Q: I had sabzi at an Afghan restaurant and I'd like to replicate it at home. It had chopped spinach, green onions, and garlic spiced with hot red pepper flakes, little seeds (cumin?), and other mysterious spices (dill? mint?). Know a recipe?

Sent by Jen More

Let's get this out of the way: this Trader Joe's-inspired recipe won't save you time. If you're accustomed to running into TJ's and grabbing their prepackaged Spicy Lentil Wrap (with Spicy Tahini Sauce!), then the chopping, boiling, and whisking required to make it at home might seem like more than you care to take on. But it's such a worthy endeavor. Quite frankly, this homemade wrap is so vibrant and flavorful that I don't think I can ever eat the store-bought version again. Luckily, much of it can be prepared ahead of time, so the wraps are still fairly easy to assemble in the end. More

Pita pockets really are the original convenience food. Think about it: pitas are their own edible travel containers and you can eat them with one hand. Not to mention the fact that pita rounds can go on to become anything from crispy chips to an instant pizza. Brilliant! What do you make with pitas? More

In her tricks to help grown-ups eat breakfast, Sarah Rae suggested buying and eating food that you really like. It got me thinking about my most memorable breakfasts, and the fact that they have nothing to do with the oatmeal I usually eat – or forget to eat – each morning. So, this week, I tried something different. More

One of the most pleasurable cups of coffee I've ever sipped wasn't actually made from coffee beans at all – it was Lebanese "white coffee," a soothing tisane made from sweet-scented orange flower water. More

When we want to add luscious, sweet-tart flavor to marinades, salads, soups, desserts, and even drinks, we often reach for the pomegranate molasses. This jewel-toned condiment can be found at Middle Eastern markets, but we usually go the DIY route and make it at home. More

Are you vegetarian? (Or vegan?) Do you ever feel that your dietary choices, while right for you personally, have excluded you in some way from your family's traditions? I read such a good piece at Gilt Taste today on this topic — I just had to share. Allegra Ben-Amotz shares a thoughtful, colorful piece on her experiences growing up as a third-generation Iranian-American, and as a vegetarian who would no longer eat fesenjan, her grandmother's duck stew. More

Every holiday season we ask a few friends to join us here at The Kitchn for a series of guest posts. The topics range from favorite holiday recipes to family memories and traditions. Today's guest: Ilke of the lovely blog Ilke's Kitchen, writing about her family's New Year's Eve traditions of bingo, red underwear (indeed! read on and it will all become clear!) and a scrumptious rice pilaf. Welcome, Ilke!

Growing up in a Muslim family in Turkey, celebrating Christmas was not a regular thing for our December routine. There was no Santa to sit on his lap and tell our wishes, no cookie baking craziness all month long, no nonstop Christmas music on the radio. I don't think Santa tradition and trying to make kids behave with the Santa threat would be a long-lived one in Turkey anyway. More

Marash red pepper flakes might just be the most famous spice you've never heard of. It's been used for years in restaurant kitchens, like that of the famous Chez Panisse, though you don't often see it on the menu.

I only discovered the pepper recently after inhaling an appetizer of tuna carpaccio at a local restaurant. It was so subtly and beautifully seasoned that I had to know how it was made. The waiter listed off several fairly normal and expected ingredients, paused to think, and then said, "Oh, right. And marash pepper flakes." I had to know more. More

Are your snacks and hors d'oeuvres starting to feel a little stale? This fast take on homemade pita chips will blow bagged varieties out of the kitchen. Just a few minutes in the oven and you'll be cured of snack boredom. More