• Boil the eggs. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat (make sure the saucepan can hold all the eggs in one single layer). Using a spoon, very gently lower the eggs in the boiling water large. Cook for exactly 6½ minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle boil. When the eggs are ready, transfer them to a large bowl of iced water and let them sit for about 2 minutes. Peel the eggs and cut them in halves and season with kosher salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper (which is milder and has a slightly sweeter finish)
• To assemble the salmon platter, place a small bowl of cream cheese or labneh in one third of the the platter. Place the feta cheese in another corner of the platter. Arrange the salmon, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, radish, onions, olives, artichoke hearts and lemon wedges around the cheese. Sprinkle a little more red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper.
• Serve with your favorite crackers, crostini, bagels, pita wedges or even pita chips!

• In a small bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes to foam.

For the Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and olive oil. Work the mixture with your hands. Now, make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and water mixture. Stir until soft dough forms.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until dough is elastic, smooth, and no longer sticky (as you knead, if dough is too sticky for you, you can sprinkle just a tiny bit of flour to help it).
• Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with damp cloth and place in a warm spot (inside a warmed but turned-off oven is a good place). Leave to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Punch dough down. Knead briefly and form into 8 small balls. Arrange on lightly floured surface, cover again and leave to rise another 30 minutes.

Prepare the za'atar topping

• While dough is rising, mix together the za'atar spice and olive oil in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large baking sheet in oven while heating.

Form za'atar manaqish.

• Lightly oil the heated baking sheet and set near you. Flatten the dough into small discs about 5 inches in diameter. With your finger tips, make indentations in discs and add about 1 tablespoon za'atar topping in the middle of each disc, leave a narrow boarder around. Arrange discs in prepared oiled baking sheet (use two sheets if needed, do not crowd the manaqish).
• Bake in 400 degrees F heated-oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until the dough is slightly browned on bottom and edges (za'atar topping will remain liquidy at this point). Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes or so, the topping will dry and settle into dough.
• Serve za'atar manaqish warm or at room temprature with assorted vegetables, olives, feta cheese, or homemade labneh

• In a 10-inch skillet or pan, heat about 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the already boiled eggs and cook on all sides until the egg whites begin to crisp up and turn golden brown (use a splatter guard over your pan to keep the oil from splashing). Remove the eggs from the pan and set them on a plate or bowl for now.
• In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing regularly, until fragrant. Season with a big dash of kosher salt.
• Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and about ¼ cup of water. Season with another big dash of kosher salt. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes, if using. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow the tomatoes to simmer for about 10 minutes or so.
• Add the eggs to the simmering tomato sauce and cook for another 3 minutes or until the eggs are warm.
• Remove from the heat and finish with the parsley and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread or warmed flatbread.

• In a small bowl, combine the carrots, radish, green onion, and beets. Season lightly with kosher salt and Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes). Add as good squeeze of the lime and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and toss.
• Combine the feta cheese with a bit of olive oil and, using the back of your fork, break up the feta and mash it so it is easy to spread.
• Spread some feta on each of the toasted bread slices. Add the smoked salmon on top and season with a pinch of red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lime, if you like. Add the veggies on top and serve!

• Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan like this one (or 12 individual muffin cups). Brush with extra virgin olive oil.
• Divide the peppers, tomatoes, shallots, olives, chicken (or turkey), parsley, and crumbled feta among the 12 cups (they should come up to about ⅔ of the way full.)
• In a large measuring cup or a mixing bowl, add eggs, salt, pepper, and spices. Whisk well to combine
• Pour the egg mixture carefully over each cup, leaving a little room at the top (should be about ¾ of the way or so.)
• Place muffin pan or muffin cups on top of a sheet pan (to help catch any spills). Bake in heated oven for about 25 minutes or until the egg muffins are set.
• Let cool for a few minutes, then run a small butter knife around the edges of each muffin to loosen. Remove from pan and serve!

• Place the ricotta cheese in a small mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Whip with a fork.
• Spread the whipped ricotta cheese on the toasted Italian bread. Top with the remaining ingredients in the order listed (the poached eggs and a garnish of shelled pistachios are added at the very end). Enjoy!

