I’m taking a break from creating new content to focus on a new project: introducing my grandmother’s Moroccan sesame anise cookies to America. Family and friends keep asking for them, so I’ve been mailing cookies all over the place. If…
I love stuffed vegetables but I’m rarely in the mood to make it myself. Though I love stuffing leaves — it’s like rolling a joint (says the woman who, in 51 years, has never actually rolled one). It’s satisfying —…
Pita is a hiding place, a sleeping bag, an edible bowl. Anything you tuck into a pita will be delicious. No wonder Eyal Shani’s Miznon restaurants are so successful. He didn’t invent pita sandwiches, but he showed the world that,…
There are only a few ways I can tolerate the sweetness of butternut squash: when it’s roasted and mixed with harissa or something spicy and tart that settles its intense sweetness, in spicy curries, and in this semi-gratin. I craved…
I’m going to make a bold statement that might be false, but I’ll make it anyway. Creative cooks don’t do weekly meal planning. The only planning I do is in my head and when I’m walking through the produce section.…
As a content creator I don’t use it as much as I could. I mostly use it for proofreading. It’s very helpful for people whose English is a second language, it’s a life-changing tool. I am aware of the risk…
Another childhood dish that I modified and turned into a delicious vegan dish—my Moroccan mother (and grandmother) makes it with chicken legs or beef. When I was little, this was the only eggplant dish I liked. I love it when…
My life is better now in many ways, but it isn’t as adventurous and exciting as it used to be when I was in my twenties or thirties, or like the lives of all those National Geographic photographers — you…
Did you know that garlic is more than a pungent and medicinal ingredient? It’s also a powerful spiritual symbol. In many cultures, garlic is believed to protect from evil spirits and negative energies. Some cultures and spiritual practices used garlic…
The first time I had celeriac “hummus” was in Habasta, an exquisite restaurant in Tel Aviv. I was surprised by the intense earthy flavor of the celery root. It blew my mind. I remember thinking out loud, I have to…
Throwing away the beet tops is like tossing a gorgeous strand of human hair instead of donating it. What a weird analogy. It’s a shame not to cook those flavorful Swiss chard-like leaves. Particularly when organic and intact. They are…
I don’t know how comfortable you are about including non-traditional dishes, like this one, in your Thanksgiving feast. If you are open to it, then you must try this one. It requires only four ingredients and take about 30 minutes…
Summer, you’re hot, toasty, sweaty, smelly, exhausting, Yet, I miss you in the winter and welcome you with open arms in the spring. You and this refreshing and light cauliflower dish. This recipe works also with labneh or lemony tahini.
Not much is happening these days, but no complaints. The highlight of this week was a trip to Underwood Family Farms. That and this dish. I was pretty impressed myself, because this is exactly the kind of dish that makes…
When I was a kid, my mother cooked eggplants at least twice a week. I didn’t mind the eggplant cooked with meat and tomatoes, but I found the baba ganoush disgusting. I couldn’t even look at it. My love affair…
I always associate the word Turkish with food, good food – even when someone brings up Turkish prisons, Turkish Coffee or the Bride from Istanbul. Unfortunately, I’ve never been to Turkey yet but it’s on the top of my list.…
My favorite meals are those vibrant dinners which are assembled from a bunch of dips, sides and small plates instead of ordinary main dish-side-and-salad dinner. We eat like that everyday but it never gets boring because they are colorful and…
Who was the genius that came up with the idea to infuse oil with spices? Every culture has their oil infusion. My mother always have a jar of oil infused with sweet paprika and hot paprika ready to use in…
Kids should learn in elementary school how to make basic bread. All humans should know how to make this human creation. Including lawyers and doctors. The process of mixing flour, yeast (or sourdough starter), salt, and water into a dough,…
My friend brought this mezze over for Shabbat dinner (Friday night). Her Kurdish-Iraqi grandmother used to make it. It’s teenager friendly. My 13 year-old son, who’s an adventurous eater but eggplant hater, loved it. You can serve with other mezzes…