Itamar Srulovich

An outer coating of sumac-sugar gives these slice-and-bake cookies a bright pop of flavor that balances the rich, buttery shortbread.

If you don't have both spices, it's okay to omit one or the other.

Almost any fresh fruit (pears, apples, berries) can replace the figs.

You can stuff this slawlike salad inside your pita, or eat it on its own.

Make your next party a falafel party with this irresistible recipe.

We do vary the fruit on top, so we use red plums or yellow plums or raspberries, but really the cherries are the best version. The contrast between the cherries and the green pistachios, and the addition of mahleb to the cake batter, together create something electric.

This is a great one for midweek as it takes no more than 20 minutes from slicing the leeks to serving the finished dish, but it is good enough for weekends as well-filling, fresh and very tasty.

This obviously isn't really a shawarma—there is no lamb and no fat—but it is a way of slow-cooking cauliflower that makes it feel substantial and tasty enough to warrant the association.