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 I’m not complaining. The highlight of the week was a trip to Underwood Family Farms and this dish. Honestly, I was pretty impressed with it and with myself. Besides looking amazing, it was…
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…
They should teach in elementary school how to make basic bread. All humans should know how to create this godly attribute. Even French people and lawyers. The process of mixing flour, yeast (or sourdough starter), salt and water into a…
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…
Every year for Thanksgiving, I let my American friends to be in charge of the holiday traditional’s dishes while I’m in charge of cooking a few vegetable sides and plant-based mains. The recipes below aren’t fussy or fancy but they’re…
As much as I love desserts and sweets, for some reason I am not a big fan of sweet potatoes on their own. They’re too intense for me. I love them only when their sweetness is balanced with acidic and…
According to Wikipedia, Baba Ganoush is a Levantine dish. According to me, it’s Shabbat at my mother’s. She has been making it every Friday for Shabbat dinner since I was a kid. Some people make their baba G with tahini…
Even as a recipe developer I sometimes don’t know what to make for dinner. When nothing comes to mind I start rinsing and peeling the vegetables I have in hand. And while doing so something interesting happens. I start cooking…
We, my immediate and extended family and I, live on side dishes. Instead of making a main dish with a side dish, we make two or three vegetables dishes with a condiment on the side or a bunch of mezzes…
Carrot isn’t the most exciting vegetable, right? But when you steam it lightly, to soften it just slightly, then mix it with homemade harissa (or store bought) and lemon juice it becomes the sultan of the garden. So make a…
I know that many of you don’t like eggplants, but you know how I always say, “you must try it again and again until your palate is hooked.” Especially when the eggplants are roasted in a Dutch oven for an…
In the hot summer days, when I can’t eat anything but vegetables, I like to roast any vegetables I have in hand and serve them with some sort of a grain, such as rice or couscous, cilantro parsley or dill,…