Tag: Vegetarian

Pomegranate Mojito and a Cocktail Blog Hop

54 Comments
Pomegranate Mojito
Pomegranate Mojito

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and that means I have cocktails on the brain. One of my favorite cocktail discoveries as of late is this refreshing Pomegranate Mojito that was concocted by my friend Ben Brewer of Israel Food Tours. I came upon it while doing research on Jewish cocktails for an article in the Jewish Daily Forward and simply fell in love. Although in the article I proposed it as a Sukkot-appropriate drink, the truth is I could sip on this all year long. Continue reading “Pomegranate Mojito and a Cocktail Blog Hop” →

Guest Post: Gingerbread Cake

46 Comments
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” →

Guacamole and a Dip Blog Hop

54 Comments
Classic Guacamole with Chips
Classic Guacamole with Chips

With the holiday season upon us, parties are in full swing. Whether you are hosting or attending, we can all use more quick and easy recipes for our entertaining repertoire. Enter the mighty dip. They can typically be made ahead and offer a range of accompaniments from chips to crackers, and from vegetables to fruit slices (as in this wonderful recipe). One of my favorites is guacamole. A simple recipe, I know and I’m sure you have your own. I like mine zesty and garlicky. Guacamole has the added bonus of being naturally parve, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan (if you are gf of course the issue is what to dip in the guac). Continue reading “Guacamole and a Dip Blog Hop” →

Baked Mushroom Bao

63 Comments
Baked Mushroom Bao
Baked Mushroom Bao

I’ve spared you my ramblings about my deep love of dumplings, Asian buns, and dim sum. Until now. My first experience with dumplings came at a young age in the form of the wanton soup that went hand-in-hand with Chinese take-out. Fast forward many years to the month I spent visiting one of my best friends in China. Obviously, I ate the most incredible dumplings of my life. And I was introduced to the range of dumpling available, the types of skins, fillings, and cooking preparations. I also must admit that New Years day in China secured the place of dumplings as my ultimate hangover food. Continue reading “Baked Mushroom Bao” →

Guest Post: Cinnamon Bun Cake

47 Comments
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” →

Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes and a Potato Blog Hop

51 Comments
Sour Cream and Scallion Mashed Potatoes
Sour Cream and Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes have always been my favorite. So much so that in fourth grade when we had to write a song or poem about our favorite food, while everyone else penned odes to bacon and chocolate cake, I gushed about the humble spud. To the tune of “My Guy” by Mary Wells. (You may recall that Sister Act was popular at the time, in which they also made their own version of the song.) Not a naturally gifted singer, I belted something out about “my potato,” and how much I loved it baked, roasted, mashed, and fried. Twenty years later, I can tell you not much has changed. Although I’ve discovered and eaten more types of food than I ever dreamed of as a child, potatoes still remain my ultimate comfort food in all forms. And mashed is a whole other level of comfort. Continue reading “Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes and a Potato Blog Hop” →

Secret Recipe Club: Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup

46 Comments

It’s the first Monday of the month, and you know what that means: Secret Recipe Club! You know the drill. Each month member’s are assigned another member’s blog and get to pick any recipe they’d like to make. Sound like fun? Head to the SRC website for details on how to join! This month I was lucky enough to have Katrina’s wonderful blog, Baking and Boys. As you may have guessed from the title, Katrina lives with her husband and three sons and loves to bake. I have so many of her recipes bookmarked I don’t even know where to begin: Cinnamon Sugar Donut Mini Muffins?! Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter and Walnut Streusel?! Quintuple Chocolate Brownies?! Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie?! It just goes on and on. If you need baking inspiration, head straight to Baking and Boys. Continue reading “Secret Recipe Club: Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup” →

Individual Pavlovas with Strawberry Compote and Mango Coulis

62 Comments

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” →

Butternut Squash Gratin and Friday Blog Hop

44 Comments

Have you recovered from your food coma yet? Did you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and/or family? Pull up a chair and tell me how you spent your holiday (yes, I know I am being very America-centric here, and I do apologize to my dear international readers who have had to suffer months of food media turkey talk for a meal you don’t eat.) We had a lovely, lovely meal in Tel Aviv with fellow expats, hosted by our friend’s kind and generous parents who fed a bunch of homesick twenty-somethings. There was even cranberry sauce. Continue reading “Butternut Squash Gratin and Friday Blog Hop” →

Pumpkin-Ginger Bread

37 Comments

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” →