New York Style Bagels

FYI, You do not need New York water to make New York-style bagels. It’s a myth. Any tap water will do. Bagels are not a New York invention. They were made by European Jewish immigrants long before they arrived in…

Potato Salad With Herb

I love potatoes! Anything that is made with potatoes. From Russian potato salad to tortilla Española to Belgian pommes frites to campfire potatoes. Now that we have a fireplace – the second-best invention after a dryer – we bake them…

Root Vegetable Hummus

I had started to write this post in the summer, while we where visiting Israel, but never finished it for the same reasons I haven’t been able to start or finish any posts since leaving Los Angeles back in June; lack of time, lack of motivation…

Black Bean Kibbeh

 Honestly, I don’t know what to call this dish. I think Kibbeh is the most appropriate name for it other then experimenting with black beans – I was trying to make veggie burger  but I over-processed the beans and added a large egg, which made the mixture too mushy to…

Veggie burgers with melted tahini

The first time I had a burger was in the beginning of nineties, in Israel. It was soon after I moved in with my twin friends. David, their New Yorker dad/excellent cook made them for lunch.  The first time I had a veggie burger was in 2000 at a…

Hand-Crafted Chocolate Bars

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…

Mushroom & Lentil Soup

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…