Homemade Graham Crackers

Homemade Graham Crackers
Homemade Graham Crackers

Before moving to Israel I had never considered making my own graham crackers (similar to digestive crackers for you Brits). But, like so many products from home, they are unavailable here. And so, like many of my favorite take-out meals, I set out to make them at home. Graham crackers have an interesting history. According to Wikipedia (so, you know, grain of salt), they were invented in 1829 as “Dr. Graham’s Honey Biskets” by Reverend Sylvestor Graham. It was all part of a bland diet that he marketed to try to suppress evil carnal urges (the same theory, by the way, behind Kellog’s corn flakes). This entry also says that you don’t technically have graham crackers without graham flour, another invention of Reverend Graham. So if you want to be technical, I didn’t make graham crackers since graham flour is not widely available outside the United States. But you could have fooled me. Continue reading “Homemade Graham Crackers”

Precipizi and a Holiday Blog Hop

Precipizi, an Italian Jewish Hanukkah treat
Precipizi, an Italian Jewish Hanukkah treat

Can you believe that we’re midway through Hanukkah and that tomorrow is Christmas Eve? It’s wonderful to be home in New York celebrating the holidays with friends and family. My husband and I are fortunate enough to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas, and so get the best of both traditions.  In honor of my Italian heritage, this year I did a bit of research into how Italian Jews celebrate Hanukkah for an article in the Jew and the Carrot (check it out here). And so I was introduced to Hanukkah Precipizi, which is similar to the struffoli that is also popular around Christmas time in Italy. Hanukkah is all about fried food, a celebration of oil in all its glory, and these certainly fit the bill. Continue reading “Precipizi and a Holiday Blog Hop”

Guest Post: Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Glaze

I was so thrilled when Shannon from the wonderful Malaysian food blog Just as Delish asked me to do a guest post for her. I adore her healthy, internationally inspired recipes for everything from Green Curry Chicken to Beef Tagine, and from ginger tea to homemade sweetened condensed milk. She specifically asked for an American Christmas recipe, since Malaysians do not typically celebrate the holiday. Unlike Thanksgiving, with its traditional menu of turkey and pumpkin pie, Christmas is a little more personal and each family has their own traditions, especially for the savory course. My family eats sausage and peppers and a filet mignon roast, but we’re the only ones I know who do. Dessert, however, has more common flavors to draw on. Continue reading “Guest Post: Gingerbread Cake”

Guest Post: Cinnamon Bun Cake

Cinnamon Bun Cake
Cinnamon Bun Cake

When Miriam of Israeli Kitchen asked me if I’d like to do a guest post on her wonderful blog I was truly honored. Miriam has lived in Israel for 33 years and is full of knowledge about Israeli and kosher cuisine. She makes her own dandelion beer and fruit wine, bread and flavored oils. Miriam loves markets as much as I do and warmly welcomed me into the world of Anglo food bloggers in Israel. We’d been emailing for almost a year before we finally had the chance to meet in person at a dinner with cookbook author Gil Marks, and were really able to spend some quality time together at the Sommelier Wine Expo in Tel Aviv. She’s even coming to visit in Be’er Sheva (as soon as the trains are back up and running!) to see what our shuk has to offer. Continue reading “Guest Post: Cinnamon Bun Cake”

Individual Pavlovas with Strawberry Compote and Mango Coulis

I love the story behind the eponymous Pavlova. The marshmallowy meringue-style dessert originated in the 1920s or 30s in honor of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. There’s something particularly romantic about a delicate, cloud-like confection named for a graceful dancer. It’s one of those dishes whose history – beyond the fact that it was named for Anna Pavlova – is murky and contested. Was it created in 1926 in Wellington, New Zealand or 1935 in Perth, Australia, by a hotel chef or a cookbook author? It’s been the cause of some debate between the two countries, both of whom proudly claim it as their own. If you live in the Middle East then you are fully aware of the hummus wars. Well, New Zealand and Australia have their own Pavlova wars, with New Zealand holding claim to the world’s largest. Continue reading “Individual Pavlovas with Strawberry Compote and Mango Coulis”

Pumpkin-Ginger Bread

Tis the season for all things pumpkin! If you are looking for a quick Thanksgiving breakfast, snack, or dessert, this pumpkin quick bread is perfect. After making pumpkin granola I had exactly the right amount of pumpkin puree leftover for this recipe, which is Fall in a loaf pan. I adapted the recipe from an awesome blog that I’ve only recently discovered called Skinny Taste, and she asserts that this is low fat – I’ll take her word for it! The recipe calls for just egg whites, which gives the already moist bread a light and airy quality that is just lovely. The main change I made was adding my own spices rather than pumpkin pie spice, and it resulted in a lovely, super gingery flavor. The pepitas on top lightly toast when baked and add a nice textural element. Chocolate chips would also be killer in this. Continue reading “Pumpkin-Ginger Bread”

Friday Shout-Out: Pumpkin and a New Blog Hop

Yeah, you love my MS Paint pumpkin thumbnail. I had a feeling… I know I’ve slacked on the Friday Shout-Out for two weeks, but it’s back! (ok, fair warning: we’re skipping next week too as I’ll be on vacation…but then we’re back for good). And we’re better than ever. I’ve been strict in the past by selecting only recipes published on blogs that week, but that always meant I was leaving out so many incredible recipes and blogs! So this week I’m adding a new feature: a blog hop linky party! Why didn’t I think of that before?? So I will shout-out some awesome recipes around a theme from that week and then you can add all of your awesome recipes from whenever. Continue reading “Friday Shout-Out: Pumpkin and a New Blog Hop”

Applesauce Cake with Pomegranate Glaze for Rosh Hashanah

The celebrations for Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, begin tonight. This year we’ll miss having dinner with my family and the in-laws, ringing in the new year together (yes, both sides of the family celebrate together – how cute is that?). Instead we’ll be in Israel, enjoying a small potluck feast with our friends, who become the closest thing to family in a foreign place. I developed this recipe for parve Applesauce Cake with Pomegranate Glaze for the Jew and the Carrot this year and loved it so much that I’m making it again to bring to Rosh Hashanah dinner. Please check out the original article (full of fun facts and information) on the Jew and the Carrot! Continue reading “Applesauce Cake with Pomegranate Glaze for Rosh Hashanah”