In the maze of gray buildings, carpentry shops, Escher-like stairways and metal scaffolding behind my office, you’ll find a little luncheon restaurant tucked away. Well, actually, you probably won’t find it. You have to know exactly where it is, and even then, you still might wind up searching for it. …
Sometimes I think that old adage about how to pick a barber should also apply to recipes. You know the story — there are two barbers in town, one with a good haircut and another with a bad one. The logic goes that you pick the one with the bad …
There’s something enticing about the refrigerator case in even the simplest neighborhood grocery stores around here — salad after colorful salad, lined up on the shelf in clear plastic containers like so many jars of candy, ready to be taken to picnics or home for an easy meal. It’s appealing …
“What have you done this past week?” my husband asked rhetorically. “You gave birth. And then you made a loaf of bread.” “Two loaves,” I pointed out. “No one would believe you if you told them,” he finished. What can I say? This bread really is next to instant — …
Maybe it’s hereditary, but my son has already been to the Carmel market twice in his short life. Most recently, my parents strolled the neighboring streets with him while I ran through the shook, trying to cram as much beautiful produce into my cart as possible until time ran out …
Do these little plums not look like candy? Or maybe candies were modeled after these plums — small, round and bright-colored, they just make you want to reach out and grab a handful. But look out — they’re tart as can be. The many stone fruits coming into season include …
It’s been a pleasant, sunny and slightly chilly spring, but spring nonetheless. And as the seasons change, the market is offering the first springtime and summer fruits — namely, stone fruits. That includes loquats, a few too-solid peaches and nectarines, and green almonds. Yes, green almonds — generally grown for …
Stuffed grape leaves are labor intensive, which is part of their charm. Or something. They’re lovely to eat, but let’s be honest — making (and serving) them is a declaration that you’ve invested a heckuva lot of time in that meal. That’s part of what makes them such a centerpiece …
Bimuelos are a highly personal affair for anyone who makes them. One February afternoon last year, I walked into the Pensos’ borekas shop at the Levinsky Street spice market. “By the way, do you make bimuelos for Passover?” I asked Moshe Penso as he took filo dough out of the …
This hot soup segues between seasons, combining the warm comfort needed for winter’s swan song with the bright zest of tomatoes and basil. Is it spring yet? Technically yes, although all the winter colds and flus are yet to receive the memo, and we still have some rain in the …
