She stood in her kitchen, by the countertop in her flowery cotton dress, her weaved belt hugging her tiny waist and a slippery foulard covering half of her henna-colored hair.

She stood, my nana, with her frail arms and her wrinkles and a stained apron, watching over her lunch already on the stove and whipping some eggs and flour together. She looked at me smiling. I kissed her on her rosy, warm cheeks and took a seat on the kitchen table.

The oven was on and the same handy chair was keeping the oven door from crushing down. She handed me a plate and two eggs to break. She said something about getting ready for this afternoon — cookies to bake, lemons to pick from her big lemon tree, and some ironing to do.

Growing up in Algeria, spring vacations were spent with my grandparents and their German shepherd, Rita. Every Thursday morning, it was the same ritual. The same chores, tirelessly walking from one room to the other, anticipating the afternoon, the long walk and the concrete stairs that would lead her closer and closer to her sister, to her niece — to talk, to share a cup of coffee and croquet (biscotti in French) with them.

The dishes were done quickly, the kitchen floor mopped, the white shutters closed and the husband sent to bed for his nap. As I was getting dressed and my nana was putting Nivea crème on her face, her almond and orange biscotti were cooling on the kitchen table and I couldn't wait for the afternoon to come, for us to walk through the narrow paths of the village and the bumpy pavement. Me holding her hands tightly and she snuggling her biscotti, oh, those biscotti, in her little basket.

I can never forget the taste of her biscotti, the ochre-colored plate she arranged them on, the red and black-colored checkered napkin she used to wrap them tightly, and the delicate smell escaping from the oven and filling the entire house with the soothing scent of orange and love.

As Purim and Easter are just around the corner, those little gems would make a marvelous gift in a food basket and a fabulous addition to your table, along with tea or coffee and loved ones. You can replace the almonds easily with walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or cashews. You can also add about half a cup of dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins to make it even tastier.

My favorite almond and orange biscotti
Makes about 24 pieces

• 2 cups (315g)  all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
•  ½ tsp salt
•  2 large eggs
•  ¾ cups (185g)  sugar
•  ½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
•  2 tsp orange zest
•  1 tsp vanilla extract
•  1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350F (180C). In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light in color and thick, about three minutes. Beat in the melted butter, orange zest, and vanilla extract on low speed until blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until incorporated. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the almonds. The dough will be soft and sticky. Let sit in the bowl for two minutes.

Scoop half of the dough onto one half of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With slightly wet hands, shape the dough  into a log 10 inches long and three inches wide. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the logs three inches apart. Always with damp fingers, gently smooth the surface of the logs.

Bake the logs until they are crisp and golden on the outside but still soft on the inside,  20-25 min. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for five minutes.

With a wide spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife (or the sharpest chef knife you have), cut each log crosswise on the diagonal into slices 3/4 inch (2 cm). Return the slices of biscotti to the baking sheet and bake until the cookies are crisp and brown on the outside, 17-22 min. Cool completely on a wire rack. The interiors of the cookies become crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Local shopping spots

I always bake with aluminum free baking powder because it doesn't give a metallic after taste to my baked goods. Whole Foods brand 365 is the one I always reach for.

Hiller's Market is having a sale on navel oranges at 79 cents /pound. The price is good through March 27, according to its most recent advertisement.