Lavin Food

Middle East & Africa recipes

Stews, grilled dishes, breads and rice dishes from the Levant, the Gulf, North, West and East Africa, with clear guidance on spices.

This section brings together the home cooking of the Levant, the Gulf, North Africa, West Africa and East Africa. The region is large and varied, but you will notice shared threads: slow-simmered stews, rice and grain dishes, flatbreads, grilled meats and vegetables, and layered spice blends that add warmth rather than only heat.

Spices are the main learning curve, so we are specific. We say how much to use, when to add it to the pan, and how to tell that it has toasted without burning. Where a recipe depends on a blend, such as ras el hanout or baharat, we explain what goes into it and how to use a store-bought version.

Many of these dishes feed a group from one pot or pan, and several keep well, so they suit both weeknight dinners and gatherings.

Recipes in this section