lemony garlicky cauliflower and wilted arugula – little tiberias

The last time I was in Israel I arrived in Tel Aviv at dawn. I left Athens for Israel at one in the morning, and it took many hours of travel before I finally reached Tiberias, my first stop on the journey. Tiberias is a beautiful little city that occupies a short stretch of the coast along the Sea of Galilee. There are small and winding stone alleys, a lively beach scene, elegant boutique hotels and crumbling, ancient minarets left over from the Ottomans. Ignore the young teenagers carrying machine guns; it’s a charming town. Tiberias is particularly special to me because it is where I met my husband. I can easily conjure the colorful, swirling, exhilarating memories of the night that we met, so you can imagine how excited I was to return with him three years later.

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delicious grilled veggie and arugula salad with pillowy garlic scented ricotta

I’ve just returned from a beach trip with my husband’s family. We had a really lovely time. Really. I can only think of one teensy complaint about the week (okay, two if I include the fact that my head is still peeling ): Jon’s family does not place any value in eating well. Allow me to paint the picture for you by highlighting some of the most memorable concoctions; buttered pop tarts, cheesy poofs (which would have been dipped in sour cream had it been available), and coffee sweetened with ice cream, artificial creamer AND sugar. This is no joke. This is real.

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jamie’s pizza

My Aunt Valerie has a little crush on Jamie Oliver.

I sent her his latest cook book for Christmas and when my cousin received the package, something in my message caused him to think that Jamie himself sent Valerie the cookbook as a gift. For one moment, just one moment, he had her convinced.

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