Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of butter
1 pound of mushrooms, trimmed and thickly sliced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
4 handfuls each (about 2 ounces each) parsley, and dill sprigs
5 whole black peppercorns
One 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan and toss the mushrooms in it just long enough to coat them. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the cream to boiling and pour over the mushrooms.
Tie the remaining ingredients into a cheesecloth and add to the mushrooms.
Cover and simmer the mixture for 40 50 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the cheesecloth bag and serve.

Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of shelled walnuts
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon of ground coriander seed
3/4 teaspoon of ground marigold
3/4 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
1 cup of boiling water
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
4 large firm tomatoes
3/4 cup of chopped mixed fresh herbs (basil, cilantro and parsley)Cilantro



Directions:
In a deep saucepan just large enough to hold the tomatoes, cook the onion in the butter until soft. Finely grind 1/2 cup of walnuts with 3 garlic cloves. Add to the cooked onions. Stir in the coriander seed (grinded), marigold, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, paprika and cayenne. Pour in the boiling water and the vinegar. Pour in the boiling water and the vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the tops off the tomatoes and scrape out the seeds, being careful not to puncture the skin.
Grind together the remaining 1/2 cup of walnuts, garlic, clove, salt and black pepper. Stir in the finely chopped herbs. Stuff the tomatoes with this mixture and replace the tops.
Place tomatoes in the nut sauce and cook them over low heat, covered, until they are tender but still hold their shape, about 25 minutes. Allow cooling to room temperature in the pan.
Serve tomatoes on a bed of the sauce, garnished with sprigs of cilantro.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound of green tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
1/4 cup of coarsely chopped celery leaves
1/4 cup of coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 cup of water
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, carrots, parsley, celery leaves and the water. Cover skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
In a mortar with a pestle, pound the garlic with salt until a paste is formed.
When the vegetables are tender, remove from heat and stir in the garlic paste and pepper to taste.
Cool to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of dried kidney beans
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of ground coriander seed
1/2 cup of mixed chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil dill and tarragon)
SaltFreshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Soak the beans overnight in water to cover. The next day, drain and rinse them. Place in a large pot and cover with fresh water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to boil and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Drain. While the beans are still warm, stir in the remaining ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Allow the beans to cool to room temperature before serving.

Labda is a Passover specialty of the Georgian Jews, but this large, rich pancake makes a quick and filling supper any time of the year.

Ingredients:

1 pound of boiling potatoes
1 cup of finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of corn oil

Instructions:
Boil the potatoes until tender; peel and mash them. Stir in the walnuts, parsley, salt, pepper to taste and eggs, mixing them well.
In a 10-inch skillet with sloping sides, melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil. When hot, spoon the pancake batter into the pan, pressing down with a spatula to form and even pancake. Cook over medium high heat for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is brown and crusty. Slide the pancake onto a platter. Melt the remaining butter and oil in the skillet, then invert the pancake into the skillet and fry the other side until brown, about 4 minutes more. Slide onto a platter and serve, cut into wedges.