If you know me you know I love eggplant (see the best eggplant dip recipe in the world). It’s such a versatile veggie and it’s something I discovered first in Turkey, then Syria, tasting my way through Jordan and then Israel. We know you’ve been dying to know when eggplant first arrived to the region. […]
The restaurant business is loaded with opportunities for cooperating with Mother Nature and with the goals of a modern, green society. From training a staff to choosing a menu, in style and substance, globally conscious restaurant owners can find ways to help them sleep well at night. 1.Cleanliness Keeping a restaurant going requires a dedication […]
Honey is a magical elixir. Mystical even. And our love for it goes way back to the earliest signs of advanced civilization. Archeologists have found pots of it in ancient tombs in Egypt placed there as a gift to the gods because it was so loved. Honey experts and beekeepers I’ve met say that honey […]
Flying Spark, a new insect-protein producer, will join the first “IKEA Bootcamp” startup accelerator. The launch of this unique boot camp generated more than 1,200 applications from 86 different countries, but just 10 start-ups will join the IKEA product development center in Sweden next week. Flying Spark is a new food-tech company focused on all-natural protein extracted […]
Fermenting is all the rage, from lemons, to bread to pickles. It’s good for gut health, the immune system and your soul. A new study from Asia finds that compounds in a fermented fish paste used as a condiment in Indonesia efficiently inhibit an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, which can help reduce bad cholesterol. […]
Raven Littleone is my new best friend. To some I call her my half-guru (her partner Peter being the other half), or my mentor. She and Peter Steel, also known as Grampa Gnome, live in the middle of the forest, off the grid using solar power, and wood, and somewhere in a remote part of […]
Egyptians aren’t as well known for their food as let’s say the Turks, or the Lebanese, and now modern Israel, but if there is one singular thing I love about Egypt, it’s their tea. I first tasted Egyptian tea in Sinai, where it’s known as Karkadey tea, and the Israelis translate this to hibiscus. But […]
For years empirical evidence has suggested that the Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of fish, nuts, olive oil, fruits and vegetables, is superior to others, but it has been exceptionally difficult to prove the relationship between food and diet given that so many other factors can influence a person’s health. Plus, let’s face it: […]
I stood in a golden wheat field some five miles north of Acre in Israel. Paul Nirens of the Galileat organization had arranged a demonstration with a local farmer, to show us how the Druze traditionally roast green wheat for freekeh. To reach the field, we’d driven over a ditch of teeth-rattling bumpiness, part of the […]
Does a vision of rich, creamy, sweet and cheesy dessert with a crunchy topping totally seduce you? Well, it seduces people with a sweet tooth everywhere in the Levant. In Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Greece and Turkey, good housewives make knafeh, the most luxurious dairy dessert.
Available for only a short season, green favas are considered a delicacy in the Middle East. Springtime in the market (shuk), and lots of prime greens have made their once-yearly appearance. Fresh green peas and artichokes, which I love to eat stuffed. Fresh green garlic to hang up and dry for the year. And fresh […]
Keep your chocolate pure, fair trade and organic: a guide to eating chocolate the green way. Chocolate is alternately portrayed as a sinful delight – damaging to your health and your waistline – or as a food with health benefits. So which is it? According to the Mayo Clinic website, a trusted health authority in […]
Green Prophet delves into the bloody and murky business of shark fishing and fining in the United Arab Emirates Following the recent shocking incident where a pregnant hammerhead female shark and its forty-five pups were found dead at a fish market in Dubai, we decided to delve a little deeper into the murky business of […]
Maca, goji berries… what gives? Miriam shows how to buy local superfoods without the cost and fancy wasteful packaging. Colorful, flavorful, wonderful, natural products crammed with every natural antioxidant, mineral, micro-nutrient, essential fatty acid and protein you can think of. And I can get them for you, too – wholesale. What? These aren’t superfoods? You’re […]
Make your own cheese spread, Labneh. Easy and delicious! Breakfast in the Middle East. There’s black coffee. Pita. Chopped cucumbers and tomatoes. Olive oil to drizzle at will. And labneh, a thick, yoghurt-based cheese whose sour taste perfectly complements vegetables, bread like zalabya, and olive oil. Labneh is as easy to make as our ricotta recipe. […]
Within Islam there are many herbs, plants and fruits that are believed to have medicinal and healing properties. Olive, pomegranate, dates and figs are amongst those that are directly mentioned in the Qur’an as blessed foods. However, there is only one that can stake a claim as a super food and that is Black cumin […]
A play on words and a plea for blessings. Start the Jewish New Year with a variety of salads that symbolize things you desire. Rosh Hashana’s symbolic foods represent things we ask to be granted in the coming year, the Jewish New Year. But they simply might represent words. Enjoy these easy-to-make symbolic salads and […]
Baba ganoush, baba ghannouj or baba ghannoug (Arabic بابا غنوج ) is an Arab dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. It’s one of the best flavors the Middle East has to offer. Scientists say after seven or so years your body’s bones and organs regenerate, meaning most of us are a […]
The USA allows them, and the EU has banned them, but the controversy over genetically modified foods is far from over, globally or in the Middle East. While Israel prohibits the import of genetically modified seeds, according to a 2009 article in Haaretz, even green-savvy consumers may be eating their fair share of Frankenfoods. (Genetically […]
Ma’moul means “filled” or “stuffed” in Arabic, and these tender, crumbly pastries are stuffed with dates or nuts. Traditionally, they’re made in special wooden molds that imprint the pastry with individual designs – so you know if your ma’amoul is stuffed with walnuts, dates, or pistachios, without having to take a bite. People all over […]
The continent of Africa evokes emotion: on one hand there is the impressive landscape, African tribal cultures attached to their roots, and the massive land mammals that still roam wild. But there is another side of Africa, which is much less romantic, brought to the world’s attention through Live Aid and Sally Struthers’ commercials: its […]
Many of us are rushing around today, crossing things off lists though simultaneously putting new ones on, trying to get ready for Rosh Hashanah. It’s a big food holiday – bigger than most, even – and most of us will have family recipes and traditional fare serving as the staples for dinner tonight. Far be […]
