Banana amaretto waffles
This batter yields a soft, mildly banana-flavored waffle, good enough to eat without syrup. I found sweet, ripe bananas at the shook, which were perfect (for waffles as well as any other baked good).
Roasted red pepper salad
This is a very simple roasted pepper recipe I learned while I was living in Madrid, from my landlady/host Sra. Pilar in her high-ceilinged apartment in the upscale neighborhood of Salamanca. That was quite possibly the most I’ve ever paid to rent a room, but I guess it was worth …
Matzo balls with vegetable soup and Middle Eastern spices
Sorry Maneschevitz, but I see no reason to make matzo balls from a mix — they’re pretty simple to make from scratch. I also think that the whole search for the perfect matzo ball recipe is a bit overrated. Matzo (matzah) balls are basically matzo meal mixed with egg, and …
Mina (Passover spinach pie)
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 …
Bimuelos (sweet Passover dumplings)
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 …
My mom’s charoset
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 …
Cafe Liz goes kosher for Passover
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 …
Spring frittata with purple cauliflower and green beans
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 …
Tabouleh — chopped parsley salad
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, …
Banana pecan ice cream
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.