Author: Manifa Nazarian

01 Oct Raw Chocolate Banana Pudding

Sometimes you just have to throw your hands up in the air and trust. So, I beseech you to trust me. I will never lead you down a path of non-deliciousness. Even if it is me telling you about a chocolate dessert that is raw and vegan.  Trust me. For all my friends out there who shutter at the sound of raw foods, just do me a solid and try making this dessert, I promise you will be pleasantly surprised. At first glance, this recipe threw me off a little because of the simplicity of it. As a chef if I don’t cook something I don’t really feel like I’ve made anything at all. Much to my dismay, I have made this pudding at least three or four times since the first time and it has become one of my favorite quick go to desserts. This pudding has ingredients that are usually around every household just never imagined to be put together in a dessert. If you have avocados, bananas, cocoa powder, cinnamon and maple syrup, you can make this!  The most important part of this recipe is making sure you have super ripe avocados and bananas.  If you don’t have the ripest and creamiest fruits your final product will lack the natural sweetness and you might be disappointed with the texture. When your bananas are brown and freckly it’s usually time to either chop them up and throw them in the freezer for smoothies, or its time to make this pudding. On top of all the deliciousness, this dish is filled with goodness for your cardiovascular  protection from the potassium and fiber of the bananas. The unsweetened cocoa powder is low in calories and contains minerals that support your heart, bones and immune system. Lets not forget the all mighty avocado in all its glory. This “superfood” is so versatile and is high in monounsaturated fats, which means it is the good kind of fat that your body will be able to burn easily turning it into energy, while still providing nutrients like fiber, vitamin E and folic acid. You could totally trick your kids into eating this super healthy pudding and let them think it’s made with the butter and milk that other recipes call for. Just don’t let them see how you make it!
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18 May Egg Service

I know a lot about eggs. I know I like them. I know I like them in the morning, and in the evening.  I like them soft, I like them hard boiled, scrambled or served over spaghetti. That’s right, spaghetti Bolognese and a perfectly fried runny egg dripping over the meaty glossy ragu is truly a beautiful midnight snack in bed. In culinary school our first lesson ever was about the art of cooking the egg. It is the easiest thing to make but also the easiest thing to mess up.  Some people really overcook the heck out of their scrambled eggs leaving them with a dry, non appetizing dish that belongs only one place, the trash. I still cannot understand how this is still done across the world. Sad face. There are many ways to cook this versatile food and they all involve respecting the process in which you choose to cook them. If you are trying to hard boil an egg, just place the egg in a pot with water when it comes to a boil cover and let steep for thirteen minutes. Done. If you cook any longer you will create that green lining around the yolk usually seen when you overcook a hard boiled egg. Might as well eat plastic. If you’re trying to make an egg over easy start with a cold pan and a melt some butter, add the eggs and use medium to low heat and flip three fourths the way done for maximum ooze of yolk and fully cooked whites. Low and slow. If you want a crunchy sunny side up egg that has wonderful crispy egg white and a soft runny yolk, start with a hot pan and melt some butter and olive oil, and crack your eggs in and watch out for the crackling! If you put a gun to my head I would choose one way to eat this delectable food. I grew up eating it soft boiled with butter and mashed with a fork with Lavash bread. There is something so comforting when butter meets egg that takes me back to my childhood and Sunday barefoot mornings running around the backyard picking fruits off the trees and playing with my dog in the backyard and having this bowl of yuminess waiting for me for breakfast on a Saturday morning. Even now wherever I am in the world I can trust in the feelings this dish brings me not just due to its low level of difficulty, rather the innocent childlike memories it gives me with each buttery creamy bite.
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31 Mar Masada and Me

If you are adventurous and looking for a once in a lifetime experience, one thing you must do when in Israel is go to Masada. For over 2000 years there has been conflicting stories of what happened atop Masada and events leading up to the death...

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