Category Archives: mideastern

Iraqi meat latkes

Evan loves these. He claims not to like potatoes, but he devours latkes. There’s something about the grated potatoes in them that gives these meat patties a delicate texture. Last time, I made them with a cup of parsley, as … Continue reading

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Just shakshuka, without any weird crap

My platonic ideal of shakshuka—the North African tomato stew with poached eggs—without any weird crap. I’ve made it here with canned San Marzano tomatoes from Europe. #GreatestTomatoesFromEurope
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Watermelon feta salad or soup

As you can see, Evan is particularly pleased with this simple watermelon dish. The baby version of watermelon salad turns into a creamy soup, which Evan found a bit strange at first. He tried to eat the soup off the … Continue reading

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beef meatball, olive and lemon “tajine” with tehineh sauce

Jewish new year is forever marked in my mind with the thick, heady sweetness of honey. Everything is drenched in it—-the raisin-studded challah bread, the tart apples ushering in the autumn season and a sweet new year, the overwhelmingly sweet … Continue reading

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za’atar

On a recent bright Saturday morning at the Ferry Plaza farmers’ market, I was pleasantly surprised to find large bouquets of za’atar. Star Route Farms grows the herb and sells large bunches of it at the market. Za’atar is more … Continue reading

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sens and sensibility

What’s it like to open a new restaurant? My favorite pastry chef can tell you all about it. And what’s the new restaurant like, anyway? It’s like a cozy cabin in the mountains but big enough to feed and water … Continue reading

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couscous with vegetables

Couscous is a marvelous dish when prepared properly. I don’t mean the kind of couscous you make by soaking it in hot water for ten minutes. I mean the kind of couscous you steam forever, smother in butter, steam forever … Continue reading

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sabikh!

Falafel’s lesser known little sister is sabikh. Sabikh is a pita sandwich with fried eggplant, a sliced boiled egg, chunks of steamed potatoes, salad, hummus, tahini sauce, and amba, a sort of sour mango pickle sauce. Traditionally, sabikh was eaten … Continue reading

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shakshuka nopalitos

Shakshuka is one of my favorite middle eastern breakfast foods. It’s a simple dish, usually made with garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and eggs. Garlic and chili peppers are sauted in olive oil, along with bell peppers and lots of fresh tomatoes, … Continue reading

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baladi eggplant

I’ve been jonesing for a fire-roasted eggplant with yogurt and tahini sauce ever since I left Israel. This dish appears in myriad variations at almost every trendy Middle Eastern fusion restaurant in greater Tel Aviv. And with good reason–it’s delicious. … Continue reading

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