STELLA'S COOKBOOK

These scrumptious meat-filled crisp potato croquettes are my mother’s recipe inspired by her Turkish roots.

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Vegetarian fritters abound in our Rodesli cuisine. Leek and potato patties with masses of fresh herbs and scallions are scrumptious with a crispy fried decadence and a healthy, luscious interior.

For a Jewish New Year, I am creating an easy alternative to the traditional yeasted pie boyo that appears at the Sephardic Rosh Hashanah table customarily made with Swiss chard – one of the symbolic foods.

Twice-baked bread rusks are made from the festive bread (roska) dough and, like reshikas, are typically always available in Sephardic homes.

Sephardim from Rhodes Island have inherited from the Ottoman culinary heritage our affinity for the most beloved and versatile vegetable – aubergine, otherwise known as eggplants.

The Sephardic repertoire of savoury hand pies are indescribably popular as they are so delicious.

Growing up in Zimbabwe when my sister and I were young kids, we had our own little adventures playing in the garden including prodding Chongololos (giant African millipedes) and watch them curl up defensively.

In the East Mediterranean there are many varieties of spinach and cheese pastries.

The piè̀ce de resistance of Sephardic pies are the small meat and rice filled pies shaped like little pots with straight sides and decoratively crimped lids to seal in the filling.

Pumpkin or butternut filo-like coiled pastries are delectable, fragrant with the warming spices of cinnamon and cloves.

Young leeks just picked from my garden add an earthy taste mixed with potatoes, fragrant fresh herbs and ground meat, to make the most scrumptious fritters.