Tag Archives: Middle Eastern

Recipe: Pickled Turnips Mediterranean-style

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

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Fermented Beet Pickles

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

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Middle Eastern Lentil Salad with Cilantro

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

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Cherry Hummus

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

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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

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

Posted in Mains, Recipes, Sides | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A wonderful meal at San Francisco’s Middle’terranea

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

Posted in Eating | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Recipe: Mediterranean Carrot Mezze

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

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How not to close a restaurant

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

Posted in Eating, Something Else | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Tunisian Chickpea Salad

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

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged | Leave a comment

What to do with tomatillos (Mexican green tomatoes)

Tomatillos, also known as Mexican green tomatoes, are actually a relative of the gooseberry which grows fruit covered with a similar papery husk. But they behave very much like tomatoes in recipes while adding a tartness all their own. Another … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , | Leave a comment