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Modern Manna

Traditional Arab knafe, with a twist for the modern Shavuot table

Cooked in a skillet, with butter and goat's cheese instead of samneh and sweet Arab cheese, this delicious dessert bursts with a crescendo of flavors.

By Vered Guttman | May 17, 2012 | 11:11 AM

Giant Palestinian-made knafeh, in Nablus 2009

Modern Manna recipe / Knafeh in a skillet
Shavuot, the cheesiest of all Jewish holidays
By Vered Guttman
Modern Manna recipe / Israeli cheesecake
By Vered Guttman

Kindergarten children opening the Shavuot parade at Kibbutz Shamir.

Shavuot, the cheesiest of all Jewish holidays

Simple white cheese was once all you could find in Israel; while global cuisine and its finest cheeses are now available in plenty, nothing says Shavuot like a light, fluffy Israeli cheesecake.

By Vered Guttman | May 15, 2012 | 11:25 AM

A cup of heaven from a Jaffa hole-in-the-wall

Malabi ,or mahalabiya, is a dessert popular throughout the Middle East, from Turkey to Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.

By Vered Guttman | May 13, 2012 | 10:05 PM

Feeding the woman who feeds you - the perfect Mother's Day brunch

Vered Guttman offers up a home-made spread to celebrate the mothers in our lives.

By Vered Guttman | May 9, 2012 | 11:22 AM

Summer awakens with grape leaves, off the vine

I first discovered the superior taste of fresh grape leaves, compared to those that come in jars, when I lived in a small house on one of Jerusalem’s many hills, surrounded by grapevines.

By Vered Guttman | May 4, 2012 | 01:34 PM | 3

Modern Manna recipe / Roasted eggplant with pomegranate and Greek yogurt

When Polish chulent met Iraqi kibbeh: Israel's quirky fusion cuisine

On Israel's Independence Day, Vered Guttman tells the story of her mixed family and examines the creative and sometimes over-the-top ways Israeli chefs blend traditional Jewish foods with new flavors.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 26, 2012 | 06:20 PM

No matter where it originated, falafel is still Israel's national food

Middle Eastern food fights aside, Israelis have found their own way to eat the fried chickpea balls. Just in time for Israel's Independence Day, Vered Guttman gives us the scoop on how to make and eat these delicious treats.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 24, 2012 | 12:17 PM | 46

Goodbye Passover, hello the sweet glory of Mimouna

Vered Guttman visits the Amar’s family annual feast with eggplant jam, candied oranges, and, of course, moufleta.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 17, 2012 | 05:04 PM

A sweet that will assure Jon Stewart that Passover is awesome

In response to a Daily Show skit in which the U.S. comedian complains that the Jewish holiday lacks luster, Vered Guttman serves up some heavenly meringue clouds.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 12, 2012 | 12:59 PM

Passover Tabbuleh of Pistachios and Herb

How I learned to stop worrying and love Passover seder

In her latest blog post, Vered Guttman recounts how this year's festive night reinforced her bond with both Sephardi and Ashkenazi traditions, to delicious results.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 10, 2012 | 05:16 PM

Chrein, recipe from Ma'ayan Habira restaurant in Haifa

Simple Passover nosh, for Jews who don't want to be slaves in the kitchen

Making your own beet horesradish is easy and fun, and provides some great material for a pre-seder meal.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 5, 2012 | 11:10 AM

How to make perfect homemade matza in just 18 minutes

Although you can prepare the recipe from start to end within less than the 18 minutes period allowed to make sure the dough doesn’t start the leavening process, you will most probably not be able to find kosher for Passover flour that’s needed for a real kosher-for-Passover matza.

By Vered Guttman | Apr 3, 2012 | 11:22 AM

Cooking for Passover at Obama's house

Vered Guttman joined a pre-Passover discussion and demonstration with White House chef, Bill Yosses, and learns a few secret recipes, including a pear haroset brought to the table by the queen of American Jewish cooking, Joan Nathan.

By Vered Guttman | Mar 29, 2012 | 12:41 PM | 3

Vered Guttman is a caterer and a food writer based in Washington DC. Growing up in Israel she took her first lessons in Jewish cooking sitting at the tables of her two grandmothers, one from Poland, the other from Iraq.

In Modern Manna, Vered will share a mix of new Israeli trends and old Jewish traditions, sprinkled with a distinct Sephardic flavor.

Follow Vered on Twitter @veredguttman

A Special Place in Hell

Thank you, Russian immigrant to Israel, for Nakba Day

By Bradley Burston | 11:22 AM | 10

The progressive who paints Israel as a genocidal Nazi state

By Bradley Burston | 09:13 AM | 18

Netanyahu's next Israel: Bad for the Right, good for the Jews

By Bradley Burston | 01:50 PM | 12

West of Eden

G8 summit at Camp David - AP - May 19, 2012

Bad agreement with Iran could be nasty 'October Surprise' - for Israel

By Chemi Shalev | 12:14 PM | 19

J Street's Ben-Ami: 'U.S. Congressmen live in fear of pro-Israeli intimidation'

By Chemi Shalev | 03:07 PM | 30

With Livni gone, the old boys’ club is back in full swing

By Chemi Shalev | 12:06 PM | 4

Diplomania

Condoleezza Rice talking at the conference, Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Condoleezza Rice came to Israel to open doors, not provide headlines

By Barak Ravid | 04:00 PM | 3

Quality time with King Bibi

By Barak Ravid | 11:03 PM | 4

Israel ranked alongside Iran as one of countries with most negative global influence

By Barak Ravid | 10:55 PM | 11

The Axis

Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ex-Mossad chief's newest Iran jab is directed at Obama, not Netanyahu

By Anshel Pfeffer | 10:42 PM

U.S. aid to Syrian rebels is a signal to Iran

By Anshel Pfeffer | 06:28 PM | 5

What Iranians really think – and the questions that still remain

By Anshel Pfeffer | 08:33 PM | 2

Routine Emergencies

Ultra-Orthodox Jews at New York's Citi Field - AP

Who will be tweeting the ultra-Orthodox anti-Internet rally?

By Allison Kaplan Sommer | 09:08 PM | 5

When Patinkin and Berg made starring visits to Israel

By Allison Kaplan Sommer | 05:19 PM

Our new Zionist hero

By Allison Kaplan Sommer | 03:33 PM | 2

Strenger than Fiction

Tel Aviv University - Aviad Bar Nes - May 1, 2012

Israel’s universities could be world leaders

By Carlo Strenger | 04:46 PM | 2

Netanyahu’s and Abbas’ moments of truth

By Carlo Strenger | 12:21 PM | 2

Israelis will still follow ethnic and religious divisions in upcoming elections

By Carlo Strenger | 06:50 PM | 13

Focus U.S.A.

At what price foreign policy?

By Natasha Mozgovaya | 02:20 AM

Obama corrects controversial Jewish Heritage Month proclamation

By Natasha Mozgovaya | 12:44 AM

In a U.S. election year, even death of Netanyahu's father is political

By Natasha Mozgovaya | 05:54 PM | 16

The Fifth Question

Israel should listen to Shimon Peres - and look in the mirror

By Mira Sucharov | 08:00 PM

Liberal Zionism - possibly Israel's last hope

By Mira Sucharov | 09:06 PM | 9

Does Peter Beinart love Israel?

By Mira Sucharov | 09:00 PM | 3

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