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the zucchini slices with a little salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Pat the zucchini dry.
• In a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or oven safe skillet), heat the olive oil on medium, then add the zucchini and onions. Raise the heat to medium-high and saute the vegetables for 5-7 minutes or until they are tender and golden in color. Add most of the torn mint leaves; set aside some for later. Turn the heat off and let cool.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, crushed red pepper, and the baking powder. Squeeze the toast to drain any excess milk, then break it apart with your hands and add the bread pieces to the eggs. Whisk again briefly.
• Now stir the zucchini and onions in the egg mixture. If needed, add a little more olive oil to the cast iron skillet. Transfer the egg mixture to the skillet.
• Bake in the 350 F degrees heated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the surface of the omelet looks done.
• Top the zucchini baked omelet with feta cheese if you like. And garnish with the torn mint leaves you set aside earlier. Serve with lemon wedges on the side and sliced fresh vegetables like tomatoes. A great side dish to this zucchini baked omelet is fattoush salad.

• Heat 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chopped onions, garlic and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender (some of the potatoes may gain a bit of a golden crust, which is good!)
• Add the chickpeas, asparagus, a dash more salt and pepper and the spices. Stir to combine. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to low to keep the potato hash warm; stir regularly.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a steady simmer and add 1 teaspoon vinegar. Break the eggs into a bowl. Stir the simmering water gently and carefully slide the eggs in. The egg whites should warp around the yoke. Cook for 3 minutes exactly, then remove the eggs from the simmering water and onto kitchen towel to drain briefly. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the potato hash from the heat and add the chopped red onions, tomatoes, feta and parsley. Top with the poached eggs. Enjoy!

• Supreme the oranges: Zest each orange and set zest aside. Slice the top and bottom off of an orange so you have a flat surface to work with and the flesh of the orange is exposed. Starting at the top, move your knife downward slicing between the flesh of the orange and the white pith. Do this around the entire orange until there isn’t any peel or pith attached.
• Hold the orange over a small bowl to catch any juices, slowly cut each segment out from the membrane and place on a small plate. Repeat with the second orange. Once each orange has been segmented, squeeze the membranes to release any juices into the bowl.
• Make the syrup: In a small saucepan set over medium low heat add ½ cup honey, and ¼ cup of orange juice from when you supremed the oranges. Heat, stirring occasionally just until the mixture is combined and pourable. Transfer to a small container.
• Slice the bread: Slice the loaf into 1 or 1 ½ inch thick slices. You should end up with 8 to 10 slices depending upon the size of your loaf.
• Make the custard: In a pie plate or wide shallow dish use a fork or whisk to combine the eggs, milk, ground cinnamon, almond extract, salt, sugar, and orange zest until well combined.
• Soak the bread: Place as many slices as will fit in a single layer in the dish with the custard. Flip them over so both sides are coated.
• Heat the skillet: Place 2 tablespoons of butter or ghee in a skillet set over medium heat. Once it sizzles add the soaked bread in a single layer. Cook on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side until golden brown.
• Serve: Place two slices of french toast on a plate. Top with 1 tablespoon of creme fraiche, berries and orange slices. Drizzle with the orange honey syrup and serve. (If you have another orange laying around and you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and zest a little over the top of the toast before serving.)

• In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, half of the jalapeño, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. Add the bread crumbs and pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the chicken, egg and milk. Using lightly moistened hands, roll the mixture into 20 meatballs, a scant 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, tapping off any excess.
• Wipe out the food processor and add the remaining garlic clove and jalapeño half; pulse until chopped. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the oregano and process until smooth.
• In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook over moderate heat, turning, until golden but not quite cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the tomato sauce to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer, turning, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Potatoes

• Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
• As soon as the water boils, add the baking soda (it will foam a little). Carefully add the potatoes and allow the water to come to a boil. Boil the potatoes for about 1 to 2 minutes (no longer). Drain the potatoes well in a colander.
• Transfer the potatoes to a large sheet pan and season them well with kosher salt. Toss to make sure the salt is well distributed, then be sure to spread the potatoes in one single layer
• Set the potatoes aside or transfer to the fridge to cool completely (you can do this ahead of time and leave the potatoes in the fridge overnight, but it’s important for them to cool completely).
• In a medium skillet, heat 1 cup of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to bubble gently, add one piece of potato to test, if the oil around it bubbles a lot, it is ready. Add the rest of the potatoes and spread them out well. You may need to do this in batches so as to not crowd the pan. Cook in the oil, tossing occasionally and making sure the potatoes are well-coated in the oil, until they are golden brown on all sides, about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch them carefully, as they can go from perfectly cooked to burned in a short time.
• While the potatoes are cooking, work on the bravas sauce (if you did not make it ahead of time).
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a tray lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Immediately season with another pinch of kosher salt.
• Finish with a good drizzle of bravas sauce and aioli of your choice (if using). Serve immediately with more bravas sauce to the side.

