Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti

I love making biscotti. But it’s always a dessert or after dinner treat. This biscotti is savory, and can be served before a meal or alongside a salad. It’s really yummy, and can be eaten in place of bread sticks.

Continue reading

Ramp Risotto

I wanted to share this recipe with you as soon as I took my first bite, but that would have been rude and my dinner would have gotten cold, so I decided to wait until right after I finished eating. Which was when I discovered that my internet was broken! Continue reading

Cheese & Black Pepper Pasta (Cacio e Pepe)

It’s really not that hard for me to refrain from hametz for a week, but after Pesach I do enjoy eating pasta and pizza even more. And sometimes it takes a little bit of time to restock my kitchen. I’m sure it’s not just me…

We all know that (my sister and) I like intensive kitchen projects, ones that take days of waiting, hours of folding, kneading, watching and baking. But I also have a full-time job, not-food-related hobbies and friends I like to hang out with, so sometimes my fridge is less than full. That’s why it’s important to have recipes like these on hand.


Continue reading

Chiffon CUPcakes

Ever wonder why they’re called cupcakes? Well, probably because you bake them in cups!

Seriously. Once I found out that my dairy dishes are oven-proof, I knew I had to make these. I watched Alton make them a few times, and once my Good Eats 3 arrived, it made me want to try it even more. So when Stephanie came over and we made dinner for some friends, we knew his was the perfect dessert to make. Each of us would have a mug, and we would freeze the cupcakes we made in tins. Yum! These came out light, fluffy, and overall delicious, especially with Alton’s buttercream spread on top.

Continue reading

Beet Raita

The best part about eating Indian is the colorful variety. I already made a vivid green palak paneer, so  I needed a contrasting side dish: This is an easy solution, and the yogurt has a cooling affect against the peppery spinach dish.

Continue reading

Chocolate Earl Grey Shortbread Coins


My favorite kind of tea is Earl Grey. I probably drink it too much. But don’t worry, I switch between brands so I don’t get sick of it. My favorite? Revolution Earl Grey with Lavender (in a box with a silk bag!). So this “grown up cookie” has been on my list of things to bake for a very long time. Ever notice how that list always gets longer, even during my week off? I need to stop looking at new cookbooks, reading blogs, and watching cooking shows until my entire “to bake/cook” list is checked off. Yeah, sure. Anyway, this is the perfect cookie to bake for a tea/coffee get together with friends, and the perfect end to a meal. Why? Because it’s easy to make. All you need is a food processor and some pantry staples. And some loose earl grey tea (only about a tablespoon). And I have plenty of that in my house (decaf, too!). Continue reading

Palak Paneer

Remember when I made paneer? That was really only so I could make this dinner! A fragrant and spicy spinach dish flavored with garlic, cumin and green chiles. This was a good start for a Syrian cook, spice-wise, since I already have whole cumin in my pantry. So you don’t have to go spice shopping just yet!

I actually couldn’t find green chiles, but poblanos are pretty close, and they sell those at Fairway. Continue reading

Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake

I have been wanting to make this cake ever since I bought this cookbook, and that was a while ago. But first I didn’t find kosher mascarpone cheese, then I didn’t have an occasion to bake it for, and then I had a baby who didn’t really allow me to do much multi-step cake baking. Well I baked it. It took a while. I juiced lemons one day, made curd another, worked on the frosting the next morning, and that afternoon finally baked the cakes. So it took a while, but it was done, decorated, and waiting in the fridge to eat. I wanted to skip lunch and just eat cake. Continue reading

Homemade Pasta with 7 Yolks

After attempting to make French macarons, I had plenty of egg yolks left over (and no cookies!). Sure, I could make ice cream or pudding with them, but I didn’t feel like it. So even though I don’t have a pasta roller, I decided to make pasta dough and roll it out with my rolling pin. When the dough was finished, I was scared to ruin it, so I took my pasta over to my parents’ house, instructing my sister to bring her Kitchenaid pasta-rolling attachment there as well, and we teamed up to serve our family the best pasta dish ever! Continue reading