Before hopping back on my saffron-in-everything obsession, I wanted to share some observations from the past eight months since returning to France after 15 years away.

As some of you know, my cultural background isn’t exactly straightforward. For the longest time, I dreaded the question, “Where are you from?” because my answer was always long-winded and still unsatisfying for the person asking.

The truth is, I belong to many places. I feel like a collage of the predominant cultures that have shaped my life. Although I spent 20 years in France, hold French citizenship, and now live here again, I’ve never fully identified as French. Living in Jamaica for the past decade has only distanced me further from that identity.

Among my mix of cultural influences, one aspect stands out—warmth and human connection. This stems from my Middle Eastern roots, a culture often known for its unparalleled hospitality with a lot of it naturally done around food. I suspect that’s why, when I moved to Jamaica, I immediately felt at home in its vibrant, community-focused culture. Many people will tell you that Jamaicans can be “rough” when you first meet them (there’s a running joke about Jamaican restaurants and customer service), but the truth is that the sense of community remains very well alive in their culture. And it’s partly why I ended up living there for a decade of my life.

Now that I’m back in France, I’ve noticed how much harder it is to strike up conversations with strangers compared to Jamaica. France has many unspoken rules, and the French place high value on privacy and courtesy. But I returned to this country, as a French citizen, with a much more casual, laid-back approach to life.

And this is where the cookie comes into play.

For starters, to my surprise, American-style cookies are everywhere here. Paris and its surroundings seem to have fallen in love with these soft, chunky treats that often border on underbaked. It’s not shocking when you consider Paris’ ongoing admiration for New York City—think NYC-style delis, coffee shops, burger joints, and pizza slices. The French, after all, have a dirty secret: they enjoy American “junk food,” provided it’s made chic and classy.

The aroma of freshly baked cookies is now competing with that of croissants, and it caught my attention because it just so happens to be that I have, what I’d consider a damn good vegan cookie recipe. I used to make cookies all the time at my restaurant, Marianna’s Kitchen, often going bonanza with the flavors rotating them frequently as I did with the plate of the day.

Returning to France, where I knew no one, I realized that baking cookies could be my way of making connections. Yet here, it is uncommon to introduce yourself to your neighbor with a batch of cookies, something you’re more likely to see in the US for example. I had yet another point of reference, having lived in the US for a few years but also went to American-International schools during my childhood. I was fully aware and familiar with the need to come up with an excuse to bake and share for every little occasion. It was something I actually did appreciate about American culture, despite that I may criticize other aspects of it (or rather, their politics). In a way, it felt similar to how Middle Easterners love to cook and share food. So it would never be strange for me if you moved in next door and showed up the next day with a plate of cookies.

Still, I decided to share cookies with people I encountered, like the owner of a specialty coffee shop I frequent. The energy of his coffee shop reminded me so much of the one at my restaurant. I could recognize something familiar and eventually, started to meet other friendly, like minded regulars with whom the owner would always share my cookies with. Just the power of a cozy cookie helped break some walls between me and what were once, perfect strangers.

One flavor that became a hit was my chocolate chip cookie with fresh orange zest, coffee, and a blend of secret spices. Others were less popular—like the bergamot experiment. Bergamot works better in creamy desserts like mousse or ice cream, not cookies. It’s fascinating how the same ingredient can thrive in one texture but fall flat in another.

Another favorite of mine is a dark chocolate and sliced almond cookie spiced with Chinese five spice. I’ve always loved using traditionally savory ingredients in sweet dishes, and five spice is a perfect example of this balance.

But my current favorite is a double lemony coconut cookie with a gooey date center. It’s “double lemony” because I use both lemon zest and ground black lime, which I had leftover from another recipe. It was a happy accident, born from using up bits and pieces at home, but it’s turned into a personal favorite.

With all of that said, I’m leaving my new favorite cookie recipe below. Give it a try if you’re a curious cook and have some black limes sitting on your kitchen counter and not sure what to do with them 🙂

Feel free to leave a comment or send me any questions or comments to thefoodcuriouslife@gmail.com

Double Lemony (Lemon & Black Lime) Coconut Cookies with Gooey Dates
Makes 12-16 cookies (depending on size)

Ingredients
100g all-purpose flour
150g unsweetened grated coconut, ground
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 black lime, finely ground
180g brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spices (I used Kleija spices)
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
112g vegan butter, softened
2 tbsp plant milk of choice
Dates, deseeded

Directions
Combine Dry Ingredients:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, grated coconut, lemon zest, ground black lime, brown sugar, mixed spices, salt, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
Incorporate Wet Ingredients:
Add the softened vegan butter and begin mixing the dough. As it starts to come together, add the plant milk. Continue mixing until a smooth ball of dough forms.
Shape and Chill:
Shape the dough into cookies, place a piece of dates in the middle and arrange them on a baking tray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough to firm up.
Bake:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the cookies for 13 minutes if you like them extra soft, and 15 minutes if you like them not too soft and not too crispy.
Cool:
Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before serving.