Brava Sauce

• In a medium pan or skillet, heat about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and cook, tossing around until the garlic has turned golden brown and the oil is just shimmering (about a couple of minutes).
• Remove the garlic from the pan and discard or keep for other uses.
• Lower the heat and add the tomato paste, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and cornstarch, whisk to combine. Slowly add the vegetable broth and keep whisking until the broth is incorporated and the sauce has a smooth and somewhat creamy consistency.
• Transfer to a serving bowl or drizzle over your patatas bravas or transfer to a mason jar to store. Allow the sauce to cool before transferring to the fridge.

• In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with a little kosher salt and cook, tossing occasionally until the vegetables have softened.
  
• Add the garlic and toss for 30 seconds or so, then add the tomatoes, stock, white beans, farro, and parmesan rind.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat watching for the steady, gentle simmer. Allow the soup to simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes or so.
• Turn the heat off and remove the Parmesan rind (sometimes the rind will have dissolved into the soup). Stir in the spinach, parsley, and red wine vinegar.
  

Make The Parsley-Olive Gremolata

• Make the gremolata: Place chopped parsley, orange zest, olives, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scrape down the sides of the food processor and add olive oil. Process until a uniformly chunky texture is achieved
• Let the gremolata rest: Allow gremolata to sit at room temperature while you prepare the cioppino, to allow the flavors to fully bloom.

Make The Cioppino:

• Steam the shellfish: Prepare a stockpot with a steamer basket insert large enough to hold the clams and mussels. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in the stockpot, reduce heat to a simmer and steam mussels and clams under a lid until they just open, 5-8 minutes. Remove pot from heat and place all opened mussels and clams in a large bowl. Discard any mussels or clams that don’t open. Reserve 1 cup of steaming liquid.
• Saute the aromatics: In a large dutch oven or 8-quart stockpot, heat olive oil over medium until the surface just begins to shimmer. Add chopped onion, fennel and a hearty pinch of salt and saute until onion is softened and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add minced garlic, roasted red peppers, dried oregano and dried thyme. Saute until garlic is very fragrant and most of the liquid from the vegetables has evaporated.
• Deglaze the pot: When the red pepper mixture begins to look dry and sticky, add white wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any vegetable bits clinging to the bottom of the pot. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Finish the soup base: Crush whole tomatoes roughly in your hands and add them to the white wine mixture along with any collected juices in the can, seafood stock and 1 cup of reserved steaming liquid. Allow mixture to simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Taste and add salt as needed.
• Cook the fish and shrimp: Add whitefish and shrimp to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and shrimp are curled and pink.
• Finish the soup: Remove pot from heat and stir in mussels and clams. Taste and add salt as needed. Serve immediately, topped with a big spoonful of the parsley-olive gremolata.

• In a large Dutch oven or cooking pot, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Add the onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, carrots, and potatoes. Season with a good dash of kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened (about 5 to 7 minutes).
• Add the tomato paste and toss to coat the vegetables with the paste, then add the broth 1 teaspoon of Aleppo-style pepper and the rest of the spices.
• Add the lentils and stir.
• Allow the soup to come to a rolling boil for 4 to 5 minutes, then lower the heat and cover the Dutch oven with the lid leaving a small opening.
• Let the soup simmer on the lowest heat setting for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the lentils and the vegetables are completely tender. (Check occasionally and give the soup a stir as needed. If it is getting too thick, add a little bit more vegetable broth about ½ to 1 cup more).
• Remove the pot from the heat and carefully blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, transfer the soup to a standard blender, let some of the steam escape. Blend in batches until all of the soup is smooth.)
• To finish, in a small skillet, warm about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining Aleppo pepper and minced garlic and cook briefly until the garlic is golden brown and the oil has taken on a red hue from the Aleppo pepper. Remove from the heat and pour the warmed oil all over the soup.
• Serve with lemon wedges to the side.

