Cooking Jerusalem #1; the condiments

I've never been big on resolutions. That said though, the new year is as good a time as any to try something new. And what better to start the new year than with a new(ish) cookbook. 

Jerusalem is the 3rd cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi, the much lauded Israel-by-way-of-London chef and Sami Tamimi. 'Jerusalem: The Cookbook' reads more like a cultural history book and is a beautiful marriage of the Eastern Palestine influences of Tamimi youth with Western Jewish traditions of Ottolenghi's upbringing.

Every photo is more enticing than the next, it is hard to know where to begin. I opted to start at the end...with the condiments.

With any cookbook that aims to tackle a whole cuisine, particularly one I'm not so familiar with, it seems best to fill the pantry and/or refrigerator with the spices, sauces and condiments that will be used throughout the book.

ZHOUG.

This recipe is described as the Middle Eastern gremolata. Since gremolata is God's nectar IMHO, there was no question I would make this first. A combination of cilantro, parsley & hot green chiles (jalapenos or an equally hot pepper) with cumin, cardamom, & cloves; the depth of flavor in Zhoug is incredible and goes great on labne, folded into eggs or simply on a spoon!  

LABNEH.

Granted, I haven't tackled every recipe, but this has to be the easiest one in the book. Labneh is strained yogurt, essentially. Simply select the yogurt you wish to use (they recommend equal parts goat milk & cow milk yogurt), line a bowl with cheesecloth, pour yogurt onto the cloth and tie it off to strain out the excess liquid. Within 24 hours you'll have delicious labneh, a wonderful addition to meat & rice dishes or great on its own with harrisa and zhoug.

HARISSA.

Harissa can be transcendent. The harissa recipe is not. It is fine and works quite well as a marinade for fish but I prefer a more liquid consistency when it comes to harissa.  

QUICK PICKLED LEMONS.

There is a recipe for preserved lemons, which take a month or so set and then there is a recipe for quick pickled lemons, which take a day to set. I opted for the latter recipe and while I've yet to make the former, the quick pickled lemons are quite nice. Pickled or preserved lemons are a great addition to just about every dish, particularly meats, fishes and grains.

...can't wait to cook up more recipes from this beautiful book!

Cooking from 'My Nepenthe'

Cookbooks are among my favorite gifts to receive. It might come as a surprise to learn however, that it is a rare occasion I receive a cookbook a gift. It must be the same reason DH almost never receives wine as a gift. People must assume we have all we could ever need or want in these categories. That or it can be intimidating...but I sure hope not!
I really do love receiving a new cookbook, particularly in an age of epicurious.com, food network and google recipes. Working within the confines of a cookbook's pages can be a rewarding challenge.
And, as with all books given as gifts, cookbooks reflect the giver as much as the recipient. For a recent birthday, a close friend gave me the beautiful My Nepenthe cookbook. 
Nepenthe, the restaurant is arguably one of the most famous spots in all of Big Sur and quite possibly the oldest. With a sprawling, panoramic patio and floor-to-ceiling glass-walled interior, Nepenthe is easily the best bar and restaurant to take in the view. And the food is pretty great too.

our personal favorite at the restaurant! 

When we are fortunate to find ourselves in Big Sur, an outdoor seat at Nepenthe combined with an order of Ambrosia burgers (meat or veggie), a basket of fries and a pitcher of beer makes for a near perfect moment.

Big Sur

Part historical memoir, part cookbook; My Nepenthe weaves together mouthwatering recipes, from the restaurant and from the family's private repertoire along with the family history of Bill and Lolly Fasset, co-founders of the Nepenthe. Each recipe is tied into a story all its own and the order follows a stream of consciousness rather than a conventional cookbook layout.

shooting 'The Sandpiper' at Nepenthe

It's easy to get caught up in all the beautiful pictures and nostalgic stories of Nepenthe's salad days; from the bohemian 50's and 60's to the filming of 'The Sandpiper' with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, but the real highlight of the book are the recipes.
In the months since receiving this cookbook, I have enjoyed preparing My Nepenthe recipes for large parties, close friends and for just the two of us.

their version

our version

Lamb brochettes with mint pesto and oven-baked rice provided the menu for DH's sis, Casey's Hastings Law School Graduation Party.

their version

our version

Lolly's famous hotcakes are now our go-to pancake batter, particularly when camping.

Marinated fresh sardines and roast corn with chipotle butter have become some of our favorite things to eat at home.

components of the rustic tart

sprinkle sweet dough w. sugar & almonds

stack up sliced pluots & strawberries

dot with butter

messy but good

And for a recent 18 reasons volunteer potluck, I made the plum and raspberry rustic tart. I swapped flavor king pluots for the plums and strawberries for raspberries since that's what looked (and tasted) best at the Berkeley Farmer's Market.

'Californian Hippy' cuisine

All the recipes have a distinctly 'Californian Hippy' feel to them. 'Californian Hippy' is by no means an official cuisine but can be defined by heaps of nuts and seeds, wheat germ, avocados, sprouts, ect. sprinkling every recipe. 
It is a cuisine and a lifestyle I have nothing but love, loyalty and nostalgia for and Nepenthe restaurant, for all intents and purposes, invented it!
I'd recommend the restaurant and the cookbook to anyone.