Don’t be scared by the fuchsia color of this dip. The sweet-earthiness of the beets, the sharp bite of the garlic, and the nuttiness of the almonds more than makes up for any phobia of brightly colored food. And it’s well worth it. I promise. Continue reading “Beet, Chickpea, and Almond Dip”
It did begin with me alone in the kitchen with an eggplant, but this wasn’t some lame attempt to recreate a Laurie Colwin essay. I was trying to come up with a quick meal using only the ingredients I had on hand that could be easily reheated. And considering I hadn’t been shopping all week, this was a particular challenge. That’s when I remembered the eggplant. Two of them. Trapped in my crisper for a week, or was it two? They couldn’t still be good. But against all odds they looked fine. They smelled innocuous. I cut into them, surprised to find completely typical, fresh eggplants. Now I just needed a plan. Continue reading “Baingan Bharta: A Tale of Pantry Desperation and Innovation”
Let me start off by saying that I’m not even sure this place is called The Castle. It may also be called The Fortress, The Tower, or something else entirely. The sign is in Russian and we were given no menus during our visit. Whichever the case I’m not the kind of person who can resist a restaurant that advertises good beer and looks like it was transported from the Middle Ages. It turned out to be a good impulse. Continue reading “The Castle”
Bittersweet and slightly medicinal, The Negroni is easily my favorite cocktail. It’s not for everyone. And that’s ok. Meant as an aperitif to whet the appetite I will happily sip on Negronis all night. Continue reading “Ode to the Negroni”
I knew when I moved to the desert of Israel not to hope for good sushi. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised by Kampai. Continue reading “Sushi in the Desert: Kampai”
Fennel is clearly in season in Be’er Sheva; it’s in abundance at the supermarkets and the shuq. High in vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and calcium, this anise-flavored vegetable is incredibly versatile. A member of the parsley family the whole fennel can be eaten, from the bulb to the feathery fronds (which are great to season soups and stocks). Thinly sliced fennel adds a crisp component to any salad and goes particularly well with oranges. When cooked, fennel softens and the flavor mellows and sweetens. Continue reading “Fennel Baked in Stock”
When I used to work near Union Square I would occasionally treat myself to the tortilla soup at City Bakery when it was available in the colder months. It was something I enjoyed immensely but never considered making. Although I am in the desert, I’m also on the tail end of a cold and I was craving a hot bowl of soup. And I appear to be on some kind of Mexican kick. Of course Tortilla Soup is an invention of the American Southwest, but it does incorporate Mexican ingredients that are fortunately also abundant in Israel: tomatoes, chiles, onions, and chicken.
I know I should have been making my own stock all along. But it took moving to Israel, where all they have are overly salty bouillon cubes and soup mixes to light a fire under me. I was going to make soup, so why not start with the broth? I found a recipe for Quickest Chicken Stock in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything that looked unbelievably simple. And it was. Continue reading “Homemade Chicken Stock”
As you may or may not have noticed, I’m a little obsessed with figs right now. I bought a huge box of them at the shuq last week and in addition to the chicken with figs I’ve been eating figs with yogurt and honey for breakfast and grilled fig and cheese sandwiches for lunch. I could eat them morning, noon, and night. But I wouldn’t want to overdo it. Continue reading “Balsamic-Rosemary-Fig Jam”
When I first heard there was a tapas restaurant in Be’er Sheva I couldn’t believe my ears. Sure enough, Chef-Owner Yariv Eitani worked in kitchens in Tel Aviv and Provence before deciding to open up a place in his home town. Although the restaurant was originally French that didn’t go over as well as he’d hoped and he switched to tapas; it’s still listed in many guides and websites as being French. Continue reading “Tapas at Ahuzat Smilansky”
