Yes, we know. This is a site where we delve into issues facing the western east. The region that the world knows as the Middle East but which we are rebranding as something less archaic, more in tune with what the near East is about. Like the rest of the world, we look to America […]
A sumptuous Persian vegetarian recipe with eggplant, rice, and mushrooms.
This recipe actually brought water to my mouth even as I was reading it through. Then I cooked these spicy bulgur balls and set the platter on the table. The family and guests simply snarfed it up; not a scrap left. This bit of Turkish home cuisine is called Arap Koftesi, and I discovered it […]
Dubai Municipality teamed up with spice giant Eastern Masala and Jaleel Holdings to launch a new project that aims to pass on a message of healthy living, encouraging residents to create home gardens to grow vegetables, herbs and fruit.
My kid is hell-bent on healthy eating. No more shawarma or falafel sandwiches she says, and she’s had it with high school cafeteria hummus here in Amman, Jordan. She’s also insistent on sustainable packaging (the little green prophet didn’t fall far from the tree), so cling-film wrapped leftovers don’t make it onto her lunch menu. […]
It looks like aliens took over the broccoli patch, doesn’t it? Romanesco broccoli is a unique vegetable that looks like a cauliflower gone crazy but has an intense broccoli flavor. It was first grown in Italy and is now available in more European countries, the US, and in Israel.
Quinoa is a healthy superfood filling up kitchen cupboards of ethical and vegetarian eaters, but quinoa comes at a high price for those in Peru and Bolivia, If you’re a vegan or vegetarian or someone who is just trying to eat a little more consciously, you know that shopping can be something of a nightmare. […]
Iraq meets Israel in Tel Aviv at this new sabich restaurant. Givatayim’s legendary eggplant-maker Oved Daniel, whom they call the “professor of sabich [Iraqi eggplant dish] science,” is opening up a new restaurant in Tel Aviv. Previously a gifted soccer player, today Daniel is a local food celebrity whose specialty sabich is one of Israel’s […]
From Ma’amoul to Couscous, why not try a new vegetarian dish from the Middle East and North Africa region this Ramadan? There are some dishes that evoke such strong memories of a festive occasion, that eating them any other time of the year feels wrong. For me, Qatayf (mini nut pancakes) and Mamoul (date cookies) […]
Vegetarian cuisine doesn’t have to be boring – Moroccan flavor can spice it up. When people think of Moroccan cuisine, they may think of some pretty exotic dishes – such as, say, deep fried lamb testicles. As someone with Moroccan roots I can testify that there are some out-of-the-ordinary Moroccan foods, such as pastilla filled […]
A hearty vegan warm salad, perfect for winter. Chickpeas are a perennial favorite in the Middle East. Their earthy flavor is always wisely paired with something sharp, like onions, as in our chickpea sambusak recipe, or with lemon. And happily, artichokes are in season now. The two star in a hearty vegan salad that combines […]
Human hair in bread, arsenic-laced holy water, and chemically-treated veggie burgers are among the top 6 freaky foods to stay away from. Step on in to learn more. Over the years we have covered a host of freaky food and water-related stories that have the power to turn even the most adventurous eater into an […]