Greatly. Deeply. Endlessly

He asked me if I wanted a present. I said I had an early present this year and that it is here, right in front of me.

My present moves, kicks, a lot sometimes, keeps me company when no one's around, plays with me, listens to my dreadful voice when I sing, and still doesn't run away, and answers my fears and my wishes with a whisper in my womb.

We were two. Him and me. Then three, when God blessed us with our little Layla. And now, in about two months, we'll be four. Our home is growing and so is our hearts, greatly. Deeply. Endlessly

The scent of Love / L'arome de L'Amour

There she stood in her kitchen, by the countertop, in her flowery cotton dress, her weaved belt hugging her tiny waist and a slippery foulard covering half of her henna colored hair. There she stood with her frail arms and her wrinkles and a stained apron, watching over her lunch already on the stove and whipping up some eggs and flour together. She looked at me smiling. I kissed her on her rosy, warm cheeks and took a seat on the kitchen table. The oven was on and the same handy chair was keeping the heat from escaping. She handed me a dull knife and one or two apples to dice. I can't remember. She said something about getting ready for this afternoon. A cake to bake, some lemons to pick from her big lemon tree and some ironing to do.

Every Thursday, it was the same ritual. The same tireless chores going from one room to the other, anticipating the afternoon; the long walk, the concrete stairs that would lead her closer and closer to her sister, her niece, to talk, to share a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, or two, with them.

Every Thursday lunch was served early. That day it was probably a roasted chicken, some sautéed potatoes and an egg mimosa salad with tomatoes and lettuce. Dessert was fruits from her garden, pomegranate and figs in fall, loquat in spring. It was a warm fall day and the pomegranates that I picked that morning were juicy, ruby red and sweet. Very sweet. I might have stained my clothes, as I always did and still does, and my nana might have washed the stain right away, using her laundry soap, as she always did.

The dishes were done quickly, the kitchen floor moped, the white shutters closed and the husband sent to bed for his nap. As I was getting dressed and my nana was putting Nivea crème on her face, Her infamous upside down apple cake was cooling on the kitchen table and I couldn't wait for the afternoon to come, for us to walk through the narrow paths of the village and the bumpy pavement, me holding her hands tightly and she snuggling her cake under her hayek. Oh, the cake! I can never forget that cake, nor the ochre plate she arranged it in and the red and black checkered napkin she used to wrap it tightly in, for it was one of my favorite fall cakes: delicate crumb, with juicy and tart pieces of apples nestled inside, sweet smelling, especially when it comes out of the oven and fills the entire house with the soothing scent of cinnamon and love.

Nana's Upside Down Apple and Fig Yogurt Cake

This is a variation of my nana's upside down apple cake, as I added some figs I had laying around but it remains quite optional; though I'm sure she would approve the idea of figs in her apple cake. She would love it very much.

Use the empty pot of yogurt to measure the ingredients (sugar, flour and oil), as long as you're using one single-serve cup yogurt (about 6 OZ), and not the family size.

Recipe:
- 1 pot plain yogurt (125g/ 6oz)
- 2 pots granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 pots unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 honey crisp apples, peeled, halved and cored
- 5 or 6 figs, rinsed and halved
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 jar canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F ( 160°C).

Slice 3/4 of an apple very thinly and arrange them,along with the halved figs, just like on the photo, in a buttered 9-inch round cake pan. Dice the remaining apple and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, mixing to just combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter. Add the apple cubes and stir briefly. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

B'ssahatkoum! (To Your Health!)

Le Gateau au Yaourt, Pommes et Figues de Nana

In Francais Please:
- 1 pot de yaourt nature (125g)
- 2 pots de sucre en poudre
- 3 œufs
- 3 pots de farine
- 2 c.c de levure chimique
- 2 pommes, épluchées, éppépinées et coupée en deux
- Environ 5 ou 6 figues, lavées et coupées en deux
- 1/2 c.c de cannelle en poudre
- 1 pot d’huile végétale

Préchauffer le four à 160°C.

