Open this photo in gallery: Basbousa Pancakes with Orange Blossom Syrup.Chris Bernabeo/Supplied Fun fact: The word ‘tahini’ appears in chef and TV personality Eden Grinshpan’s new cookbook 606 times. “I feel like I’m a tahini baby!” she told me by phone en route from New York to Toronto for the start of an 18-stop tour to promote her aptly named second cookbook. “It’s the backbone of so many cuisines that I absolutely love, that inspire me.” She notes it also fits well with vegetarian cuisine: “This condiment and ingredient I love so much is incredibly good for you – it contains vitamin B, fibre, protein, iron and has anti-inflammatory properties.” The 100 or so joyful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired recipes in Tahini Baby just happen to be vegetarian. “When my first cookbook came out, a lot of people wanted to talk about the veg chapter, and my dips, and when I started to cook more on my online platform, Eden Eats, I found I was more interested in cooking that way,” says Grinshpan, who is not vegetarian. “Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food is so naturally veg-forward, full of legumes and grains, it just happened organically. … It was a natural way to incorporate more veg in my life.” Open this photo in gallery: Penguin canada From the Brekky and Brunch chapter, her basbousa pancakes are inspired by a sweet, syrup-soaked Egyptian semolina cake she loves. “This is my interpretation of this dish – pulling ingredients and flavours like semolina, pistachios and orange blossom water, which is such a unique and special ingredient. … You can use it in mocktails or cocktails to go along with your brunch.” “There’s a celebratory aspect to pancakes,” Grinshpan says. “Every time its my daughter’s birthday, there’s pancakes. Every time we have a cozy weekend together, there’s pancakes.” The recipe reflects the social, interactive vibe of her book and cooking style. “Any time you need to eat, it’s a good time to gather people around the table.” Basbousa Pancakes with Orange Blossom Syrup Excerpted from Tahini Baby by Eden Grinshpan with Rachel Holtzman. Photography by Chris Bernabeo. Published by Penguin Canada. A tip from Eden: If orange blossom water isn’t your thing, or you have trouble finding it (you may need to go to an international market or buy it online), then either leave it out, replace it with a squeeze of lemon juice, or skip the syrup altogether and go with classic maple syrup instead. Orange Blossom Syrup: 1⁄2 cup sugar 1⁄4 tsp orange blossom water (see note) 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1⁄2 lemon) Pancakes: 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour 3⁄4 cup semolina 1⁄3 cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt 3⁄4 cup whole milk 1⁄2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, plus more for serving 4 tbsp (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for cooking the pancakes 1 large egg Grated zest of 1 orange, plus more for serving 1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract For serving: Open this photo in gallery: Eden Grinshpan, author of the cookbook Tahini Baby.Kayla Rocca/Supplied 1⁄3 cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with ½ cup of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about five minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the orange blossom water and lemon juice. Cover to keep warm. Preheat the oven to 200 F. Make the pancakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, melted butter, egg, orange zest and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add three to four 1/4-cup dollops of the batter to the pan and cook until the tops of the pancakes begin to bubble and the edges are golden, about two minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another two minutes. Transfer the finished pancakes to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while you repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as needed. To serve: Stack the pancakes, sprinkle with the pistachios and orange zest, and pour the warm syrup over the top. Offer with Greek yogurt on the side.