Cafe Liz

White asparagus and purple potatoes with emmenthal and fennel

This mild-flavored dish plays with colors — white asparagus, purple potatoes. OK, maybe for some of you white asparagus isn’t such an oddity, but around here it is. In fact, it’s just beginning to make its presence felt in the market, as I described in a newspaper article. Continue reading White asparagus and purple potatoes with emmenthal and fennel…

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Rice noodles in coconut rhubarb curry

Most recipes for rhubarb involve turning it into mush, without taking advantage of the beautiful, red stalks’ appearance. Thai food often involves a mix of tart, lemony flavors. Hmm, I know! I’ll use the rhubarb in a stir-fry, with Thai seasonings!

I was inspired to make a savory rhubarb recipe by the New York Times, which put the vegetable into an Indian-inspired curry. Meanwhile, as I was planning dinner, I had this idea of making rice noodles in a coconut curry, and everything just fell into place. The rhubarb wound up being a great addition; its tart flavor nicely offset the coconut, lemon juice and cilantro, and it looked great sliced into thin sticks along with some purple carrot.

The end result isn’t exactly Thai, but more importantly, it tastes good. Continue reading Rice noodles in coconut rhubarb curry…

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Savory roasted loquats and plums

I’m always sad to see the various fruits fade out of season, to return only in a year. Fortunately, others are always arriving in their stead. At the neighborhood greengrocer today, as I was mourning the present passing of the citrus fruits, soon to be followed by strawberries, I was pleased to see that plums and loquats were ready to fill the gap. Well, not really. All fruits have their own special place, at the very least in my heart and appetite.

Loquats, or shesek (שסק) in Hebrew, have been coming into season for a few weeks now. I put off buying them until now, as the price dropped from 20 shekels a kilo to … well, I admit I didn’t actually check the price when I bought them today. In any case, shesek season is now in full swing, so expect more loquat recipes. Continue reading Savory roasted loquats and plums…

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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 yes, it seems the color of the cauliflower bled slightly onto the egg. Continue reading Spring frittata with purple cauliflower and green beans…

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Patatas bravas with vitelotte potatoes

I fondly remember my time in Madrid, which was marked by many a visit to various tapas bars, frequently for the ubiquitous patatas bravas — gently crispy potatoes in a hot tomato sauce. In fact, I liked the dish so much that I still have a bottle of salsa brava that I brought back from a trip more years ago than I’d like to admit. The brand is “Uncle William,” a subsidiary of Heinz. Authentic? I think not.

Lo and behold, like many ethnic comfort foods, patatas bravas are not hard to make yourself. I found a simple description on a Spanish blog, Directo al Palador (in Spanish), which explains that while this dish can be found all over Spain, the most authentic version is in Madrid, where they forgo the mayonnaise. The discussion that follows is about how the dish is served in Mallorca, Valencia, etc. It’s interesting to observe these regional variations in cuisines, where a region is often less than a 2-hour trip for the busy traveler. But how convenient when authenticity is also better for you. Continue reading Patatas bravas with vitelotte potatoes…

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Pretty purple salads

Since we eat a lot of salads, and since I purchased many purple vegetables, I’ve been making many salads with purple vegetables. Most don’t really merit their own posts, since they’re not all that complicated, and what you see is what you get. However, they are awfully pretty, so I’m posting some of the photos. Continue reading Pretty purple salads…

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Pasta with purple cauliflower and walnut cream sauce

It’s yet another purple dish! As purple food week continues, today we had pasta for lunch, topped with a cream sauce of purple cauliflower and walnuts. Beyond being colorful on its own, the cauliflower lent the sauce a light purple tint. Continue reading Pasta with purple cauliflower and walnut cream sauce…

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Tomato salad with purple onion and pepper

Purple food week continues: This is the sister dish to yesterday’s post. Another simple, easy-to-make salad, this time with tomatoes and red-hot — or should I say purple-hot — pepper from the ornamental pepper plant outside our kitchen window. Continue reading Tomato salad with purple onion and pepper…

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Purple potato salad with lemon and cilantro

Purple food week continues: Tonight I made a light salad out of vitelotte potatoes, with a gentle dressing of olive oil and lemon. Continue reading Purple potato salad with lemon and cilantro…

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Soup with purple cauliflower and blue cheddar

This dish truly takes advantage of the colorful vegetables I’m preparing for my purple vegetable week, with my lovely purple cauliflower: a white cauliflower cream soup, spotted with roasted purple florets. Continue reading Soup with purple cauliflower and blue cheddar…

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