• Sort through clams and discard any already open ones that won't close.
• Prepare three large bowls, fill two of them with cool water and add a good amount of salt to each (⅓ cup of salt to 1 gallon of water). Fill the third bowl with water but NO salt this time.
• Clean the clams. Put the clams in the first bowl of cool salted water and set them aside for 20 minutes or so. Transfer the clams to the second bowl, making sure to discard any clams that are open ( and, of course, discard the dirty water from the first bowl). Set aside for another 20 minutes or so. Using a small brush, scrub the clams clean and transfer them to the last bowl of unsalted water. Allow them another 20 minutes or so. Transfer the clean clams to a tray and cover with a damp towel. (It helps to add some ice to the water bowls to keep them cool water; alternatively, you can place the bowls in the fridge) (see notes for a shortcut)
• Make the white wine broth. In a large Dutch oven heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Season with kosher salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or so, tossing regularly and making sure the garlic does not burn. (See note, if you want to add Spanish choriz)
• Stir in the tomatoes and add the cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper). Pour in the white wine and water. Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes soften a bit (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add another pinch of salt, if needed.
• Steam the clams in the white wine sauce. Lower the heat back to medium and add the clams. Cover with a lid and cook until the majority of the clams are open (anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes) Discard any clams that are still closed.
• Turn the heat off. Add the green onion and parsley.
• Serve immediately in bowls with a side of your favorite crusty bread.

Make the bread salad

• Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
• Brush the eggplant, zucchini, pepper, and onion slices generously with some of the olive oil.
• Grill the vegetables, turning as needed, until soft and slightly charred, 6 to 8 minutes. If desired, cut each slice into smaller pieces. Toss in a bowl.
• Brush the bread slices with some of the olive oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cut each slice in half or smaller pieces.

Make the anchoïade

• Place the garlic and anchovies in a food processor or a mortar and process or pound into a paste. Add the walnuts and coriander seeds and pound to incorporate them.
• Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, marjoram, thyme, and figs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the grilled vegetables on the platter along with the bread, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and fresh figs, if using. Spoon the anchoïade over the top and serve.

Make the bread salad

• Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
• Brush the eggplant, zucchini, pepper, and onion slices generously with some of the olive oil.
• Grill the vegetables, turning as needed, until soft and slightly charred, 6 to 8 minutes. If desired, cut each slice into smaller pieces. Toss in a bowl.
• Brush the bread slices with some of the olive oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cut each slice in half or smaller pieces.

Make the anchoïade

• Place the garlic and anchovies in a food processor or a mortar and process or pound into a paste. Add the walnuts and coriander seeds and pound to incorporate them.
• Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, marjoram, thyme, and figs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the grilled vegetables on the platter along with the bread, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and fresh figs, if using. Spoon the anchoïade over the top and serve.

• Heat an outdoor gas grill or an indoor griddle or cast iron grill to high.
• Slice the melon. Wash the melon and trim the ends so that you’re able to set the melon flat on your cutting surface. Cut the melon it into two halves, then cut the halves into quarters. From there slice into ½ -inch triangles with the rind on (do not remove the rind/skin).
• Grill. Arrange the melon wedges or triangles on the prepared hot grill in one single layer. Grill over high direct heat for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, watching for some grill marks to appear.
• While the melons are on the grill, quickly prepare the chili and honey-lime sauce. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the honey, lime juice, and Aleppo pepper flakes (or red pepper flakes). Mix with a spoon then warm the mixture in the microwave for just a few seconds (no more than 10 seconds). Or, you can put your honey in a glass jar and cover tightly and leave it in a bowl of warmed water until it has loosened).
• Arrange the grilled watermelon

