The other day, I made this cake but told my husband not to mention anything about it to his mother, cousin, and that cousin’s friend. I wanted to see if they would realize that it’s not a real cheesecake. I waited to hear their feedback – my mother-in-law even claimed it was one of the best cheesecakes she’d ever had – and for them to finish it, and only then did I confess that there were zero ounces of cheese in the recipe. They were shocked, but it didn’t stop them from demolishing the whole cake. When I think of it, It’s pretty annoying that my family is still skeptical about my plant-base ..read more

I’m assuming most of you are already familiar with Passover. In a nutshell, Passover is a major Jewish holiday, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. Our family celebrates the Seder, the first night of the holiday, though we don’t keep a kosher house during the week of Passover. We eat chametz – anything that is made of wheat or can rise. We eat matzot (plural for matzah in Hebrew) but we eat bread too. As a kid, I only liked to eat matzah with chocolate spread. I loved the combination of crunchy and sweet. No ..read more

My husband and I just got back from a trip to Mexico City. We flew down there so I can get a dental implant. It is much cheaper there. It’s not something I would normally do but the dentist was highly recommended and spoke fluent Hebrew and English. Cost-wise, it evened out with all the expenses, but if I did it in LA I wouldn’t get to spend time in a gorgeous city with my handsome man. My husband had to work while we were there but we still got to explore and eat together in the evenings. My advice: if you’ve gotta get minor surgery, you might as well do it away. Far from the dishwasher, wash ..read more

One of the most annoying things in my work as a recipe developer is titling the recipes—giving them an appealing name so people will want to make the recipes and eat the food. Nowadays it’s not enough to call a recipe by its name; you have to add a keyword that will lure people to it like a moth to a cashmere sweater. For example, “the best hot sauce ever,” or “my grandmother’s secret recipe.” It must be a name that the SEO approves. I told the SEO, “I am not playing this game with you.” “Good luck then! I am not going to put your recipe anywhere near the top of Google search,” said the new Go ..read more

That’s it, I’ve decided. If I were to take one thing to a deserted island, I would definitely take an oven. Assuming I have electricity. That way I could make fruit rolls, toasted nuts and roasted fish. With an oven by my side, I don’t need fire. And it won’t be a digital oven – which I find not convenient at all – it would be a standard, basic American oven, with knobs. Unlike the digital Italian oven I have now. The touchscreen is a pain in the ass. Baking or roasting meals isn’t only delicious and time-saving, but the stove, that constant-dirty stove, stays clean for a change. You can put o ..read more

The first time I had celeriac “hummus” was in Habasta, an exquisite restaurant in Tel Aviv. I was surprised by the intense earthy flavor of the celery root. It blew my mind. I remember thinking out loud, I have to make this. Tomorrow! Therefore, the next day I went to Shuk Hacarmel, bought a big bulb of celery root/celeriac, and made my own version. I steamed the root then processed it in the food processor with tahini and lemon juice – exactly how you would make hummus but instead of chickpeas you use celery root. And since then this dish has become one of my signature dishes. That and toppin ..read more

The day I ditched dairy for good, Kleenex suffered a 50% plunge in stock price. It was sometime in my early twenties. After I realized that all my respiratory issues were caused by milk products. It was hard and sad but the pleasure of eating gruyere wasn’t worth it. I only sin in Paris but even there I think twice before I sacrifice my nasal corridors to the god of butter. When you love cheese more than you love your pets it’s not easy to quit. Yet when the pain is more intense than the pleasure you just do it. Over time you convince yourself that cashew-based cheese tastes as good as ricotta ..read more

It’s only 10PM but I am drained and tired. Probably from politics, propaganda and worrying. The computer screen hurts my eyes, but before I crawl into bed with Barbara Kingsolver’s book Copperhead Demon let me give you this recipe before I forget or get distracted. I have a feeling you would appreciate it too. Because it’s like most of my recipes – humble and basic ingredients yet tasting like a high-end restaurant soup. I put it in a mug and sipped it like a latte. Any recipe using the whole vegetable is brilliant. Do yourself a favor and adopt a zero waste mentality – it reduces garbage and ..read more

  I usually don’t promote kitchen ware because I truly believe that we don’t need any particular or fancy gadgets to create unforgettable meals. Unless it’s a life changing Japanese mandoline or knife. Then I need tell everyone I know about it. Thank you Nakano Knives for changing my life and making it easier. Since I received your knife last month, chopping kohlrabi doesn’t feel like butchering anymore. Who knew that julienning carrots could be as gratifying as taking your bra off at the end of the day. Or that dicing 4 pounds of potatoes can actually be relaxing. That razor-sharp blade ..read more

First, say Hi to your new favorite salad. Second, lemon season is around the corner. During the next 10 months, I won’t be buying lemons, I would be picking them from the trees in my neighborhood. I always joke that I’m going to title my next cookbook “The Lemon Thief.” I don’t go into people’s yards, but if their tree is leaning over the sidewalk and is bursting with fruit, I borrow some. Sometimes I don’t have to because some generous neighbors leave a paper bag with fruits outside their fence. We have two lemon trees, but the one in the back yard is old and lonely, while the front yard tree ..read more