Reader Liza Rosenberg and Ghormeh Sabzi

June 7th, 2010 by Hannah

Please welcome Liza Rosenberg of Something Something. Liza lives in Karkur, Israel, with her husband, six year-old son and a goldfish who’s trying to live forever.

What do you remember about family meals and your mother’s cooking style when you were growing up? I’ve always enjoyed my mother’s cooking. Unless it was a special occasion, her cooking wasn’t anything fancy, but it was still good. Like me, my mother was never really one of those women who particularly liked to cook. When it came to special occasions, the meals were always outstanding.
How is your cooking style different from your mother’s? My tastes in food are more international than hers, so I tend to use more unusual spices than she did – different Indian spices, Middle Eastern spices, etc. Also, because my husband is Persian, I’ve learned how to cook a number of Persian dishes, which I also love (more so the eating, and less the cooking itself).
How did you learn to cook? I think I’m still learning! But seriously. I’ve learned different things from my husband, who loves to cook. There’s been lots of trial and error as well over the years. Sometimes I’ll eat a meal somewhere and like it so much that I’ll scour the internet until I come up with the easiest possible recipe, and then try to repeat it. Cooking isn’t something that comes naturally to me, so I’m always a little nervous about it, even when I’m following a recipe. I’m always pleasantly surprised when I succeed.
Do you entertain, and in what circumstances? What is the biggest party or meal you have hosted to date? My husband has a large family, and we occasionally have them over in whole or in part. We recently had a lot of people over the house for a celebration, and we served everything buffet style.
How has your cooking style evolved over the years? As my tastes have changed and as I’ve grown more confident, I’ve tried my hand at more things, like the Persian food.
Can you recommend any cookbooks, TV shows or websites that have inspired you? Alas, no. I just use whatever pops up on the radar any given moment.
What is the most unusual dish you’ve ever made? I made a dish using brain once. Never again…
What is the oldest item in your kitchen? The newest?The oldest item would have to be a meat grinder that we inherited from my mother-in-law. It doesn’t actually work anymore, but we’ve got it perched on a shelf because it’s got a funky, retro look to it. I’m not sure what the newest item is at the moment, but I’m hoping that it will soon be a cappuccino maker.
What would you like to change about your cooking style in the coming year? I want to get better at making fish. I love fish, and would love to start including more of it in my culinary repertoire, such that it is.