Challah – Jewish Egg Bread

Challah - Jewish Egg Bread

My first job was working in the kitchen of a summer camp in Algonquin Park. Most of the kids and head staff were Jewish, so on Fridays we cooked a special meal that wasn’t part of the regular menu rotation: roast chicken, matzoh ball soup, salad, grape juice, and challah. I would help the bakers braid 40-60 […]

Easy Cheater’s Caesar Salad Dressing

Easy Cheater's Caesar Salad Dressing

This is a really easy recipe for Caesar salad dressing that whisks up in a flash. It is similar in flavour to my other Caesar dressing recipe which uses raw eggs; this one is faster and easier since it uses ready-made mayonnaise as a base. Once made, it lasts for up to two weeks in the […]

Za’atar Manakeesh

Za'atar Manakeesh - Arabic Za'atar Bread

Za’atar manakeesh is Arabic za’atar pizza. Our mom used to buy it fresh from Tamimi Markets in Saudi Arabia, and now we make it at home. If you can’t find the za’atar spice mix, you can make it yourself from a blend of thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac. The za’atar mixture is mixed with a […]

Za’atar Spice Mix

Za'atar Spice Mix

Za’atar is a tasty spice mix commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. We used to eat it, mixed with some olive oil into a paste, and spread on dough to make a type of pizza, manakeesh. It’s also great sprinkled on eggs, various vegetables, and as a spice rub for meat. The term za’atar can […]

Fennel Slaw with Garlic Dressing

Fennel is such a strange vegetable, all fibrous like celery but spicy like anise, and I never really gave it much thought. A few weeks ago Meinhilde brought home some fennel from her market, and I had no choice but to find a good recipe. This was also the same time that I rediscovered my love for crunchy […]