Growing up eating a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean diet, the primary dessert in my family was fruit, perhaps with a side of cheese. During hot summer days my mother took breaks from cooking to give us a dinner of fruit, cheese, and bread–usually grapes or watermelon with farmer’s cheese. She would apologize that the house was too…… Continue reading Dramatic Dessert: Wine Poached Pears!
Tag: vegan/vegetarian
The Black Ingredient that Cures “Everything But Death” in a Cake!
There is a mysterious black ingredient, touted to cure “everything but death” in the Arab and Islamic world. This ingredient, called qizha in Arabic, or nigella seed paste, looks like black tar toothpaste or engine oil, and tastes a little like tahini, with undertones of mint and oregano. This ingredient is found Turkey, Syria and…… Continue reading The Black Ingredient that Cures “Everything But Death” in a Cake!
Egg Shortage? Substitute With This Wallet Friendly Recipe!
I used to love grocery shopping, but now I approach buying food with serious trepidation. Relentlessly climbing supermarket prices cause a mix of anger and anxiety within me, as I have never experienced such severe inflation in my lifetime. What we are experiencing in the United States is not new in other countries embroiled in…… Continue reading Egg Shortage? Substitute With This Wallet Friendly Recipe!
My Favorite Mediterranean Salad-Perfect for Winter!
Hello Friends, Just an update that you can catch me this week on “California Live” on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 15 and 16 between 11:30-12:00 pm on all NBC California stations! I will be sharing some special Thanksgiving stories and recipes to inspire you this holiday season. Speaking of Thanksgiving, today I am have posted…… Continue reading My Favorite Mediterranean Salad-Perfect for Winter!
What I Eat In A Day – Mediterranean & Pumpkin Spice Edition!
Hello Friends, Due to the popularity of my previous “What I Eat in a Day on the Mediterranean Diet” videos, I have decided to upload a brand new one! This time I show how I meal prep for a typical busy day when I work at NBC. I thought it would be fun to show…… Continue reading What I Eat In A Day – Mediterranean & Pumpkin Spice Edition!
Why I Never Complained about Eating Green Beans
There is a subset of society that truly loathes green beans, and I can understand why. Whether their exposure to mushy tasteless green beans came from a can, or they bit into tough and stringy beans the consistency of hay, I truly feel their pain. But you can enjoy this vegetable without an ounce of…… Continue reading Why I Never Complained about Eating Green Beans
The Recourceful Zucchini Mediterranean Tart
I learned the art of repurposing food at a very young age. As a 10 year old, I watched with wonder how the chefs on America’s Test Kitchen turned black bananas into a beautiful and moist banana bread. Growing up with immigrant parents, banana bread was just not a thing, so I made my first…… Continue reading The Recourceful Zucchini Mediterranean Tart
My Childhood Fav! Arab Style Cauliflower Fritters
With a wide variety of vegetable “nuggets” proliferating in supermarkets, I can’t help but think of the old school, traditional cauliflower fritters of my childhood. These fritters are the Palestinian version of vegetable nuggets, made by hand lovingly by my great Auntie Bahia. The Arabic term for these fritters is “Em Shaat.” While this makes…… Continue reading My Childhood Fav! Arab Style Cauliflower Fritters
2 Mediterranean Summer Apps – 3 Minutes Each!
You know it’s summer when those bland, pale, and tasteless strawberries of winter get replaced with those sultry, red sweet berries of summer on supermarket shelves. If you get your berries at the farmer’s market, expect another level of peak flavor and ripeness. I often get so excited I end up buying too much, because…… Continue reading 2 Mediterranean Summer Apps – 3 Minutes Each!
This New “Meat” From Korea Is a Game Changer!
When I learned that Kim Kardashian was going to be the spokesperson for Beyond Meat I was appalled! Frankly you cannot pay me enough to push such a horrible tasting and toxic product, full of synthetic glyphosate doused seed oils, not to mention the smell and taste of cat food (not that I have tasted…… Continue reading This New “Meat” From Korea Is a Game Changer!