The leitmotif of French-Lebanese chef Carla Rebeiz, who heads up the elegant and popular restaurant Eats Thyme in Paris, is "to amaze and surprise by revisiting Beirut basics." Comforting and refined, her cuisine also tells a story of conviviality, a memory of the Sunday family meals she enjoyed in her Beirut youth: "I grew up in this generosity of sharing around the table. It's the place where everything is tied and untied. Even with one's worst enemies, the meal is a truce."

In the dishes, pride of place is given to plants, produce and spices – including the famous za'atar. It's this gourmet modernized culinary heritage that she shares in Ma table libanaise ("My Lebanese Table"). From man'oushe (pita bread dough) to classics such as hummus and parsley-filled tabbouleh, as well as sauces, fish and meat dishes, drinks and desserts, the chef presents nearly 125 Lebanese recipes therein, ranging "from the everyday to the more sophisticated, and always easy to make."

We've selected three: A roasted turmeric and garlic version of cauliflower, with a tahini sauce; a lentil, chard and potato soup, both comforting and rich in vitamins; and an orange blossom pudding, "the quintessential Lebanese dessert," to make you melt with pleasure.

CAULIFLOWER

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for 8 servings:

Preparation
Preheat oven to 180°C. Carefully wash the cauliflower, and cut off the stem and green leaves. Brush it with olive oil, salt and turmeric. Crush the garlic and sprinkle it over the cauliflower. Put in the oven for 30 minutes – it should become quite tender. Place the cauliflower on a plate. Arrange the tahini, pomegranate seeds, parsley and raisins around the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into pieces, and serve with tahini or the tahini sauce, pomegranate seeds, raisins and chopped parsley.

TAHINI SAUCE

250 g tahini

1 garlic clove

8 g salt

50 ml lemon juice

250 ml very cold water

Mix the garlic, salt and lemon juice in a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Add the tahini and continue blending for two minutes, until the tahini becomes hard. While continuing to blend, add the cold water to loosen up the tahini: The texture should be smooth and thick. Add more water if necessary.

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