Coriander, lemon, and four kinds of vegetables make a mouth-watering vegetarian couscous. Natural locavores, good Middle Eastern cooks take pleasure in seeking out the very best and freshest vegetables in the open-air markets, transforming inexpensive local ingredients into delicious traditional foods. Some examples include mulukhiya (our mulukhiya recipe here) and couscous. While couscous is often […]
In the time it takes to go out and buy fast food or wait for the home delivery, you can whip up delicious home-made – and healthy – sandwiches. It takes five minutes to put together a sandwich based on foods from the pantry and fridge. And you save money using up some of the […]
Fresh corn makes all the difference in these golden muffins – a treat for family and guests. Right now in Israel it’s the Sukkot holiday, and visiting time as friends and neighbors go sukkah-hopping from one home to the next. It’s time to catch up with neighborhood news, refresh friendships, and relax with people instead […]
Did you know it’s a mitzvah to eat well before the Yom Kippur fast? Kreplach (Ashkenazic traditional stuffed noodle dumplings) are a delicious addition to the pre-fast meal. This year, Yom Kippur starts on Friday evening the 17th of September, and lasts till Shabbat is over on Saturday night. Although the fast falls on Shabbat, […]
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 […]
Impress your date and reduce your negative impact on the environment with a green-ified date. Dating can be rough. Firstly, it can be hard to find that special someone (which is facilitated, in our modern times, by some form of online dating site or one of those popular US dating sites), and secondly, it can […]
Foods flavored with honey symbolize the desire for a sweet New Year in the Jewish calendar.
Plums are juicy and sweet, and also versatile in the kitchen. Have you ever tried stewing them? Summer heat can really bring you down and when it comes to cooking, nobody wants to slave over a hot stove. On the other hand, we all still want nice fresh food. What a conundrum! When it comes […]
Cool, silky, creamy flan with its veil of caramel syrup. Make it at home for a fabulous slow-food dessert.
Sun tea is nature’s equivalent of the crockpot… minus the electricity. We each have our own way of dealing with the Middle East’s harsh sun and humidity during the summer, especially in August. For some it’s sun dresses, for others it’s catching the breeze by the beach, and for some it’s a popsicle. If none […]
This traditional Egyptian lasagna-style dish is commonplace in restaurants, cafes and in the home. Usually served with ground beef and loads of cheese, we have taken them out to make it inviting and tasty for the non-meat eaters around. It’s still just as good, if not better.
Who can resist a potato? These crisp-skinned potato wedges seasoned with olive oil and Middle-Eastern herbs make a great side dish for any meal. The warm scent of organic potatoes roasting in olive oil and pungent spices. Far healthier than fries. And the good feeling of slow food happening in your own kitchen, with an […]
Chicken fillets pounded thin and fried are shnitzel in Israel. Miriam serves a healthier, herby, baked version. Sizzling summer weather takes away our appetite for anything but light, nutritious food. Coming in from the street feeling broiled ourselves, a quick, home-cooked meal is the answer. Like these organic chicken fillets. They’re more interesting than the […]
Folks seeking new taste sensations are going wild over the flavor of freekah, frikeh (Arabic: فريكة) or farik, an Arabic smoked green wheat – a staple in the Middle East for thousands of years. Where wheat grows in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, people set aside part of the harvest to make freekeh. Its young […]
Figs come into Middle Eastern markets twice a year, in July and in September, but their seasons are always short. There are about 750 kinds of figs in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey and Iran.