In the usual order of things, one decides to have a party, and then figures out which dishes to serve. But in this case, it was a stellar pomegranate and olive relish that got the ball rolling. "We have to throw a holiday party so people can taste this!" exclaimed my partner, and pretty soon we were discussing the guest list between bites. More

This year my husband and I are spending time with both our families over the holidays, which means traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle to Boston and back again. Needless to say, we'll be spending a lot of time on airplanes, and not one of the flights includes a meal. Instead of relying on sad bags of mini pretzels or soggy airport sandwiches, I'll be packing a few of these whole wheat pockets. Stuffed with spiced lentils, kale and mashed roasted sweet potato, these sturdy vegan pastries freeze well and taste great hot or at room temperature, so whether you're sitting in your cubicle or cruising at 30,000 feet, you can have a wholesome meal ready whenever you are. More

The city of Jerusalem may be "an intricate, convoluted mosaic of peoples," as Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi describe in the introduction to their new cookbook. But they are also quick, and very insistent, to state that this doesn't mean that there isn't a sense of cohesive local cuisine. There are threads that bind the diverse and layered foods of this city closely together—the flavor of lemon juice, the presence of pickled vegetables on a table, an extra drizzle of olive oil, figs, pomegranates, apricots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Jerusalem is as much a map as it is a cookbook, and following it leads to some very unexpected places. More

If you have room on your bookshelf for only one Lebanese cookbook, this is a strong contender. Aiming to be the definitive guide to Lebanese cooking, The Lebanese Kitchen includes hundreds of fresh, flavorful recipes from across the Middle Eastern country. Throughout, you'll find hallmarks of Lebanese cuisine like fresh produce and herbs, savory spices, whole grains, olive oil, nuts and seeds, pomegranate, orange, and rose. More

I've shared how much more likely I am to eat breakfast when it's a meze style – I just love being able to sample from a spread of olives, cheese, fresh vegetables, bread. Pita is nice, but when I have a little extra time, I make up a batch of manakish zaatar to eat over a few days. Topped with a fragrant, zingy blend of spices, these Lebanese flatbreads make lovely snacks and appetizers, too. More

Thinking about pulling out your slow-cooker, now that it's October? If we haven't convinced you yet to break it out of storage, we hope this recipe will do the trick! Creamy and mild, this simple curried soup is full of tender fall vegetables and the warming flavors of ginger and garlic. More

Whether we're talking falafel or deli ham, pockets of pita bread are one of my top choices for sandwiches. So portable! So neatly contained! So easy to eat! The pitas you make at home are worlds apart from the stuff you buy in stores, and watching them puff to glorious heights in your oven or on your stovetop is culinary magic at its best. Here's how we do it. More

My favorite part about making kuku sabzi is running my knife through the big handfuls of fragrant herbs that give this Persian frittata its name (sabzi means herbs in Farsi). Fresh parsley, cilantro, chives, and dill are the stars of this recipe, though you can substitute leeks, scallions, tarragon, spinach, or other tender greens that you have on hand. Whisk them into eggs, pour into a skillet, and in minutes you have a beautiful, nourishing dish that can be served as an appetizer, side, or main for any meal of the day. More

What is Israeli cuisine? This was the question on everyone's mind during my 5-day Israel food tour in late June. My co-adventurers were all food bloggers as well, and we each came to Israel with vague notions of what to expect during our time there (lots of hummus and tahini!) but without a clear sense of what we were in for. Here's a quick look at what we experienced: More

One hot, sunny day in late June I found myself in a tiny Arab market in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, sifting through a box of cucumbers. I was with Deanna and Danya, the lovely ladies behind the popular Israeli food blog Matkonation, and we were ingredient shopping for an afternoon cooking expedition. On the menu: stuffed grape (or vine) leaves made with spiced lamb, fresh mint, dried currants, and a cooling cucumber-yogurt sauce. May through early July is the best time to harvest grape leaves, which explained why we were able to grab bunches out of an overflowing cardboard box. The season was ripe for the recipe. More