God himself ordered me to cook dishes of oriental cuisine: I am a teacher of belly dance. In addition, I like almost everything in oriental cuisine. Wherever I am – in Jordan or Dubai – I like everything equally. This is not surprising: in all eastern countries they cook about the same. We have herring, potatoes and pancakes. And there is meat, a lot of spices and a lot of greens. However, I can’t remember any special cases related to oriental food. They were not, because I do not attach such importance to food as Eastern people. In the East, they sit down and eat as much as they can. I am unpretentious in food, although it is important for me that the food is healthy. And yet it quickly prepared. A woman in Russia cannot stand at the stove for as long as a woman in the East. Therefore, from the whole variety of oriental cuisine, I choose the simplest recipes. The number of ingredients in each recipe is designed for four persons. Olive salad Take a sprig of cilantro, six cloves of garlic, a pinch of ground cumin, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of ground pepper, 500 g of purple olives, two tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest. Very finely chop or grind cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in a blender – sweet or hot, as your guests wish. Then mix in olives and olive oil. Garnish with lemon peel strips and cilantro leaves. Radish Salad You will need one tablespoon of orange water (water infusion of orange tree flowers), lemon, orange, one or two bunches of radishes, sugar, salt, pepper. Pour orange water into a bowl. Squeeze orange and lemon juice into it – two tablespoons each. Add grated radish. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Cucumber Salad Six long cucumbers, one orange, one teaspoon fresh thyme, two tablespoons olive oil, two tablespoons white vinegar, two tablespoons sugar, salt, pepper. Wash cucumbers in cold water and pat dry. With a knife, make longitudinal grooves on the cucumbers, then cut the cucumbers into circles. Mix some orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, crushed thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add cucumbers, garnish with a sprig of thyme. Before serving, taste the salad and add more seasonings if needed.