SUZANNE HUSSEINI

Biography

Suzanne Husseini’s love of food began at home. She cites the meals her mother made during her childhood in Canada as the source of her everyday inspiration. Suzanne is the presenter of the popular cooking show "Sohbe Taibe/صحبة طيبة". She is the author of "When Suzanne Cooks: Modern Flavours of Arabia", a cookbook showcasing the best of Arabic cuisine - all done in Suzanne's unique way. Suzanne is a regular at the Taste of Dubai food festival as well being featured in Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. She also presents live cooking demonstrations at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2010 and participated in an Iron Chef's Challenge for the Canadian Business Council Gala Dinner.

Recipes

FRESH THYME STARS

_{Makes 24 stars}

4 cups flour
1 cup semolina or corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1tbs instant yeast
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups lukewarm water
7 cups fresh thyme leaves, washed and drained
1 tsp sea salt (for the top)

In a large bowl put in the flour, semolina, baking powder, salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix well. Add half of the olive oil and water gradually and mix to form a dough. It should be soft and pliable. Pour the thyme leaves over the dough, drizzle the remaining olive oil and salt, and incorporate the leaves into the dough with your hands. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and put it in a dark draft-free place to rise for 1.5 hours. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Roll out the dough to 2cm in thickness on an oiled surface and cut with any desired cookie cutter (I like to use a star shape.) Brush each star with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!