B'tayavon: Roasted potatoes

Ingredients 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and halved 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2) Toss the potatoes and olive oil in a bowl to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 3) Place the potatoes in…

B'tayavon: Braised brisket

*Braised brisket is synonymous with Jewish holidays. You would be hard-pressed to go to a Passover or Sukkot celebration and not find brisket somewhere on the menu. Most of my Jewish friends are fiercely loyal to their mother or grandmother’s brisket recipe, just as they should be. In case you do not come from a…

B'tayavon: Hummus

*My favorite humus place in the old city of Jerusalem is called Lina’s, close to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Lina’s is famous for having a very smooth humus recipe they have served for 35 years. At Lina’s they always give you a plate of small kosher pickles and sliced raw onions. You are…

B'tayavon: Stuffed tomatoes

*The word for tomato in Hebrew is “Agvania.” The root of the word is to love or desire. Ben-Yehuda, the father of modern Hebrew, did not like this word selection for tomato. He thought it was too sensual and insisted on the more Semitic word for tomato, “badura.” However, in a rare occurrence Ben-Yehuda did…

B'tayavon: Caramel apple crisp

Ingredients Apple Filling: 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin ½ cup white sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup water Crumble: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup quick cooking oats 1 cup butter, softened and cut into pieces Caramel…

B'tayavon: Honey cake

Ingredients 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cloves 3 large eggs 1 cup honey 1 cup sugar 1 cup vegetable oil ½ cup brewed coffee ¼ cup water Directions 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan…

B'tayavon: Tabbouleh

*Tabbouleh is one of the most popular salads in the Middle East. It is often served family-style in a little bowl along with many other appetizer-type dishes (humus, falafel, baba ghanoush). My strategy for eating Mediterranean mezze is to just pile my pita with everything that looks tasty. The only hard to find ingredient in…