with my fingers, to feel their sticky juices and dip them in a refreshing sauce of yoghurt, sour cream, lemon and mint.

You could also throw them on the grill which would add some smoky flavours or take them out with you on a summery picnic. It's almost June and my mood calls for an early summer picnic with friends and lots of pots and plates of delicious food, so one dish is already sorted!

Lemon-spiced Chicken Wings with Cumin, Harissa and Mint Yoghurt

For 2 people as a main you need (we had half for lunch)

• chicken wings 8

• olive oil 4 tablespoons

• freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons

• ground cumin 1 teaspoon

• harissa 1 teaspoon

• black peppercorns, crushed, 10

• preserved lemon, sliced, 1/4 (or lemon zest 1 teaspoon)

• coarse sea salt

For the yoghurt dip

• yoghurt 4 tablespoons

• sour cream 2 tablespoons

• freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste

• mint leaves, chopped, 10

• salt and pepper

Set the oven to 210°C / 410°F top / bottom heat.

Whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, cumin, harissa and black pepper and stir in the slices of the preserved lemon or the lemon zest. Place the chicken wings in a baking dish or on a baking sheet and coat with the spice oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Mix the yoghurt, sour cream, lemon juice, mint, salt and pepper and whisk until creamy.

We ate this with a simple green salad on the side and some baguette to dip into the juices. The French bread was also great with the yoghurt dip although Naan bread would have been more authentic.

Stuffed Maltese Artichokes with Meat and Brandy

In Maltese cuisine, stuffed vegetables have a long tradition. The island's soil and climate offer the right conditions for fruits and vegetables to grow and ripen under the Mediterranean sun with strong tastes and in huge quantities. Tomatoes, onions, marrows, zucchini, aubergines, pumpkins, all fruits and vegetables that are perfect to be filled! Be it with meat, seafood, herbs or other vegetables, you can combine flavours of all kinds or even use your leftovers to create a completely new dish you would have never thought of before. When I'm in an experimental mood, I bravely mix whatever I find in my fridge and shelves, sweet, sour, spicy or bitter, I've never been disappointed, but often surprised!

A few weeks ago I wrote about my stuffed zucchini, the filling was light and fluffy, made of ricotta, basil and lemon, perfect for the fruit's soft taste. When I decided to stuff some baby artichokes I had a stronger filling in mind, hearty, with minced pork and chicken liver which is an old, traditional Maltese recipe. To refine the meat's flavours I deglazed it with sweet brandy and infused it with an aromatic bay leaf and a pinch of cumin. I prepared everything in advance and warmed it up in the oven for a few minutes before dinner, in my little ramekins. The meal pretty and delicious!

Stuffed Artichokes with Minced Pork, Chicken Liver and Brandy

The artichokes can be prepared in advance and warmed up in the oven before serving.

For 6 stuffed baby artichokes you need

• baby artichokes 6

• minced pork 220g / 8oz

• chicken liver, cleaned and finely chopped, 150g / 5 1/2oz

• medium sized onion, finely chopped, 1

• garlic, crushed, 2 cloves

• brandy 40ml / 1 1/2fl oz

• white wine 160ml / 5 1/2fl oz

• bay leaf 1

• cumin, ground, a pinch

• parsley, chopped, the leaves of a small bunch

• salt and black pepper

• olive oil

• juice of 1/2 lemon

Cut off the artichoke stems. If they are soft, peel and chop them finely and set aside. Pluck the hard outer leaves and cut the artichokes' tips off (1/3 – 1/2 of the artichoke), just the soft, fleshy part of the leaves should be left. Loosen the hairy choke with a knife and scoop it out with a spoon. Keep the prepared artichokes in a bowl of cold water and the juice of half a lemon once they are cut.

In a large pot, cook the artichokes in lots of salted water for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Set the oven to 200°C /390°F.

In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic on medium for a few minutes until soft. If the artichoke stems are soft add them as well. Add a little more olive oil and fry the minced meat for 2-3 minutes. Add the liver, stir and fry for a minute. Add the bay leaf, parsley and cumin, deglaze with brandy and pour in the white wine, cook it down for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and fill the artichokes with the minced meat mixture.

Place the artichokes in a big baking dish or 6 single ramekins, add a dash of white wine to cover the bottom of the dish and cook them in the oven for 5 minutes.