TOPPED WITH A DOLLOP OF NUTELLA...

I have a list of food items that make this world a better place, and Nutella is without a doubt one of them. Mais oui, what did you think! Of course I have a list of world peace foods, and I know you have one too- admit it! 

So anyway, there has been a jar of Nutella hanging out in my kitchen and I have been eyeing that jar everyday waiting to put it to good use- and eating it straight out of the jar was not an option (as much as I would had liked to do just that). 

But then I had a Paula Deen moment y'all: butter is her excuse to make everything taste better and mine is that a dollop of Nutella does just the same thing. 

MIDDLE EASTERN TRIO

I still remember what lunch time as a lower school kid was like. We'd proudly carry around our lunch boxes, sit around a table and unlock those magical metal cartoon themed-boxes (this was the late 80s, very early 90s) to see what mom had packed for us that day. Having been in American/International schools, I distinctly recall my friends pulling out things like, let's say, cute peanut butter & jam sandwiches (and sometimes, the sliced bread was crust-less) whereas I would be there with a gigantic pita bread rolled up and generously filled with hummus or labneh. You did not want to pick a fight with me, because I might had been able to knock someone's head off with my pita sandwich. Yes, I was that kid. And while you were eating Oreo's for dessert, I was nibbling on dried fruits. 

MAGICAL MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT (by Hervé This)

Molecular gastronomy- I think it's something you either love or hate. I don't swear by it, but after all, science and food kind of work hand in hand so there is always something to learn. The theories behind this discipline is quite fascinating actually. Unfortunately however, what's discouraging is that a lot of recipes call for ingredients or equipment that I feel only a chemist in a laboratory would have access to. I mean, where am I supposed to find me some calcium lactate gluconate? So when I came across a phenomenal mousse au chocolat recipe by "the" molecular gastronomy godfather Hervé This that called for just chocolate, water, ice cubes and five minutes I knew I had to give it a try ASAP (for goodness sake, I was having sleepless nights over this recipe- so I had to get it out of the way!)

A SIP OF SUNSHINE

When I lived in Paris, I never had to think twice about what I wanted to drink (alcoholic drink that is): it was either wine or champagne. I was never the girl holding a cocktail in her hands. Yes, you can call me boring, but I always enjoyed playing the olfactory game of choosing between a red (pinot noir or syrah?)... or maybe a white (sec or fruité?) In the summer, it was always a rosé of course. And then for a euphoric kick, obviously the choice was champagne. 

But then it all changed once I found myself on the other side of the Atlantic. 

15 MIN ZAATAR (or anything else) HOME MADE CHIPS

Aaah I love making things that I would typically buy ready-made from scratch, like delicious Digestive Biscuits or Nutella ... and I know there are a bunch of recipes circulating around to home made versions of Twix, Reese's Pieces and all types of other processed foods. And so recently, I gave a go to a most iconic processed food item- chips! Chips, crisps, whatever you want to call it, are becoming a guilty pleasure of mine but every time I pick a bag up at the grocery store and read the amount of sodium on the label... I am simply terrified! It really is the salt, more then anything else, that freaks me out in ready made chips (I mean, hello water retention, bloat!)

Anyway, fortunately there's a solution to this sodium disaster- home made chips...and in less then fifteen minutes! Here's how it goes: