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You really should try to use it instead of cherries in a Clafoutis (well, it will be a Flaugnarde, but whatever). I think it will fit perfectly. I also sometimes use raspberries with ricotta (usually with added cream) as a crepe filling.

Dinner made of of this passing weeks leftovers, all of them tasty. Spiced rice pilaf with chickpeas, along with zucchini cooked in tomato sauce with dill and spices. Cabbage cooked with caraway and onion, egg noodles. Some ptittim (Israeli couscous), cooked with in alkaline water malt syrup (AKA leftover bagel boiling water). Sliced cherry tomatoes (super sweet!), cucumber, and a salad of onion in sumac, parsley and olive oil. Garlicky tahini sauce.

@DianaM Gorgeous picture. I like my oatmeal cookies somewhere between a crisp granola bar and a cakey cookie; baked completely dry and crisp, no chewy cookies for me please Also, I opt for fruits and nuts rather then chocolate.

Wow, so much baking going on in the last few days. @Shelby, It's funny, as I also made bagels this weekend, and after making them, I thought to myself that maybe next time I'll try to make round bagel-rolls for sake of streamlined shaping and having a different crust-to-crumb ratio. The bagels were pretty well, just not as crispy as I like, I'm not sure why, perhaps I've boiled them a little too long, I've heard it might lead to a less crisp and more chewy crust. Suggestions are welcomed.

This is indeed a method with plenty of potential, but I'm afraid it is not new at all, and credit should be given to those who discovered it (prof. Shelly Schmidt) and for Harold McGee who published it way back in 2012: curiouscook.com. I'm afraid that many people in the field of culinary innovation tend to "rediscover" things that were published in the past. I especially encourage you to read the site linked above and to read McGee's book, On Food and Cooking, if you haven't already. I was very impressed to see how many techniques and science which is only know being popularized were published back then. This is full respect to Stella Parks, who is a talented and innovative pastry chef, and whose blog is worth reading as well: bravetart.com. I think this technique is mostly useful in terms of convenience. I really want to make a batch, as I'm sure once someone has such a product on his shelve, it will be found to be useful in everyday cooking instead of white sugar. It's like a spice of sorts. I'm sure a cappuccino will be great with it.

Bucatini in pesto with cherry tomatoes and sweet peas. Extra pine nuts.

We've been eating plenty of yogurt, since I made a big batch. Breakfasts consisted of yogurt with banana and cinnamon; and yogurt with semi-frozen strawberry puree.

Made an experimental batch of infused mulberry liqueur (no added sugar). Pretty nice served chilled with some gin.

Stuffed grape vine leaves, filled with rice and bulgur, my bland of bahart (allspice, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper), tomato, garlic. Under the leaves are slices of onion, tomatoes, lemon and garlic, used to flavor it while cooking, and are delicious on bread with labana. Also made tzaziki from home made yogurt, with grated courgette and cumber. Mint, dill flowers, garlic, and only a touch of dill leaves.

@Lisa Shock I never tasted hummus made with sunflower seeds, but I do know peanut butter (unsweetened) makes a delicious, if completely unorthodox, hummus

Fetteh - Home made yogurt, mixed with hot and creamy chickpeas, toasted pita pieces. Spiced with garlic, cumin, chili and sumac. Topped with cherry tomatoes, mint, parsley, toasted nuts (cashew and almonds), a little peppery olive oil and more sumac. Some of the pita keep crispy, some soaks the juices. I really love this dish, and other then cooking the chickpeas (which I do the day before), it's very quick to make. It has countless variations, with each making it differently. The must ingredients are yogurt, chickpeas and dry/toasted bread (mostly pita). The ratios change widely, some dished consist of chickpeas with yogurt dolloped on top while others are almost yogurt soup. Some add meat. Nuts are almost always present, and I believe that pine nuts are the most traditional. I encourage you to take a look at this image searches ([1], [2]), the dished are quote sightly and you might enjoy viewing the wide variation. Ouzo with mint, always a good way to finish things.

Interesting idea. I am quite certain that they do use plenty of soda. Many people frown upon baking soda, but I find that it can improve flavor if used correctly, as it fastens milliard browning and extracts sweetens, which can be desired in some hummus. Long cooking time also effects hummus similarly. Having fresh hummus is indeed a joy. You should try to freeze your home made hummus. If thawed carefully yo avoid over-heating in spots it retains it's quality very well. I prefer to freeze portions already measured, but not yet blended.

@Deryn As you correctly assumed, western food culture has swept over the middle east quite well. Vegetables, legmus, etc are indeed thee backbone of this cuisine, but sadly the bad economical state leaves people with less time, knowledge and resources which are required to cook healthy and traditional food. As in western countries, the people of lower income opt for cheap and available industrial fast food. @Okanagancook The care you have for this family is very pleasant to see. In the subject of halal meat, I would assume that kosher meats will be subject to the same requirements and perhaps more available.

Pittango (AKA Suriname cherry). It's an interesting fruit, it goes from green, to pink, maroon and dark black as it ripens, which happens quickly. While it's dark red and almost ripe, it tasted very tart and sweet. Once perfectly ripe, it turns dark red, almost black and almost all of the acidity disappears. At this stage it tastes complex and quite unique, but it falls off the tree with the lightest touch, making a successfully grabbed one a treat.

Muesli with toasted oats, grated apple, home made yogurt, raising and dried apricot. Soaked overnight. A small touch of cinnamon and cocoa powder, plenty of diced apple and nectarine, toasted almonds and hazelnuts. Hazelnuts are so tasty, I'm not sure why I don't use them more often.

Bought hummus from our favorite place. This is a large 3-4 portions tub. Topped with cumin and parsley. When ordering take away, I always ask for the chickpeas and ful (fava beans) seperatly, so each of us can place them on his own serving. This place serves the hummus while still very warm. So we make sure to eat it while fresh and gently reheat if necessary. Necessary condiments: Olives, onion, pickles and tomatoes as a snack. Cumin, red and green zchug (I don't like the green kind that much), parsley and lemon to be placed on the hummus. And not pictured, warm and fluffy pitas. My portion, with ful and chickpeas. Topping and condiments aside, hummus has 5 ingredients: chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon and salt (many use baking soda in the cooking water, but that's more of a technique then ingredients). Yet, it is fascinating to see how the change in ratios, method and source of raw ingredients effects the final outcome, with each hummus tasting so different from one another. This one (which I grow up eating, and is my favorite), has a very nutty flavor, almost peanuty, and a thick, almost sticky texture. The hummus I make is very different, good in it's own way (I might make some next week). Hummus always makes for quite a heavy meal. I wouldn't refuse a siesta.

Scrambled eggs (I like them with distinct curd and soft). Mixed with tahini, lemon juice and red zchug (plus some more on top). Served on dense German rye (store bought). It's a great combination that compliments eggs well, nutty, herbal, spiced and hot. I usually mix tahini and zchug with hard boiled egg for an egg salad spread of sorts. This is a nice change. Simple salad of really good cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Light tahini-lemon dressing and black pepper. Good vegetables don't need much more.

So how was it? Sounds really interesting.

I also never cook with fresh peas. I grow a few plants, but we snack the peas straight from the plants while watering the garden. On the rare occasions when I find truely fresh peas on the market I usually steam them in the pod straight away and then keep them as a snack. It will keep better once cooked.

Double chocolate roulade. Another family recipe from my youth, I used to love "helping" my mom to make this cake as a child, especially rolling the baked sheet cake in a moist towel. I still do

Supper was stir fried rice with mushrooms, scallions, roasted onion, double garlic (sliced,sautéed + mashed,fried). peas, chopped peanuts and chilli. With roasted pak choi.

Post Passover matzebrei with charoset. I could happily eat this all year long.

Most add semolina to the bulgur (regular wheat, not durum), some add flour instead, but I find it too doughy. Most use store bought fine crashed bulgur, which should be pre-soaked in water for best results. I also know a few that add egg, can't tell you the exact result, but I guess it acts a little like ground meat, but as said, this is much less common than adding meat. Then you add water to fourm a not sticky and workable dough. As Okanagancook said, the amount of water should be addjust by feel to be workable.

Try adding a little to tahini, it's pretty good. Can be used in siniyah, maybe with lamb. Also with roasted cauliflower. Never tried any of the followings, but you can try it with pan fried or baked fish (I'll pair it with butter, tomatoes, black pepper and lemon, maybe also chives or thyme). Might be interesting in cacio e-pepe, or maybe carbonara. Vanilla works good with black pepper, and creamy applications feel natural. If you go for carbonara, using bacon instead of pancetta will add some smokiness that might pair well (or may not ).

Nicolai, in Israel most kibbeh (or kubbah, as is pronounced here) is made with no meat in the casing, but there are many recipes, and many do. I also never heared of rice in kibbeh.