Recipes | I've Been Cooking

Flan Napolitano

A silky Mexican cream cheese flan baked in a golden caramel, combining eggs, sweetened condensed and evaporated milk, vanilla, and a touch of salt for a rich, custardy dessert.

🇲🇽 Mexico$$

Jesheed

Jesheed is a traditional Gulf (Omani/Emirati) dish of delicately shredded baby shark (or white fish) simmered with warm spices, dried black lime, and aromatics, then served alongside fragrant basmati rice. Rich, aromatic, and comforting with a bright citrusy finish.

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates$$

Saksak

Saksak is a traditional Papua New Guinean treat: soft sago-and-ripe-banana dumplings wrapped in banana leaves, steamed, and finished with lightly sweetened coconut milk.

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea$

Bambarra Rum Ice Cream

A silky, custard-style ice cream infused with Bambarra rum, vanilla, and a hint of salt. Rich and boozy with a smooth scoop, it’s perfect for an elegant finish to a meal or a celebratory treat.

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands$$$

Keke 'Isite

Keke 'Isite are pillowy Tongan yeast doughnuts, lightly sweet and scented with vanilla and nutmeg, fried until golden and dusted with powdered sugar. Perfect with tea or coffee.

🇹🇴 Tonga$

Poulet au Gingembre à la Gabonaise

A fragrant Gabonese ginger-chicken braise simmered in palm oil with tomato, chili, and herbs, brightened with lemon and finished with scallions and parsley. Traditionally served with rice and sweet fried plantains.

🇬🇦 Gabon$$

Sheftalia

Cypriot sheftalia: a rustic mix of minced pork and lamb with onion and parsley, wrapped in caul fat and grilled until crisp and juicy. Served with lemon, warm pita, and a simple tomato–cucumber salad.

🇨🇾 Cyprus$$

Carne en Vara

Carne en Vara is a traditional Llanero-style fire-roasted beef, seasoned simply with salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, annatto, lime, and vinegar, then slow-cooked over open flames. Served with yuca, sweet plantains, arepas, and a bright chimichurri, it’s a rustic, smoky feast.

🇻🇪 Venezuela$$

Chinguetti Date Truffles

Chinguetti Date Truffles are no-bake North African sweets made from dates, mixed nuts, and warm spices, delicately scented with orange blossom water. Rolled in cocoa, sesame, or coconut, they’re naturally sweet, aromatic, and perfect with mint tea.

🇲🇷 Mauritania$$

Lomo en manteca

Lomo en manteca is pork loin gently confited in lard with garlic, paprika, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, oregano, white wine, and lemon peel. The result is tender, aromatic slices perfect for sandwiches, tapas, or a main course with sides.

🇪🇸 Spain$$

I've been...

Flan Napolitano

Jesheed

Saksak

Bambarra Rum Ice Cream

Keke 'Isite

Poulet au Gingembre à la Gabonaise

Sheftalia

Carne en Vara

Chinguetti Date Truffles

Lomo en manteca

I've been...

Flan Napolitano

Jesheed

Saksak

Bambarra Rum Ice Cream

Keke 'Isite

Poulet au Gingembre à la Gabonaise

Sheftalia

Carne en Vara

Chinguetti Date Truffles

Lomo en manteca