I’m a big fan of cookbooks from Phaidon Press - got a couple dozen on the shelf. They’ve got this great series where each book dives deep into the food of one country or region, and they’re a joy to read, to look at and to cook from.
That said… ingredients can get a little tricky. Like, what am I supposed to do with a Thai recipe that calls for ant eggs? I live in the Netherlands - not exactly known for its exotic insect department.
But hey, fair’s fair - if it’s a proper Thai cookbook, and ant eggs are part of the deal, then that’s just how it goes. And that’s totally fine - I don’t need to cook everything from them. These books open up the horizon, show you what’s out there, what’s possible and what's not (everything is possible). Sometimes it’s not about the cooking, it’s just about flipping through the pages, getting inspired, and thinking, “Yeah, maybe one day I'll get my hands on some ant eggs”.
Anyway, The Jewish Cookbook is a different story. It’s a collection of recipes from all the places Jewish people have lived - everything from borscht to Georgian baked goods and whatnot. What I love about it is how down-to-earth it is. The ingredients are pretty universal, nothing too wild, so you can actually cook from it no matter where you are. Just a really practical, solid book to have around.
There’s this dish called Chraime - a bold, flavourful fish stew from North Africa (think Morocco). And it’s one of the rare fish dishes that Alan doesn’t protest. That alone makes it a keeper in my kitchen. It’s also quick and easy to make - definitely one of those weekday lifesavers.
The recipe itself isn’t spicy, but you can always throw in some fresh chilies into your own plate (the name of the dish comes from the Arabic word for "hot"). Totally worth it - especially if there’s a cold beer involved.
Alan likes his served on top of couscous - so that’s how we roll.
Enjoy your dinner, dads.
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved, then thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp chili peper flakes
1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
4 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cod fish fillets (roughly 150-180g each)
Zaatar, chopped fresh coriander, lemon wedges and couscous, optional, for serving.
Steps:
Heat the oil in a large, wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook—giving it a stir now and then - until everything softens up and starts to brown a bit, about 10–15 minutes.
Add the sweet paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, and pepper flakes. Give it a good stir and let it cook for about a minute - until it starts to smell amazing.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, 1 1/4 cups (295ml) of water, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Turn up the heat and bring it all to a boil. Then drop it back to medium and let it simmer until it thickens up a bit - about 5 minutes. Give it a taste and add more salt if it feels right.
Gently nestle the fish fillets into the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer until the fish is cooked through—about 20 minutes. Drizzle with zaatar, if you have some. Serve it up with some fresh coriander, a few lemon wedges if you're into that, over couscous or just as it is.
This one's actually pretty useful, so don’t keep it to yourself - pass it along to your fellow dads. Trust me, they’ll thank you later!