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Arancini

Cold risotto (saffron Milanese-style is traditional in arancini "alla Milanese"; plain works too) is mixed with grated parmesan and beaten egg to bind. Filling, a stew of beef-and-pork ragù with peas, OR a cube of mozzarella, sits in the centre of each ball. Hands wet with water shape the rice around the filling into a tight orange-sized ball (or cone, for the Catania style). Each ball is rolled first in flour, then in beaten egg, then in fine breadcrumbs (or in the doubled-up "panata" mix of flour + water for the Sicilian original). Deep-fried at 180°C in 4-5 cm of oil for 4-6 minutes per ball until deep gold. Drained on kitchen paper; eaten warm.

Snacks 45 minutes Serves4

Chili Cheese Dip

Ground beef browns in a wide oven-safe skillet with onion and garlic. Spices (chilli powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika) bloom in the fat. Tomato passata, kidney beans, a splash of stock, salt and pepper simmer for 20 minutes to thicken. Surface scatters with a thick layer of grated cheese (cheddar + Monterey Jack). Goes under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes till bubbling and crisped at the edges. Tops with sliced spring onion, jalapeños, soured cream. Eats hot with tortilla chips.

Snacks 45 minutes Serves6-8

Fatayer Jibneh

A soft yeasted olive-oil dough rises for 45 minutes. Filling: grated akkawi (desalted first if very salty) or a mix of low-moisture mozzarella + halloumi (rinsed to reduce salt), crumbled feta, chopped parsley, mint, dried mint, black pepper and a touch of nigella seed. Dough divides into 16 balls; each rolls into a 10 cm disc. A heaped tablespoon of cheese mix sits in the centre. Folded into a tricorn: three sides of the disc fold up over the filling, pinched at the top in three seams. Brushed with olive oil. Baked at 220°C for 15-18 minutes until deep gold.

Snacks 1 hour 43 minutes Serves4

Manakish Mini

A soft yeasted bread dough rises for 1 hour. Three toppings prep simultaneously: (1) za'atar-and-olive-oil paste; (2) grated akkawi-mozzarella-feta blend with nigella seeds; (3) spiced lamb mince with tomato and pomegranate molasses. Dough divides into 18 balls; each rolls into an 8 cm disc with a slight raised rim. Toppings spoon on. Baked at 230°C on a hot stone or upside-down tray for 6-8 minutes until the dough is gold and the toppings are bubbling / set.

Snacks 1 hour 40 minutes Serves6

Obatzda

Soft ripe Camembert mashes with butter, finely grated onion, sweet paprika, caraway and a splash of beer until coloured rosy-orange and spreadable but textured. Rests in the fridge 30 minutes so the flavours marry. Pile in a bowl, top with raw onion rings and a dusting of paprika, and serve with pretzels and dark bread. Eaten cold.

Snacks 40 minutes Serves4-6

Pork Pie

Pork shoulder (uncured, fatty) and a small amount of bacon are chopped into 5 mm dice (not minced, the texture is key). Mixed with white pepper, mace, sage, salt and a touch of anchovy paste for umami. The hot-water-crust pastry: flour is mixed with hot water-and-lard mixture, kneaded warm into a pliable dough. Two-thirds of the dough lines a tall round tin (or is moulded freestanding around a glass jar); the filling is packed in tight; a lid of remaining dough is laid over the top with a 1 cm steam hole punched. Baked at 200°C for 30 min, then 160°C for another 60-75 min. Left to cool. A rich pork stock (made from trotters or with gelatin sheets) is poured through the steam hole while the pie is still warm. Refrigerated overnight to set the jelly. Sliced and eaten cold.

Snacks 3 hours 15 minutes Serves6

Sambousek Jibneh

The Levantine-Arabian cheese half-moon, the milder vegetarian cousin to the meat sambousek. You roll a smooth pliable dough from oil, yogurt and flour and let it rest briefly while you build the filling: grated akkawi (desalted by soaking for thirty minutes) or a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and halloumi, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, scallion, mint, an egg yolk to bind and a touch of ground black pepper. The dough rolls to three millimetres, cuts into eight-centimetre rounds, gets a spoon of filling in the centre, folds into a half-moon and is crimped sharp with a fork. From there it's either deep-fried at 175°C for two minutes a side until golden, or brushed with egg wash, scattered with sesame seeds and baked at 200°C for fifteen to eighteen minutes. The cheese melts inside the sealed shell, the pastry browns. Eaten warm with labneh or a chilli-lemon dip on the side.

Snacks 1 hour 20 minutes Serves4

Tostadas

Corn tortillas are crisped: either deep-fried in 1 cm of oil at 180°C for 60 seconds per side, OR brushed with oil and baked at 200°C for 8-10 minutes (lower-fat option). Either way, the result is a flat crisp shell. Toppings build in layers: a base smear of refried beans, then a generous spoon of warm chicken tinga (or any seasoned protein), then cold fresh toppings, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sliced red onion, sliced avocado, crumbled cotija. Crema drizzles over. Pickled jalapeño tops. Eat by hand (two-hand grip required).*

Snacks 35 minutes Serves4

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