Around the Mediterranean and near the Middle East, the art of stuffing vegetables with rice, meat, fish or (other) vegetables is commonplace. Stuffed tomatoes, zucchini, onions, potatoes and even large meaty mushrooms are popular and tasty. Stuffed vegetables can make nice summer mains, entrees and side dishes. Stuffed Portobello mushrooms
Kubbeh, the Middle Eastern ‘meal in one’ is enjoyed broadly from Morocco to Kurdistan. Kubbeh is seasoned mincemeat (a vegetarian option can be done with mushrooms) buried in dough made of bulgur wheat, semolina, flour and oil. It can be enjoyed in soups or deep fried. Its origins remain elusive:
There is nothing more refreshing than to clean your palate after a meal than a fruity sorbet. Sorbet can be made out of any fruit; its always best to use seasonal fruits as you need a decent amount and fruit is always cheaper and more intense in its flavours when
The mousse dessert was a must on every menu in days gone by. The standard was a chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and usually eaten with a long spoon and served in a tall glass. It belongs to the era of ice cream sundaes, banana splits and cassata, I
“I think I’m turning Japanese…” Surely everyone remembers that terrible ‘top-10 hit’ from 1980s by a never-to-be-heard-from-again new-wave band the Vapors? The music was pretty humdrum, but it was significant in that it heralded in the opening up of Japanese culture, especially culinary, in the West. Sushi bars and
Given the opportunity to take a short break from the rigours of the daily ‘kitchen grind’ and the accumulating stresses of the never-ending war between Israel and Hamas, we enjoyed a short winter break in the Austrian capital of Vienna. Vienna in winter naturally has a smaller volume of tourists
December rolls around and the countdown begins for both Christmas and Chanukah. Both these festivals are rich in meaning, spirituality and with foods that may be tasty in the moment, but their consumption is more often than not regretted the next day. Israel becomes the land of deep-fried foods during
They say you learn something new every day. The new food technologies have been changing so rapidly, it’s getting pretty hard to keep up with what’s available. There is of course an upside to the industrial technology frenzy in food and that is the opportunity to produce foods
Winter has arrived here in Jerusalem and a hearty soup meal is the panacea to both stave off your hunger pangs and help keep the chill out of your bones. Pulses – beans – make nice, thick, never-fail soups – full of flavour, protein and general healthy goodness. Cost-effective and easy to make,
There is no need to purchase ready-made and healthy breakfast treats when they are so easy to make in your own home, reasonable in cost and take so little time and attention to produce. I always find that there are never enough nuts and dried fruit in the bought granolas,
Some are afflicted with coeliac disease, while others believe eating less or no gluten is healthier for them, but whatever your reason, gluten-free oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies are easy to make and can be tasty. I am always looking for good biscuit recipes and this one was recently sent
With the war still raging on all fronts and beyond, volatile Jerusalem is ironically living up to its name as the city of peace, and now quiet. From up high we hope and pray for the quick release of all the live hostages and the return of the bodies of
One of the hardest things to deal with when confined at home during an extended conflict or war is the abundant amount of forced free time one has on one’s hands. Here I am a week into the conflict. With my place of employment closed, I find myself rising
I don’t know what the price of peppers (capsicum) is like in NZ, but up here in Jerusalem they are pretty cheap and a sweet, colourful and tasty side-salad option. This is a great addition to a light meal of pita and cheese, with an omelette or as part
Jerusalem is a place you might want to visit during the week-long celebration of Succoth/Feast of the Tabernacles. Succoth is a festive holiday: biblical, colourful and full of symbolism that reflects the celebration of the annual harvest and at the same time the fragility and impermanence of wandering and
This one will surely take you back in time. Remember these at family affairs, on the buffet table alongside the cheerios on toothpicks and mini sausage rolls? Vol-au-vent is a charming and simple use of puff pastry or mille feuille, first appearing in France in the late 19th century. It
