I read somewhere that Basbousa, in Arabic, means “just a kiss.” So that’s cute. “Just a kiss cake.” It goes by many other names, as well, Namourah, Harisseh, Revani/Ravani and Sooji. If that’s any indication how delicious it is, lots of different countries have claimed it as their own. Basbousa is honestly one of the …
Don’t you just want to roll around in a bed of coconut? Yeah, nope, I don’t want to either. But I don’t mind if my chocolate does! Oh my god, these were so fun to make! I took my version of Basbousa Cake (an Egyptian/Lebanese/Syrian/Greek semolina cake soaked in rose water scented syrup), minus the syrup, …
Muhammara (Moo-ha-ma-ra) comes from the Arabic word “reddened,” and is a sweet/spicy dip served on toast or with meat. I’ve read that it originated in either Syria or Lebanon, but at the risk of complicating things more, it really reminds me of my favorite Persian stew Khoresht Fesenjan (pomegranate walnut stew), which I’ll put up …
I spent all morning today in one of my favorite places in the shuk, a small, ten-year-old shop filled with customers searching to heal ailments such as hypertension, migraines, sore throats and urinary problems. Once I heard someone ask how to heal her joint pain. His prescription: don’t be so judgmental, and then he also …
Where to begin when we’re talking about challah bread? I have never met anyone who doesn’t like challah bread. It’s good for breakfast as french toast, I use leftovers as sandwich bread for lunch, it soaks up all the juices of Shakshuka like they were made for each other, and it makes a great dessert …
You feel that in your mouth? Those are your salivary glands screaming, “Feed me!” Wow, this was insanely delicious, especially after I gave up trying to keep it “healthy” and just doused it with a second round of syrup. For Baklava, either indulge, or don’t even bother. This recipe worked amazingly, but you can substitute …
What you need: 1 1/4 cup of unsalted butter a fine sieve, cheesecloth or a few coffee filters How to do it: For those of us who didn’t go to culinary school, let’s talk about clarified butter (also known as ghee) for a minute. My camera died while I was doing the butter, so sadly, …
The other day, my friend was roasting peppers, eggplant, zucchini and onions and it sent me back to being in middle school, sitting on friend’s porch, eating Shabbat leftovers, and pouring roasted peppers on challah bread into our mouths as we giggled our little tushies off. I had to make some. So, I made two …
This is a really yummy dinner you can pull together in 20 minutes. Let’s start with the salad. Serves: 2-3 What you need: 1 can of chickpeas, or an equivalent amount that you’ve soaked overnight and boiled 4 stalks of lettuce; sliced into 1″ pieces 1/4 red onion; chopped 1 tsp lemon; zested 1 tsp …
Mama Rice: pronounced “Muh-Muh” I think many of us have that one dish that reminds us of home, where as instantly as you smell it you are reminded of how it felt to be squeezed by the safety of your grandmother’s body. So naturally, sharing this dish feels like much more than sharing food. This …
my jerusalem kitchen 