the hungry expats

MEAT FILLING 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter   1 large purple onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 eggplant, diced (1/2 inch squares)  1 can of cherry tomatoes (I used 2 handfuls of fresh cherry tomatoes)  1 pound ground lamb   Salt and pepper   ½ teaspoon cinnamon   ½ teaspoon ground cumin   ⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper   1 tablespoon sumac powder   1 ta

Unlike my piñacolada cake recipe, with a very light texture, almost crumbly, this recipe produces denser, yet moist, layers (halfway between a sponge and a pound cake). So incredible, it's become an instant favorite! CAKE 5 large egg whites   1 ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk , divided (375 ml)   1 tablespoon coconut flavoring   3 cups cake flour (340 grams)   2 ⅓ cups granulated sugar (470 grams)   4 teaspoons baking powder   ½ teaspoon salt   1 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature (226 grams) zest of 1 lime  OPTIONAL : 1 (8-ounce) can of crushed/sliced pineapple, drained (keep the juice), and pureed FILLING 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packs mascarpone (I used 375 grams) 2 cups heavy cream (at least 30% fat) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract   TOPPING 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes, toasted Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. In a small bo

  In the traditional French lemon pie recipe, the crust is baked empty and the lemon curd layer is spread on top. In this recipe, the lemon curd is baked in the oven. The result is a very smooth, silky lemon filling. The original recipe had a crust I wasn't very fond of, so I replaced it with the pâte sablée recipe I use for the chocolate silk pie. CRUST   1 stick unsalted butter (110 grams), melted   1/4 cup confectioner's sugar   1 teaspoon salt   1 teaspoon vanilla powder 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour LEMON FILLING  Zest of 3 lemons 300 grams of caster sugar 450 grams of eggs (approximately 8 large eggs) 240 grams of lemon juice (it took 7 medium-size lemons for me) 240 grams of 35% fat thick cream (crème fraîche épaisse)   SWISS MERINGUE 120 grams egg whites (3 to 4 egg whites) 120 grams of caster sugar 120 grams of confectioner's sugar Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Make the crust. Mix melted butter, sugar, vanilla and