Tag Archives: Middle Eastern

Food for Thought: Ottolenghi on Kindle

Posted on January 12, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

The other day I discovered that Yotam Ottolenghi’s eponymous first book is just $2.99 in the Kindle edition. What a great deal! This book did not get the attention of his two subsequent books, Jerusalem and Plenty, but it’s loaded … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Pickled Turnips Mediterranean-style

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

The pickled turnips at Falafel’s Drive-In in Cupertino, CA were so good I’d order extras on the side. Here’s my re-creation, with help from the Jerusalem cookbook. (I’ve tweaked Ottolenghi’s recipe which I feel is not sour enough.) A good … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Fermented Beet Pickles

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

Fermented beet pickles are similar to sauerkraut in texture and flavor profile, but made with beets. (If you’re looking for the traditional sweet beet pickles, here they are.) Toss them in a salad, or serve on a mezze plate with … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Middle Eastern Lentil Salad with Cilantro

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

Christopher Kimball of Cook’s Illustrated came up with a novel cooking technique for this Middle Eastern Lentil Salad. The lentils are soaked, then cooked in the oven so they maintain their individual identity. This goes well on a mezze platter … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Cherry Hummus

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

I remembered the cherry hummus that was served at Michael Mina’s Middle’terranea and, when I got my mitts on some dried Rainier cherries from Bella Viva Orchards, I resolved to make my own. The result is a nice change of … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Mejadra (Rice and Lentils with Fried Onions) from Jerusalem

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

There are many recipes for this Middle Eastern comfort food, but the Jerusalem cookbook rendition (with the key addition of currants) the only one worth making. Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side. Ingredients: 1/2 c … Continue reading →

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A wonderful meal at San Francisco’s Middle’terranea

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

We don’t generally review specific restaurants on Burnt My Fingers, but will make an exception for an inspiring meal last week at Middle’terranea in San Francisco, a pop-up produced by famed local chef Michael Mina and featuring the work of … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Mediterranean Carrot Mezze

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

Make this easy carrot mezzo a day ahead. It will definitely taste better. It can then sit around a couple of days in the refrigerator until you want to serve it as part of an assortment in the Mediterranean/middle eastern way. … Continue reading →

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How not to close a restaurant

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

The middle eastern place closed down in my town. I figured this out by showing up two nights in a row at prime dinner hour and finding the door locked, the room dark, with no sign of activity. I called … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Tunisian Chickpea Salad

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

This chickpea salad is my reverse engineering of the wonderful Tunisian salad from Healthy Living Market. The flavors and textures are nicely balanced and the unexpected spices (ground coriander and caraway) add a note of mystery. Serves 8. Ingredients: 2 … Continue reading →

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