Mediterranean Dinner Recipes

The late afternoon sun was beating down on the stone courtyard of my grandfather’s taverna in Chania, turning the air into something you could almost touch. I was maybe fifteen, standing barefoot on the warm tiles, watching my mother work over her tapsi — that heavy clay roasting dish that had been in our family … Read more

Can we talk about how intimidating “crusted fish” sounds — and how ridiculously easy it actually is? Because this sheet pan dukkah-crusted fish with roasted fennel might be the most impressive-looking weeknight dinner you’ll ever make, and the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes with almost zero fuss. Here’s the deal: you take … Read more

Can we talk about how a classic shrimp boil usually means hauling out a massive stockpot, boiling water for ages, and somehow getting soggy potatoes anyway? I love the flavors of a Southern shrimp boil — but the process? Not exactly weeknight-friendly. That’s why this sheet pan Cajun-Mediterranean shrimp boil has become my absolute go-to. … Read more

I’m going to tell you something embarrassing. The first time I attempted Greek avgolemono soup with rice — this was back in November 2019, a Tuesday, I remember because my friend Dina had specifically requested it for her birthday dinner — I ended up with what can only be described as scrambled egg broth. Like, … Read more

Let me tell you about the time I made prasorizo (Greek Leek Rice) for my friend Nadia’s Lenten dinner party in March 2023 and somehow managed to turn three beautiful leeks into what can only be described as gritty swamp paste. I’m not exaggerating. There was actual sand in the rice. Nadia, bless her, ate … Read more

February 14th, 2022. I had this brilliant idea to surprise my girlfriend Luna with homemade heart-shaped margherita pizza for our first Valentine’s Day together. Sounds romantic, right? Wrong. The dough ripped when I tried shaping it. The cheese slid off to one side. And the “heart” looked more like a mutant blob with a tail. … Read more

So… Valentine’s Day 2023. I confidently told my husband Karim I’d make restaurant-quality lobster risotto with saffron for dinner. (Why I thought this was a good idea on our anniversary, I’ll never know.) The lobster was perfect. The saffron? Gorgeous golden color. But the risotto itself? Gummy. Like, weirdly thick and almost… gluey? We ordered … Read more

February 12, 2022. My first Valentine’s dinner attempt at duck breast à l’orange. What could go wrong? Everything. Greasy rubber skin, overcooked gray meat, and a sauce so bitter my girlfriend Claire actually spit it out. Like, into her napkin. In front of me. We ordered pizza. Fast forward through seven more disasters (I documented … Read more

Look, I’m going to be honest with you—I burned through approximately fourteen pounds of shrimp last April trying to perfect these Greek Shrimp Souvlaki Bowls. My husband Abdel Ali kept making these not-so-subtle comments about how we could’ve just ordered from that Mediterranean place on Fifth Street, which, honestly? Fair point. But here’s the thing—after … Read more

Last August, I completely embarrassed myself at my sister-in-law’s dinner party. I’m talking catastrophically. She’d asked everyone to bring something “light and elegant” and I showed up with— honestly, I still can’t talk about it. Anyway, after 14 test batches (yes, fourteen— my husband Marcus started hiding the receipt from Costco), I finally cracked the … Read more