• Bloom the yeast: Into a medium bowl, combine ¼ teaspoon sugar and 1 ½ cups lukewarm water (between 90-110°F). Add the yeast, mix with a small spoon and set aside for 5 to 8 minutes, until the yeast becomes foamy.
• Make the dough: Into a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Stir to combine then make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture and stir to form a coarse dough.
• Knead the dough: Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size. A sunny spot on your countertop is perfect.
• Preheat the oven, prepare the baking sheets and dipping station: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 large size baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the grape molasses, with the remaining ¼ water in a large bowl, and whisk together. Pour the sesame seeds onto a large plate. Set it next to the bowl of molasses water.
• Deflate and shape the dough: Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and stick your fist in the center of it to deflate or knock back the dough. Shape it into a ball and divide into 8 even sized pieces.
• Cut and Stretch the dough: Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your hands to roll each dough segment into a long rope about 24-inches long. The dough is sturdy so you can apply gentle pressure as you roll and stretch the rope. I tend to work with my hands side by side in the center of the dough, rolling the dough back and forth and separating my hands as the dough lengthens.
• Twist the dough: Fold each rope in half so two ends align and use your hands to twist it into a two stranded “rope.” Join the ends together to make a circle, and press them firmly together to seal the circle. Gently shape the area where you pressed the ends together to make it rounded and not flat. Repeat with the remaining dough. In the end you should have 8 twisted rope circles.
• Dip each ring: Dip each ring, first into the molasses mixture, submerging it completely. If you don’t have enough liquid to submerge it, flip it over so both sides are coated. Remove it from the molasses mixture, gently shaking off any excess. Set the bread ring in the sesame seeds, turn gently to coat both sides. Transfer to the prepared tray and set aside at room temperature for about 15 minutes, to puff slightly. Repeat with the remaining ropes.
• Bake: Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until deep golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

• Make the biga: In a medium bowl combine the water, flour and yeast. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Then transfer it to the refrigerator overnight and up to 48 hours.
• The next day make the dough: Remove the biga from the refrigerator. It will look fully hydrated, expanded and should be a little bubbly.
• Into a large bowl add the water, all of the biga (235g), 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine. It’s ok if it doesn't totally come together, you just want to break up the biga a bit.
• Add the flour, salt, and yeast and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is hydrated. You will have a sticky, bumpy, shaggy but homogeneous dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in a warm corner of your kitchen for 30 minutes.
• Lift and fold the dough: Wet your hands to stretch and fold the dough. To do this, scoop your fingers down the sides of the bowl so they meet under the dough in the middle. Lift the dough up above the bowl. You should have dough spilling over the top of your index fingers and your pinky fingers reaching down toward the bowl in an upside down U-shape. Put one end down in the bowl, then the other so they overlap a bit. Lift and fold the dough over itself 3 times. Coming from different edges of the dough each time. Cover with plastic wrap. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for the next 2 ½ hours. You don’t want to rush this as it helps develop the structure of the dough and builds flavor.
• Transfer the dough to the baking sheet: Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of a baking sheet for thinner focaccia or a 9×13 cake pan for thicker focaccia. Generously coat the parchment paper with ⅓ cup olive oil. Place the dough on the baking sheet or pan, and turn it over gently to coat.
• Stretch and dimple the dough: Spread your fingers apart and bend them like you’re trying to mimic the talons of a bird. Using the tips of your fingers gently insert them into the dough in multiple places, creating dimples and stretching the dough gently toward the edges of the pan. You will do this 3 to 4 times over the next 1 to 1 ½ hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Roast the garlic: While you rise and stretch the dough, roast the garlic. You will add the roasted garlic to the dough during the stretching process.
• Using a sharp knife, slice the top ¼ to ½-inch off the top of the garlic bulb exposing the individual cloves. Remove any loose papery skins. Place the garlic cut side up in the center of a piece of foil large enough to envelope the bulb.
• Drizzle the garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Make sure the whole bulb is coated in the oil. Fold the foil around the garlic. Place it in a small baking dish or ramekin and pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes. When it’s ready the cloves will be soft, and creamy.
• Add garlic and rosemary to the dough: Remove the garlic from the oven, open the foil and let it cool until it’s easy to handle but still warm. Press on the uncut base of the bulb to squeeze the cloves out. Drop them onto the focaccia dough in different places.
• Strip the rosemary sprigs of their needles and sprinkle them across the dough. Press the garlic and rosemary into the dough when you dimple and stretch it.
• Add olive oil and dimple one more time: Before the final dimple, drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the bread and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of flaky sea salt. Dimple it again.
• When all is said and done the dough should be coated in oil, pretty close to the edges of the sheet pan, and have lots of bubbles and dimples.
• Bake the focaccia: Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. When it’s done it should be golden brown with darker brown bubbles. Remove from the oven.
• Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with a ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt. Give it about 5 minutes to cool, then transfer it to a cutting board. It should be crisp on the outside, tender, slightly chewy and full of air pockets on the outside. Eat it as is or top it with my favorite, eggplant caponata.

