Follow me on Twitter 
About
I’m Mimi – Miriam Kresh – an American/Israeli. I grew up in the US, and before moving to Israel 33 years ago, I lived in Brazil and Venezuela. I speak the four languages (although if I’m tired or get emotional, my Hebrew deflates).
I’ve worked in offices, and as a doulah and masseuse. For several years I ran a small business selling my own handcrafted soaps. I studied the medicinal uses of herbs for many years. One day I realized that the way I connect with the world is by making things with my hands. Mostly, cooking.
I walked into my kitchen, where I spend most of my day. I looked around, trying to see my workplace with fresh eyes.
On the wooden table there was dandelion beer fizzing away in a big blue jar. A bowl covered with a striped kitchen towel stood in a warm place by the stove – sourdough bread rising. A pot of rich brown beans simmered over a low flame. The shelves held dozens of cookbooks, rows of brown glass bottles filled with home-made tinctures and infused oils, and some twenty-five spices. Garlic and bunches of herbs hung from hooks let into the ceiling. A brass menorah stood on the window ledge. Hello – this is who I am.
I was in my forties. About time I figured it out.
My family? I’m married, with one daughter still at home. I call her The Little One because she’s the youngest of the bunch, although she’s already a teenager. The older three kids are all grown up and pursuing their dreams on their own. My married daughter has given me three delicious grandchildren. Husband is a saintly sort of man who puts up with having his dinner photographed before he gets to eat it, half the time. He puts up with just about all my enthusiasms in his quiet way.
I make enough noise for both of us around the house, especially since I started voice classes. Hear that glass shatter? That was me, practicing my scales.
Now good cooks, like good gardeners, love to share. Israeli Kitchen came out of my irresistible urge to communicate about food and as Elizabeth David put it, “the urge to cook.” It’s a creative impulse with a scope as regional or as exotic as you care to make it. My own cuisine has been influenced by the flavors of Latin America, the midwestern US, French and Italian cooking, and the flavors of the Middle East. I hope these thoughts on food and cooking intrigue and inspire you.
Email, if you wish: mimi@israelikitchen.com
How wonderful. Thank you.
Jim
Great idea. Thanks.
Welcome to blogland. You are doing a great job.
Michelle
What a lovely blog! Thanks.
Hi Miriam,
This is such a nice blog..
I spoke to you on the phone about the writers course.
Wasn’t able to make it…
This is my blog.
Have a Happy Rosh Hashana
Nicole
I love your blog. I want to eat it.
Well! Thank you! You *can* eat the blog, if you cook out of it.
I loved the entry on the rugelach baker on Jerusalemite.
You take the most mouth-watering photos. Too bad I can’t just reach into my screen…
It’s just a matter of transferring greed to the lens of the camera.
Great stuff! I speak of my two things, or passions: Israel & wine. Love that you are making wine in Israel! And food of course follows not too far behind.
I look forward to following your food/wine adventures…
I am so glad I found your blog! I posted a question on how to make Cactus Pear wine (Sabres wine!) in a google news group and no one replied, than I found your entry for it on Winepress.us and this blog! thank you. I am an Israeli living in Berkeley CA for the last 26 years, happily making wine from grapes and finally got to pick some Sabres here.
I can see that I am going to be spending sometime on this Blog!
Col Ha-Kavod!
Shalom,
Uzi
Thank you, WTGuy and Uzi. I’ll be making pomelo wine over the next few days, and bl’i neder, will be blogging about it too. It’ll be nice to know that friendly folks will be accompanying the adventure.
Thanks for including the US measure, cups, etc., in your chutney recipe. Some of us lame brains still can only think in that system and are aided by the measuring industry that provides us only with cup and fractions thereof measurers rather than cc’s. Sigh.
I struggle with that, too, Claudia. Do you have a link to an online converter? Those things save my life. Here’s one – and I’m adding it to my blogroll too.
http://www.onlineconversion.com/
I absolutely know what you mean about the “urge” to cook! You have a great blog here!