Couper Environ le 3/4 d'une pomme en fines tranches et arranger, ainsi que les figues, dans un moule a manqué beurré, comme sur la photo. Couper la pomme réstante en petits dés.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger le pot de yaourt avec les œufs, et le sucre jusqu’à obtention d’un mélange homogène. Ajouter la farine, la levure chimique et la cannelle et mélanger encore. Verser dessus l’huile et bien incorporer a la pâte.Ajouter les dés de pomme et mélanger encore rapidement.Verser le tout dans votre moule a manqué.

Mettre au four et faire cuire pendant 30-35 minutes jusqu’à ce que le gâteau soit souple au toucher et qu’un cure-dent inséré en ressort sec.

Laisser-le refroidir dans son moule sur une grille a pâtisserie pendant 20 minutes, puis démouler et laisser refroidir complètement.

B'ssahatkoum (A votre Santé!)

Algerian Lentil Soup / Soupe de Lentilles a l'Algérienne

If you would ask me about my favorite season, spring would be my first spur-of-the-moment answer. And it's not because my birthday is in spring and I love presents and birthday cakes and parties; though it has a lot to do. But it's spring when I and everything around feel alive again. When the tulips and daffodils shade our driveway. When the days are longer, and warmer and brighter. When small tomato plants start sprouting by the kitchen window and birds start building their nests underneath the deck.

It is spring that I love the most. That's what, five years ago, the girl from Algeria would have told you.

But then I came to Michigan, exactly five years ago, and I saw fall. Really saw it

And fall, oh fall, I've fallen for you!

I fall for you every morning from my window when I see the saffron colored trees and wiggly maple leaves sliding down the street. I smell your perfume and it smells like roasted chestnuts, burning fireplaces and wet soil. I touch you and you're warm and cold. I listen to you and you're quiet, untamed, stripping what's around you serenely.

At the farmer's market last week, I fell for your pumpkins and huggable squashes, and snow white leeks and swiss chards, and apple ciders and cute bees and supermen dressed babies . The babies weren't for sale, unfortunately!

Every year I find myself going back to my seasonal routines. Like making S'fendj (Algerian doughnuts) and hot chocolate for dinner, in the fall. Not that I wouldn't make them in the spring; I do. But it's different. It's fall when I really start to crave S'fendj and hot chocolate in the evening. I think it's because they are both comforting (always loved hot chocolate with my doughnut). It's fall when I listen to Damien Rice and Amos Lee. Fall when I can't wait to slip into my warm slippers in the morning and snuggle with my blue blanket in the evening watching brothers and sisters. It's fall when the 4PM snack time becomes mandatory, when I make upside down apple and fig yogurt cake, sweet rolls for breakfast, meat or meatless stews for lunch and drool over the beans selection at my local grocery store. It's fall when a spicy lentil soup, and a very good one for that matter, and some crusty bread, should never be missed.

Though there are as many lentil soup recipes as there are good cooks, this one has always been the one I rely on when I want a complex flavored yet rustic and authentic Algerian lentil soup. And did I mention how easy it is to make? In a snap! The soup combines my mother's beloved lentil stew recipe with the addition of Dersa, a mixture of spices, herbs and acid that is commonly used in Algerian households to finish up soups and add another dimension of fragrance and flavor to the dish. The recipe yields a lot of soup(I'm afraid I will never learn how to make soups and stews for just two or even four people) but can easily be halved. You can use any type of lentils you like, but for this specific recipe, and that's just me, I prefer the old fashioned brown lentil. As I love how it melts in your mouth and release a certain earthy, dare I say comforting note. Green lentils (also known as French lentils) wouldn't work here. I used lamb bones in my recipe, mainly for the aroma, and because we love our lamb in Algeria, but you can skip them and use homemade or very good quality chicken stock or vegetable stock instead. What makes this soup so irresistible and lip-smacking delicious is the combination of warm spices like turmeric, cumin and ground coriander with fresh herbs like mint, parsley and cilantro. And I mean a lot of cilantro. It is key here. Of course six cloves of garlic, four at the beginning and two with the Dersa, have also a lot to do, flavor wise. I believe this soup is going to be around for more falls to come. And winters, too.

