Saffron Lasagna ~ Lasagna alla Zafferano from A Family Farm in Tuscany

Posted on Oct 31, 2012 | 18 comments As an Italian-American, I’ve eaten plenty of lasagna in my day. But none like this. I’m used to layers of noodles and sauce that are cemented with mounds of cheese. This authentic Italian lasagna, however, relies primarily on a saffron-hued béchamel sauce to act as the glue. There’s no mozzarella, no ricotta. Just grated Parmesan, meat sauce, and a luscious besciamella made with butter,...
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A Burger a Week, And the Best Burger in New York

Posted on Oct 16, 2012 | 23 comments When I was home in New York over the summer, I had a standing Monday lunch date with my dad and sister. Although our lunch dates were nothing new, this summer they took on new purpose: We would eat a burger a week and decide which was our favorite. I’m not entirely sure where the idea stemmed from, but once we set our minds to it we stuck to the plan. For eight Mondays. That’s probably about...
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Restaurants in Istanbul: A Brief Guide

Posted on Apr 25, 2012 | 39 comments Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, is a magical city. Mosques with Disney-style minarets dot the skyline while the syncopated calls to prayer drift from competing muezzin throats, aided by speakers to carry their call through the air. It’s eerie and beautiful, much like the city itself. And the food. Oh the food! Living in Israel, the flavors were familiar and I realized just how many Israeli...
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On My Shelf: Eat Where You Live

Posted on Nov 29, 2011 | 32 comments For this month’s Kitchen Reader book club (get more info here if you’d like to join!) we had a choice of two books: either Eat Where You Live: How to Find and Enjoy Fantastic Local and Sustainable Food No Matter Where You Live by Lou Bendrick or Just Food: Where Locavores Get it Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly by James E McWilliams (chosen by Julie of Savvy Eats)....
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Restaurants, Baths and a Market: Budapest, Part II

Posted on May 19, 2011 | 2 comments Now that I’ve bored you with the details of our trials, tribulations, and family reunion in Budapest, it’s time to get to the important stuff: the food. Since we were there such a short time and met with so many complications I have a much shorter list of places worth eating than in Berlin or Prague. I can’t in good conscience tell you to go to the crappy Italian restaurant we...
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Restaurants in Prague: An Abbreviated Guide

Posted on May 8, 2011 | 3 comments Maybe it’s the cobblestone streets and abundance of castles, or perhaps it’s the throngs of tourists at every turn, but Prague – and restaurants in Prague – feel a bit like Disneyland at times. That being said, it’s a stunningly beautiful city with gorgeous old buildings that retains the feel of an older, nostalgic Europe. And if you can manage to get away from the touristy...
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Restaurants in Berlin: An Abbreviated Guide

Posted on Apr 26, 2011 | 6 comments We may have only had a few days in Berlin, but we ate and drank our way through the city. This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a compilation of the (mostly budget) restaurants in Berlin we came across and found worth recommending. Berliners love their Asian and Middle East street food and the city is renowned for its falafel, doner kebab, hummus and more. Coming from Israel, we tried to...
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10 Days of Gluttony in New York

Posted on Jan 8, 2011 | 3 comments Even before our plane landed in New York, Evan and I had a comprehensive list of food that we wanted to eat. We only had 10 days, and we knew it would be a challenge. But we were up to it. Sure we can get most types of food in Be’er Sheva, but let’s be honest – nothing beats New York. So what made the list and what did we miss? Read on to find out: EAT: Agave: The truth is, I...
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Sushi in the Desert: Kampai

Posted on Oct 24, 2010 | 0 comments 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. This swank restaurant is a long escalator ride above the Aroma coffee shop at the Big with sweeping views of…well, the mall. What can I say, you don’t come to Be’er Sheva for the views. But the restaurant is elegantly appointed with dark wood, flowing, gauzy...
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Tapas at Ahuzat Smilansky

Posted on Oct 16, 2010 | 2 comments 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...
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