Cafe Liz

Herbed yogurt dip with chives and zaatar

This dip won over a self-proclaimed hater of zaatar (my husband) and another self-proclaimed hater of herbs (a good friend). Zaatar is quite popular in this part of the Middle East, and is frequently sold as a dry spice mix, which also includes sesame and sumac (and sometimes salt). But this dip contains fresh zaatar, which is nothing like dry zaatar — it has more of an herbal taste, and somewhat resembles oregano. Here it serves as an interesting compliment to the fresh chives, which give the yogurt a cool, refreshing flavor. I wouldn’t have used dry zaatar in this dish, as a matter of personal choice, but fresh zaatar is lovely.

For those without a zaatar plant growing on the patio, fresh oregano leaves would work well in place. Or, you could try making this with dried zaatar, or even zaatar spice mix — you’ll get a different flavor, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Continue reading Herbed yogurt dip with chives and zaatar …

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Orna & Ella’s sweet potato pancakes

I guess I lack holiday spirit. It’s Hanukkah, but I haven’t been able to get in the mood for grease. After making six types of latkes last year, and frying them in more than enough oil to keep a hanukkiyah burning for eight days, I went a different route this year — potato pancakes that don’t have much in common with the Hanukkah staple, beyond the name. These sweet potato pancakes are the signature dish of Orna & Ella, a [...]

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Cauliflower stir-fry with miso chili sauce

Here’s a nice combination of stir-fried cauliflower (mine happened to be purple) with an Asian-inspired sauce. The miso adds a little more depth to this dish than just plain soy sauce.

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