Cafe Liz

This is another family recipe that simply means Passover to me. My mother learned this recipe from her Turkish grandmother and aunts growing up in Brooklyn. Apparently the word mina means pie in Judeo-Spanish (commonly known as Ladino), and the proper name for this recipe is actually mina de espinaka — spinach pie. My family seems to have shortened the name to mina, since we don’t really make any other kinds of traditional Turkish pies. Believe it or not, my [...]

My mother learned to make bimuelos from her maternal grandmother, who brought the recipe with her from Istanbul, along with her special bimuelo pan. I don’t know anyone else who makes bimuelos for Passover, beyond my immediate family. And it’s a pity. They’re quite good. The word bimuelo merely means a fried dough delicacy in Judeo-Spanish. You could consider my family’s version a kind of Sephardi matzo ball — the batter is similar, but instead of being cooked in chicken [...]

This is charoset like my mother makes it. It’s not so pretty, but then again, she says it’s supposed to look like the mortar that was used to build the pyramids (although some would argue that there was no mortar involved, only well-cut stones). Historical accuracy aside, this charoset is pleasantly sweet without being cloying. There are hundreds of ways of making this traditional Passover spread, one of the key elements on the Seder plate. It can include a wide [...]

Cafe Liz is going kosher for Passover: I’ve cleaned the kitchen and thrown out last year’s matzo. Oh, and I’ve also gone through all my recipes, and pulled out the ones that suit the holiday, based on both Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions. Kosher for Passover recipes by Sephardi standards Kosher for Passover recipes by Ashkenazi standards (kitniyot free) And, for more Passover-specific content: Passover holiday recipes Update: Latest Passover content on Cafe Liz If you keep Sephardi Passover like my [...]

I’m not entirely sure this merits a recipe, but it certainly merits a photo. So I might as well explain how I made it. We’ve been buying purple vegetables since we discovered them at the Friday farmer’s market in the Tel Aviv port. They definitely liven up any meal. And yes, it seems the color of the cauliflower bled slightly onto the egg.

Tabouleh is parsley salad worth its weight in gold. Each individual ingredient needs personal, painstaking preparation. Cutting the vegetables is an art form. This is another dish I learned during my time in Haifa, from my roommate Naifeh. We would have tabouleh days, and the girls would sit around together, methodologically chopping ingredient after ingredient. Tabouleh, alternately spelled tabbouleh or tabbouli, is one of those dishes that everyone loves to claim. I can see why — it’s good. The Lebanese [...]

I made this ice cream in honor of my cousin and her fiancee when they came to visit. I really had no excuse other than that. That, and everyone agrees it tastes fabulous. How fabulous? It’s quite possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever made.