Zaynab Issa
Associate Food Editor
Zaynab Issa is an associate food editor at Bon Appétit. After working on a self-published zine that formalized her family’s East-African Indian recipes, she began freelancing at Buzzfeed and contributing culturally rooted recipes and stories to Bon Appétit and Food52. She’s an avid baker and carb lover. Her approach to recipe development keeps the home cook front of mind, prioritizing ease and flexibility. Zaynab grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Baruch College with a B.A. in Journalism and Marketing. She currently lives in New York and enjoys creating video content for TikTok, scouring thrift stores for platters and purses, and exploring New York’s restaurant scene in her free time.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal
Use brown sugar to mimic the sweetness of soft white sandwich bread.
Quick and Cheesy Omelet Roll-Up
Your favorite new breakfast on the run has plenty of melty cheese and spice.
Get Up & Go Blueberry Date Cocoa Smoothie
Sweetened with dates and boosted with coffee, this fruity smoothie gets its creamy texture from a simple trick: puréeing the dates before adding the frozen fruit.
These 5 Recipes Connect Me to My Memories of Tanzania
Like strip steak with kachumber and coconut cardamom cake.
Seared Salmon Paka
Quickly seared salmon takes a bath in silky, aromatic coconut curry in this inspired take on East African machi paka.
Coconut and Cardamom Cake
Aromatic and flavorful, this tender butter cake features both coconut and cardamom for a floral, tropical take on classic yellow cake.
Peppery Potato Frittata
The star of this potato frittata is the golden strips of shallow-fried russets suspended in the creamy, peppery, quiche-like filling.
Mishkaki-Style Strip Steak With Kachumber
Kachumber, a classic side salad in Swahili cuisine, balances out rich steak whose marinade is inspired by East African grilled beef skewers called mishkaki.
Sparkling Tangawizi
Balanced and refreshing, this sparkling soda features plenty of fresh ginger for a sweet heat.
17 Salty-Tangy Preserved Lemon Recipes to Use Up the Whole Jar
From pasta to salad to cake (yes, cake).
Creamy Preserved Lemon Dressing
Inspired by classic blue cheese dressing, this citrusy version leans on pantry-friendly preserved lemon to bring the salty funk-factor.
Coronation Curried Chicken Salad Pastries
This curried chicken salad is delicious in a sandwich, but gets even better between layers of flaky, buttery puff pastry.
Pasta al Preserved Limone
Preserved lemon works its complex, briny magic in this unexpected, pantry-friendly, and speedy take on classic pasta al limone.
Sheet-Pan Merguez Hash With Fried Eggs
Free your merguez from its casings and have yourself a meal in no time. Runny yolks from crispy-edged fried eggs provide a saucy balance.
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
This creamy, dreamy vegetarian pasta bake is a cross between spinach ricotta ravioli and baked ziti. Make ahead and freeze it for months for dinner on demand.
Roasted Carrot Soup With Crispy Shallots
This sheet-pan soup featuring deeply roasted vegetables and earthy, spicy ginger is the ultimate hands-off approach to dinner.
Brown-Butter Banana Nut Muffins
All the fun of banana bread in a portable, oh-so-charming package. Plus, it all comes together in one bowl for easy cleanup.
Sheet-Pan Orange Tofu and Broccoli
A take-out favorite meets sheet-pan dinner in this vegetarian take on orange chicken, featuring extra-firm tofu and a fresh, zingy sauce.
Chipotle-Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
This vegetarian cauliflower taco recipe uses the smoky adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles to bring big flavor to the titular roasted veggies.