Lamb with dried fruit

*Tu B’Shvat (“New Year of the trees”) is one of the minor Jewish holidays.  This winter holiday marks when to calculate the agricultural cycle for the purpose of biblical tithes.  Each year on Tu B’shvat, Israelis eat a feast of dried fruits in keeping with the “New Year” holiday tradition and celebrating the seasonality of the fruit tree. This recipe would make…

Maqluba, traditional Bedouin dish

*Maqluba is a casserole with rice, lamb, and eggplant which is commonly served in Bedouin homes.  The casserole, after it has finished cooking, is carefully flipped over onto a serving dish and served upside-down.  Maqluba in Arabic literally means “upside-down.”  There are over 110,000 Bedouins living in the Negev so Bedouin culture adds a unique dynamic to the…

Slow cooked lamb chops

*In Israel anything that can be swabbed in humus should be swabbed in humus.  With that in mind for lamb chops I spread a layer of humus over a serving dish and lay the lamb and its juices on top.  Think about it.  If lamb and humus didn’t go so good together Israel’s shawarma stands would be out of business.…