Alex: Mommy, if Anthony Bourdain came over to dinner at our house, do you think he would like your food? Me: I think he would, but he might need to go eat some pork belly or lobster fat afterwards. I actually have a few things…
I love Thai food but I don’t like it when restaurants make it overly sweet. Sugar has a negative affect on the immune system. I feel weak when I eat it and my slender body immediately becomes an greenhouse for fungus.
I came across this recipe while flipping through a beautiful cookbook in Barnes & Noble. Unfortunately I didn’t write down the title of the book so I can’t credit the author. I made because I needed to do something with…
I think my purpose in life is to make chocolate bars. I would love to make honest good dark chocolate bars for living. Just like those crafty bars Dick Taylor or Dandelion make. I’m salivating just thinking about pure, rich, bitter, mildly sweet chocolate. I prefer chocolate that is made with…
I adapted this recipe from Green Kitchen Stories blog. Their recipe call for Chanterelle mushrooms but (a) I didn’t have any and (b) the price here for one pound (half a kilo) chanterelles is $42. I’m sure it tastes divine but the the humble…
Chermoula is a marinade that North Africans use in their cooking. It is usually used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used with legume and vegetables. Very healthy. It’s strange, for someone who grew up in a Moroccan home, I…
Really, Shelly? Avocado? Come on. Why not? Avocado is a fruit. In South America they eat avocado with sugar, so why can’t it work with chocolate? I knew it. I knew she wouldn’t approve this recipe. It doesn’t matter how…
I discovered this delicious dish at a Thanksgiving dinner at friends’. I could tell immediately that it was right up my alley – humble yet sophisticated, and charming. My friend found it in the New York Times cooking section. As…
There’s a traditional Moroccan fish recipe that my mother, and the rest of the Moroccan Jews around the world make every Friday for Shabbat dinner. I’ve never met anyone who grew up in a Moroccan home who doesn’t get nostalgic about…
“No iPad today.”“But why not?”“Because you don’t use your brain anymore.”“Yes I do.”“Not enough.”“Okay, so can I use the computer?”“No, Aba said no electronics today.”“What if I clean my room or take the garbage out, can I use it then?”“No.”“Why…
Before I say anything about this rice bowl/salad, I want to get something out of my system. Hi, my name is Shelly and I am addicted to TED talks. It started after I turned forty a few months ago. I didn’t mind turning…
I want to pack these stuffed dates in their lunch boxes for a snack, but I know they won’t eat them. I’ve tried sending dried fruits and nuts before but they came back. Alex accused me of ruining his life.…
Yes, I am alive, and today, after six hectic months, I can finally say, ‘alive and well.’ I survived the move from our two-bedroom, one-bathroom townhouse to a three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse! Two-and-a-half bathrooms, technically. Now we each have our own…
The inspiration for these beautiful chocolate palettes (rounds) came from a very chi-chi restaurant cookbook called Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook. I’ve never eaten at the restaurant, but I heard from the friend who gave me this book as a…
Bread pudding is like a cake. It’s not something I would eat for breakfast on a weekly or monthly basis. I only make it when I have leftover challah from Shabbat. Last Sunday my husband used a third of the…
While ninety percent of the people on earth need coffee in the morning to wake up, I start my day with herbal tea. I am like a hurricane once I get out of bed. I usually make a large mug…
It’s been a long time… Two days ago I arrived back from a marvelous week in Paris. It was a trip that my mother, older sister and I have been dreaming to do together for years. (Aunt Shuli tagged along.) For my…
I know, it’s oxymoron to call it shakshuka because shakshuka is always made with eggs but it does taste like shakshuka. We, Israelis, often eat our shakshuka with tahini so the combination of cooked tomatoes and tahini is what makes it…
Most of the Moroccan Jews I know, including my mother and siblings, would never ever make any Shabbat or holiday dishes on a weekday, and vice versa. My mother, for example, would never make matbucha, a spicy tomato jam, or…