• In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the warm water. Add a large pinch of sugar. Stir to dissolve the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes or so, until the yeast is activated forming a foamy layer.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon.
• Add the yeast mixture, and mix with the wooden spoon until the dough is too hard to mix. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead by hand for 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky as you knead, add a very little bit of flour and continue kneading until the dough is soft and smooth.
• Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with a kitchen cloth and keep it in a warm spot for 1 ½ until the dough rises (the dough is ready when it has doubled in size).
• Punch the dough down and turn it back onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, then roll each piece into a rope that's about 16 to18 inches long. Braid the three ropes together like you would hair. Squeeze both ends together to complete the braid.
• Place the braided loaf on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and return to a warm spot for another 30 to 45 minutes allowing it to rise again. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the loaf generously with about 2-3 tablespoon of the egg whites you reserved earlier. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
• Bake in the 350 degrees F heated-oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the challah bread cool before slicing.

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. And prepare a large sheet pan (do not line with parchment).
• Split the pita pockets in half to make single rounds of pita. Place each pita flat on your cutting board and split them in half from the seam with a sharp knife or kitchen shears (you should end up with 2 single rounds of pita). Note: If your pitas are the thick, single-layer kind, you can skip this step as you can't split them.
• Brush with extra virgin olive oil & Season. Brush the pita rounds with extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt and za'atar (do this on both sides)
• Cut into triangles. Using a knife or a pair of kitchen shears again, cut each round of pita into 8 triangles.
• Bake! Arrange the pita triangles on the prepared sheet pan. Bake anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, checking occasionally to turn over the pita triangles that have gained color, until you have pita chips that are crispy and golden brown to your liking.

• In a large liquid measuring cup add the warm water (105-110°F). Add the sugar and yeast to the water and whisk it together. Set it aside for about 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
• Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and whisk in the salt, then make a well in the center. Mix in the yeast water and the extra virgin olive oil until well combined – add more water if needed; you want a moist dough, it shouldn’t be too dry.
• Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead for around 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Wash and dry the mixing bowl, then lightly oil it.
• Return the dough to the bowl, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and leave it to rise for around 1 to 1 ½ hours (this will depend on how warm your kitchen is), until doubled in size.
• When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a clean surface, knock it back, and roll into a rectangle about 10 x 16 inches. Brush over a layer of olive oil and evenly sprinkle the za’atar and Aleppo pepper, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Pat the spice mixture gently into the dough with the back of a tablespoon.
• Starting with a short side, roll the dough up as tightly as you can. Trim off the uneven excess bits at the end. Slice the dough into 8 to 9 pieces. Pour enough oil to just cover the base of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and pop in the slices, swirl facing up. Cover and set aside for the rolls to double in size, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. When the buns have roughly doubled in size, bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. As soon as they come out of the oven, drizzle generously with olive oil and leave to absorb in the skillet for 10 minutes before serving.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine ⅓ cup hot water (about 110 degrees F) with the yeast, 1 tablespoon of the flour, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Whisk gently. Cover with a towel and leave aside for 10 minutes until bubbly.
• In the meantime, heat the milk in a small sauce pan until the edges begin to bubble, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, remaining sugar and salt. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
• Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, stir the milk mixture into the yeast mixture. While paddle is stirring, add the 2 beaten eggs. Gradually mix in the flour, anise seed, and vanilla extract. Beat unit a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium (or medium-high if needed) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky at this point.) Kneed by hand until very smooth (about 5 minutes), then place dough into a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm, closed space for 1 ½ hours, until doubled in size. (I had heated my oven to lowest temperature, then turned it off a few minutes before placing my covered dough in.)
• Punch dough down, and transfer to floured surface again. Cut dough into 3 equal parts, and gently roll each to form a long 16-inch rope. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press ropes together at one end and braid fairly loosely. Form into a circle and press together on the other side. Stretch the circle to about 10 inches across and the hole in the middle about 3 ½ inches wide.
• Cover with a clean towel and place back in warm space for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Rub the dyed eggs with olive oil, and buff with paper towel. Select three spots in the dough, evenly spaced, and gently insert the eggs. Cover and return to warm space. Let rise 1 more hour until dough doubles in size.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake about 45 minutes until braided loaf turns a nice deep golden brown (should sound hallow when you tap on it.)
• Let cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with more boiled eggs, honey or other breakfast items. Enjoy!