Thanks, Bev, and enjoy!
i can’t seem to subscribe to your blog! you have so much info that i really must!
Tikva,
I’m glad my meanderings interest you! To subscribe, look at the top right on the home page. You’ll see Feed On and next to that, two orange squares with wave patterns drawn in them. Press Posts and follow the directions.
Enjoy!
Did I tell you lately how much I love your blog?
Lucy, thank you! Coming from the author of such a beautiful blog, I’m honored.
we’re honored to be on your blog, miriam!
what a sweet surprise.
it’s not easy to run a restaurant, but a kind review like yours make it all worth while.
shabbat shalom
david and the tmol-shilshom team.
David,
I do love Tmol Shilshom. You’ve made a great thing out of a unique place, a good team, and your personal taste in food.
I found your blog via Ilanadavita. I’m really excited as I love to cook and am trying to learn the Israeli way. Keep all the recipes coming.
Hi, chaisociety,
I like your nick – do you drink a lot of tea? Thank you for the kind words.
Dear Mimi, thank you so much for your kind words, that means a lot to me! I visited your blog, and I think is really great. You have the ability to make us see, experience and feel your beautiful country. I love your photos, and I couldn’t stop reading the section on israeli breakfast ( the sugar packets are brilliant!).
I’ll try to post more recipes in english in the future, however, if you are interested in any specific one that has not been translated yet, please let me know and I’ll prepare the translation for you.
let’s keep in touch!
Hello, izn! Really nice of you to offer to translate. The truth is, since I speak Portuguese I can make out quite a lot of your writings, but always get stuck at a crucial word. If I get really desperate, I’ll certainly send you an email SOS.
And please keep on doing what you’re doing so well…. I love your blog.
Thanks for the applesauce recipes! Wow!
You’re very welcome!
Its nice to see another English language Israeli blog, I am food bridge (www.sarahmelamed.com) and will link you in. I think I saw your posts in Egullet as well? In anycase, found this blog when looking for Dr. Shakshuka. I hope you are not moving too far.
cheers, Sarah
Hi, Sarah,
Yes, I used to be active in eGullet; less so in recent months. I cruised around your site and loved it. Really nice meeting you!
I’m still in Petach Tikvah, just in another neighborhood.
I just came across you blog on a google search for sourdough starter israel. I read one of your postings about sourdough and yeast just now. I’m not a bread baker and would really like to start. I live in Israel and I am looking for sour dough starter but don’t know where to find any? Ideas? I read in a few places how to make your own, but was also warned that good reliable older used starter will make better tasting bread than if I attempt to make my own. What’s your opinion?
Your site looks great and I will have a closer looksee…Thanks and Shana Tova!
Hi, Julia,
Your own new starter will work just fine. Have confidence – once upon a time every farm girl knew that water and flour make a good sourdough given 5 days or so.
Please refer to Sourdough Home on my Blogroll. I know you’ll get all the information you need there. Shana tova.
Thanks! I’ll give it a try
Hi Mimi,
I have enjoyed your site for a while now. I enjoy reading your recipes and getting ideas. I spotted your reference to kefir in a recent post. I have been wanting some myself. I saw your link to a site that has some people in Israel that are willing to share some grains. My question for you is, what kind of milk do you culture in? The regular Tnuva ultra-pasturized? I read on another website that it is better not to use ultra-pasturized. Just wondering what your experience has been.
Hi, Sarah,
Thank you for telling me that you enjoy Israeli Kitchen. As to kefir, I usually culture it in good old Tnuva 3% milk. It works. But the truth is, the best, creamiest kefir comes from goat’s milk. I do that too sometimes.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Mimi, I love your site! It’s beautiful and i cant get enough of it…looking forward to reading more posts from you!
Thanks, Alisa! I’m cooking up a few interesting dishes to post about now…