Bhutan Red Rice with Chickpeas & Currants

The other night I decided what to make for dinner around 5 o’clock. For someone who likes having a plan, that was late. A bag of chickpeas was thawing the in the fridge, so I made half a batch of hummus and then had to do something with the rest. Flipping to the index in the Jerusalem cookbook there it was, Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants and Herbs. I went to the cupboard. No wild rice. Just as well, I wasn’t gonna wait around for 45 minutes for it to cook anyway. Currants? Check. Herbs? Well, cilantro. Close enough. Time to riff.

ByMichelleApril 9, 20131Comment

Harissa-Marinated Roasted Chicken

You know that thing when you discover something, whether it’s a song or a TV show or even just a color, you see it everywhere, where once you probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought? I’m going through that right now with harissa – the Tunisian hot sauce/red pepper paste.

ByMichelleJanuary 31, 20132Comments

Entertaining Main Course Recipes

Tasting Jerusalem: Turkey Zucchini Burgers w/ Sumac Yogurt Sauce

Super Bowl Sunday always seems to be about dips. Salsa, guacamole, Lipton onion soup mix, ranch, maybe hummus. If you're looking for a little something different for your Super Bowl shindig the sumac-spiced sauce that goes with these turkey zucchini burgers may be just the thing.The burgers, from the Jerusalem cookbook, are very good, and…

ByMichelleJanuary 22, 20133Comments

Book Reviews

Tasting Jerusalem: Barley Risotto w/ Marinated Feta

Look at your cookbook shelves. How many of those books do you cook from and how many do you just skim now and again? There’s no crime in cookbook as lookbook, but I have to believe most authors are hoping you’ll actually make the recipes. With Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem, the photos are gorgeous. It would be easy to let it just be a lookbook. But you'd be missing out. To get us cooking, not just looking, Beth of omgyummy and her friend Sarene have created a virtual cooking community centered around Jerusalem, where we’ll be cooking from the book, sharing our results and talking ingredients. Ahead of official kick-off, on Sunday I made the Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta.

ByMichelleJanuary 15, 20138Comments

Book Reviews Recipes Side Dishes

Bulghur Pilaf from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty

Getting more whole grains in your diet is easier than ever with the wide availability of bulghur, quinoa, barley and spelt, but it's also easy to fall into a rut with the most basic preparations for these grains. My regular bulghur pilaf is pretty simple, relying on onion, crimini mushrooms and chicken stock for its flavor. That simplicity makes it a great side dish when your main, say baked chicken, has a more dominant flavor profile. But why should a side dish have to take a back seat?

ByMichelleFebruary 6, 20120Comments