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Fourth of July Recipes Round-Up and Blog Hop

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Buttermilk fried chicken

I just moved back to New York after three years in Israel, and so it feels appropriate that my first blog hop home be a celebration of America. I loved my time abroad, but it certainly made me appreciate a lot about the US, and my husband and I are happy – and very ready – to be home. I’ve always enjoyed the Fourth of July with its fireworks and festivities. We used to sneak up to the roof of our apartment building to watch the big show, and I’ll always remember the cool whip-frosted cake decked out with blueberries and raspberries to look like an American flag, that my mom made one year to bring to a party at a friend’s house. Continue reading “Fourth of July Recipes Round-Up and Blog Hop” →

Helba (Semolina + Fenugreek Cake) and a Bethlehem Cooking Class

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Bethlehem Cooking Class
Banksy graffiti near the refugee camp; Islam and Ahmad’s daughter

After three years of living in Israel, my husband and I are moving back to New York in just a few days. Everyone thought we were crazy to move here, giving up our comfortable lives to venture off to a place we’d never even visited. But I knew it was the chance of a lifetime, and while there have certainly been challenges overall it’s been an amazing experience. The final item on my bucket list of things to do here was to visit the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem and attend a cooking class through an amazing organization called Noor Women Empowerment Group. I finally had the opportunity last weekend, and it was one of the most worthwhile, inspiring experiences in my time here. Continue reading “Helba (Semolina + Fenugreek Cake) and a Bethlehem Cooking Class” →

Father’s Day Recipes Round-Up and Blog Hop

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Steak with Mushrooms and Onions

With Father’s Day this weekend I thought I’d do a recipe round-up and blog hop of Father’s Day recipes. Since I inherited my love of food from my father, it seems only appropriate to offer a food-based homage. Growing up we’d go grocery shopping together, and then I’d stand in our tiny Manhattan kitchen observing as he minced garlic, crushed plum tomatoes, and made spaghetti. I learned to always save some pasta water to add to the sauce (it helps it stick) and to finish cooking the pasta in that sauce. I learned to sear meat on the stove before transferring it to the oven, and I ran away in terror as my dad took live lobsters from the bathtub to the huge pot on the stove. Continue reading “Father’s Day Recipes Round-Up and Blog Hop” →

The Best Homemade Pizza Recipe Ever

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The Best, Easiest Homemade Pizza Recipe Ever

I’d heard tell of Andy’s amazing homemade pizzas, and knew firsthand just how passionate he is about food, and pizza in particular. But tasting is believing and the other night I had the good fortune to sit in on Andy’s new pizza making class based out of his home in Be’er Sheva, Israel. Andy, a friend and fellow Anglo in Israel, has spent a lot of time reading and experimenting, all in the name of making the ultimate, Italian pizzeria-quality pizza at home. And he’s succeeded. Using no special equipment and a standard stove and oven, Andy has figured out (with the help of Jim Lahey’s no-knead dough recipe) how to make the best Neopolitan-style homemade pizza I’ve had. And he makes it look so easy!

 

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Arrested Development Frozen Bananas

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Arrested Development Frozen Bananas

If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been waiting with bated breath for the rebooted fourth season of Arrested Development, seven years after it was canceled. I’m a little late to the viewing party game since it aired earlier this week, but watching the show left me wanting one of their signature snacks – chocolate covered frozen bananas, a la the Banana Stand run by the Bluth family (“There’s always money in the banana stand!”). And it occurred to me that not only would they be easy to make, but they’d be a delicious (and fairly healthy!) summertime treat.

 

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Malai Kofta and Favorite Recipes

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Malai Kofta Recipe

I look forward to my blog hops every Friday. I love selecting a theme – usually an ingredient or holiday – and seeing what everyone links up. The entries never fail to surprise and impress me, and I often return to the blog hops for inspiration. There’s a lovely community feel to boot, in the same way that a potluck has a sense of community. Today’s theme isn’t a specific ingredient, it’s much looser than usual. Today I just want to see your favorite recipe or recipes. What dish on your blog do you make all the time, or are you especially proud of?

 

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Coconut Chicken Fingers with Tamarind Ketchup

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Coconut Chicken with Tamarind Ketchup

I don’t have children, but I have lots of friends who do and I know how challenging preparing meals for picky eaters can be. This recipe for coconut chicken fingers with tangy tamarind ketchup is the ultimate solution since it’s as adult-friendly as it is kid-friendly. Instead of the typical breadcrumbs, these homemade chicken fingers are coated in a mixture of ground coconut and flax seeds for a healthy, tasty, gluten free twist on an old standby.

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Cheesecake + Cook in Israel Cookbook Announcement

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Cook in Israel Cheesecake

As a freelance writer and photographer, I’m always juggling various projects and assignments of differing scopes. I’m very excited to announce one with which I have a great personal connection at this point, one that took up a lot of my time and creative energy in the past year, and one that I am very, very proud of. Cook in Israel: Home Cooking Inspiration with Orly Ziv is a collection of 100 recipes, each with a color photo and many with step-by-step photos. I edited the book and took all the photographs, working closely with Orly and our talented designer Idit Yatzkan (idityatzkan@gmail.com) to create exactly the cookbook she’d dreamed of producing.

 

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Sope de Albondigas and a Cinco de Mayo Blog Hop

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Sope de Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

With Cinco de Mayo approaching, it’s time to celebrate Mexican and Mexican-American culture. I wanted to do something beyond tacos to demonstrate the country’s rich and varied food culture, and so I present Sope de Albondigas, or Mexican Meatball Soup. In Spain albondigas are often simmered in tomato sauce and eaten as tapas. Because of Spanish colonization in the Americas, meatballs are also called albondigas in Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua, and other parts of South and Central America, where they are typically served with rice and vegetables in this mildly flavored soup. Continue reading “Sope de Albondigas and a Cinco de Mayo Blog Hop” →

Minted Fava-Pea Mash

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Minted Fava-Pea Mash

My celebration of spring continues this week with two of my favorite seasonal ingredients: peas and fava beans. Though it’s a bit predictable, I can’t resist the pairing of peas, favas, and mint for it’s fresh, green taste. It just screams spring! Here I’ve simmered the peas and favas until tender (you can use frozen if fresh are not available), then mash them with some garlic confit and mint. There’s no dairy so the  dish is totally vegan and parve, not to mention gluten free. It’s light and healthy, but packed with flavor. I like the texture of the roughly mashed vegetables, but you could blend them thoroughly for a bright springtime puree.

 

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