Many years ago, I had an incredible Baba Ganoush (eggplant spread) at a friend’s Sukkot celebration, and I have since done my best to try to recreate its creamy, smoky goodness. This eggplant spread is great with pita bread or both raw and roasted vegetables. Guessipe 2 medium eggplants 8 cloves garlic 1/4 cup lemon…
Tag: Olive Oil
Tomato Tart
My dad grows tomatoes in his garden. If I am lucky enough to see him in late summer, this means I get to go home with a bucket of wonderful vine ripened tomatoes. Which can be used to make this yummy tomato tart. If you’ve never had a tomato tart, think of it sort of…
Garlic Cheese Squash
If you buy a nice chunk of pecorino and have some leftover which you don’t want to go to waste, make this garlic cheese squash. It can be a veggie side, or just a great snack. When I make these, I tend to just munch them all down like chips. Crisp, cheesy goodness! Guessipe 1…
Tomato Salad
Good tomatoes don’t need much to become a bright and fresh summer salad. Tomato salad may be one of those salads that actually gets better over time, as the juices release from the tomatoes and all the flavors meld. The liquid that is leftover after you’ve eaten all the tomato is so good that I’ll…
Quinoa Tabbouleh
This was inspired by the tabbouleh I’ve had at Middle Eastern restaurants, but with quinoa instead of bulgur. It’s got a clean, fresh feel with lots of crunch from the cucumbers and just a touch of sweetness coming through the acidity of the lemon juice and tomatoes, but it also feels hearty. Since it has…
Creamy Feta Red Pepper Vodka Pasta
Did you know there’s such a thing as creamy feta? I didn’t. But I bought it accidentally once, and have been a fan ever since. I happened to have some creamy feta when I got in the mood for vodka pasta, and decided to see if I could use it instead of cream, which I…
Pork Bok Choy Boats
Everybody loves a lettuce wrap. But what’s even better? A bok choy boat! Lettuce is bland and tends to be just a flimsy vehicle for delivering the filling into your face. Baby bok choy has a nice flavor and crunch, which complements the filling nicely and serves as a sturdier scoop. It also presents nicely, so…
Sweet & Spicy Broccoli
My mom taught me this awesome trick to make broccoli a gorgeous color and great crunchy texture. You basically throw it into boiling water, then immediately pull it out and run it under cold water. Then you can quickly stir-fry it over high heat to infuse whatever flavors you’d like – I like these spicy…
Greek Salad
I like a Greek Salad because it’s got great crunch and body, but also feels hearty, probably because of the feta. It’s easy to throw together, and keeps well as it’s another one of those salads with no lettuce to get soggy in the dressing. You can use whatever kinds of cucumbers and tomatoes you…
Avocado Pasta
Did you know that Compton used to be a giant avocado grove? I didn’t. My friend lives there, and she has one of the remaining avocado trees. It is the most epic avocado tree I have ever seen. Huge, with giant incredibly delicious avocados to match. Every year around avocado season, I try to make…
Chili Garlic Snap Peas
I always loved it when my mom made snap peas, because the snap peas are barely touched by heat so they stay nice and crunchy. I think lots of people grow up hating veggies because they are frequently over-cooked and under-seasoned. Chinese veggie dishes tend to be only slightly cooked so they maintain their flavor…
Coffee Braised Pork
When you slow-cook pork in a delicious braising liquid, two awesome things happen – the pork becomes so tender it literally falls apart, and the meat absorbs all the juiciness and flavor of the liquid. When that liquid is coffee… it’s magical. If you dry rub pork with coffee grounds then braise it, you’re basically…