Most of the recipes I try contain lettuce in varying quantities, either little gem, or the larger version, cos – but the recipe in Jerusalem (passed down from Tamimi’s mum) omits it, as does Claudia Roden. Fattoush is, I believe, rather a moveable feast – Anissa Helou writes in her book Lebanese Cuisine that “you can make it with whatever salad ingredients you have available as long as you use sumac” (and, presumably, bread). Deep-frying proves, sadly, the best option; Comptoir Libanais does give a shallow-fried variation, but it is disappointing enough that I can't recommend it. Remember, if you put enough salad on top, it's basically health food anyway. Ground coriander and cumin are also pretty much a given, and I like the fiery sweetness of Helou's Lebanese seven-spice powder, with its ginger, cinnamon and allspice, which balances beautifully with the savoury garlic and peppery herbs. Some recipes use cayenne pepper, paprika or chilli flakes too – I find the warmth of the ginger sufficient for a dish that is rarely hot as opposed to spicy, but if you feel the need, add a shake to taste. Fattoush is not fattoush without bread – that’s the whole point. Any kind of Middle Eastern flatbread will do (or, in fact, most kinds of flatbread); the important thing is it must be crisp. There are various ways to achieve this, from Baxter’s frying to Honey & Co’s grilling, but the most reliable, if you can bear to turn the oven on, is to bake it, which gives a dryer, crunchier result; the dressing should supply all the oil the dish needs. If it’s too hot for the oven, toast the pitta as Roden does. Some recipes season it with sumac, but as this intensely lemony spice is a key ingredient in the salad itself, the bread is, I think, better left plain as a contrast.

His next move was the acquisition at the end of 2005 of Pasha from Richard Caring of Caprice Holdings, transforming it into the most opulent and seductive restaurant of its kind in the capital. He then launched Kenza, a feast of Middle Eastern craftsmanship and rich design, in the City of London in 2007. Ground coriander and cumin are also pretty much a given, and I like the fiery sweetness of Helou's Lebanese seven-spice powder, with its ginger, cinnamon and allspice, which balances beautifully with the savoury garlic and peppery herbs. Some recipes use cayenne pepper, paprika or chilli flakes too - I find the warmth of the ginger sufficient for a dish that is rarely hot as opposed to spicy, but if you feel the need, add a shake to taste. The success of Comptoir Libanais restaurants centres on an easy, relaxed cafe-style of food: light Arabic home cooking mixed with familiar bistro flavours and techniques. Tony Kitous’ recipes combine fresh vibrant vegetable dishes with simple grills, flat breads, grains, herb salads and dips. Pastries are richly flavoured and delicate, made with syrups and spices. Absolutely the menu for today and adaptable for the home cook.Some recipes also use dried mint, too, but its more aniseedy flavour spoils the fresh flavour of the other kind as far as most testers are concerned, with one likening it to their grandma’s mint sauce in a not entirely complimentary way.

I’m keener on ingredients that add more in the way of texture and flavour, with cucumber falling firmly into the first camp (unless you thinly slice it and salt it for an hour, as Roden’s recipe in Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book suggests, when it tastes pretty good, but feels distinctly limp). Try, as Ottolenghi and Tamimi write, “to get small cucumbers for this … they are worlds apart from the large ones we normally get in most UK supermarkets” – less watery, and with more bite. If you can’t find them, then scoop out the seeds, as Baxter suggests. Last September, Random House published Comptoir Libanais: A Feast of Lebanese-Style Home Cooking, showcasing just how easy, healthy and accessible Lebanese food is for everyone. By the time the pomegranates are in season, tomatoes won’t be, and tomatoes are( in my opinion, at least) key here. I like the idea of using a variety of colours and sizes, chopped “two or three different ways … to give the salad some texture”, as Honey & Co recommends, but go with whatever looks best if you don’t have a big choice; cherry tomatoes are usually the safest bet, but everything should be decent in midsummer. There’s no need to peel them as Roden does but, if they seem watery, rather than solid, you might be advised to core them, as in Baxter’s recipe. This wouldn't be a Middle Eastern recipe without heaps of fresh herbs. Forget the sad little supermarket bundles and try to find yourself a proper market stall bouquet, if possible. Parsley is popular, used by everyone but Helou, but so is coriander, which makes its way into all the recipes. I like a combination of the two – the sharp, pepperiness of parsley and the aromatic freshness of coriander, both in sufficient quantity to turn the mixture a bold green colour.

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The food is meant for sharing, so there’s plenty of choice, with everything from dips to mezze bites, savoury flatbreads, tagines, wraps, salads, pastries and cakes – they even bake their own Moroccan bread. Last year the Lebanese restaurant Comptoir Libanais opened up in Utrecht. I love Lebansese food, especially because it has so many vegetarian and vegan options so I went to Comptoir Libanais straight away. Now, almost a year later they brought out their first Dutch cookbook. In this blog post I’m telling you more about the Comptoir Libanais cookbook that’s filled with party recipes and I’m giving you a 20% discount on your next meal at Comptoir Libanais in Utrecht.