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2012

Ghormeh sabzi — Persian herb soup

One day when I was feeling particularly stir-crazy, I packed the baby into the carrier and took a bus down to the Levinsky Street market. There, we made our way through the narrow, crowded streets to Salimi, arguably the area’s best little restaurant for Persian food. Just the two of …

Jerusalem, where food and cultures collide — a cookbook review

Could a book entitled “Jerusalem” really not be political — even if that book is a cookbook? That was the main question in my mind as I waited to receive a review copy of Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s latest book, named after the city where both chefs were born …

Fresh yeast sufganiyot — Hanukkah donuts

I’m going to admit it — I’m not into Roladin donuts. We may have another week to go until Hanukkah begins, but the Roladin donuts have been out in force for a while now, due to popular demand (and marketing). I must be the only person in the country who …

Coffee with a side of rockets

On Thursday evening, my city came under rocket fire for the first time since the Gulf War 20 years ago. Now, we’re in the Middle East here, but I’ve generally tried to avoid politics on my blog. But writing about food seems a little frivolous at the moment when the …

Black rice pilaf with beet and goat feta

Pilafs are a lovely, easy way to make a quick meal — a wide range of ingredients meld together into a coherent whole. So I’ve been making a lot of them lately. The base here is black rice — not wild rice, which can cost as much as 60 shekels …

Flame-roasted eggplant with chipotle-lime tahini

One of the things Israel lacks is Mexican and Tex-Mex food. We have plenty of ethnic food here, as I’ve noted before, but it tends to be from different ethnicities, those with more of a presence here. And we don’t have many Mexicans. That said, some of the key ingredients …

Black lentil salad with pomegranate and baby greens

Little pomegranate jewels poke out from a jumble of shiny black lentils, resting on a tousled bed of greens — a lovely light meal that couldn’t be easier to prepare. And seasonal, too. It’s been a long few months — too long, perhaps, as this is the longest I’ve ever …

Majadera with caramelized pumpkin

One of the ironies of the Israeli summer is pumpkin. Because when it’s so hot that you want to crawl out of your skin, there’s nothing more appealing than a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup. Or stewed pumpkin. Because this is when pumpkin (and other so-called “winter squashes”) are in …

Apple chunk breakfast loaf

My apple guy is one of my favorite market vendors. Always with a ready smile when I’m buying or even just passing by. Last time I was there, he introduced me to his grandchildren, though you’d hardly guess he’s a grandfather by his looks. And, oh, he likes to sit …

A stroll through Acre (Akko)

It’s vacation month. Daycares are on break, Yeshivas are on break, we’re on break — the end of my husband’s paternity leave, to be precise. I’m already back at work, actually.* But with this scorching summer heat, all we really want to do most days is sit out our vacation …