Shayna made Yogurt with Cucumber, which she served with pita bread. It was a basic yogurt dip, nothing to make it stand out from others I’ve had, but solid.

Brad made Burnt Eggplant with Garlic, Lemon & Pomegranate Seeds. The smokiness of the burnt eggplant came through really well, and was complemented nicely with the tart sweet pop of the pomegranate seeds.

Erin made Zhoug, which she served with freshly grated tomatoes on bread. I really liked the fresh spiciness of this condiment. I can imagine using it to add kick to a lot of different dishes.

Kathleen made Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini & Za’atar. This was one of the dishes I enjoyed most. The roasting brought out a great sweetness in the squash and onion, with the tahini and pine nuts adding a nutty creaminess.

Smitha made Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Fresh Figs. As you may remember, I’m not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but the balsamic sauce with the figs and goat cheese was great, so I bet you’d love this if you like sweet potatoes.

Jasmine and Kelis made the Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Fresh Figs as well. They went heavier with the goat cheese, which I’m not one to complain about. They also added red bell pepper, which added an interesting layer of flavor.

Jasmine and Kelis also made Na’ama’s Fattoush. I think they left out the bread, so it was mainly tomato and cucumber. The dressing was thicker than I’ve had before. It was ok, but didn’t blow me away.

Jennifer made Roasted Cauliflower & Hazelnut Salad. This salad had a surprising cinnamon-y sweetness. It was gorgeous to look at, but the flavors didn’t really grab me.

Ben made Herb Pie. It’s amazing how good a ton of herbs and some cheese are in a pie. I also love the crisp layers of filo pastry for the crust.

John made Basmati & Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants & Herbs. I really liked the chew of the wild rice, and the flavor combo of the currants, herbs, and fried onions. The chickpeas gave it enough substance that I could see myself just eating a big bowl of this for lunch.

Brian made Wheat Berries & Swiss Chard with Pomegranate Molasses. The texture of this dish was fantastic – it had a hearty chewiness that was super satisfying. The sweet tanginess was nice too.

Brian also made Spicy Freekeh Soup with Meatballs. This dish sounded really great to me, and it turned out to be tasty, but not actually one of the dishes I was most excited by.

Jeff made Lemony Leek Meatballs. There’s a lot more leeks than meat in these, but it totally works. They had a lemony freshness that I really enjoyed, while still feeling meaty enough to be a main dish.

Anthony made Kofta B’siniyah. He used beef instead of veal, but the meat was still super flavorful, and the tahini sauce added a nice nutty flavor and creaminess. Yummy.

Erin also made Panfried Sea Bass with Harissa & Rose. She substituted a less expensive fish for the sea bass, but it was still quite good, a little spicy sweet.

I made Tahini Cookies. These were weirdly addictive. At first I thought they were passable, but a bit on the dry side. Somehow though, they made everybody keep going back for another.

Sheana made Poached Pears in White Wine & Cardamom. This was my favorite dish of the lot. Topped with a bit of creme fraiche, the richly aromatic pears had everybody raving about them.

Halina made Burnt Eggplant with Garlic, Lemon & Pomegranate Seeds. Definitely another favorite of the night. The char on the eggplant really came through but the lemon flavor popped up as well. The pomegranates on top made for a beautiful dish aesthetically.

Laura & Ron made Baby Spinach Salad with Dates & Almonds. The pita chip croutons were so delicious, everyone wanted more. The dates added a nice sweetness to the salad, and it was nice to have this light and refreshing dish.

Cindy made Spicy Beet, Leek & Walnut Salad. The serving was perfect for a crowd and the way Cindy plated it made it even more inviting. The beets themselves were delicious, but there were many comments that the leeks were too large to eat (4” Segments!).

Alyssa made Stuffed Artichokes with Peas & Dill. An interesting and different dish. Some appreciated that it wasn’t too meaty but more vegetal. A little lemony for others.

Alyssa also made Basmati Rice & Orzo. A great dish to go with all of the other dishes.

Rita made Basmati & Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants, & Herbs. Rita was especially nervous to cook this dish because she had trouble cooking the wild rice, but the dish turned out beautifully! Many commented on how delicious and balanced it was.

Michael made Conchiglie with Yogurt, Peas & Chile. The sleeper hit of the night. Everyone loved this dish. The flavors went well together and it was perfectly seasoned, the yogurt sauce with the mashed up peas was especially good.

Miwako made Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb & Pine Nuts. A popular dish! Everyone wanted more. The cinnamon spice was a really nice surprise.

Erin & Mollie made Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion & Cumin & Sour Cream & Sumac Sauce. This might have been the crowd favorite. The burgers were great, but I think most of us wanted to lick the bowl of sour cream sauce clean!

Robert made Chicken with Caramelized Onion & Cardamom Rice. It was a really yummy dish, the chicken was tender and flavorful. However, most people ended up with whole spices (cinnamon sticks & cardamom pods) in their dish and it was unpleasant to bite into those or have to work around them. A few also commented that they would have liked the dish more if the chicken was off the bone (in the cookbook club setting it was difficult to eat off of a bone).

Kris made Marinated Sweet & Sour Fish. Kris said this dish was really easy to make. The smell when he opened the lid was unparalleled. The fish had an excellent, perfectly cooked texture, but maybe needed a bit more salt. Kris also mentioned that even though it was easy to cook, there was just a lot of liquid and it was resistant to reduce.

Heather made Semolina, Coconut & Marmalade Cake. Flavorful and moist, Heather added a beautiful topping to the cake and also added rosewater in addition to the orange blossom water which made the cake fragrant and floral.

Hiro made Clementine & Almond Syrup Cake. It was difficult not to compare this cake to the cake Heather made. Both cakes were very similar in look and texture and taste. This cake had a perfect density, and the clementine peels on top were very beautiful. Many commented that they liked the fact that this cake was not too sweet.