It’s a delight when I find foods at the market that remind me of childhood. Â Fresh chick peas were a favorite snack growing up. Â My grandparents had heaps of these bushy plants growing around the house. Â We would pile them up and gather all the cousins and friends around, and spend the afternoon snacking. Â Oftentimes, my uncle would roast them …
Hreessy (which is different than harissa, the Tunisian hot paste) is a traditional Lebanese dish made with pearled wheat and lamb or chicken, usually prepared in large quantities and shared with families. In our village, it is prepared by the groom’s family on his wedding day, among a very large buffet where the whole family is invited to celebrate the …
The ultimate comfort food has to be Rice Pudding – warm, sweet, and fragrant with orange blossom water. However, in the last few weeks, I have been obsessing about this variation made with Quinoa. I’ve had it many different ways, for breakfast, for lunch and dinner, even as a snack in between. My husband is perplexed about this obsession, “Are …
This is a traditional stew made typically with Burghul and Pole Beans. My mom always served it with tangy homemade yogurt and pomegranate molasses drizzled on top. I used Buckwheat instead today – one because I was curious how it would work in that dish, and two because I didn’t have any burghul. In any case it worked out great. …
I feel like Remy in Ratatouille every time I make this dish. My mouth watered at the scene where Ego took his first bite. And when, during a recent visit to a Vaidya, I was told to focus on dishes that have plenty of cooked, seasonal veggies, I was excited at the variety of delightful meals I can prepare. …
A popular dessert reserved only for the occasion of a birth of a child, and Christmas. Well, I don’t to play by the rules, so I make it whenever because it’s very tasty, and because I love any excuse to have more nuts, and because my daughter loves it too (she’s now 18 months). Inevitably anyone that walks in and …
The mystery is solved !! It’s a Hyacinth, a bunch of beautifully blossoming purple ones. I am so proud of myself. I had no idea I can garden (I am using that term very loosely). I’ve never been able to grow anything, even a mint bush died on me last year, but you know, this Spring, something special is in …
This is one of my favorite salads, inspired by one that I occasionally eat at Whole Foods Fairfax when visiting family. And while theirs is Asian inspired, mine relies on the sweetness of the pineapples and peppers with a hint of sherry vinegar and some agave nectar. It’s simple, flavorful and filling. And more importantly, when I have an upcoming …
I’ve been attracted to deep colored vegetables lately. I guess I’m ready for Spring, a fresh morning breeze, blossoms on the trees and the sight of new life with all its colorful wonder everywhere. It’s been a long cold winter and I have cabin fever AND I live in the South!! Several years ago, I lived in Vail, Colorado and …
I have a confession to make. I’ve been “trying” to lose my baby weight now for a whole year (that is after the second baby) and it seems to want to stick around. I have read and watched and researched all that needs to be known about the subject, in the hopes that I would start shedding it magically without …