Happy weekend, everybody!

Algerian Lentil Soup (Chorbet Addas)

Recipe: serves 6
- 1 cup lentils, picked over for stones and other debris, rinsed and drained
- 2 pounds lamb soup bones
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 big carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ripe, medium tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- A bouquet garni, made of: 4 sprigs of parsley, 4 sprigs of cilantro, 4 sprigs of fresh mint and two bay leaves, tied together with a string
- 8 cups water (chicken or vegetable broth if you're not using the lamb bones)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the Dersa:
- A very generous bunch of cilantro chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp zest of a lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp good olive oil

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown slightly, about 10 minutes. Add 8 cups water, lamb bones, lentils, and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Dersa. On a chopping board, mince the garlic cloves finely. Add the chopped cilantro, lemon zest and cumin and give it another chop with your knife. Gather with your knife and chop. Gather and chop until everything looks blended. Put the mixture into a bowl and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Stir quickly and set aside.

When the lentils are done, discard the bones and the herbs bundle. Season with more salt and pepper if needed and half the Dersa. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with remaining Dersa.

B'ssahatkoum! (To your health!)

Soupe de Lentilles a l'Algérienne (Chorbet Addas)

In Français Please: Pour 6 personnes
- 200g de lentilles, nettoyées et lavées
- 1 kg d'os d'agneau pour la soupe
- 2 c.s d'huile végétale
- 1 oignon moyen, finement haché (environ 250ml)
- 2 grosses carottes, coupées en des (environ 250ml)
- 2 céleri, coupés en des (environ 125ml)
- 4 gousses d'ail, émincées
- 2 tomates, bien mures, épluchées et coupées en des (environ 375ml)
- 1/2 c.c de curcuma
- 1 c.c de cumin en poudre
- 1 c.c de coriandre en poudre
- Un bouquet garni: 4 branches de persil, 4 branches de coriandre, 4 branches de menthe fraiche et deux feuilles de laurier, toutes attachées a l'aide d'une ficelle.
- 2L d'eau (bouillon de volaille ou de légumes si vous n'utilisez pas d'os)
- 2 c.c de sel
1/2 c.c de poivre noir fraichement moulu
Pour la Dersa:
- Un bouquet généreux de coriandre fraiche
- 1/2 c.c de cumin en poudre
- 2 gousses d'ail
- 1/2 c.c de zeste de citron
- 1c.c de jus de citron
- 1c.s d'huile d'olive

Faites chauffer l'huile dans une cocotte et ajouter, l'oignon haché, l'ail, carottes, céleri et épices; faites sauter jusqu'à une belle colorisation des légumes, environ 10 minutes. Ajouter 2L d'eau. les os d'agneau, lentilles, et les tomates et porter a ébullition. Réduire le feu, couvrir, et laisser mijoter jusqu'à ce que les lentilles deviennent tendres, environ 30-35 minutes.

Entre temps, préparer la Dersa. Sur une planche de travail, émincer l'ail finement. Ajouter la coriandre hachée, le zest de citron et le cumin et amalgamer le tout grossièrement a l'aide d'un couteau. Mettre le mélange d'herbe dans une assiette et ajouter le jus de citron et l'huile d'olive. Remuer rapidement et mettre de cote.

Quand les lentilles sont cuites, retirer les os et le bouquet garni. Assaisonner avec un peu plus de sel et de poivre si nécessaire et la moitie de la Dersa. Servir dans des bols et garnir avec le restant de Dersa.

B'ssahatkoum! (A votre sante!)

Almond Cookies / Biscuits aux Amandes

Hi there! It's been a while.

Three months. And thirteen days.

When I wrote my last post, I didn't expect my leave to be so extended. I didn't want it to be this extended. It just did, without me knowing. What I do know is that I missed coming here. Missed it A LOT! I missed the bliss that this tiny piece of my life gives me. The joy that I share with you. The happiness that YOU all give me with your support and thoughtfulness and generosity and I am so thankful for that.

