Cafe Liz

The streets surrounding the Damascus gate are one of my favorite places for food shopping in Jerusalem. The markets teem with people, and competition is fierce. Unlike the markets in Tel Aviv, you won’t find any exotic imports or the latest agricultural trends — no French bread or purple potatoes here — but you will find lots of classic Arab staples, done well. After all, when you have half a dozen coffee roasters in such close proximity to one another, [...]

It’s been a pleasant, sunny and slightly chilly spring, but spring nonetheless. And as the seasons change, the market is offering the first springtime and summer fruits — namely, stone fruits. That includes loquats, a few too-solid peaches and nectarines, and green almonds. Yes, green almonds — generally grown for the pit, more familiar as a nut, at this time of year you can still eat the green outer fruit itself. The flesh is tart and quite hard, while the [...]

Stuffed grape leaves are labor intensive, which is part of their charm. Or something. They’re lovely to eat, but let’s be honest — making (and serving) them is a declaration that you’ve invested a heckuva lot of time in that meal. That’s part of what makes them such a centerpiece for some cultures — what better way to show off to the neighbors and guests? — but it also can make them a bit impractical. Still, they’re nice to eat [...]

Bimuelos are a highly personal affair for anyone who makes them. One February afternoon last year, I walked into the Pensos’ borekas shop at the Levinsky Street spice market. “By the way, do you make bimuelos for Passover?” I asked Moshe Penso as he took filo dough out of the freezer. They did, of course. Bimuelos are a Turkish Passover staple, and I’ve been eating them all my life. It’s my favorite holiday food, and maybe just one of my [...]

It's that time of year again, and hopefully you're ready for Passover. Well, it doesn't really matter, because Passover starts tonight whether you like it or not. Hopefully you like it. If you're like me, you've been eagerly anticipating Passover food for weeks now. I haven't gotten around to trying out new recipes before the holiday, though, so this is my round-up from last year, with a few additions. Either way, hopefully some of my Passover recipes can make your [...]

This hot soup segues between seasons, combining the warm comfort needed for winter’s swan song with the bright zest of tomatoes and basil. Is it spring yet? Technically yes, although all the winter colds and flus are yet to receive the memo, and we still have some rain in the forecast. So best eat your soup now, before it’s too warm.

Sometimes us city folk want a little bit of country. It’s not like the countryside is all that far away, but given how long it takes us to plan a trip out of the city, you’d think this were a trip abroad. Even for a strong incentive such as good food — it took us more than a year to get organized and attend the Mateh Yehuda regional food festival. In other words, we missed last year’s festival, but this [...]

I had unfinished business with this rice. I was heating the last leftover serving in the microwave when my glass plate shattered into a thousand shards — why does this always happen when I’m reheating rice? I had to dump the whole thing into the trash. I was actually more upset to lose the rice than the plate. I’d been looking forward to eating that rice. This is a simple concoction, but its rich and savory flavor makes a good [...]

This is a classic little salad, one of the basics you’ll often find served at falafel stands and lunchtime restaurants. It’s a pleasant, simple creation with a sharp, fiery tang from lemon juice and raw garlic, along with a slight bitterness from the lemon peels. You can make it by grating up some whole carrots, or, say, using the carrot cores left over from my stuffed carrot recipe. As a bonus, if you happen to use brightly colored carrots, then [...]