Recipes | I've Been Cooking

Cocadas Panameñas de Chocolate

Chewy, chocolate-infused Panamanian cocadas made with toasted coconut, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, and a glossy dark chocolate finish. Rich, coconutty, and perfect for a bite-sized dessert.

🇵🇦 Panama$$

Simsimiyya

Simsimiyya is a classic Middle Eastern sesame brittle: toasty sesame seeds bound in a glossy sugar–honey syrup, brightened with lemon and perfumed with cardamom and rose water. Crisp, fragrant, and perfect with tea or coffee.

🇮🇶 Iraq$$

Ota Ika

Ota Ika is Tonga’s coconut–citrus ceviche: tender fresh fish briefly cured in lime and lemon juice, enriched with creamy coconut milk, and tossed with crisp vegetables, chili, and herbs. Bright, cooling, and perfect for warm weather.

🇳🇺 Niue$$

Kashkaval

Kashkaval is a semi-hard Balkan cheese known for its buttery, mildly tangy flavor and excellent meltability. Made by culturing milk and setting it with rennet, then brining and aging, it’s delicious on cheeseboards, grated over dishes, or pan-fried/grilled.

🇲🇰 Macedonia$$

Salade de chouchoute

A bright, crunchy Réunion-style chayote (chouchoute) salad with carrot, onion, herbs, a zesty lime-vinegar–mustard dressing, a hint of chili heat, and nutty sesame seeds.

🇵🇫 French Polynesia$

Croquant de Dakar

A classic Senegalese peanut–sesame brittle scented with lemon and vanilla, with a touch of coconut for aroma and crunch. Crisp, glossy shards that balance caramel sweetness with toasty nuts and seeds.

🇸🇳 Senegal$

Sablés de Fonio de Bamako

Tender, sandy shortbread cookies made with nutty fonio flour, brightened with lime zest and warm cardamom, and finished with crunchy roasted peanuts. A Malian-inspired tea-time treat with a delicate crumb and aromatic flavor.

🇲🇱 Mali$

Qurut

Qurut is a tangy, savory yogurt-based sauce/drink inspired by Central Asian dried yogurt (qurut), thinned with water and scented with garlic and mint. Refreshing on its own, or served as a dip or drizzle for breads, vegetables, and grilled meats.

🇦🇫 Afghanistan$

Merguez

Merguez is a spicy North African sausage made from lamb and beef, seasoned with harissa, paprika, cumin, coriander, fennel, garlic, and cayenne. It’s bold, smoky, and aromatic—excellent grilled or pan-seared and served with flatbreads, couscous, or salads.

🇩🇿 Algeria$$

Iriski

Iriski are classic Slavic milk toffees—chewy caramel made from sugar, butter, and condensed milk—here enriched with cocoa, roasted peanuts, vanilla, and a touch of sea salt.

🇷🇺 Russia$$

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