Three months. And thirteen days. I don't know what to say or where to pick it up. I hope you all had a beautiful summer. Autumn is officially here in Southeast Michigan. I know because the vines on the walnut tree in our backyard are turning a beautiful shade of burgundy, and the yellow jacket bees that ferociously attacked my husband this summer and got him to the emergency room are finally gone. I know because beautiful, delicate pomegranates were at my local supermarket the other day. Because I have a hard time getting my nose out of bed in the morning. Because a chill has fallen upon us and that it smelled like roasted chestnuts this evening in my neighborhood when I went to pick up the mail.

Because Autumn never felt as good as yesterday when I made these sweet, lovely diamonds: Almond. Cookies.

It finally felt warm and agreeable in my kitchen while the oven was on, baking these little cookies known in my family as the " impromptu cookies". Impromptu because they are our life jacket, a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth life jacket, whenever an unexpected guest knocks on our door, as they take less than ten minutes to prepare, about fifteen more to bake and less than one minute to devour.

The recipe is pretty straight forward: sugar, butter, ground almonds and flour. No eggs. No fuss. The texture resembles pâte sablée: it's has a sandy crumb that melts instantly on the tongue, but the dough is so much easier to work with. They taste sophisticated, rich and nutty, especially the following day, and you would look pretty dandy offering these to your guests, co-workers and family, but only you would know that these were the easiest cookies you've ever made.

Happy weekend, my friends! It feels good to be back again.

Melt in your mouth Almond Cookies

Recipe: Makes about 20 cookies
- 1.23 ounces sugar
- 1 tsp orange blossom water* (My favorite brand is Cortas)
- 1/2 cup of butter (115g), at room temperature
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 ounces finely ground blanched almonds, toasted on a dry skillet until pale golden (to enhance its flavor, but it's optional)
- Topping:
- 2 ounces icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven at 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix sugar with butter, flour, orange blossom water and ground almonds until obtaining a sticky mass of dough. Remove the mixture from the bowl and gather it into a ball using your hands. The dough will come together very quickly. The dough will be very soft and buttery.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a cylinder and flatten it slightly to make it look like a rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut diamond shaped cookies out of each "rectangle" of dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough, adding more flour to the working surface if it becomes sticky.

Bake the cookie for 15 minutes, until slightly golden on the bottom but still pale on top. Meanwhile, in a small plate, mix the icing sugar with the cinnamon and set aside.

Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack before rolling them in the cinnamon scented icing sugar.

The cookies are good the first day they are made but they even better the following day. They keep very well in an airtight tin for four to six days.

B'ssahatkoum! (To your health!)

*Orange blossom water can be found at most Middle Eastern Stores.

Petits Biscuits Tendres aux Amandes

In français, please: Pour une vingtaine de biscuits
- 35g de sucre semoule
- 1 c.c d'eau de fleur d'oranger
- 115g de beurre mou
- 140g de farine
- 60g d'amandes en poudre, torréfiée dans une poele
- Pour décorer:
- 60g de sucre glace
- 1/2 c.c de cannelle en poudre

Préchauffer le four à 170°C.

Mélanger le sucre avec le beurre mou, l'eau de fleur d'oranger, la farine, la poudre d'amandes torréfiée . Mélanger ensemble à l'aide d'une cuiller en bois ou votre mixeur jusqu'à obtenir une pâte homogène. Travailler ensuite cette pâte à la main de manière à obtenir une boule. Séparer la boule en 4 morceaux. Rouler chacun des morceaux en forme de boudin sur le plan de travail fariné. Les aligner et les couper en tronçons de 2 cm environ.

Placez ces biscuits sur une feuille de cuisson et enfourner pour 15 minutes environ. Les biscuits ne doivent en aucun cas brunir ou ils perdront leur texture moelleuse et sablée.
Mélanger le sucre glace et la cannelle.
Une fois les biscuits cuits, les laisser refroidir puis les passer dans le sucre glace parfumé à la cannelle .

B'ssahatkoum! (A votre santé!)