The Ahmad Family in Egypt shows us what they eat. As popular uprisings continue to spread in Middle East, rising food costs for stable crops like rice and wheat cannot be ignored as underlying factors in the political unrest. In a region where Islam and anti-Westernism are usually blamed for driving populist politics, the impact […]
Spiky artichokes and bristly cardoons, to be exact. If you're looking to enrich your menus with less meat and more vegetarian food, take advantage of these thorny vegetables while they're still in season.
A blooming rooftop garden, or a share in a local CSA. Individual actions add up to change for the better in our fragile world. A far-off cry in the wind, that’s what the vital issue of climate change has become. Legislation imposing change on carbon-emitting industry drags. American politicians even argue that the U.S. can’t […]
Make your own chocolate treats with this easy sweet recipe. Valentine’s Day is behind us, but love of chocolate lingers (see our post on why Fair-Trade or organic chocolate is the ethical way to indulge). These rich mouthfuls have no added sugar and are packed with chocolatey goodness – a real slow-food dessert (like our […]
Does that box of luscious chocolates bear the taint of slavery? I eat an ounce of dark chocolate daily, for its antioxidant properties. And frankly, because I love chocolate. These chilly winter nights, my family asks me for hot chocolate milk, and I’m happy to simmer some up for them. But I go to a […]
Put up a tomato confit on your next day at home. Yes, fresh tomatoes are but a dream in frozen Northern countries right now. But here in the Middle East, hot house tomatoes are abundant and surprisingly inexpensive. I had six fat ones on my kitchen counter, just at the cusp between very ripe and […]
Are soy products increasing women’s health risks? Miriam takes up the debate. Hannah’s thoughtful post on increased breast size in modern women made me think of the effect of soy on hormone stimulation. The theory that genetically-modified, unfermented soy products stimulate estrogen flow production is gaining ground, paired with what we know about GM foods’ […]
A fine Mideast winter dish with protein-rich lentils and comforting noodles. According to author of The Book of Middle Eastern Food Claudia Rodin, flour noodles have been known here since ancient times and owe nothing to Italian pasta recipes. It’s pasta all the same, but known in the Middle East as rishta, from the Persian […]
Bolster your New Year’s food resolutions with seven recycled titles: largely published before 2011 but still relevant. Eating sustainably can make a huge impact on our planet. Dig in. 1. Eating Animals (Penguin, 2011) Part memoir, part science: novelist Jonathan Safran Foer’s takes a philosophical look at how we justify what we eat . Prepare […]
Piquant with booze and naturally sweet, these grilled oranges are a quick, sophisticated dessert for a winter dinner. It’s still officially winter in the Middle East, although spring is making a premature appearance with warm, windy days and scanty rain. Orange trees shed their heady fragrance over sidewalks and gardens, while open-air markets display piles […]
Enjoy this fruity bulgur salad at your Tu B’Shvat seder. Rabbi Judah, a sage who lived in the 2nd century, said that wheat – not an apple – was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The stalks of wheat in the Garden of Eden were thought to have been “as tall as the cedars […]
The recent riots that have rocked North Africa are not just about unemployment and political corruption but also the rising cost of basic food As violence spirals out of control in Tunisia and the death toll continues to rise, it’s clear that the concerns that are bringing people to the street are ones of basic […]
Classic Lebanese recipes for a tiny token price. Green Prophet has covered at least a dozen recipes from Lebanon. And now the LebGuide site is featuring a culinary opportunity — 100 classic Lebanese recipes you can download to your iPod or iPhone for $1.00. Very delicious! You must download iTunes in order to download the recipes. […]
Miriam offers three recipes for the liquorice-flavored fennel. From spring to the onset of fall, wild fennel Ferula communis waves feathery leaves and bright yellow flowers in open fields all over Israel. The aromatic seed-like fruit are sometimes used as seasonings (read about uses for fennel seeds in Part II of our spice medicines series). […]
The tastiest olives are the ones you pickle yourself. Read on for ways of upgrading store bought olives too.