It was in Israel that I first learned to make perfect hummus. One of the most important ingredients is tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Not all tahini tastes alike, so choose one with a rich nutty flavor. My favorite is Har Bracha Tahini, which is available on Amazon.

When you enter the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem you’ll see carts piled high with large rings of crusty bagels. They’re not the bagels we’re used to that are heavy and dense, requiring a thick slab of cream cheese. These are light and airy, and slightly sweet. They’re coated in sesame seeds and sold in a piece of newspaper. Traditionally, they are dipped in the dry spice, za’atar or cumin seeds. I prefer to tear them and smear them into hummus or spicy yogurt. They’re easy to make, but require some time a nd patience, but It’s worth every second when you pull them from the oven, crispy on the outside and light the inside. They’re best served warm, of course!

If you like crab cakes, this is a great alternative with a Mediterranean flare. You can form the patties and freeze before cooking on parchment paper in plastic bags, and pull out as many as you need from the freezer. 

I learned to make delicious hummus from Chef Nir Feller in Tel Aviv. It really makes a difference if you cook dried chickpeas, instead of using the ones in a tin. It takes some time to cook them, but you can cook a huge batch and freeze them for use later. Be sure to freeze the cooking liquid separately to use also. Another important ingredient is the tahini, which should be organic 100% tahini with no additives. 

Malabi is a traditional Israeli dessert made from milk. It’s similar to a custard or panna cotta, but a lighter version. I like to use coconut milk, for its flavor, but the real showcase in this dish is the toppings. This recipe uses a strawberry sauce, but you can add honey, nuts, coconut, pomegranate, orange segments, or whatever suits you.

My favorite way to prepare carrots is by roasting them in a hot oven until they’re nearly browned. In this recipe the honey and molasses drizzle kicks up the flavors, and sweetens the carrots just perfectly. Not only is this a delicious side dish for the holidays or any time of year, it’s also really beautiful!

Traditionally, Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato stew, but I like to make this green version using herbs and Swiss chard. If green tomatoes were in season, they would be delicious is this version too. Make this for breakfast or brunch, and serve it with crusty bread to scoop up all the yolky goodness.

These delicious fried vegetarian balls are a classic middle eastern snack made from dried chickpeas or fava beans (or a mixture of both). They’re traditionally served with hummus or toum, a garlic sauce. Often they are put into a bread roll and served as a sandwich. They are certainly best when they are fresh out of the fryer.

Fattoush is a middle eastern salad made with lots of fresh vegetables and “day-old” pita. It was likely a recipe started in Lebanon when the farmers’ wives would toss stale pita into a bowl of fresh vegetables, drizzle with olive oil and call it dinner.

I love mixing both fresh fruit and dried fruit in salads and desserts. The dried berries offer a tart flavor and chewy texture while the fresh fruit is juicy and sweet. While cooking with Chef Nir in Tel Aviv, we prepared fish with a salad of chopped cabbage and ripe blueberries from the Carmel Market. We set a table on the balcony of our friend, Inbal, which had a view of the Mediterranean Sea.

There is nothing like fresh pita hot out of a piping hot oven! I watched a woman in Nazareth quicky roll and bake the soft dough into pillowy mounds of the best bread I’d ever eaten. She let me try to make it myself, and she kindly showed me I was rolling the dough too thinly.

Carpaccio is a term for very thin slices of raw beef or fish, but this is a vegetarian option that is packed with so many bursts of flavors and textures. Serve it with fresh bread so you can just scoop up the carpaccio and eat it like a dip.

If I’ve made a favorite recipe among my peers this year it would be this salad! I had a similar version in a high-end restaurant in Tel Aviv, and I could not wait to make my own version. The spice mixture za’atar is a middle eastern spice that is not easy to find, so you can substitute with dried oregano and sesame seeds. I prefer to use ricotta and yogurt from my farmers market because it tastes so fresh. I use metal rings to assemble this salad for parties, and the layering is so much easier and a beautiful presentation.

I learned to make delicious hummus from Chef Nir Feller in Tel Aviv. It really makes a difference if you cook dried chickpeas, instead of using the ones in a tin. It takes some time to cook them, but you can cook a huge batch and freeze them for using later. Be sure to freeze the cooking liquid separately to use also.

This is a delicious smoky dip that is from Lebanon, but common in most middle eastern cuisines. It is used to spread on bread, meats, or vegetables. Some of the best I ever had was in a small bar in Jordan near Petra. It was a cave that had been converted into a bar with the most delicious snacks.

When I visit Tel Aviv, Israel, I get up early in the morning to walk through the Carmel Market. I love to watch the merchants set out their colorful fruits and vegetables, stacking them in perfect formation next to wooden crates full of nuts and dried fruits. Spice merchants scoop mounds of pungent seeds and pods into paper bags for early morning shoppers, many who are chefs in the city. I’ve taken home several bags of nuts and spices, saving them to put into scrumptious salads, stews, and sauces. I call this salad “autumn salad” because it reminds me of the colors of fall, orange from the squash, red from pomegranate, and hues of green from lettuces.