STELLA'S COOKBOOK

A scrumptious addition to this year’s festive Sephardic Passover table are potato croquettes stuffed with a mouthwatering meat, fresh herb and pine nut filling that are deep fried until golden and crunchy. My mother’s Turkish inspired recipe for rollos de karne make a tasty alternative to the traditional Pesach signature dish of the Jews of Rhodes – the meat and matza bake, mina, or quajado de karne, a dish of ancient origin that dates back to our Iberian ancestors of Medieva

Doughnuts, or deep-fried fritters, are the symbolic food amongst Judeo-Spanish communities on Hanukkah, when the Festival of Lights, the miracle of the burning oil lamp in the ancient temple in 166 BCE, is celebrated. Bimuelos is derived from the Spanish word bunuelo, which was a popular yeast dough fritter in medieval Spain. I am offering my mother’s recipe that she recalls from her adolescence growing up in the Belgian Congo, called beignets. This delicious alternative is l

These elegant, ivory-coloured meringues are crunchy to bite into yet soft and chewy inside because of their soft mastic- and vanilla-flavoured centres. They are utterly divine at afternoon tea, baked with your favourite topping. If making as a dessert, no topping is required before baking. My updated twist to transform this classic meringue into an exotic prepare-ahead dessert is to stack them on a platter and top with lightly whipped cream, freshly sliced mangoes and a drizz