Semiserious Chefs

Americans love yogurt. We particularly like it sweet, often with berries or fruit, and even flavored like favorite desserts and pies. We like it in single portions and easy to grab on the go, including, but not limited to, the ever-popular squeezable tubes for children. We also have what is marketed as ‘drinkable yogurt.’ Now […]

Armenia. It’s own nation; just barely. They are incredibly proud of their heritage and their homeland. They come from the ancient lands of the Mesopotamia and lived through the Ottoman empire. They’ve been ‘owned’ by both Turkey and Russia, over and over, and their cuisine is a mix of flavors that shows these ever waving […]

Apparently there is no question about the fact that Tiger Nut Sweets are pretty much as ancient as it comes. I just wish I could find a picture of this Egyptian clay or broke pot on which the possibly 6,000 year old recipe was found. The name has me a little dumbfounded, though. Tiger Nut […]

Samboosa are Arabic fried triangle pastries. They are most often savory, so the title word here, halwah or ‘sweets’ gives us a clue that this is a fried triangular pastry sweet snack. The original recipe I played off called for cashews and walnuts, but I am really not a fan of walnuts. For my rendition […]

Taken from the Arabic for an onomatopoeia-like word sounding meaning ‘all mixed up,’ this North African dish is beloved both by Muslims and Jews, as their cultures have been intermingled again and again throughout history. Often eaten at breakfast, shakshouka is also not uncommon to have for dinner. The ingredients are simple, and it only […]

Not too long ago I spend considerable amount of time studying the Za’atar blends of various regions. Besides the most common use as a dip for olive oil and bread, Za’atar is also regularly used to season tomatoes. Although I don’t have the ability to get a hold of the true za’atar fresh herb I […]

Manakish, pronounced manakeesh, is a very popular flat bread from the Middle East. It is most commonly topped with a za’atar blend, but can also be found topped with tomatoes, local cheeses, ground seasoned lamb, chilies, or greens. It can be sliced or served whole, and eaten flat or folded. Manakish is common for both […]

Requiring only 2 ingredients, salt and lemons, it is incredibly easy to have this versatile condiment and meal enhancer in your fridge. Okay, so it sometimes also needs a little lemon juice, but you don’t even need a pressure cooker or canner. Just make sure your jar and it’s lid have been sterilized, either with […]

A few years ago, when we were just starting this food adventure, I created an olive tapenade recipe. It wasn’t a bad recipe, though I certainly needed to update the photos! It was just very simple. This week I realized how much I have grown in the culinary field when I decided to clear out […]

Although only given literately 5 seconds or less of attention on the air with Anthony Bourdain in Tangier, ‘Strawberries, Pine Nuts, and Honey’ pinged so loud on my foodie radar, “Make It! …Make It! …Make It!” that instead of having a song stuck in my head I pretty much heard this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kv_V5lhiE ….from the moment […]